Someone Needs To Make An "Overland" Shell

[tikijimmy]

OK, hear me out -

I'd love a half-height fiberglass shell with rails on top to mount a tent. I can't seem to find anyone making one. Something where the sides and back open up awning-style for nearly full bed access from 3 sides.

I have a diy truck drawer system that is about 7" tall, so a tonneau cover only leaves me ~11" height for loading the bed. With a 12-14" high camper shell, I can still mount the tent below the roofline and have a decent amount of storage under the cap.

As of now, I have to pull the tonneau off when I put the rack/tent on so I have enough height for storage, but it's not at all secure.

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[Zybane]

Someone needs to make this:

I'd spend $10-15K for an integrated solution.

 

[22_Sarge_Sport]

Someone needs to make this:

I'd spend $10-15K for an integrated solution.

That's awesome, but it's making someone somewhere think of a third row of seats....the JL/JT Unlimited^2 XL....every soccer mom / trophy wife in town will be using it to take one stroller and one toddler to Lulu and Nordstrom's....

 

[j.o.y.ride]

A half height shell? I can picture it... but it ain't pretty.

 

[tikijimmy]

A half height shell? I can picture it... but it ain't pretty.

In my head, it’s really just an overland rack that’s enclosed. I can see how it would look strange if the tent wasn’t mounted, but I didn’t buy a Jeep Gladiator because I wanted a pretty truck. ?​

 

[Toyfrog]

Even something like this wouldn’t keep the tent below the roof line, well for most tents.

 

[A 2]

Check out @Mules project ?

 

[alpineovernappa]

Buy a half height rack and take it to a fab shop and have them enclose it with aluminum panels or DIY with some rivnuts and marine grade plywood sheeting. I bet you could DIY it for under $500 (not including the cost of the base rack). I have the alucab and i definitely wouldn’t want it to be any shorter in height. I’d much rather my RTT sit above the cab like to does now (and i live in a metro area with parking garages and such)

 

[redriderjf87]

Someone needs to make this:

I'd spend $10-15K for an integrated solution.

I'd be all over that.

 

[tikijimmy]

Buy a half height rack and take it to a fab shop and have them enclose it with aluminum panels or DIY…

I’ve seriously considered this. I’m a former contractor and def have the shop and skills.

The design in my head is an overland rack with removable panels so I could leave it open most of the time and pop the panels on what I’m going on a trip. I may have to give this some serious thought.

 

[tikijimmy]

Even something like this wouldn’t keep the tent below the roof line, well for most tents.

I currently have a “half rack” that I cut down to about 12” high. I modded it specifically to make the tent is flush with the roof rack that’s on the cab. That’s about 2-½” above the roofline, so not too bad.

 

[j.o.y.ride]

In my head, it’s really just an overland rack that’s enclosed. I can see how it would look strange if the tent wasn’t mounted, but I didn’t buy a Jeep Gladiator because I wanted a pretty truck. ?​

You could always take a bedrack... fashion a bunch of drywall or plywood to fill in the gaps... and then fiberglass all over it and remove the model after.

 

[RCKLNDR]

I actually saw a mid height aluminum shell of some sort today. There’s a chance I’ll see it again tomorrow. If so, I’ll grab a pic or 2.

 

[j.o.y.ride]

Take this, use some 1/4 plywood to fill in the gaps all around and enclose it. Then fiberglass it heavily, paint, remove the plywood.

Can even keep the metal rack for rigidity and if you install some hardware ahead of time, some mounting points off the rack on the inside.

 

[Fpolanco]

I had a tonneau cover with my rack but lost so much storage space between the cover and the rack. I thought about building my own out of high density plastic...but then realized I can’t build squat. So I went a different route.

I reached out to a “fabricator” of awnings and covers for boats and told him what I wanted.

It came out amazing!!

Essential, it’s a soft top over my half height JCR rack with Front Runner quick disconnect mounts.

Best upgrade I’ve done and will prob ever do.

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