Are you searching for an affordable yet feature-packed rooftop tent to elevate your overlanding adventures? In the video above, we get a fantastic walkthrough of an exciting new addition to a truck camper setup: the Naturnest Orion rooftop tent. This sleek, budget-friendly hard shell tent promises to transform your camping experience, offering surprising comfort and innovation without breaking the bank. Join us as we dive deeper into why this rooftop tent is quickly becoming a favorite among truck camping enthusiasts and how it integrates seamlessly into a well-designed overlanding rig.
The speaker shares his preparations for an upcoming Overland Expo in North Alabama, where he’ll showcase his custom Toyota Tacoma and “Trailer Swift,” a DIY truck bed trailer. This event provides the perfect backdrop for introducing the Naturnest Orion, a new rooftop tent that’s both stylish and incredibly functional. The focus here is on smart, practical upgrades that enhance the outdoor experience, proving you don’t need to spend a fortune to get top-tier gear. Let’s explore the key features and benefits of this impressive tent and the broader overlanding setup.
Building the Ultimate Overlanding Rig: The Toyota Tacoma Foundation
Before diving into the tent, it’s essential to appreciate the solid foundation of the speaker’s overlanding vehicle. His 2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road Edition, a short-wheelbase model, serves as the perfect canvas for a versatile truck camper build. This particular model is well-regarded in the overlanding community for its reliability, off-road capabilities, and abundant aftermarket support. Over the years, many owners find themselves evolving their setups, and this rig showcases a refined configuration that prioritizes both functionality and convenience.
A crucial component of this setup is the robust Diamondback bed cover, which provides a secure and weather-resistant storage solution for gear. This cover not only protects valuables but also creates a stable platform for mounting additional accessories. Perched atop the bed cover is the Yakima Overhaul HD rack, known for its heavy-duty construction and adaptability. The addition of Yakima MOLLE panels on the sides further enhances storage, allowing for quick access to essentials like a propane bottle, shovel, and axe. This modular approach to storage is invaluable for overlanders who need to carry a wide array of equipment for various scenarios.
Powering Your Adventure: Integrated Lighting and Control
No modern overlanding setup is complete without a reliable power management system, and this Tacoma rig is no exception. The speaker has ingeniously converted a small Apache box into a dedicated power box, housing fuses and wiring for all the auxiliary lights and accessories. This centralized approach ensures that all electrical components are neatly organized and protected, reducing clutter and potential issues. This kind of custom wiring can save a lot of headaches on the trail, preventing shorts and making troubleshooting much simpler.
Controlling these various lights and accessories is an eight-button Auxbeam panel, a popular choice for its intuitive interface and ease of installation. With just a push of a button, the speaker can activate Kingpin lights strategically placed around the truck, including rear, left, and right side illumination. The rear Kingpin light is particularly clever, designed to cast light over the tailgate area when it’s dropped. This creates a well-lit cooking or work area, offering added comfort and protection from the elements during evening meal preparations. This thoughtful integration of lighting significantly enhances safety and usability, especially in remote locations where ambient light is scarce.
Introducing the Naturnest Orion Rooftop Tent: Features and First Impressions
The star of the show, the Naturnest Orion rooftop tent, makes an immediate impression with its sleek, all-black design and unique curved top. This aerodynamic shape isn’t just for looks; it helps reduce drag while driving, which can slightly improve fuel efficiency and stability on the highway. Priced at approximately $1000 to $1100 on Amazon, this tent offers incredible value, especially considering its advanced features and robust construction. For those seeking a high-quality yet cheap rooftop tent, the Orion presents a compelling option, making overlanding more accessible to a wider audience.
What truly sets the Orion apart from many traditional rooftop tents is its innovative pop-up mechanism. Unlike hinged tents that open from one side, the Orion pops straight up, creating a more spacious and uniform interior. This design choice offers several benefits, which we’ll explore further. The solid bottom provides a sturdy and insulated base, contributing to overall durability and comfort. The integrated power port, wired directly to the truck’s Auxbeam panel, is a game-changer. This feature brings power directly into the tent, eliminating the need for cumbersome extension cords or separate battery packs inside, a convenience often found only in much more expensive models.
Effortless Setup and Superior Weather Protection
One of the most appealing aspects of the Naturnest Orion is its quick and straightforward setup. The tent is secured by four latches, one on each corner, which incorporate a safety button to prevent accidental opening. Below each latch, a cinch buckle strap allows for extra tightening, ensuring a snug fit and excellent weather sealing. The thoughtful design includes a weather seal that overlaps, where the bottom of the tent extends up into the top, creating a highly effective barrier against rain, wind, and dust. This year-round usability is a significant advantage, allowing adventurers to camp comfortably in diverse climates.
Once the latches are released, the tent simply pushes straight up, effortlessly raising the roof without any complex hinging. The entire process takes mere seconds, making it ideal for solo campers who prioritize quick camp setup. The ladder, conveniently stored in its own bag, hooks onto two built-in points on the side of the tent. This dedicated ladder bag is a brilliant touch, preventing mud and dirt from the ladder from contaminating the tent interior, especially after rainy excursions. With the tent up and the ladder in place, the next step is to deploy the rain flies, which offer additional protection and privacy over the windows, or they can be rolled up for an open-air experience with just the mosquito netting in place.
Innovative Interior Features for Enhanced Comfort
Stepping inside the Naturnest Orion reveals a surprisingly spacious and thoughtfully designed interior. The “bubble top” roof, a distinct feature of its curved design, provides crucial extra headroom. At 5’9″, the speaker can sit completely straight up inside, a significant improvement over many other straight-pop-up tents where headroom can be limited. This added space allows for comfortable changing of clothes, relaxing, or simply taking refuge from inclement weather without feeling cramped. The interior is also blacked out, a feature that many campers appreciate for creating a dark sleeping environment, promoting better rest, especially when camping during longer daylight hours.
A truly innovative feature is the built-in porthole designed for connecting external heaters or AC hoses. This eliminates the common hassle of having to crack a window or door zipper to run an air hose, which compromises insulation and allows bugs or water to enter. With the Orion’s dedicated fabric tube, campers can achieve a fully sealed environment while maintaining optimal temperature control inside. This is a game-changer for extending the camping season into colder months with a diesel heater or providing much-needed cooling during hot summer trips. Practical additions like boot bags, which can hang outside the tent or on a MOLLE panel, keep dirty footwear separate from the clean interior. A cargo net on the ceiling provides a convenient space to hang clothes or store lightweight items, further maximizing the usable space.
Integrated Power and Panoramic Views
The interior power features of the Naturnest Orion are a standout. Directly on the floor, accessible via the external power port, you’ll find a power switch, USB outlets, and 12-volt plugs. This integrated power hub means you can charge phones, run small appliances, or power the tent’s built-in LED strip light without any fuss. The LED light runs along the perimeter of the tent, providing ample illumination at night. The convenience of having power readily available inside the tent cannot be overstated, making for a much more comfortable and connected camping experience. This setup exemplifies how a rooftop tent can evolve to meet modern camper needs.
Because the Orion pops straight up rather than hinging, it offers windows on all four sides. This provides a truly panoramic view of your surroundings, allowing you to take in the beauty of nature from the comfort of your tent. Unlike hinged designs that often leave one side as a solid wall, the Orion’s design ensures an unobstructed perspective, enhancing the connection with the outdoors. The spacious interior can comfortably accommodate two people and even a couple of pups, making it suitable for both solo adventurers and couples. The thick mattress, paired with a wick mat underneath, ensures a restful night’s sleep by preventing condensation and providing an additional layer of comfort, a crucial detail for multi-night trips. The ability to stretch out fully, unlike some angled clam-shell tents, further contributes to superior sleeping comfort in this Naturnest Orion rooftop tent.
Elevating Your Queries: Unpacking the BEST & CHEAPEST Rooftop Tent & Camper Build
What is the Naturnest Orion rooftop tent?
The Naturnest Orion is an affordable, hard shell pop-up rooftop tent designed to enhance truck camping and overlanding adventures. It offers comfort and innovative features for a budget-friendly price.
What are some special features of the Naturnest Orion tent?
It has an innovative pop-up design for more interior space, a built-in power port with USB outlets, and a dedicated porthole for connecting external heaters or AC hoses. Its aerodynamic shape also helps reduce drag.
Is the Naturnest Orion rooftop tent easy to set up?
Yes, it’s designed for quick and straightforward setup. You simply release four latches, and the tent pushes straight up in seconds, making it ideal for fast camp deployments.
Can I power my devices inside the tent?
Yes, the Naturnest Orion features an integrated power hub directly on the floor with USB outlets and 12-volt plugs. This allows you to charge phones or run small appliances without needing extra cords.