Project Type: OEM Platform Selection & Customization
Target Market: Europe
Target Users: Families / SUV Owners
Selected Platform: WP6008-2.1m
Architecture: ABS Hard-Shell Side-Opening Roof Tent
The goal was to select and customize an existing roof tent platform for the European family camping market.
The target users were typically two adults and two children, so the product needed a large sleeping area, easy hard-shell operation and a practical weight for SUVs where roof-load limits can be an important consideration.
Rather than starting with a fixed model, we first defined the market requirements and then evaluated which existing platform could meet them with the least compromise.
The platform decision was based on three requirements: family capacity, ease of use and vehicle compatibility.
A four-person sleeping requirement ruled out most conventional clamshell and pop-up roof tents, leaving soft-shell and side-opening platforms as the more practical directions.
For a family product, opening and closing convenience was important. A hard-shell side-opening structure offered more usable sleeping space than most clamshell designs while remaining easier to operate than a conventional soft-shell tent.
For a large four-person roof tent, weight directly affects vehicle compatibility. ABS construction offered a meaningful weight advantage over a comparable aluminum platform, making it a stronger fit for the target market.
These requirements led to the selection of the WP6008-2.1m ABS hard-shell side-opening roof tent.
The original mattress was upgraded from approximately 3 cm to a dual-thickness sleeping system:
The challenge was not simply to add a thicker mattress. The complete system still needed to close correctly and remain stable during repeated opening and pack-down.
Velcro retainers were therefore added under the mattress corners to reduce movement during closure and reopening.
Result: better family sleeping comfort without sacrificing practical roof tent operation.
A 2.1-meter-wide side-opening roof tent has a large amount of side fabric to manage during closing. When the tent is installed on a tall SUV or 4×4, users may not be able to reach both sides of the tent to manually tuck the side fabric into the shell.
To solve this problem, we developed a side fabric collecting system. By pulling the collecting straps during closure, the side fabric is drawn inward and tucked into the tent, significantly reducing the need for users to reach up and manually manage the fabric.
The collecting straps use guided routing, while the guide-rail fixing was specified in 304 stainless steel instead of PVC to better handle repeated operating loads.
Result: easier pack-down on tall SUVs and 4×4 vehicles, with less reaching and manual fabric tucking.
Real comparison: the video shows the closing process with and without the side fabric collecting system.
The platform was further adapted for changing weather, condensation and colder camping conditions.
Rather than treating each component as an isolated upgrade, the changes were designed as a weather-management system covering rain drainage, protection from drafts, ventilation and condensation control.
A curved roof frame together with a T-support helps maintain the roof shape and encourages rainwater to drain away instead of collecting on the fabric.
The rainfly was upgraded from lighter 125G material to 240G fabric, while wind-blocking fabric was added around the folding-floor joint to reduce cold air entering the sleeping area.
Triangular ventilation openings above the windows improve airflow, while a 1 cm condensation mat beneath the mattress helps manage moisture under the sleeping system.
Together, these features improve ventilation and help reduce condensation during changing weather conditions.
Result: a more complete weather-management system for rain drainage, ventilation, condensation control and colder camping conditions.
Several less-visible structural and component details were also improved because these are often the areas that become after-sales problems later.
These details may not always appear in marketing photos, but they directly affect user safety, durability and the brand's future warranty and after-sales risk.
After the product platform and engineering details were defined, the roof tent was adapted to the customer's brand and retail requirements.
The objective was not customization for its own sake, but a finished product that matched both the user's needs and the customer's retail positioning.
A successful OEM project does not end with the first production run.
Feedback involving sharp edges, exposed screws, assembly alignment, hinge interference, finishing and internal cleanliness was converted into specific engineering corrections and production-control requirements.
This created a continuous improvement cycle:
The goal was to make each improvement repeatable in future orders rather than depending on individual workers or one-off corrections.
This project was not about developing a completely new roof tent from zero.
It demonstrates a different type of OEM capability: understanding a target market, selecting the right existing platform, identifying where that platform needs to change, and turning those improvements into a stable production specification.
For brands, this can reduce development time and sourcing risk while still creating a product that is meaningfully adapted to their market.
The final configuration combines family-sized sleeping space, easy hard-shell operation, lightweight ABS construction and market-specific OEM optimization for European family camping.
Understand the market. Select the right platform. Improve what matters. Standardize for reliable production.
View full specifications, dimensions, product features and available customization options for the WP6008-2.1m ABS hard-shell side-opening roof tent.
