I'm glad to read that you enjoyed it. It worked out well for me for while camping. It's a real conversation starter as well! ...both at the campground AND in the REI parking lot. :-)
It’s nice seeing a c-hr used as camping. I recently bought one and I kinda regret it due to COVID expensive but now I can go camping with my honey and I :)
This was amazing and so inspiring. I recently came to terms that in order to live the van life, which has been a dream to mine, I need to work with what I have first and be able to control the things that I can control. And this made me even more excited to try out traveling solo in my Toyota CHR. This is definitely worth investing in until that time comes. I hope you share more videos go with your CHR
The iKamper has definitely been a good investment! It's a really nice tent and the hard shell makes it look "good" on top of the C-HR. (Well, that's a matter of opinion. lol... I get a lot of weird looks sometimes.) Good luck with your travels! (I've enjoyed the C-HR as well!)
I've loved it so far! The build and materials are top notch. I've got mine mounted on top of a Thule roof rack and can hardly tell it's up there. (...and I still fit in the car wash.)
Great job on answering my question of how difficult and time consuming it might be to set up awning solo. Looks like it's well worth the time. Thanks Jason!
I just setup the annex room for the first time this season. It's about the same amount of time, maybe another 10 minutes...to get all the wrinkles out, so to speak. I love the awning, but the annex room definitely had benefits that the awning doesn't offer. Like holding in heat! lol... It will be interesting to see as the season progresses which one I use more often!
Mmmm... I don't know if I would go as far as 10 minutes. 🙂 Taking it off can be a 20 minute job, with 2 people. ...reinstalling it? Depending on how particular you are about its placement, I'd say double that. Again, 2 people is really key in executing either task. I'm sorry to hear about your low clearance... That was always one of the benefits of the C-HR. I've since installed it on top of my 4Runner and I'm up to something like 7 feet and change! 😳🙂
First off, great ride, such a pioneer! living in NV I’m looking into building my CHR into a overland / desert crawler. Do I need to get the Thule crossbar or will the stock Toyota one work to install the iKamper? Lastly, does it drag on the freeway? Wind noise? How’s the power , does it affect it, noticeable difference? Thank you
Sorry about the delay… I loved my C-HR. I’ve since upgraded to a 4Runner, but gave the C-HR to my son-in-law, so it’s still in the family. To answer your question(s)... I think the “stock” Toyota crossbar is similar to the Thule design. (From what I’ve seen here and there on the internet.) I can tell you that the stock crossbars on my 4Runner (I’ve got what they call the “Venture” package on mine) BaReLy support the iKamper. There’s a lot of flex when there’s a load in the tent. I had to shim it up to keep the brackets from scraping the roof. Anyway; with that said, I never had any issues with the Thule setup…at all. Even now the Thule rack is holding a Yakima Load Warrior basket (on the C-HR) and my son-in-law hauls all kinds of goodies up there with no issues. I’m a Thule fan… Is there a noticeable difference regarding drag and weight? Yes. Very noticeable…but nothing I didn’t become accustomed to. You’ll notice it most stopping and in sharp turns. It’s nothing overly shocking considering what you’ve got on top of the vehicle. …gas mileage suffers as well. I drove around with it on top of the C-HR, year round, for 2 years before putting it on top of the 4Runner. I never had an issue that became a deal breaker. I loved having it up there. One thing I’ll mention since you’re building up your C-HR. Rear suspension. You’ll want to beef that up. Be it spring boosters or new coils altogether. Once you’ve got a tent on top you’ll reduce your payload capacity…especially when you start adding gear. I had much better luck with the whole rig when I changed out the tires with a set of Yokohama Geolandars. Good luck with your build and I’ll keep a lookout for updates!
Hey there Danny! From start to finish? I'd guess a solid 20 minutes. (Which isn't at all horrible considering how nice it is to have people and gear semi-protected from the sun and/or weather.) As far as "lining up", it's not overly complicated, and like most things...the more you do it, the more efficient it becomes!
Hi!!! Did you have to change ur tires? I have a toyota chr 2018. Which ikamper did you have? I’m sorry for a lot of questions cuz I was thinking of some set up like urs
Hi Jason, Thank you so much for the awesome video. My CHR came with a factory roof rack. Do you know if that one works or will I need to replace it with the Thule roof rack?
Hi Jake... I'm not really sure. It's been MY experience with factory roof racks, that they're a little on the wimpy side. When I tried to find what kind of "factory" roof rack the C-HR comes with...I didn't find anything. ...so again, I'm not entirely sure. A couple things to consider is, that while the weight is distributed nicely across the rack, there IS a considerable amount of weight in play. The tent weighs around 125 pounds, then when deployed and in use; adding people and gear, it can get upwards of 500 pounds (obviously based on varying factors). While the ladder takes a portion of that weight, the roof rack still bears the brunt of it. The other thing to to think about is when traveling at interstate highway speeds. Even with the wind screen, the lift under the tent is tremendous. I've had my heart jump up into my throat on a couple of occasions on the highway when caught in a perfect storm of winds and turbulence off other vehicles--especially 18 wheelers! With all of that said, you may want to upgrade to something that's been engineered and tested tough enough to haul actual "cargo" versus something designed for a suitcase or two. ALSO, I regularly retorque the fasteners on both the tent brackets AND the roof rack. If you misstep and crush the roof of your car, that's just a bad day. If that baby flies off the top of the car at 75 miles an hour down a busy highway? ...you could kill people. So I'd definitely check with my dealer and make sure of the ratings on your existing rack before even attempting to mount it. Thanks for the question. It's an important one! ~Jason
Thanks! There's plenty of room for two adults and some gear. ...and you're correct, it is small, but that's kind of of the beauty of it. I'm 5' 11" and I've got plenty of room to stretch out and get comfortable; although with a second person in there, "tossing and turning" becomes a little more calculated. I've been using this tent for about a year now and really like it. The quality and build never stop impressing me.
What roof rack is this and which tower base are they? I have a Lexus CT200h and I really want a iKamper but I aint sure about the weight capacity. I want to sled with my gsd in it. I am 150pounds and he is 90 pounds. Do you think Thule 480 tower with evo crossbar 118 would be good for the whole setup and us. Thanks super cool video
I have the iKamper installed on Thule's 53" WingBar Evo setup with towers designed specifically for the C-HR. Its has had no trouble holding up to the weight of the tent or tent with occupants. I'm about 200 lbs, with my girlfriend being 125 lbs...in addition of some gear and bedding. While the bars DO flex under the weight they have not bent or sagged permanently. I will recommend (highly) that if/when the tent/rack are newly installed; check the torque after a hundred miles. ...then I would suggest checking ALL of the fasteners for torque every oil change (just as a simple reminder). I've found that as the tent/rack settle in and get tugged on by winds, things DO loosen up. (Sometimes more than you think!) Thanks for liking and commenting on the video and good luck with your interest in the iKamper. I've honestly loved mine so far!
I have so many questions!! I'll keep them short. 1) which Thule roof rack are you using? 2) be honest, does your setup feel sturdy or does it feel like you have to walk/crawl on egg shells? 3) I'm dying to slap this on my 2014 corolla. In your honest opinion, am I crazy? Or would this totally work? Looking forward to your input.
Hey there RawburtPurez! 1) which Thule roof rack are you using? I use a Thule WingBar Evo Crossbar with a foot kit specific to my vehicle. 2) be honest, does your setup feel sturdy or does it feel like you have to walk/crawl on egg shells? No eggshells! This setup is very sturdy! You can climb up the ladder and move around the tent with confidence. There's very little flex in the roof rack and the floor of the iKamper is super strong. The only movement you feel is the vehicle's suspension. 3) I'm dying to slap this on my 2014 corolla. In your honest opinion, am I crazy? Or would this totally work? I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work on your Corolla. You may have to play with the positioning (front to back) to get it to look "right", but that's not altogether difficult. Are you crazy? Maybe. :-) I get all kinds of strange looks and laughs as I drive around with my iKamper on top of my car, but I also get a lot of compliments as well. ...especially when I've got it all deployed and setup at the campground! Thanks and happy camping!
@@JasonSpencerPlank Hi Jason, I realize this is an old post and you've given your C-HR to your nephew; however, I was wondering what foot kit specific to a C-HR you're referring to? I have a Toyota C-HR 2019 as well....Thanks!
@@sarahfix9587 HI Sarah... I put the Thule WingBar Evo on the C-HR. www.thule.com/en-us/roof-rack/car-roof-racks ((Hopefully this link gets you there! 🙂)
Just a quickie, where do you store your bedding, In every video review I've seen there is no bedding shown in the setup already in the setup when opened. That is the most important factor for me.
Sorry for the delay in responding Jeffrey... There is little to no room inside the shell once it's closed. I was disappointed at first because I felt the same way. I wanted ALL of my bedding to fit inside; however, it just wasn't going to happen. I AM able to keep my sleeping bag inside if I strategically situate it so the bulk of the bag is in "hump" towards the rear of the shell. ...but when I attempted to keep a pillow in there as well? No dice. I just could NOT get the shell to close, and obviously didn't want to do anything to compromise the hinges or latches. I decided to go out and buy a net that attaches to the garment hooks inside the vehicle and tucked the pillow up against the headliner.
I've never had any issues with the roof. The Thule roof rack is very stout and holds up nicely. ...even with 2 people and gear inside the tent. Wind NOISE really isn't a factor. It DOES add residents, lift...and changes the center of gravity in a way that it becomes noticeable in turns and sudden stops. It's nothing that isn't expected, but does make you aware you've got something strapped to your lid! 😉
Hello Jason, I am planning on buying tent, but I am wondering, how is the driving with the tent? Lot of noise? You an feel a lot of drag while driving? My wild guess is that you have 1.8 hybrid, 122 HP? Thanks!!
Hello Ivica! 😃 The C-HR has the 2.0 @ 144hp. Yes! You can definitely feel it on top of the vehicle. Drag is noticeable, and handling changes dramatically when it comes to cornering and sudden stops. It will also cost you a couple of miles per gallon if you leave it mounted throughout the season. However... I have really enjoyed the tent. I've used it 2 full seasons, dozens of times...and still really like it. I've had no issues with it, as I expected, with the build quality being top notch from iKamper. Congratulations on your decision to get one! 👏 Edit: The noise really isn't that noticeable over the C-HR being kind of noisy right off the rip. I didn't experience much additional noise...or whistles!
@@JasonSpencerPlank thanks a lot Jason for the fast reply. yeah, my worry is actually drag, I live in the mountainy part of the spain, and my car is less powerful then yours. Hopefully I will have some good time going around with tent! Well, I'll proceed with the plan and see how it goes. Thanks lot mate!
It does offer a bit of challenge in the wind, but I ran it up there for 2 years and never ran into any issues. ...of course I DO drive like I'm 70 years old most of the time. ;-)
Thank God I finally found a CHR camper!!! Thank you for this. I have a Toyota CHR as well. I’m getting my car ready to live in it / camp.
I'm glad to read that you enjoyed it. It worked out well for me for while camping. It's a real conversation starter as well! ...both at the campground AND in the REI parking lot. :-)
It’s nice seeing a c-hr used as camping. I recently bought one and I kinda regret it due to COVID expensive but now I can go camping with my honey and I :)
This was amazing and so inspiring. I recently came to terms that in order to live the van life, which has been a dream to mine, I need to work with what I have first and be able to control the things that I can control. And this made me even more excited to try out traveling solo in my Toyota CHR. This is definitely worth investing in until that time comes. I hope you share more videos go with your CHR
The iKamper has definitely been a good investment! It's a really nice tent and the hard shell makes it look "good" on top of the C-HR. (Well, that's a matter of opinion. lol... I get a lot of weird looks sometimes.) Good luck with your travels! (I've enjoyed the C-HR as well!)
Thank you for the very good presentation of the Mini. One of the best clips about setting up the tent
So great! I’ve been scouring the internet for a rooftop tent for my CHR. thanks for posting
I've loved it so far! The build and materials are top notch. I've got mine mounted on top of a Thule roof rack and can hardly tell it's up there. (...and I still fit in the car wash.)
Were you able to do it @chanelle?
Great job on answering my question of how difficult and time consuming it might be to set up awning solo. Looks like it's well worth the time. Thanks Jason!
I just setup the annex room for the first time this season. It's about the same amount of time, maybe another 10 minutes...to get all the wrinkles out, so to speak. I love the awning, but the annex room definitely had benefits that the awning doesn't offer. Like holding in heat! lol... It will be interesting to see as the season progresses which one I use more often!
hello you have a very nice setup. I would like to do the same for my C-hr. What roof rack system did you use?
Love this for my CH-R
excellent demo thanks
I'm glad you liked it! ...and thanks!
Great video and tutorial. Appreciate you. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
Hey Jason, we have a low entry into our garage so with the Camper on my C-HR it wouldn't fit.... how easy is it to put on and take off?... 10 min job?
Mmmm... I don't know if I would go as far as 10 minutes. 🙂
Taking it off can be a 20 minute job, with 2 people. ...reinstalling it? Depending on how particular you are about its placement, I'd say double that. Again, 2 people is really key in executing either task.
I'm sorry to hear about your low clearance... That was always one of the benefits of the C-HR. I've since installed it on top of my 4Runner and I'm up to something like 7 feet and change! 😳🙂
First off, great ride, such a pioneer!
living in NV I’m looking into building my CHR into a overland / desert crawler.
Do I need to get the Thule crossbar or will the stock Toyota one work to install the iKamper?
Lastly, does it drag on the freeway? Wind noise? How’s the power , does it affect it, noticeable difference?
Thank you
Sorry about the delay… I loved my C-HR. I’ve since upgraded to a 4Runner, but gave the C-HR to my son-in-law, so it’s still in the family.
To answer your question(s)...
I think the “stock” Toyota crossbar is similar to the Thule design. (From what I’ve seen here and there on the internet.) I can tell you that the stock crossbars on my 4Runner (I’ve got what they call the “Venture” package on mine) BaReLy support the iKamper. There’s a lot of flex when there’s a load in the tent. I had to shim it up to keep the brackets from scraping the roof. Anyway; with that said, I never had any issues with the Thule setup…at all. Even now the Thule rack is holding a Yakima Load Warrior basket (on the C-HR) and my son-in-law hauls all kinds of goodies up there with no issues. I’m a Thule fan…
Is there a noticeable difference regarding drag and weight? Yes. Very noticeable…but nothing I didn’t become accustomed to. You’ll notice it most stopping and in sharp turns. It’s nothing overly shocking considering what you’ve got on top of the vehicle. …gas mileage suffers as well. I drove around with it on top of the C-HR, year round, for 2 years before putting it on top of the 4Runner. I never had an issue that became a deal breaker. I loved having it up there.
One thing I’ll mention since you’re building up your C-HR. Rear suspension. You’ll want to beef that up. Be it spring boosters or new coils altogether. Once you’ve got a tent on top you’ll reduce your payload capacity…especially when you start adding gear. I had much better luck with the whole rig when I changed out the tires with a set of Yokohama Geolandars. Good luck with your build and I’ll keep a lookout for updates!
Amazing
Thanks for this video sir! How long would you say it took you to setup the awning along? Seems like it takes a bit to get everything lined up?
Hey there Danny! From start to finish? I'd guess a solid 20 minutes. (Which isn't at all horrible considering how nice it is to have people and gear semi-protected from the sun and/or weather.) As far as "lining up", it's not overly complicated, and like most things...the more you do it, the more efficient it becomes!
@@JasonSpencerPlank thanks a lot! Any tips wrlcomed.
Hi!!! Did you have to change ur tires? I have a toyota chr 2018. Which ikamper did you have? I’m sorry for a lot of questions cuz I was thinking of some set up like urs
Hi Jason,
Thank you so much for the awesome video. My CHR came with a factory roof rack. Do you know if that one works or will I need to replace it with the Thule roof rack?
Hi Jake...
I'm not really sure. It's been MY experience with factory roof racks, that they're a little on the wimpy side. When I tried to find what kind of "factory" roof rack the C-HR comes with...I didn't find anything. ...so again, I'm not entirely sure.
A couple things to consider is, that while the weight is distributed nicely across the rack, there IS a considerable amount of weight in play. The tent weighs around 125 pounds, then when deployed and in use; adding people and gear, it can get upwards of 500 pounds (obviously based on varying factors). While the ladder takes a portion of that weight, the roof rack still bears the brunt of it.
The other thing to to think about is when traveling at interstate highway speeds. Even with the wind screen, the lift under the tent is tremendous. I've had my heart jump up into my throat on a couple of occasions on the highway when caught in a perfect storm of winds and turbulence off other vehicles--especially 18 wheelers!
With all of that said, you may want to upgrade to something that's been engineered and tested tough enough to haul actual "cargo" versus something designed for a suitcase or two. ALSO, I regularly retorque the fasteners on both the tent brackets AND the roof rack. If you misstep and crush the roof of your car, that's just a bad day. If that baby flies off the top of the car at 75 miles an hour down a busy highway? ...you could kill people. So I'd definitely check with my dealer and make sure of the ratings on your existing rack before even attempting to mount it.
Thanks for the question. It's an important one!
~Jason
Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I’m going to upgrade the rack!
That's probably a wise decision! 👌 Good luck! I'll be looking for an update...
This is awesome! How much room do you have inside? Looks small? How tall are you?
Thanks! There's plenty of room for two adults and some gear. ...and you're correct, it is small, but that's kind of of the beauty of it. I'm 5' 11" and I've got plenty of room to stretch out and get comfortable; although with a second person in there, "tossing and turning" becomes a little more calculated. I've been using this tent for about a year now and really like it. The quality and build never stop impressing me.
What roof rack is this and which tower base are they? I have a Lexus CT200h and I really want a iKamper but I aint sure about the weight capacity. I want to sled with my gsd in it. I am 150pounds and he is 90 pounds. Do you think Thule 480 tower with evo crossbar 118 would be good for the whole setup and us.
Thanks super cool video
I have the iKamper installed on Thule's 53" WingBar Evo setup with towers designed specifically for the C-HR. Its has had no trouble holding up to the weight of the tent or tent with occupants. I'm about 200 lbs, with my girlfriend being 125 lbs...in addition of some gear and bedding. While the bars DO flex under the weight they have not bent or sagged permanently. I will recommend (highly) that if/when the tent/rack are newly installed; check the torque after a hundred miles. ...then I would suggest checking ALL of the fasteners for torque every oil change (just as a simple reminder). I've found that as the tent/rack settle in and get tugged on by winds, things DO loosen up. (Sometimes more than you think!) Thanks for liking and commenting on the video and good luck with your interest in the iKamper. I've honestly loved mine so far!
Jason Plank thanks a lot for the reply!
That was great informations I can’t wait to get this.
Enjoy and thanks again
I have so many questions!!
I'll keep them short.
1) which Thule roof rack are you using?
2) be honest, does your setup feel sturdy or does it feel like you have to walk/crawl on egg shells?
3) I'm dying to slap this on my 2014 corolla. In your honest opinion, am I crazy? Or would this totally work?
Looking forward to your input.
Hey there RawburtPurez!
1) which Thule roof rack are you using?
I use a Thule WingBar Evo Crossbar with a foot kit specific to my vehicle.
2) be honest, does your setup feel sturdy or does it feel like you have to walk/crawl on egg shells?
No eggshells! This setup is very sturdy! You can climb up the ladder and move around the tent with confidence. There's very little flex in the roof rack and the floor of the iKamper is super strong. The only movement you feel is the vehicle's suspension.
3) I'm dying to slap this on my 2014 corolla. In your honest opinion, am I crazy? Or would this totally work?
I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work on your Corolla. You may have to play with the positioning (front to back) to get it to look "right", but that's not altogether difficult. Are you crazy? Maybe. :-) I get all kinds of strange looks and laughs as I drive around with my iKamper on top of my car, but I also get a lot of compliments as well. ...especially when I've got it all deployed and setup at the campground!
Thanks and happy camping!
@@JasonSpencerPlank Hi Jason, I realize this is an old post and you've given your C-HR to your nephew; however, I was wondering what foot kit specific to a C-HR you're referring to? I have a Toyota C-HR 2019 as well....Thanks!
@@sarahfix9587 HI Sarah...
I put the Thule WingBar Evo on the C-HR.
www.thule.com/en-us/roof-rack/car-roof-racks
((Hopefully this link gets you there! 🙂)
Just a quickie, where do you store your bedding, In every video review I've seen there is no bedding shown in the setup already in the setup when opened.
That is the most important factor for me.
Sorry for the delay in responding Jeffrey...
There is little to no room inside the shell once it's closed.
I was disappointed at first because I felt the same way. I wanted ALL of my bedding to fit inside; however, it just wasn't going to happen. I AM able to keep my sleeping bag inside if I strategically situate it so the bulk of the bag is in "hump" towards the rear of the shell. ...but when I attempted to keep a pillow in there as well? No dice. I just could NOT get the shell to close, and obviously didn't want to do anything to compromise the hinges or latches. I decided to go out and buy a net that attaches to the garment hooks inside the vehicle and tucked the pillow up against the headliner.
Any issues with the weight limit for the roof? Wind noise?
I've never had any issues with the roof. The Thule roof rack is very stout and holds up nicely. ...even with 2 people and gear inside the tent.
Wind NOISE really isn't a factor. It DOES add residents, lift...and changes the center of gravity in a way that it becomes noticeable in turns and sudden stops. It's nothing that isn't expected, but does make you aware you've got something strapped to your lid! 😉
Hello Jason,
I am planning on buying tent, but I am wondering, how is the driving with the tent?
Lot of noise? You an feel a lot of drag while driving? My wild guess is that you have 1.8 hybrid, 122 HP?
Thanks!!
Hello Ivica! 😃
The C-HR has the 2.0 @ 144hp. Yes! You can definitely feel it on top of the vehicle. Drag is noticeable, and handling changes dramatically when it comes to cornering and sudden stops. It will also cost you a couple of miles per gallon if you leave it mounted throughout the season.
However...
I have really enjoyed the tent. I've used it 2 full seasons, dozens of times...and still really like it. I've had no issues with it, as I expected, with the build quality being top notch from iKamper.
Congratulations on your decision to get one! 👏
Edit:
The noise really isn't that noticeable over the C-HR being kind of noisy right off the rip. I didn't experience much additional noise...or whistles!
@@JasonSpencerPlank thanks a lot Jason for the fast reply.
yeah, my worry is actually drag, I live in the mountainy part of the spain, and my car is less powerful then yours.
Hopefully I will have some good time going around with tent!
Well, I'll proceed with the plan and see how it goes.
Thanks lot mate!
For windy weather this won't work
It does offer a bit of challenge in the wind, but I ran it up there for 2 years and never ran into any issues. ...of course I DO drive like I'm 70 years old most of the time. ;-)
Que baca lleva? Gracias