Foamie Hard Shell Roof-Top Tent?

Canvas covered foamies (Thrifty Alternatives...)

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Re: Foamie Hard Shell Roof-Top Tent?

Postby TPA5 » Mon Jan 02, 2017 9:54 pm

Great replies, everyone.

To tackle the pricing on cheap tents like the Smitty's, we're up in Canada so it's very difficult to get them here for less than $1300. And that's for a soft shell tent, not hard shell.

So why hard shell?

It's not really for insulation, we don't camp in winter. Mostly because winter here averages -25 Celsius and can dip all the way to -45 to -50 with windchill. Not really pleasant to camp in, and in winter there's not much to do anyway unless we drive 8+ hours. We live in a pretty boring part of Canada, haha. While I've done some winter road trips before, I've never found them terribly pleasant. The hardshell is primarily for the ease of setup and take down. Just lift it up and lock the arms and you're good to go, unlock the arms and drop it down and you can get moving again. Plus, the roof of the shell gives me the ability to install a vent fan to keep condensation down in the tent. And, it's nice when it rains to have a hard roof above your head.

I like the idea of possibly doing folding hard walls, but I'm not sure if that's the path I'd want to go down. Perhaps if we tried a second one! But for now we'd like to keep the canvas walls.

As for the weight, the limit for our vehicle on the rack is 150 pounds in motion. While stationary, there isn't an "official" limit but reasonably can easily hold our weight. The weight limits are to ensure people don't put 800 pounds on their roof then roll their car into a ditch on a turn. My wife and I are less than 400 pounds combined so no worries there.

For attaching the tent canvas to the roof and 'floor', what kind of options are there? Would using a strong glue work, then reinforcing that with staples or such? I would assume that glue could bond well between tent canvas and the canvas foamie skin, but I'm not sure that staples would hold well at all or even be necessary if the glue would be strong enough.

I'm thinking just simple strip LED lighting around the roof. I'll put a battery in the car, and run a very basic solar setup so we can run the lights, fan, and have a plug to charge phones/cameras.

I'm a terrible artist, but I've been doodling a rough plan. Once it's more legible I'll post it here. I'm not quite sure when the actual build will start, we don't have a garage and currently are in the bitter depths of winter.
*Dreaming of foamies.*
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Re: Foamie Hard Shell Roof-Top Tent?

Postby ghcoe » Mon Jan 02, 2017 11:02 pm

If you look through my build thread you will see that I do a lot with flashing for hard points. Also, there is a thread on working with flashing that may help in canvas fastening.

Once you get a hard point to fasten too. I would get the canvas ready for the cuts and cut 1 inch larger than where you want it to attach to the body. then take some 1/4" rope and place it along the edge of the canvas. Then roll the 1" extra canvas over the rope and then stitch. Now you can take a piece of aluminum like maybe 1/2"x1/16", lay the canvas at the attachment point, put the aluminum strip along the top of the canvas, making sure the roped part is below the aluminum. Now you can pop rivet the aluminum piece onto the hard point over the canvas. The rope will keep the canvas from pulling out. Hope that makes sense.
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Re: Foamie Hard Shell Roof-Top Tent?

Postby OP827 » Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:07 am

QueticoBill wrote:I am not certain that with fabric sides the foam up top makes much difference as far as insulation, do you? Now, a fold up shelter with foamie walls - maybe. The wedge shape - hinge top to bottom at front - and make sides each two long triangles that fold into center - use heavy canvas for "hinges" - might work. I'd be inclined to hang something like a couple of quilts overlapping at rear rather than another hard side with door - but possible.

I guess since I go winter camping - plain tent, no stove, up to -20 F - I'm less concerned about insulation. Hot weather camping might change my mind.


I think a wedge design is not so practical for such a small space and so was thinking of a folding hard walls of a box, same idea as gobur and similar caravans, just downscaled to a slimmer and lighter rooftop version made with xps foam sandwich. http://www.goburcaravans.co.uk/carousel-folding-caravans/how-they-work/. I hope it is clear enough, but ask if you have any questions.
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Re: Foamie Hard Shell Roof-Top Tent?

Postby QueticoBill » Tue Jan 03, 2017 9:53 am

Having spent a lot of time in tents, in cold and hot, rain, and high wind, I was struggling to see how a foam top and vertical fabric (I'd assume sil-nylon?) sides would do in hostile weather. Maybe you quickly fold up and go to a motel - I don't know - but the hinged to the base top seemed much more robust in dealing with wind. The straight lift hard top with vertical sides will need to good diagonal bracing at least. I imagined nylon webbing "X" at least the ends and perhaps one side, and probably an inverted "V" on the entrance side or sides.

Do you need roof top storage on top of pop up, like for bikes or a canoe/kayak? Definite option for the hard top.
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Re: Foamie Hard Shell Roof-Top Tent?

Postby andrew7 » Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:47 pm

hi all, I have been looking and learning for some time here. I am finishing my foamie boat this weekend, and was planning on building a foam roofy this spring. I think I am going to modify the plans, but if you goto google books- Popular Mechanics , Upper berth for a station wagon. you will get all the info and pictures. Maybe this might help you out. I am thinking of using shed windows and endless hinge and 2" xps sides for my build.
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Re: Foamie Hard Shell Roof-Top Tent?

Postby lthomas987 » Fri Jan 06, 2017 3:53 pm

andrew7 wrote:hi all, I have been looking and learning for some time here. I am finishing my foamie boat this weekend, and was planning on building a foam roofy this spring. I think I am going to modify the plans, but if you goto google books- Popular Mechanics , Upper berth for a station wagon. you will get all the info and pictures. Maybe this might help you out. I am thinking of using shed windows and endless hinge and 2" xps sides for my build.


Is this the one you were thinking of? https://books.google.com/books?id=uSADA ... &q&f=false
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Re: Foamie Hard Shell Roof-Top Tent?

Postby QueticoBill » Fri Jan 06, 2017 5:13 pm

Gosh that's great fun to look at the MIs from the 50s and 60s. Thanks!
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Re: Foamie Hard Shell Roof-Top Tent?

Postby andrew7 » Fri Jan 06, 2017 5:40 pm

this one
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Re: Foamie Hard Shell Roof-Top Tent?

Postby ghcoe » Fri Jan 06, 2017 8:55 pm

andrew7 wrote:this one


If they did it with plywood it can be done with foam. I have played with a design similar to that in a trailer. Never though of it on a roof. Nice!
George.

Gorrilla Glue, Great Stuff and Gripper. The three G's of foamie construction.

My build viewtopic.php?t=54099
Working with flashing for foamie construction viewtopic.php?f=55&t=60303
Making a hot wire http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=55323
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