Using a roof top tent has become popular with travelers around the world – whether they are just trying to get away for the weekend or traveling the land nomadic-style. The two top brands right now are iKamper and Tepui. Both are famous for their incredible convenience, comfort, and functionality.
With road trips having a huge resurgence these days, rooftop tents and campers are a practical way to carry a comfortable sleeping area around without pulling a camper and save on hotels.
Both brands provide quality products that we would be proud to use. We’ll be reviewing their rooftop campers to help you make a purchase decision.
iKamper
iKamper is a relatively young company, having gotten its start in 2014. They created their first rooftop camper called the “Hard Top One.” It has a very unique design that led iKamper to lots of success and rapid growth. It was picked up by famous media outlets such as Rockets Are Cool, 
GiGadgets, and Insider Design.
The company’s CEO, Soon Park, is a serial entrepreneur who aims to make iKamper one of the leading rooftop brands in the world. The family-owned business continues to create new high-quality and functional outdoor equipment.
iKamper Product Lineup
iKamper has two unique rooftop campers and other accessories, including:
The Skycamp
The Skycamp has been globally recognized as one of the most successful rooftop campers in crowdfunding history. The amazing innovation even won the Red Dot Design award!
The reason the Skycamp was so successful is the convenience and functionality it brings. In under a minute, you’re able to fully set it up and jump right in. The rooftop camper can sleep up to four people on a king-sized mattress, but, more importantly, it can do it comfortably.
The Skycamp even has see-through windows, allowing you to enjoy the surrounding views while sleeping in. For even more functionality, you can attach several accessories making it the perfect living space for the outdoors. And yes, there’s even a stainless-steel lock to keep your belongings protected while you’re away.
You don’t have to worry about the Skycamp breaking down as it’s been perfectly assembled using fibre-reinforced plastic and two layers of insulation. Its hard-shell coverage, aluminum flooring, and poly-cotton canvas provides maximum protection allowing it to withstand poor weather conditions and constant use.
Skycamp 2X
After the release of the famous Skycamp, Skycamp 2X was released by iKamper. This new rooftop camper provides the same convenience and functionality as the Skycamp, so it’s another great option. However, there are some features to take note of.
The Skycamp 2X is aerodynamic so it helps your vehicle to be more fuel efficient. Another great feature of this rooftop camper is it gives you more light whenever you need it. You can have a great view of the stars at night without worrying about insects sneaking in. The interior is spacious enough to fit two adults and one child, so it’s perfect for a small family, couple, or two-person camping trip. Of course, you can still attach other accessories to increase the living space.
X-Cover
The X-Cover is a simple product that gets rid of the cover of most rooftop campers. And it has roof bars that you can quickly set up to provide the perfect shelter overnight.
Aioks
Aioks stands for “All-In-One Outdoor Kitchen System.” This product is exactly what it sounds like — it provides everything you need to make delicious meals outdoors with a table, stove, cookware, utensils, food, and drinks! The clever design makes the Aioks the ultimate outdoor cooking product. We have not used the Aioks personally and have not compared it to other outdoor cooking systems made by non-rooftop-camper-makers.
Accessories
iKamper offers many accessories to add to your camping experience. There are ladders, wind deflectors, storage shelves, shoe racks, movie stands, and more!
Tepui Roof Top Tents
Tepui has been around since 2010, so they started a couple of years earlier than iKamper. The company was founded by fans of long road trips, and they’re based in California. They are highly invested in their community, offering their customers quality rooftop campers. Tepui continues to explore new trails to come up with new ideas for products. They want to ensure that your next trip is something to brag about.
Tepui was acquired in late 2018 by Thule, the Swedish company best known (at least by us) for other automotive carriers like bike racks. It appears that the acquisition is still allowing Tepui to operate largely as it had been, from its HQ in California.
Tepui Product Lineup
Tepui has multiple lines of products ranging from rooftop campers, beddings, lighting and power, accessories, and even apparel.
Rooftop campers
Tepui has a large line of rooftop campers – 19 to be exact. You can choose from soft shell or hard shell campers and the capacity you wish your camper to hold. Each one has many features, so be sure to check them out individually.
Most of these campers have built-in screen panels which allow you to enjoy the surrounding views. They are very sturdy and reliable as each is made of high-quality and heavy-duty materials.
Depending on the camper, you can comfortably fit two to four people, making it great for a family and friends’ trip. Most of these rooftop campers have release latches which make it easy for you to set up.
We are fans of the Low Pro 2 and 3, a more affordable (still spendy) rooftop tend that is designed to be streamlined and lower to the ground. They’re ideal for sedans or other vehicles where you prefer to keep everything within a few feet from ground level. The Low Pros are a little smaller, but the base is made with the same materials as the larger models, so you are not giving up any stability. Find the Low Pro here at REI.
We also love the Ruggedized Autana 3, a super-strong tent that gives you an annex for more space, a welded aluminum base, and plenty of zip-open screens to be able to enjoy the view and not feel so enclosed. The Autana is a great choice if you are doing a long road trip over the course of several weeks. The additional cost will more than be made-up by sleeping in it more. You can find it here.
Bedding
You can choose different bedding equipment for your rooftop camper. There are mattresses, sleeping bags, pillows, and sheets available. This allows you to forego the thermal underwear on those cold nights and sleep in comfort under snug and adequate bedding.
Lighting and power
For the nighttime, Tepui offers lighting and power equipment to help you continue the fun in the dark. The interior lights are quite powerful, so it’s perfect for the tent!
Apparel and accessories
Tepui has accessories you can buy to add onto your rooftop camper. Some accessories increase living space, and even provide protection from bugs and mosquitos. They also have many clothing accessories if you love the brand including hats, bags, containers, sweaters, and more.
iKamper vs. Tepui cost
iKamper rooftop campers cost more than the average Tepui camper. iKamper’s campers cost over $3,000 while Tepui’s campers range from $1,149 to $3,049. Both companies have spent years developing their products and the amount you spend really comes down to what you are looking for personally. We like that Tepui provides more range in their campers, giving you more price point and feature options.
iKamper is not focused on creating a large line of rooftop campers because they want to make it easy for their customers to choose the best one. That’s why they only have a couple campers available, while Tepui has nearly twenty.
iKamper vs. Tepui availability
To purchase an iKamper rooftop camper or other iKamper products, you’ll need to do so on their official website at https://www.ikamper.com. Through their site, you can contact the company directly should you have any questions about their products. It may be wise to do so before making a big purchase.
Tepui products can be purchased through their official website or at their store in Southern California (where they provide installation services). That is an advantage for people who prefer to buy locally from a place where they can look at the camper and easily return it without any issues. You can also purchase their products through REI, a major sporting goods company. If you search for Tepui, you will be able to find most if not all their products. Purchasing through REI is great because they are very well-known for carrying high-quality brands. REI has never carried items that they weren’t proud of, so it ensures the integrity of Tepui products.
Conclusion
iKamper and Tepui are two great rooftop camper brands. There are others on the market, but we can’t stand behind them the way that we can with these two. We love the roots and the passion of both companies. At first glance, it might seem like spending four figures on a tent is a lot of money, but once you see how they are constructed, you will realize that you are paying for quality and durability.
We probably would give the edge to Tepui, as we like the options they provide for customers. But we would be proud to drive around carrying either brand, and would have no issue sleeping in either on a long road trip.
