The Bush Company TX27 Hardshell Rooftop Tent

TX27: a double-action, pop-up style hard shell rooftop tent

Most hard shell rooftop tents are clamshells: they hinge at one end, so the roof slopes down to the mattress at the other.

On the TX27, both ends of the roof lift, pop-up style, giving you 1.44m of headroom at the front and 1.28m at the rear. You can sit up anywhere on the mattress, and two people can get changed without taking turns.

Up in 60 seconds, bedding and all

Gas struts lift both sections of the roof, then you slot the 8mm spring steel poles into place to set the front and rear rainflies: the whole setup takes about 60 seconds.

When it’s closed there’s 190mm of space above the mattress, so standard bedding, sheets, sleeping bags, pillows and doonas stay stored right inside the closed tent between camps. That saves space in your vehicle and keeps your bedding clean and dust free.

Comfort inside

The 80mm mattress (2.13m long × 1.28m wide) has 40mm of medium-density foam on top for comfort, over a 40mm high-density foam base that gives a firm foundation and resists bottoming out. It sits in a removable, zippered canvas cover over a thermal marine carpet underlay designed to help reduce condensation beneath the mattress.

• Storage: six roof pouches, four large canvas side pouches and two canvas water bottle pockets, and the carpeted roof liner takes Velcro pouches.
• Power: a 12V socket and twin USB-A ports on each side of the bed, fed from your vehicle through a 50A Anderson plug, so no one argues over who charges their phone.
• Lighting: a movable tri-colour LED light (white, amber and red) that’s battery powered and rechargeable by USB.
• Cable channels: zippered canvas channels run up the inside of the roof to keep wiring for fans and lights neatly stored, so nothing gets caught when you close the tent.

Views and airflow

Large front and side doors make getting in and out of the tent easy. All six doors and windows have an external canvas storm door, midge mesh and an internal canvas door, and every canvas door and midge mesh has YKK spiral zips. Together they give about 5m² of ventilation, and you can adjust the internal canvas doors from inside the tent to control airflow without opening the midge mesh screens. A mesh-covered vent above the rear door keeps air moving when you’ve closed everything up.

Open the doors and windows for a panoramic view and a through-breeze on hot nights. A main rainfly covers the front entrance and both sides, and a smaller one covers the rear window, both held out on 8mm spring steel poles.

Why the rainflies matter

• Dry entry and exit: they cover the ladder and entryways, so you can get in and out safely without getting soaked or bringing dripping water inside.
• Extra weather protection: they’re an extra layer of defence against heavy rain, stopping water pooling directly against the main tent canvas or doorways.
• Airflow in wet weather: they shield the openings, so you can keep windows or vents cracked open for fresh air without rain splashing inside, which also helps keep condensation down.

Built for Australian conditions

The frame is our B-Tech^® Alloy extruded aluminium with reinforced, welded corners and stainless steel hinges, latches and handles.

The body is dual-layer 315gsm ±5% acrylic-treated polyester ripstop canvas, treated against mould, mildew and UV. The two layers work like double glazing: the air gap between them insulates better against heat and cold and significantly reduces condensation build-up on the inside of the tent walls. They also make it a blackout fabric that adds weather resistance and blocks out light, so the tent stays darker at sunrise.

Automotive-grade rubber seals around both the upper and lower lids keep the tent dust free and watertight when it’s closed. The tent closes on our own custom-made, heavy-duty over-centre latches, made from stainless steel, and they have holes for a padlock so you can lock the tent.

On the roof

The roof is rated to 75kg dynamic when closed and 35kg when open, subject to the rating of whatever the tent is mounted to: enough for solar panels or boards on Rooftop Tent Load Bars.

Ezi-Slot channels take our accessories without drilling, including:

• recovery track side mounts
• the Outhouse Shower Tent
• awning to tent brackets for a freestanding awning

The TX27 weighs 123kg without the ladder or fitment set and is 348mm high when closed. As with any roof-mounted gear, add up the tent, your rack or canopy and anything carried on top, and confirm the total is within your vehicle’s and rack’s dynamic roof load ratings.

Getting in and out

The tent comes with the 2.6m Deluxe Telescopic Ladder with wide angled steps and two ladder brackets: one pre-mounted at the open end of the tent, and one you can mount to either side. You can climb in through the open end or from the side, whichever suits your vehicle setup.

Install your tent

The TX27 comes with:

• the Rooftop Tent Universal Fitment Set: six complete fitment brackets, three for each side
• two heavy-duty 20mm foot rails with M8 slots

You can fit the tent the usual way, with the open end at the rear of the vehicle, or in reverse, with the open end facing forward and the ladder secured to a roof rack on the cab. If you fit it in reverse, the Rooftop Tent Dead Bolt Bracket is required, for extra protection against the tent opening while you’re driving.

See our rooftop tent mounting options for canopies and cab clearance. The Bush Company or one of our stockists can fit it, or you can follow the fitting instructions in the Installation tab.

TX27 or TX27 MAX?

They’re the same tent in two widths.

• TX27: 1.4m wide, with a 1.28m-wide mattress for two adults.
• TX27 MAX: 1.6m wide, with a 1.45m mattress and room for two adults and a child. It weighs 10kg more.

If you’d rather have a lighter clamshell, see the AX27.

Watch the TX27 and TX27 MAX product video for a full walkthrough of the range.

Made in South Africa for The Bush Company, with a 2-year conditional warranty. Buy online, pick up the same day from our showroom in Marcoola on the Sunshine Coast, or order through one of our stockists Australia wide.