The Switchback X1 is Super Pacific's truck camper: a hard shell rooftop tent built into an aluminum canopy, made in the USA and assembled in Portland, Oregon. I had the first production unit, build plate LOST-0001, in August 2020. This is the first look: the canopy, the tent, and what I added.
/AT A GLANCE
- What it is: rooftop tent, gear mounting and truck canopy in one unit.
- Canopy: aluminum, with a honeycomb and fiberglass roof, front and rear glass, and big side doors with a double seal.
- Roof: standard T-track slots, so any brand of crossbar fits.
- Inside: rivnuts along the frame for mounting, and openings to run 12 V wiring to any corner.
- Tent: an Exped Megamat mattress that stays inside when the tent closes, and rain gutters that drain to all four corners.
- Note: this is the 2020 version. Super Pacific has kept developing it, so check their site for the current spec.
It starts here.
Well, here it is! The first production camper from the guys at Super Pacific USA!!
Let's start with some info from their website:
"The Switchback X1 combines the comfort of a hard shell rooftop tent, the versatility of an integrated gear mounting system, and the security of a commercial-grade truck canopy rolled into one ultra-light camping package. Think of it as your trusty side-kick for wild adventures big and small."
If you end up on their website you'll be able to dive into all the details and whatnot, which I highly recommend along with visiting their Instagram for more in progress type shots.
I have been lucky enough to be one of the first to get my hands on one of these campers and will be using and abusing the system to see what it can do. So far we did a couple of days in Oregon before heading home. And the camper did not disappoint. I think the attention to detail is where it shines. Spencer did a great job with the design of the canopy, adding rivnuts to secure pretty much anything to the interior. This also allows them to create products like molle panels (which they are developing along with a bunch of other accessories.) The whole canopy is made in the USA and assembled in Portland, Oregon. I was lucky to be part of building my camper, so getting a better understanding of how everything works has been a great experience.
The second I saw this camper I knew it was a great fit for what I needed. The possibilities in customization are very appealing. And I am already working on making it my own. One of the first things I did was add the Front Runner Outfitters crossbars with Maxtrax Mounts. Which was quite easy. The top of the tent has standard T track slots. So you can add any brand crossbar on top.
Ok, so let's talk about the exterior. The whole camper is aluminum with a honeycomb/fiberglass roof. Front and rear glass windows. Big open side doors. Which have a double seal to them. I was very surprised at how little dust got into the truck when hitting the dry fire roads in Oregon. Usually, that's an annoyance that you just have to deal with. Also, the inside of the camper doors has a rain gutter type idea where the water from the doors doesn't drip down directly into the camper and instead hits the gutter and disperses to the sides. Another key point is the front and rear of the tent have loops in the design so you can hang or hook things to it. Which was perfect for stringing up a hammock. (The shop carries Kammok hammocks now.)
Moving to the tent and interior. This is another area of innovation. Using batons for the vents at the top of the tent to allow airflow. The flooring is modular and will stack out of the way to have a huge open floor plan if needed. The mattress is an Exped USA Megamat. When it's deflated it allows you to keep the bedding inside the tent portion when closed. Which is very comfortable and doesn't harden like memory foam in the colder months. Speaking of colder months... Insulation is on the list of upgrades down the road, which I'm excited since I do camp year-round.
The tent fabric is seemingly pretty damn durable. The tent fabric slides in via a channel in the extrusion, so it has a pretty great seal so you don't have to worry about water getting in from the bottom or whatnot. Also built into the framing is rain gutters. Any water collection runs down to all 4 corners, which is another design aspect that keeps everything dry inside! Lots of pockets inside and openings for cables to keep your phone charged and such. The tent itself is being continuously improved. So they may be going through newer versions until it's perfect. And with the ease of swapping it out yourself, it'll be no problem updating it later on. Plus they made me an amazing interior patch to celebrate the launch! How awesome is that?!
The interior of the canopy has a ton of potential and the most modular part of the camper. With the camper having the openings throughout the frame you can chase wires very easily making it possible to put 12v power in any corner of the camper. Along with pretty much anything else you may be able to fit in there, the possibilities are wide open to interpretation. The rivnuts allow you to mount boxes and I'm sure a ton of different types of accessories.
So that's the first look at the Super Pacific USA X1 camper. I am beyond stoked for those guys and they put in work thinking of all these details and I'm sure it'll just get better over time. Be sure to follow along on the Roaming Lost Instagram for updates and such. Same with their Instagram.
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