First Night In The IKamper Skycamp 4.0 Duo
I have to be honest here. I am not a knowledgeable iKamper person.
I have sold and used Rooftop Tents for about ten years. Having used just about every style of tent from MANY brands, I haven't really looked closely at the Skycamp. I have always heard people say how much they LOVE their iKampers. It seems to be kinda like buying a Weber BBQ; once you finally do it, you realize what you've been missing and usually keep it forever.
So when I opened up the Skycamp 4.0 in our showroom for the first time, my expectations were quite high. I try not to do this as it can often cloud your judgment, but this has been a long time coming. I am happy to say that I was immediately impressed.
The reality of spending the night in the tent did not disappoint.
The Details That Mattered The interior light has multiple colors that I thought I would not use, but the amber light turned out perfect for some soft, unobtrusive light while getting work done on my computer.
What impressed me the most was that despite it being a fairly windy evening, the tent made zero noise. I have NEVER slept in a tent that didn't sound like a tent in the wind.
The size was impressive too! iKamper has introduced a brand new size called the Trio that is fantastic for Jeeps, SUVs, and trucks with a full-size bed. On our Jeep with its tiny 5-foot bed, we could only fit the Duo, but it really seems a lot bigger than I expected.
The True Test: Morning The next morning I woke up. There was a dull glow coming through the fabric. I thought, yup, that “Breathweave" fabric didn't keep the light out... Knew it was too good to be true. As I unzipped the window, it was just like a movie when all you can see is white. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I thought, what time is it?
Looking at my phone, it was 9 AM. The sun comes up at about 5:30 this time of year! And most importantly, there was ZERO condensation in the tent, despite camping in nearly zero Celsius, right by a lake. This has NEVER happened to me in a tent with the full “Black Out" fabric.
My Two Honest Gripes Okay, it is not an honest review without a couple of gripes.
First is the mattress—but to be fair, this is the case with almost every tent I have slept in, mainly because, well, I am OLD! The only solution I have ever found is an air mattress (conveniently, iKamper sells one of these).
The second is how loud the zippers are. I am sure there is a reason because, again, this is on EVERY tent I have ever used. I wonder why they can't use those waterproof zippers found on high-end jackets that somehow seem to make almost no noise? This would really help when I have to pee at 4 AM.
But honestly, I now finally understand why iKamper is so well-regarded, and I am very happy to have one on my vehicle.