Tepui Hybox Announced (1 Viewer)

[Box Rocket]

Multi-purpose Hardshell roof tent and cargo box. Pre-orders are open now!
Hybox Pre-order

 

[Graniteone]

That looks like a good idea. I wonder how much of hassle it is to hang the tent inside.

 

[vipergrhd]

How much?

 

[80t0ylc]

Multi-purpose Hardshell roof tent and cargo box. Pre-orders are open now!.....

I like good ideas, but as an experienced RTT owner & user, this just does't set good with me. Maybe it's the presentation.... You might want to educate Tepui's ad experts that current owner's of RTTs, at least myself, know that this multi-purpose campaign is bogus. For example, who wants to fill up their RTT with their gear and then come nightfall have to empty it out to sleep in it. Oh, unless it has the "dump feature"...lol. Yeah, if you want to use your RTT as additional room for transporting stuff like when you're moving - hell, mine does that now! But, to promote it like they are doing in this ad is - misleading - at best. "Gear storage by day - tree fort by night" ???

I do like the idea of a quick removal or storage of the tent fabric. But, I'd be concerned about potential damage to it. Frequent use of the RTT for gear storage would raise my concerns to - just that - incidental damage to the critical weather barrier.

 

[Box Rocket]

I like good ideas, but as an experienced RTT owner & user, this just does't set good with me. Maybe it's the presentation.... You might want to educate Tepui's ad experts that current owner's of RTTs, at least myself, know that this multi-purpose campain is bogus. For example, who wants to fill up their RTT with their gear and then come nightfall have to empty it out to sleep in it. Oh, unless it has the "dump feature"...lol. Yeah, if you want to use your RTT as additional room for transporting stuff like when you're moving - hell, mine does that now! But, to promote it like they are doing in this ad is - misleading - at best. "Gear storage by day - tree fort by night" ???

I do like the idea of a quick removal or storage of the tent fabric. But, I'd be concerned about potential damage to it. Frequent use of the RTT for gear storage would raise my concerns to - just that - incidental damage to the critical weather barrier.

I think you're being a bit harsh and disingenuous to say it's "bogus" and that Tepui is intentionally misleading customers, or worse. For some people, they don't mind unloading items first. If that doesn't work for you, then this tent isn't for you. There are also LOTS more people using rooftop tents that don't drive 4wd offroad vehicles and many of them are short on space inside the vehicle so they aren't left with many options other than a cargo box on the roof. A cargo box AND a roof tent isn't going to fit so this allows for both in one product. For most people there is some amount of "unpacking" to set up camp for the night whether it's from inside the vehicle or from storage elsewhere. Not a big deal unless there's a race to get into bed.

There's no increase for potential damage to the tent material than there would be from anything else. If the owner treats it without care, then there could be problems, but that's the case with any tent. That's a user problem, not a design problem.

Thanks for the feedback. Maybe if you get a chance to actually use one of these instead of speculating about the issues, you'll change your mind somewhat. I agree with you that this may not be for everyone. But it may be just the right thing for someone else. I applaud Tepui for continuing to develop new and unique products with thoughtful design intended to address actual needs rather than just copy existing products like so many other companies do.

 

[Mr Tibbs]

Interesting concept, I'm looking forward to seeing where this leads! What are the sleeping footprint dimensions?

 

[80t0ylc]

I think you're being a bit harsh and disingenuous to say it's "bogus" and that Tepui is intentionally misleading customers, or worse. For some people, they don't mind unloading items first. If that doesn't work for you, then this tent isn't for you. There are also LOTS more people using rooftop tents that don't drive 4wd offroad vehicles and many of them are short on space inside the vehicle so they aren't left with many options other than a cargo box on the roof. A cargo box AND a roof tent isn't going to fit so this allows for both in one product. For most people there is some amount of "unpacking" to set up camp for the night whether it's from inside the vehicle or from storage elsewhere. Not a big deal unless there's a race to get into bed....

Sometimes reality can be harsh. Come on, Adam, you're not talking to someone that was born yesterday. I've had & used a hardshell RTT for 6 years, now. And I'm still trying to think of owners that this would work for. Sure it has appeal, until you understand what's going on. First, you're standing on a ladder, loading gear into it, probably on to a barrier of some sort to protect the tent and your sleeping gear. How much will you try to cram in? Then you go through getting it closed and buttoned up. This might be repeated several time if you're not organized. Then you finally get going. Later you get to your camping spot. If ....you're not tired and you've allowed plenty of time to set up camp, then you pop it open to retrieve ALL of the gear you put up there, because it can't stay up there because that's where you're sleeping. If.... you're dragging and just want to crash - tough beans, get to work emptying out your "tree fort". Hopefully you can quickly find new spots for all the gear. Or.....all is well and everybody's having a great time. Then the clock rolls around to the time where it's time to pack up and go. In a perfect world the gear's not dirty or wet, but we just don't live in a perfect world, do we. The sleeping quarters will now be shared with your used gear in the condition you put it back in, again standing on a ladder.

.....There's no increase for potential damage to the tent material than there would be from anything else. If the owner treats it without care, then there could be problems, but that's the case with any tent. That's a user problem, not a design problem....

I agree that care must be taken by an owner, but I seriously disagree with you here. But, I'd be interested in seeing the barrier system Tepui has devised to separate & protect the tent and fabric from gear. Maybe a video might be more convincing. But, the concept in the ad you posted above, to me, just ignors some serious details.

 

[TWILLY]

Great idea for a small car, like my Crosstrek. Camp gear (tables, chairs, etc) unloads at camp, making sleeping quarters. Pack it up to get on the move. Makes perfect sense.

 

[Corbet]

Personally I think it’s a great idea. If it simply holds skis in the winter then it’s a winner for dual purpose IMHO.

 

[80t0ylc]

@Box Rocket
OK, I clicked on the preorder link to get more info since I saw that you also posted this announcement in Expedition Portal.

Re: tent fabric, Tepui says:

"A comfortable tent or a spacious gear container- you no longer have to choose between the two for your vehicle's rooftop. HyBox utilizes Tepui's patented ZipperGimp™ to allow for easy conversion between uses; simply zip on the canopy when you're ready to camp!"

So is the "canopy", I'm assuming they're refering to the tent fabric, stored somewhere? This is another step one has to do, to go from "tree fort" to RTT. Hmmm, interesting - not quite as smooth as first impression. Got me to thinking, what about the mattress? Tepui says:

"A 3” 40lb foam mattress with removable cotton cover provide an excellent sleeping pad to help you get the rest you need while on your next adventure. It is also quickly removable when using the HyBox as a cargo carrier."

So the choice is to leave the mattress in, stack the gear that you're hauling on top of it, or remove it and store or transport it where? Hmmm, also very interesting - a 3" 40lb mattress is very comfortable to sleep on, but kind of difficult, bulky & awkward to move and now bring it along so you can still use the "tree fort" as a RTT. And how about the anti-mold mattress pad, that is under the mattress?

No disrespect intended, Adam. Just questions asked by an experienced RTT owner that might not occur to a first time owner.

Edit: After reflection and some more studying, IMHO, Tepui's true intent is to use it as a RTT or serious cargo carrier, not both for a single trip. The conversion from RTT to a serious cargo carrier might be more than zip, zam, zowie, like the impression that's being offered.

"CANOPY: The HyBox canopy is an optimum blend of 260g cotton and polyester coated to a waterproof rating of 3000mm yet breathable providing both comfort and protection. The canopy is trimmed out with no-see-em mesh, YKK zippers, and our patented ZipperGimp™ providing the versatility to quickly remove the canopy and convert your trusted shelter into a durable cargo carrier."

 

[Corbet]

Adam, can you remove the quilted top insulation for pure gear storage use?

 

[cruiserpilot]

Edit: After reflection and some more studying, IMHO, Tepui's true intent is to use it as a RTT or serious cargo carrier, not both for a single trip.

Nailed it

 

[4Beast]

I think you're being a bit harsh and disingenuous to say it's "bogus" and that Tepui is intentionally misleading customers, or worse. For some people, they don't mind unloading items first. If that doesn't work for you, then this tent isn't for you. There are also LOTS more people using rooftop tents that don't drive 4wd offroad vehicles and many of them are short on space inside the vehicle so they aren't left with many options other than a cargo box on the roof. A cargo box AND a roof tent isn't going to fit so this allows for both in one product. For most people there is some amount of "unpacking" to set up camp for the night whether it's from inside the vehicle or from storage elsewhere. Not a big deal unless there's a race to get into bed.

There's no increase for potential damage to the tent material than there would be from anything else. If the owner treats it without care, then there could be problems, but that's the case with any tent. That's a user problem, not a design problem.

Thanks for the feedback. Maybe if you get a chance to actually use one of these instead of speculating about the issues, you'll change your mind somewhat. I agree with you that this may not be for everyone. But it may be just the right thing for someone else. I applaud Tepui for continuing to develop new and unique products with thoughtful design intended to address actual needs rather than just copy existing products like so many other companies do.

I think "Bogus" is not the right word, perhaps gimmicky? After the discussion on this thread, I think that it is the marketing that is flawed here. @80t0ylc is probably correct in that most any experienced overlander is not going to want to heave all of his crap out of the box and install the tent every night just to go to bed. I recently had to take some stuff out of my truck to sleep in the back, rather than in the RTT (it was a tropical storm and trees were falling around us, so I didn't want to get hit) and even that relatively small amount of work for on night was kind of annoying, I definitely wouldn't want to do that every night of a longer trip. But as others have said, that may not be their actual intent. If I had one of these (and I'll definitely consider it, as I may be interested in a hardshell RTT, if it is a decent price) I would certainly consider using the box for snowboards etc in the winter, and then converting the tent back for the spring camping season. But to my earlier point, that is not how this is being marketed, which feels like an error.

 

[Corbet]

I don't know where all the confusion is? Everywhere I've seen this new tent marketed it was always clear to me, its a tent, or its a luggage box with the tent removed. The two photos Adam posted above, taken out of the context of the whole ad campaign, somewhat implies both at the same time. But even so, if one chooses to pile a bunch of other crap in there with the tent while camping then that's their choice. Why is everyone's birfield in a bind over it?

An experienced overlander won't want their crap up there to move around just to sleep. But a first time user does not know the difference. They are probably used taking all their tent/sleeping supplies out to set up each night. Whatever, I think its a great idea to get year round use out of an expensive piece of gear. A nice thule/yakima ski box can run you a grand. If this will replace that, then you're getting a great value.

 

[Box Rocket]

The mistake might be that some assume that this type of product is only used by "experienced overlanders". Rooftoptent camping is so much bigger than that and is totally mainstream now. There is a huge segment of the market that isn't into "overlanding" at all but use RTT's at music festivals. That's just one example.
I don't think it's a "gimmick" just for the sake of having a gimmick that attracts naive buyers. It's a product that is addressing an actual need in this market. This may not be the part of the market that many of us here are in but nonetheless, it's part of the market that this will benefit.

I see this getting used a lot more frequently on smaller cars. Also I'm glad it's starting to click that it's designed more for a "either/or" use not necessarily while on the same trip, although it could definitely be used for both on the same trip just with a bit more inconvenience.

Personally, I completely agree. This is not the ideal solution for me and how I camp. I wouldn't want to unpack each night. If I were to use this it would be like Corbet described. I'd be using it as a cargo box for stuff on a trip where I might be staying in a hotel. If I were to use it as a tent, I probably wouldn't put that much stuff in it.

 

[Box Rocket]

Adam, can you remove the quilted top insulation for pure gear storage use?

I believe so. I don't have one on hand yet since they aren't shipping quite yet but I do believe the insulation can be removed. I'll check and update if that's not accurate.

 

[Corbet]

I believe so. I don't have one on hand yet since they aren't shipping quite yet but I do believe the insulation can be removed. I'll check and update if that's not accurate.

You'll more than likely have your hands on one before me. Please drop me a line when you do. I added one to my preseason oder but would like to talk more details about it once the they actually get delivered.

 

[80t0ylc]

I don't know where all the confusion is? Everywhere I've seen this new tent marketed it was always clear to me, its a tent, or its a luggage box with the tent removed. The two photos Adam posted above, taken out of the context of the whole ad campaign, somewhat implies both at the same time. But even so, if one chooses to pile a bunch of other crap in there with the tent while camping then that's their choice. Why is everyone's birfield in a bind over it?.....

Maybe, just maybe, it's Tepui's presentation. Taken from the webpage:

PRE-ORDER HYBOX
Dual purpose Cargo Box + Rooftop Tent
Tepui is offering a limited pre-order of our newest rooftop tent. The HyBox is specifically designed to carry gear by day and convert to a 2 person hard-top tent when it’s time to rest up.

Preorder Hybox Today at a Discounted Price
(Highlighting added by me)


To me, what's highlighted infers the two uses with out a break in time, or more appropriately at the same time or on the same trip. IMHO, it would have been more appropriate to have presented it as:

We have a RTT model that, with easily removing some RTT essential parts, you can also use it as a cargo carrier.

IMHO, with the "Preorder Hybox Today at a Discounted Price" - it's a marketing push - only interested in money. No real concern for 1st time buyers & users.

....An experienced overlander won't want their crap up there to move around just to sleep. But a first time user does not know the difference. They are probably used taking all their tent/sleeping supplies out to set up each night. Whatever, I think its a great idea to get year round use out of an expensive piece of gear. A nice thule/yakima ski box can run you a grand. If this will replace that, then you're getting a great value.

I agree with you 100%, here. It's Tepui's marketing campaign that gets my "birfield in a bind"...lol. (BTW thanks for the correct spelling on campaign - I went back & edited my 1st post.) I realize you and Adam are middle men and my irritation is with that, not you guys.

 

[Box Rocket]

Maybe, just maybe, it's Tepui's presentation. Taken from the webpage:

PRE-ORDER HYBOX
Dual purpose Cargo Box + Rooftop Tent
Tepui is offering a limited pre-order of our newest rooftop tent. The HyBox is specifically designed to carry gear by day and convert to a 2 person hard-top tent when it’s time to rest up.

Preorder Hybox Today at a Discounted Price
(Highlighting added by me)


To me, what's highlighted infers the two uses with out a break in time, or more appropriately at the same time or on the same trip. IMHO, it would have been more appropriate to have presented it as:

We have a RTT model that, with easily removing some RTT essential parts, you can also use it as a cargo carrier.

IMHO, with the "Preorder Hybox Today at a Discounted Price" - it's a marketing push - only interested in money. No real concern for 1st time buyers & users.
I agree with you 100%, here. It's Tepui's marketing campaign that gets my "birfield in a bind"...lol. (BTW thanks for the correct spelling on campaign - I went back & edited my 1st post.) I realize you and Adam are middle men and my irritation is with that, not you guys.

Well, I'm not involved in that side of the marketing and I'm sure consideration was given to how Tepui wanted it presented. I don't see a problem inferring the dual use since it can definitely be used that way, in spite of some possible inconvenience. Bottom line is the uses (AND inconveniences) can be seen from a quick observation. If it accomplishes what a customer needs, who cares what the marketing says? There's nothing dishonest about how it's being presented. I get that you don't like how it's presented. Sorry. But it's presented exactly how it's designed.
Speculating about the degree of inconvenience is a bit premature since nobody here, including myself has their hands on one and can give first hand feedback. One thing I can say is that having seen firsthand how the Tepui team functions and how focused they are on practical design, I'm confident this wasn't something that was just cobbled together. It will be another high quality piece from Tepui with a lot of thought behind it. If I get my hands on one soon. I'll share more details about the functionality.

Are you really complaining about a $500 pre-order discount? It's clearly a marketing push with an effort to make money. That's kinda the goal of a business, is it not? But if it was solely about making money, why offer the discount? Just sell it at full price and make more. I'd argue that the steep discount is also showing consideration for 1st time buyers that may be hesitant to drop the kind of money the full price asks.

 

[DirtNap]

I guess if you take it literally, then the by day/by night value proposition would be impractical at best, misleading at worst. But at least one person articulated a scenario where you could store chairs and a table...perhaps the first things you'd unpack to set up camp. Obviously there are scenarios where it wouldn't work well.

But for someone who might use it camping a few times a year, the RTT is a PITA the rest of the year. This is a great way to turn that expanse of rooftop real estate back into something productive.