The Bush Company TX27 MAX Hardshell Rooftop Tent

TX27 MAX: our largest hard shell rooftop tent

The TX27 MAX takes everything in the TX27 and makes it 200mm wider. At 1.6m wide, with a 1.45m mattress that’s wider than a double bed, it sleeps two adults and a child, or two adults with room to spare for gear.

A double-action, pop-up style roof

Both ends of the aluminium roof lift on gas struts, so instead of a clamshell’s sloping ceiling you get 1.44m of headroom at the front and 1.28m at the rear. Everyone can sit up at once, and getting changed is easy.

Lift the roof, slot the 8mm spring steel poles into place to set the front and rear rainflies, and the tent is fully set up in about 60 seconds. The 190mm of space above the mattress when it’s closed means standard bedding, sheets, sleeping bags, pillows and doonas stay stored right inside the closed tent. That saves space in your vehicle and keeps your bedding clean and dust free.

Some owners with young children have fitted their own crossways bunk above the main mattress. It’s not something we make or supply, but it shows how much room there is inside.

Comfort inside

The 80mm mattress (2.13m long × 1.45m 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.
• 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. 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. Ezi-Slot channels take our accessories without drilling:

• 1590mm Rooftop Tent Load Bars made for the MAX
• a solar panel bracket
• recovery track side mounts
• the Outhouse Shower Tent
• awning to tent brackets

The TX27 MAX weighs 133kg 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 MAX 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.

At 1.6m wide (1.69m across the gas struts), check it suits your rack or canopy width; see our rooftop tent mounting options. The Bush Company or one of our stockists can fit it, or you can follow the fitting instructions in the Installation tab.

TX27 MAX or TX27?

They’re the same tent in two widths.

• Choose the MAX if you’re travelling with a child or want more room to spread out.
• Choose the TX27 (1.4m wide, 10kg lighter) if it’s just the two of you.

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.