Camper shell wedge vs clamshell with annex

[JTdiRtyD]

I'm at a crossroads on the next setup, camper shell RTT or bed rack with clamshell. On my Tacoma I had a DIY cap and a wedge RTT that mounted on top (no passthrough), on the Jeep I want to dial in my setup more.

Option 1)
The original plan was a camper shell RTT with passthrough from the bed (Think GoFastCamper or similar). Because of my need for a removable RTT so I can get in the garage I was going to build one (easy enough for me to do, just time consuming).

Pros:
Can use the bed as a changing area
Can use the bed to get out of the rain and play games, watch movie, etc.
Securable bed storage
Very fast and easy setup
Not much concern with wind/weather

Cons:
Have to clear everything out of the bed to use that space
Can't park in my garage
Difficult to get in and out of, especially with a drawer system



Option 2) Lately I've been thinking about a clamshell type tent that opens to the side on a half rack that's enclosed (think the Rebel Offroad XPLOR with a iKamper Skycamp).

Pros:
Tents can be a little more roomy depending on model
Don't need to empty the bed of the truck
Annex can provide a larger area for changing and games, and even keep ladder out of the elements
Can still secure gear with enclosed half rack
Keeps everything low enough to park in garage

Cons:
Longer Setup times with annex
Concerns about wind/weather annex (noise, stability, etc.)
Lose some usable storage space with a half rack


Anyone have experience with both? Which do you prefer? On one hand I like the fast and easy setup of a camper shell, but I don't like having to empty the bed to use the space or remove the tent after every trip. One the other hand I like the idea of being able to leave the tent on the truck in the summer, but I don't like the longer setup and potentially not being able to use the annex in winds/weather.

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[mtbjeeper]

With the limited height in your garage I’d go with a hub tent. Set up in 60 seconds and leave all the gear/drawers in the glady.

I have a wedge camper. Perfect for my use. I don’t have a garage so no concern. Even if I had a garage I’d park outside as the simplicity of this setup trumps everything else for me.

in my opinion annex rooms are a gargantuan pain and really lock you into immobility. I keep a hub tent in the bed when I need more space.

 

[BamaGladiator]

Never had the wedge. I run half rack with ikamper, and we love it. Ours is xcover, so not complete hard shell. Fits in garage and super easy set up (2 mins). We don’t have the annex, so can’t speak to that…

 

[dylanhack]

I'm super happy with my Lone Peak Overland camper + RTT + passthrough. And reasonable prices considering the quality. I ordered their base model with the cab passthrough window. Here are some pictures, I also have a video of the interior that I made for a friend here: Inside the Lone Peak Overland camper and subfloor plans.

 

[JTdiRtyD]

The more I think about it, the more I'd rather be able to leave the tent mounted. Between weather, critters, and the fact I've put a lot into my garage parking outside at home is really not an option for me, so I think I'm going to build a 16" enclosed rack and run a clamshell style RTT. With my JCR roof rack and a 12" height tent the two should be roughly the same overall height and should still be enough clearance to fit in the garage. I need to double check measurements because it's still going to be close, but I should have a couple inches of clearance.

I'm still unsure about an annex though. The tent I've been eyeing is the 4x4 Colorado Alto Mini, but their annex says its best to be used at 7-9ft height. I need to reach out to them and see what they say about roughly 5 ft height. I do have a 270 awning with walls from my trailer that I could use, but that won't cover the tent entrance.

As stated, I'll build the enclosure. Will use 15 series extruded aluminum for framing and .125 alum sheet for the panels. I already have a design drawn up in Fusion for a GFCamper build, so I just need to shorten it, adjust a few lengths and send a few items off to get milled. It should all still come in well below buying an Rebel Offroad XPLOR or American Adventure Lab LBE. I'll post it up in my build thread.

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