LX27 Gen 2 Lightweight Rooftop Tent

LX27 Gen 2: the lightest hard shell rooftop tent from The Bush Company

The LX27 Gen 2 is made for touring rigs where weight and height count. At 81kg (without the ladder) and 175mm high when closed, it's the lightest and lowest-profile tent The Bush Company makes. That helps with roof load, fuel use, wind noise and clearance in garages and car parks.

Opened up, the highest point has 1.6m of headroom, or about 1,520mm measured from the top of the mattress, so two adults can sit up, get changed and sleep comfortably.

Set up in about 30 seconds

The clamshell closes on custom-made, heavy-duty stainless steel over-centre latches, with holes for a padlock so you can lock the tent.

Release the latches, let the gas struts lift the aluminium clamshell, then slot the 8mm spring steel poles in to hold the rainfly out over the doors. The whole job takes about 30 seconds, which is welcome at the end of a long day. With 70mm of clearance above the mattress when it's closed, standard bedding, sheets and sleeping bags can stay inside the tent between camps. That frees up room in the vehicle and keeps your bedding clean and dust free.

Sleeping comfort

The 70mm mattress (2.05m long × 1.27m wide) is 30mm of memory foam over a 40mm high-density foam base, a firm foundation that resists bottoming out. Both layers are joined inside a removable, zippered canvas cover, which sits on a marine carpet underlay designed to help reduce condensation under the mattress.

• Doors: large front and side doors make getting in and out easy. Each has an outer canvas door, an inner canvas door and midge mesh, and every canvas door and mesh panel has YKK spiral zips.
• Ventilation: the inner canvas doors let you adjust airflow from inside without opening the midge mesh screens, and a mesh-covered vent above the rear door keeps air moving when everything else is zipped shut.
• Roof storage: two roof pouches and a clear tablet pouch.
• Side storage: four large canvas side pouches, each with a heavy-duty mesh pouch on the outside, for eight side pouches in total. You can see what's in the mesh ones at a glance, like your phone or keys.
• Water bottles: two heavy-duty mesh bottle holders. All up, the pouches keep small items off the mattress.

Power and light, pre-wired

• Lighting: dimmable tri-colour LED strips at the head and foot, with the main control panel at the foot and extra switches at the entrance.
• Outlets: two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports and two 12V sockets at the foot of the mattress.
• Power input: feed it from your vehicle through the 50A Anderson plug under the tent, or through the internal 20A WAECO input socket.
• Optional fan: the Sirocco fan mount plate installs inside the tent on pre-fitted rivnuts in one of the internal roof-reinforcing beams, ready for a Sirocco II 12V fan.
• Cable channels: zippered canvas channels run up the inside of the roof and hold the wiring for fans and lights, so nothing snags when you close the tent.

Light, not flimsy

The frame is B-Tech^® Alloy extruded aluminium with seam-welded corners. Light as it is, it still carries any of The Bush Company's freestanding awnings, mounted on the tent with the LX27 awning to tent brackets.

The body is dual-layer 260gsm acrylic-treated polyester ripstop canvas, treated against mould, mildew and UV. The air gap between the two layers works a bit like double glazing: it insulates better against heat and cold and cuts condensation build-up on the inside walls. It also makes the fabric blackout, which adds weather resistance and keeps the tent darker at sunrise.

Automotive-grade rubber seals keep the closed tent dust free and watertight.

In wet weather, a large removable one-piece rainfly with 8mm spring steel poles and adjustable storm straps covers the doors.

Why the rainfly matters

• Dry entry and exit: it covers the ladder and entryway, so you can get in and out without getting soaked or bringing dripping water inside.
• Extra weather protection: it adds another layer against heavy rain and stops water pooling against the main canvas or doorways.
• Airflow in wet weather: it shields the openings, so windows and vents can stay cracked open without rain splashing in.

Carrying more on top

The internally reinforced roof is rated to 100kg dynamic when closed and 35kg when open, subject to the rating of whatever the tent is mounted to. Ezi-Slot channels in the roof and sides take accessories without drilling:

• Rooftop Tent Load Bars on High Foot Mounts, for kayaks or boards
• recovery track side mounts
• the awning to tent brackets, to carry an awning on the tent itself

As with any roof-mounted gear, add up the tent, your rack or canopy and everything carried on top, and check the total sits within your vehicle's and rack's dynamic roof load ratings.

Getting in and out

The tent comes with a 2.6m Compact Telescopic Ladder with angled steps and two ladder brackets: one pre-mounted at the open end and one you can fit to either side. Climb in through the open end or from the side, whichever suits your vehicle setup.

Fitting your tent

The LX27 Gen 2 comes with:

• six fitment brackets, three per side, which mount to the side of the foot rails to secure the tent to your load bars
• two adjustable foot rails, 20mm high, which run the full length of the tent underneath it and aren't needed for every installation

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

There are also mounting options for canopies and low-profile setups. Get in touch if you're not sure what suits your vehicle.

Is the LX27 Gen 2 the right tent?

Pick it if you want the lightest, lowest-profile hard shell The Bush Company offers.

• If you want more room for bulkier bedding such as thick doonas, plus 1.7m of headroom at the entry, look at the AX27 Clamshell Rooftop Tent.
• For near-full headroom from end to end, the double-action TX27 and TX27 MAX are the step up.

For a full walkthrough, watch the LX27 Gen 2 product video.

Made in South Africa for The Bush Company, with a 2-year conditional warranty.

Shipped direct from The Bush Company.