And now we come to the "big reveal"!
I have had the Troopy for four years now, and of course a tent conversion was something I had pondered on multiple occasions. There were some considerations involved in purchasing a tent and converting my Troopy, so first I will quickly summarize my thinking.
Firstly, I wanted to ensure that I had a good base vehicle to "throw" more money into, and that meant actually driving and testing the rig. As an extension of that thought, it was important to experience how we camp in the Troopy, what our needs are, and whether a conversion would be logical. In the interim, having enjoyed the ease and luxury of rooftop tent camping with
Ali while in Oman, it was clear there were certain advantages to sleeping in the tent.
Additionally, there were some further practical and purely emotional considerations. My garage door cannot be heightened any more, and I won't be going down the route of storage, a new garage, or moving houses (and certainly will never park any of my vehicles outside). The AluCab simply wouldn't fit, even on my 235/85/R16's and with no lift, while the standard AluInnovations would barely, barely fit.
The South African build quality left a lot to desire in my eyes, especially starting with a beautiful Troopy in very good condition (this, as well as knowledge of quality control problems, coming both from in-person inspections and information gleaned first-hand or online). Both SA conversions are quite boxy and rugged, which of course also has benefits.
Then I saw a Mulgo top. My curiosity was piqued when I first saw pictures, but videos and details quickly made me decide it was not for me.: a short bed, very flimsy construction, and other peculiar design choices (e.g. velcro windows without blackout). But for those who insist one
must be able to latch the conversion from the inside (?!), that's your ticket.
In the summer of 2023 I first came across some photos and videos of the Headspace Campers conversion. It checked the boxes. A streamlined, low profile build, aesthetically pleasing and apparently of good quality. In September 2023 I started seriously pursuing the matter, and asked for more documentation, information about shipping to North America, etc. I also poked around online, getting in touch with a few people who had installed the Headspace and hearing about the pros and cons.
Popping in a not-entirely-unbiased comparison of the major conversions here:
In mid-October 2023 I put down a deposit on a Standard model, the "mid-range" model. Headspace has multiple options, including a high-top for those so inclined. Differences between the models include timber lining of the ceiling (perfect for your Instagram Overlanders) at the high end, or "glue-your-own roof" at the low end. See, the Headspace (currently) reuses the OEM Troopy roof on their own aluminum frame (initially this was achieved using rivets, now it is panel bond). For those living in Australia, this concept isn't a problem, as they can do the entire conversion for you in Brisbane or, if you live in another state, you return your roof "core" to their headquarters once you've cut it off. Given my location, it was slightly more complicated. Because this was the first conversion shipped to North America, a special arrangement was made to send me a complete model without having to ship back the roof. (NB: I believe a composite roof modelled entirely on the original lines is currently in the works, so this may be the solution going forward for those living abroad). The Standard model also came with automotive-grade paint for the top, which makes the tent integrate better with the vehicle.
The October deposit put me down for a March build date, and after some initial shipping delays (so it always begins...) the top was picked up on April 10 for shipment to Portland, OR.
Of course it missed the trans-load in Hong Kong, and spent well over a week there, and arrived in LA only at the end of May. Once it was unloaded from the container, the warehouse got in touch out of the blue with a repair quote for the crate, along with a fairly unclear picture. Uh-oh.
Apparently the bottom had fallen out. How the damage occurred will forever remain a mystery, but two lessons were learned: Headspace now uses metal strapping in addition to an already overbuilt crate, and I will never again ship ocean LCL. The overall cost ended up being within a few hundred dollars of a door-to-door air freight shipment. The initial quoted cost might be low, but then one must add endless warehouse, arrival, trans-shipment etc. fees.
So, with apparent damage, but without knowing any details as to the extent of it, I was simply forced to pay until the end and hope for the best upon delivery to
@Willis at Fit Garage in Bend, OR. Finally, in mid-June, it was delivered, and the initial impressions were good - the crate looked fine. The bad news was only apparent after prying it open - two very big dents in the roof. My heart sank. The one in the back is quite obvious:
While the front one would require multiple angles to show the damage, it was still significant.
The bad news only got worse upon pulling the conversion out of the crate.
To be continued…
