Awesome Custom Bronco by 4 Wheel Parts!

[Broncodave]

If you have to take a leak in the middle of the night do you climb down the ladder or just unleash the hose from the second story window?

You ask the bear if he will leave the garbage alone for a moment and come help you to the ground.

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[Low Hammer]

What is the deal with the tent on top of the car? I see all these pictures of wide open space yet someone is choosing to forego said space and put their tent on the roof like they are crammed in at a drive-in? I've camped a decent amount in my life, and I've never once thought hey, this would be more fun if this tent were on top of the car. If you have to take a leak in the middle of the night do you climb down the ladder or just unleash the hose from the second story window?

They do it for the (insta)gram. Seriously though there are advantages and disadvantages to roof top tents, but the current trend is basically bored millennials living vicariously through sponsored “influencers” and since a 3k rooftop tent looks cooler then dad’s old coleman on the ground it’s what sells better in photos.

This started with tiny houses(debt driven yuppies admiring people who are financially independent) then morphed to van life(apartment dwelling yuppies admiring the freedom to live anywhere else) and now with the lockdowns it’s all about overlanding(getting as far away from it all as possible). Obviously the trends spur real sales, and some people run with these things and enjoy them(and good for them), but mostly it’s just the “lifestyle” people are daydreaming about without any experience in the reality of it. The point is all these things are more appealing in photos and vlogs then they are in real life for the average person.

As for practical reasons for a rooftop tent. Quick setup and teardown of a tent with a matress without even needing to find a nice flat rock-less spot is a big plus. Also gets you above the snow and mud. I guess the bigger point is you can turn your car into a camping trailer minus the trailer

A lot of obvious drawbacks as well. Cost is the biggest and most obvious, needing to climb up(potentially with animals). Space limitations. Safety concerns. Flexibility(forced to stay with the vehicle). Vehicle fuel efficiency and handling.

Personally I always tell people to buy cheap things when starting a new hobby then replace them when they prove worthless or wear out and don’t overthink it. Good advice for gear in general although you should always overprovision a little. If you don’t wear out a $200 tent from overuse overlanding you will probably not get your monies worth out of a 3k one

 

[Toccoa]

Got an old school vibe to them.

 

[Silver-Bolt]

Showcasing all of their overpriced chinese garbage parts.

 

[GToddC5]

Showcasing all of their overpriced chinese garbage parts.

I do get a Harbor Freight vibe when looking at their website, but some of the stuff has to at least be engineered in the USA, don't you think? Then that wouldn't make them too different from a lot of places.

 

[Silver-Bolt]

I do get a Harbor Freight vibe when looking at their website, but some of the stuff has to at least be engineered in the USA, don't you think? Then that wouldn't make them too different from a lot of places.

If you have been around off-roading at all, their reputation is crap. They are the Walmart of the off-road world. Their biggest ripoff is their install "service". Sell you garbage parts and over charge to install them.

 

[TJconvert2.7]

BD has the mounting hole for the picatinny rail.
Interdasting.

All trims aren’t receptive?

 

[GToddC5]

If you have been around off-roading at all, their reputation is crap. They are the Walmart of the off-road world. Their biggest ripoff is their install "service". Sell you garbage parts and over charge to install them.

Duly noted, thanks.

 

[indio22]

They do it for the (insta)gram. Seriously though there are advantages and disadvantages to roof top tents, but the current trend is basically bored millennials living vicariously through sponsored “influencers” and since a 3k rooftop tent looks cooler then dad’s old coleman on the ground it’s what sells better in photos.

This started with tiny houses(debt driven yuppies admiring people who are financially independent) then morphed to van life(apartment dwelling yuppies admiring the freedom to live anywhere else) and now with the lockdowns it’s all about overlanding(getting as far away from it all as possible). Obviously the trends spur real sales, and some people run with these things and enjoy them(and good for them), but mostly it’s just the “lifestyle” people are daydreaming about without any experience in the reality of it. The point is all these things are more appealing in photos and vlogs then they are in real life for the average person.

As for practical reasons for a rooftop tent. Quick setup and teardown of a tent with a matress without even needing to find a nice flat rock-less spot is a big plus. Also gets you above the snow and mud. I guess the bigger point is you can turn your car into a camping trailer minus the trailer

A lot of obvious drawbacks as well. Cost is the biggest and most obvious, needing to climb up(potentially with animals). Space limitations. Safety concerns. Flexibility(forced to stay with the vehicle). Vehicle fuel efficiency and handling.

Personally I always tell people to buy cheap things when starting a new hobby then replace them when they prove worthless or wear out and don’t overthink it. Good advice for gear in general although you should always overprovision a little. If you don’t wear out a $200 tent from overuse overlanding you will probably not get your monies worth out of a 3k one

Haven't used a rooftop tent. A plus seems convenience, assuming it's quicker/easier to flip open and assemble, and already has padding all in place. Some downsides are having to break camp whenever wanting to use the vehicle, less options for tent placement (under a tree for shade or in a particular out of the way spot a vehicle can't access), and cost. You'd want to make sure it meets the use case.

Agree about starting at lower cost and gaining some experience. You don't need a pneumatic nail gun setup, if all you end up doing is hanging a few picture frames. Some potential Bronco owners might want to keep that in mind, when deciding what to buy.

 

[ZackDanger]

All trims aren’t receptive?

Every indication has been that the threaded mounting point is present on all trim levels.

I have not seen any information to suggest otherwise.

Some people started worrying it wasn't because of guesses and worries.

 

[indio22]

I do get a Harbor Freight vibe when looking at their website, but some of the stuff has to at least be engineered in the USA, don't you think? Then that wouldn't make them too different from a lot of places.

Over the years I've bought stuff from 4 Wheel Parts with good results. You do want to watch what you buy though, and realize some items might require a bit more work to install, compared to items that are 3 times the cost elsewhere.

It's like some people always b*tching about Smittybuilt products. I installed one of their rear bumper/tire carrier products on my Jeep TJ last year and it works great. I especially like the bumper, because it's not some big honking narwhale type design some folks are installing these days with it's own center of gravity due to mass, lol.

But I did have to mess with the mounting holes with a grinder to fit. You just got to know what you are getting, and potentially be up for some extra work to install.

 

[TheWoo]

Haven't used a rooftop tent. A plus seems convenience, assuming it's quicker/easier to flip open and assemble, and already has padding all in place. Some downsides are having to break camp whenever wanting to use the vehicle, less options for tent placement (under a tree for shade or in a particular out of the way spot a vehicle can't access), and cost. You'd want to make sure it meets the use case.

Agree about starting at lower cost and gaining some experience. You don't need a pneumatic nail gun setup, if all you end up doing is hanging a few picture frames. Some potential Bronco owners might want to keep that in mind, when deciding what to buy.

I'm very interested in one - the combination of convenience and comfort seems far superior to any ground tent. Add in that if you like to camp in bear or snake/critter country, there's some added security to being off the ground.

All that said, the downsides of cost and inability to use the vehicle while camp is deployed have kept me from pulling the trigger at this point.

If $$ weren't a consideration, I'd probably go RTT on an offroad camp trailer like a Turtleback. One reality is that no matter what you do, there are tradeoffs. Everything is a compromise in some way, shape or form.

 

[TheWoo]

Personally I always tell people to buy cheap things when starting a new hobby then replace them when they prove worthless or wear out and don’t overthink it. Good advice for gear in general although you should always overprovision a little. If you don’t wear out a $200 tent from overuse overlanding you will probably not get your monies worth out of a 3k one

While I agree in general with this, I'm one who also subscribes to "get the things you need to make you 'comfortable'" - whatever that means to you. Unless your goal is to truly prove you are able to survive discomfort, there are no rewards for being most uncomfortable. I want to enjoy camping - eating good food, relaxing by the lake or on the mountain, and feeling refreshed when I come home.

I'll spend some extra $$ on quality gear that allows that to be the case. It also makes it likely I'll do it more often, and the wife will enjoy it as well.

 

[Quinn_the_eskimo]

If you have been around off-roading at all, their reputation is crap. They are the Walmart of the off-road world.

Their reputation is crap because a lot of the mass-produced aftermarket parts suppliers are crap (Omix, Rugged Ridge, Rough Country, etc.). My Jeep rebuild is a mix of custom and aftermarket from places like 4WP. The problem has been there's just not a big enough market for many of the custom places to peddle their products through 4WP, so you have to seek them out. For many parts, there just isn't a custom supplier and you're forced to buy the Chinese crap because otherwise you won't have a fuel sending unit.

Their biggest ripoff is their install "service". Sell you garbage parts and over charge to install them.

Well yeah, this is for the "more money than sense" crowd.

 

[bloominguez]

I don't usually like striping but that side stripe looks great.

Except for where they put the Black Diamond sticker back over the stripe. Why????

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