iKamper’s latest RTT, the Blue Dot Voyager, is the brand’s most versatile yet. It’s a veritable Lego set with impressive adaptability that you can even build yourself. Oh yeah, it’s comfortable, too — and strikingly affordable.
My truck looks good with a hat — for years I had a James Baroud Grand Raid RTT mounted on top. I loved it but grew tired of hauling 160 pounds off my roof any time I wanted to haul surfboards, lumber, etc. I was stoked to get back into the rooftop tent game with iKamper, as its new model solves this gear storage issue.
The iKamper Blue Dot Voyager (BDV) features a rugged aluminum exoskeleton. It’s a key selling point for me because you can mount equipment to any side and have the option for additional load bars on top. The BDV isn’t the first RTT to offer mounting rails on top, but it’s a compelling combination of versatility, comfort, and price — at least on paper.
We, of course, don’t believe the marketing hype without testing out the gear ourselves. We got early access to a review sample of the iKamper BDV, installed it on a Land Rover LR3, and took it out for some weekend camping in the Columbia River Gorge. Here’s how our first experience with this RTT worked out.
To see how the iKamper BVD DUO stacks up against the competition, check out GearJunkie’s guide to the best rooftop tents.
iKamper Blue Dot Voyager (BDV) DUO Review
![iKamperBDVRTTNickSchoeps-4-20221001-PXL_20221001_153144489 iKamper BDV Duo Review](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTNickSchoeps-4-20221001-PXL_20221001_153144489-700x467.jpg)
Blue Dot Voyager: Specs
- Open size: 56″ x 106.25″ x 59″
- Closed size: 56″ x 90″ x 6.75″
- Max load: 600 lbs.
- Tent materials: Back-Out 300 gsm organic, recycled poly-cotton canvas tent with 75D ripstop polyester rainfly and aluminum extrusions holding an FRP shell with an insulated honeycomb aluminum panel floor
- Mattress: 2.75-in.-thick insulated polyfoam, 7 ft. long x 50 in. wide
- Weight: 150 lbs. listed (155 lbs. as tested without mounting brackets)
- MSRP: $3,399 assembled or $2,999 unassembled
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2x7K_FezEg
Blue Dot Voyager Name
Carl Sagan saw a picture of Earth from 3.7 billion miles away, taken by the Voyager 1 space probe, and described the planet as a “pale blue dot.” He specifically said, “From this particular vantage point, the Earth may not seem of any particular interest. But for us, it’s different. Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us … history of our species … on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.”
iKamper named its latest RTT with this same idea in mind, “that we are travelers on a blue dot voyage.”
iKamper BDV Install
![iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-1-20220927-IMG_9623 iKamper BDV RTT](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-1-20220927-IMG_9623-700x467.jpg)
![iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-7-20221004-IMG_9834 iKamper BDV Duo ladder](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-7-20221004-IMG_9834-700x467.jpg)
![iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-3-20221004-IMG_9819 iKamper BDV mounting bracket](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-3-20221004-IMG_9819-700x467.jpg)
![iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-5-20221004-IMG_9826 iKamper BDV Duo](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-5-20221004-IMG_9826-700x467.jpg)
Roof Racks Matter
![iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-6-20221004-IMG_9827 iKamper BDV Duo](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-6-20221004-IMG_9827-700x467.jpg)
![BDV_detail_01 iKamper BDV Duo](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/BDV_detail_01-700x525.png)
On the Road With the BDV
![AJF_4140 iKamper BDV Duo](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/AJF_4140-700x467.jpg)
Tent Setup
![iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-8-20221004-IMG_9835 iKamper BDV RTT](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-8-20221004-IMG_9835-700x467.jpg)
![iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-4-20221004-IMG_9824 iKamper BDV Duo](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-4-20221004-IMG_9824-700x467.jpg)
![iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-12-20221004-IMG_9840 iKamper BDV RTT](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-12-20221004-IMG_9840-700x467.jpg)
Inside the Tent
![AJF_3810 iKamper BDV Duo](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/AJF_3810-700x467.jpg)
![iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-10-20221004-IMG_9838 iKamper BDV Duo](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-10-20221004-IMG_9838-700x467.jpg)
Sleepy Time
![ikamper-bdv-blue-dot-voyager-duo-12 iKamper BDV Duo](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/ikamper-bdv-blue-dot-voyager-duo-12-700x467.jpg)
Mattress Upgrade: iKamper’s RTT Comfort 5087
![iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-11-20221004-IMG_9839 iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-11-20221004-IMG_9839](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-11-20221004-IMG_9839-700x467.jpg)
![iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-2-20220928-IMG_9640 iKamper RTT Comfort mattress and RTT Sleeper DBL](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-2-20220928-IMG_9640-700x467.jpg)
Sleeping Bag: iKamper’s RTT Sleeper DPL
![iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-9-20221004-IMG_9837 iKamper BDV RTT](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTBryonDorr-9-20221004-IMG_9837-700x467.jpg)
Packup Time
![iKamperBDVRTTNickSchoeps-2-20221001-PXL_20221001_150650676 iKamper BDV Duo Review](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTNickSchoeps-2-20221001-PXL_20221001_150650676-700x467.jpg)
iKamper BDV: Availability & Pricing
iKamper BDV Solo
![BDV Solo_RearRight_Open_withBicycle iKamper BDV Solo RTT](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/BDV-Solo_RearRight_Open_withBicycle-700x525.jpg)
Is the iKamper BDV Right for You?
![iKamperBDVRTTNickSchoeps-3-20221001-PXL_20221001_173057114 iKamper BDV Duo Review](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2022/10/iKamperBDVRTTNickSchoeps-3-20221001-PXL_20221001_173057114-700x467.jpg)