(Runner-Up) Best Overall Rooftop Tent

The iKamper Skycamp 2.0 combines the ruggedness of a hardshell RTT with the spaciousness of a fold-out and can accommodate either 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 small children. At $3,899, the iKamper SkyCamp 2.0 is a sizeable investment as far as RTTs go. It’s the second most expensive on our 2021 list, and more than one of its competitors can be purchased for less than a third of the price of the iKamper. However, the Skycamp 2.0 implements several user-friendly design features that go a long way toward justifying its price, which is why we named it Runner-Up for Best Overall Rooftop Tent.

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See Our Best Rooftop Camping Tents Review 2021 HERE!

There’s a new kid in town in the world of rooftop tents, and its name is iKamper. The brainchild of Soon Park, iKamper came about after Park took his family on a three-year cross-country camping adventure that left him unsatisfied with the current offerings—whether a pop-up trailer or a conventional tent. The result was a highly successful Kickstarter campaign that funded his revolutionary RTT, the iKamper Skycamp, introduced in 2017. Much like the original Skycamp, the updated Skycamp 2.0 combines the ruggedness of a hardshell RTT with the spaciousness of a fold-out and can accommodate either 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 small children.

At $3,899, the iKamper SkyCamp 2.0 is a sizeable investment as far as RTTs go. It’s the second most expensive on our 2021 list and more than one of its competitors—specifically, the Smittybilt Overlander and Tepui Explorer Kukenam 3—can be purchased for less than a third of the price of the iKamper. However, the Skycamp 2.0 implements several user-friendly design features that go a long way toward justifying its price.

Comfort

The Skycamp 2.0 boasts a roomy interior, with dimensions of 83” x 77” that give it a total square footage of 43.2, second only to the 47.8 sq ft Roofnest Condor XL. Peak headroom is 45”, making it 5” taller than the Roofnest Sparrow but 5” shorter than the Condor XL and 15” shorter than the Roofnest Falcon. However, all three of the Roofnest RTTs utilize differing designs: the shorter Sparrow is a pop-up hardshell with a flat roof, which allows for more interior volume, the much taller Falcon has an angled roof that limits interior volume, and only the slightly taller Condor XL has a fold-out design that’s most similar to the Skycamp 2.0. That being said, the Condor XL also costs $500 less than the Skycamp 2.0, making it a rather appealing alternative.

There is a large doorway for the Skycamp 2.0 located on the vehicle’s passenger side. On either side of this entryway are two smaller windows located at the front and back of the vehicle and a third window on the roof to provide adequate views of the stars; the hardshell roof prevents the Skycamp from having a window on its driver-side wall. The side windows are made up of three layers, starting with clear vinyl on the inside, a mesh screen, and finally, a polyester layer that converts into a pair of canopies by utilizing the included tension poles.

As previously mentioned, the Skycamp has a king-size mattress capable of fitting either 3 adults or two adults and two children. The mattress is made of high-density memory foam that measures 1.8” thick, making it a bit thinner than the integrated mattresses on some of our other preferred RTTs, which are often closer to 2.5”. This was a definite drawback in the comfort department. We were also a bit disappointed to find only two storage pockets inside the Skycamp. We would have hoped to have three or four, so that if the Skycamp is used for its intended max capacity, every camper could have his or her own storage area. However, we did enjoy the decorative addition of the world-map graphic on the inside wall.

Ease of Conversion

Conversion time for the Skycamp 2.0 is a blistering 60 seconds and can easily be carried out by just one person. The folks at iKamper even demonstrate this with their own timed YouTube video. The first step is to unlock and release the two clips on the passenger side, then give the roof a slight nudge upwards. From there, the gas struts will then take over and extend the hardshell to its maximum height. You’ll then extend the ladder and pull it to the ground to unfold the tent’s extension panel; the ladder will automatically lock in place, allowing you to climb up top. Ideally, the ladder should be angled around 70°. The final steps are to insert the tension poles for the awning over the entryway, slide the mattress over, then clip the corners of the awning/rainfly into place, and you’re good to go. Thanks to the integrated hardshell, the Skycamp scores high marks in the area of cover convenience since there is nothing to roll up and stow away. We also loved that because the ladder on all iKamper models is attached to the extension panel, you should still be able to access the vehicle door underneath, unlike what you’ll find with most pop-up hardshell tents like the Rooftop Sparrow.

Tear-down for the Skycamp will take just a few seconds more. You’ll essentially be reversing the setup steps, starting with stacking the half-mattresses on the far side of the tent, then removing the tension poles from the entryway and stashing them inside. Next, you’ll collapse the ladder, fold up the extension panel, and then pull down the hardshell roof using the three attached straps (this may take just a bit of muscle, as the gas struts will provide resistance). Once the hardshell is almost entirely closed, the straps can be tucked away inside, and the clips can be locked down.

Ease of Installation

iKamper’s universal mounting system enables it to fit on nearly any vehicle with two crossbars at least 30″ (76 cm) apart. Its Mounting Brackets 2.0 are compatible with a maximum crossbar height of 1.2″ (3 cm) and width of 3.5″ (9 cm). You’ll want to use the Mounting Brackets 1.0 for higher crossbars. If possible, iKamper recommends using after-market crossbars or rack systems since they often have higher dynamic weight capacity than stock crossbars.

Although there is no assembly process for the tent itself, installing it on your vehicle will require at least two adults, but preferably four. iKamper also suggests using a motorized lift, which is just a bit unrealistic in our eyes. The tent will need to be lifted straight up and centered on the crossbars, at which point the mounting brackets can be installed. You’ll first insert the bracket into the rail located at the bottom of the floor panel, then insert the bolt between the brackets, first tightening with your hand and then using an Allen wrench to securely fasten the bolt, and finally insert the rail cap.

The total weight for the Skycamp 2.0 is 160 lbs, while its packed size is 85.8” x 54.3” x 12.5”. This makes it amongst the heaviest RTTs in our review, as it is tied with the Roofnest Condor XL in weight and only slightly larger in packed size (33.7 cu ft versus 30.6 cu ft). If you don’t plan to keep your Skycamp installed year-round, you’ll want to ensure that you have ample storage space. If you’ve just purchased the Skycamp and completed the installation process, we recommend you find an area where the tent can be opened and sufficiently ventilated to release any trapped gasses prior to your first outing.

Durability & Weatherproofing

We were very impressed with the effort that iKamper employed to make their RTTs both durable and weatherproof. The flooring of the Skycamp 2.0 is made of honeycomb aluminum that’s both rugged and lightweight, while the canopy is a 300gsm polyester-cotton canvas, the rainfly is PU-coated 150D polyester, and the hardshell top is double-layered fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) with 1” air insulation. All the poles are either 16mm aluminum or 4mm nickel-plated steel. The telescoping ladder has a 330 lb weight limit, while the tent itself has a weight limit of 900 lb.

Optional Extras

There are a plethora of options if you want to add some more accessories to your Skycamp 2.0. There are 15 in all, but a few of our favorites are listed below. Although it is the most expensive item on this list, we felt that the annex is the most helpful addition.

• • Shoe Rack ($69)
  • Annex ($689)
  • Annex Vista Window ($75)
  • Awning ($349)
  • Awning Canopy ($67)
  • Storage Rack ($69)
  • Insulation Tent ($299)
  • Wind Deflector ($149)
  • Rain Canopy ($69)

The Bottom Line

There’s no doubt that iKamper reinvented the game of RTTs with the introduction of the Skycamp, which combines the easy conversion of a pop-up RTT with the spacious interior of a fold-out tent. It improved this design with the Skycamp 2.0 by adding a thicker foam mattress, more substantial locks, and a redesigned ladder. However, in the past few years, we have found that other newcomers—namely, Roofnest—have noted iKamper’s innovative designs and improved on a few features at a slightly lower price point. While we’d welcome the Skycamp 2.0 as a home away from home, in terms of “bang for your buck,” we’re still not sure this quite makes the grade. However, we did love it enough to name it Runner-Up for Best Overall Rooftop Tent.

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