$2,000 IO carbon fiber rooftop tent is as light and slim as they come

A year ago, California's Inspired Overland (IO) was busy celebrating a SEMA Global Media award for its Lightweight Rooftop Tent, to our knowledge the lightest non-inflatable clamshell RTT in the US, if not the world. Now it's celebrating a consecutive SEMA win for its latest product, the Ultra-Lightweight Carbon Fiber Rooftop Tent. The new tent brings a more rigid construction to Inspired's lineup while still riding high as one of the lightest, thinnest RTTs available.

Inspired Overland bills the original Lightweight Rooftop Tent the lightest tent in the world, and at 76 lb (34 kg), it undercuts the Go Fast Campers Superlite by a few pounds as the lightest we've ever seen, not counting inflatables or multipurpose roof/ground designs. But it also uses a PVC softshell roof, which might not appeal to all car-top camping enthusiasts.

To offer that same level of ultra-lightweight construction with a more rigid roof and overall shell, Inspired turned to the carbon fiber that's long offered an optimal best blend of low weight and high rigidity in some of the most demanding applications across (and beyond) the globe. Carbon fiber has a limited history in RTT design, finding use occasionally, in products like the US$25K Redtail Overland hard-sided roof hut and Airhome Maggiolina Carbon Fiber RTT, neither of which ranks among the market's lightest.

IO has gone for broke, massaging its carbon fiber into a thin hardshell framed out in aluminum. The lid clamps down to create a slim travel package that measures just 4.75 inches (12 cm) high when closed. The tent weighs in at 80 lb (36 kg), making it quite similar in overall size to the 80-lb 5-in-thick Superlite. The only RTT we can think of that's slimmer is the 3-in-tall (7.6-cm) Badass Packout, a soft-roofed design that weighs around 100 lb (45 kg).

Inside, the Ultra-Lightweight Carbon Fiber tent offers 84 x 50 in (213 x 127 cm) of sleeping area with an included air mattress and anti-condensation mat. All three waterproof 2,000-D polyester fabric walls include zippable mesh windows, and a pole-supported awning provides coverage over the main rear entryway. Two integrated ducts down near the front corners let owners run both vented heat and A/C into the tent for comfortable four-season climate control. T-slot around the frame provides a place to easily mount crossbars and accessories.

IO is offering the Ultra-Lightweight Carbon Fiber Rooftop Tent for special preorder pricing until Sunday, Nov. 19. Those who put a $200 refundable reservation deposit down before then will lock in special prices starting at $1,599 for local pickup at Inspired's California, Texas and Maryland dealerships, or $1,895 shipped. After that, $1,999/$2,199 regular MSRPs will apply. The first deliveries are currently planned for spring 2024.

Source: Inspired Overland