Urander Enclosed Bed Cap Review. "This Cybertruck Mod Changes Everything!"

[Gene]

You can remove all 7 rear crossbars if you’re not mounting anything on top. It helps reduce drag, improves Wh/mi, and gives you a smoother roof that sits about 2 inches lower.

Hope this helps!

Thank you very much for the response. It was very helpful.

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[DRKTruck]

nice but it makes it so hard to use all the bed space when you can’t climb in standing.

 

[Urander]

nice but it makes it so hard to use all the bed space when you can’t climb in standing.

That’s exactly what the bed slide is made for!

We’re also releasing a full-length tent that will replace the current roof panels on the bed cap. The tent base can be raised so you can stand in the bed for a loft style setup. Can’t wait to share pics and videos soon!

 

[DRKTruck]

That’s exactly what the bed slide is made for!

We’re also releasing a full-length tent that will replace the current roof panels on the bed cap. The tent base can be raised so you can stand in the bed for a loft style setup. Can’t wait to share pics and videos soon!

Wow, this is great! Solves the issue for sure.

 

[mongo]

I've been thinking about that for what I would want. First, make a door and move the rear camera to the door. Once you recalibrate the cameras, FSD will come back after some driving. Second: This allows for greater roof surface for solar panels. I one orientates the standard 1762 mm x 1134 mm solar panels with the long ways cross wise, one can put three of them on the roof behind a reasonable wind deflector from the windshield. This is overhangs the top of the bed wings, but is not larger than the footprint of the CT. If you make the solar panels as a roof for a roof top tent, it can be pointed south for better solar gain. You also end up with a virtual palace of a roof top tent. Being ingenious with design it would be possible to have two or three layers of solar panels. Thus allowing them to serve as awning while collecting sun. This gives you a significant solar gain above all electric cooking would require.

How to hold extension body panels onto the base. Pins for alignment, and draw clamps for holding them tightly in place and compressing seals for waterproofness.

I have a number of ideas for how to open it up and have roof top tent and some awning shade too. Each design has it's advantages and disadvantages. I have ideas in my notes on how to make the mechanisms needed in the designs. I just need to CAD them out to see if they really work. The single layer of panels obviously will work. The question is do I hinge it at the front or use even or uneven scissor lifts. An uneven scissor lift allows it to tilt as it lifts, and provides more height at the low end.

Down sides: It would make backing into a V3 or V2 Supercharger problematic. Can you back into a V2 or V3 Supercharger with the tailgate down? Obviously more weight and up high. More wind drag. Ruins lines.

These are some OpenSCAD screenshots of what a three high stack looks like close to where it may end up. It doesn't even extend past the tailgate down. These are 30mm thick frame solar panels with 10 mm gaps between the layers. No other structure. With 9 solar panels you can think of recharging the CT some.

I'm looking at the rack as a base for a trailer wind deflector. Or it might be sufficient on its own. Spoiling the air merge at the truck's rear hurts non-towing range but likely improves things when towing.

There are some panels that are close to an exact match for the rack width and length. 4 panels for 800 watts. https://callsunsolar.com/products/n-type-16bb-200w-bifacial-solar-panel
This would be instead of the solid top and I'd connect them to the battery system in the trailer which can double as a sub-optimal range extender.

 

[CallsignVega]

What I am wondering about the Urander unit. Would it have been possible to have the roof panels on the topside of the crossbars and would that not be better for aerodynamics? Those crossbars as they are now, do they not make for turbulence? I am considering a purchase of this cap but the places I go in both northern Canada and Navajo/Hopi lands makes range a bit critical.

That's basically what I did. Loss of range is very important to me, and I bought the bed cap for my dogs and not for hauling stuff up top. So I simply modified Urander's design and mounted the roof panels on top of the side rails instead of the bottom, creating a completely flat surface. No joke; I didn't use over 20 pounds of hardware Urander supplied! And if you have large hands like me (Size 13 gloves), you're going to have to have a curse jar for some of the tight bolts areas.

I gained about two inches doing this way for my pack. I used SIkaflex 221 to seal everything up and then used white boat epoxy up top. The difference in temps inside the bed-cap is incredible. In direct sun the underside of the bed cap panels are cool to the touch. Although I am insulating as much as I can as I will be camping in some extreme temps.

Some of the Urander fit and finish leaves something to be desired.. the side door panels aren't completely straight and don't fully compress the door seals. Although the worst culprit is the door locks.. sorry Urander but they are just terrible latches/locks compared to all the other bed caps I've had. I may try and source upgraded units.

Overall happy with the product and would give it a 7/10 with the current latches and would upgrade my rating to a 8 or 9/10 if they find a better latch supplier. I know they have a certain affordable price-point they try and achieve so my rating is giving some slack on that!

 

[Urander]

That's basically what I did. Loss of range is very important to me, and I bought the bed cap for my dogs and not for hauling stuff up top. So I simply modified Urander's design and mounted the roof panels on top of the side rails instead of the bottom, creating a completely flat surface. No joke; I didn't use over 20 pounds of hardware Urander supplied! And if you have large hands like me (Size 13 gloves), you're going to have to have a curse jar for some of the tight bolts areas.

I gained about two inches doing this way for my pack. I used SIkaflex 221 to seal everything up and then used white boat epoxy up top. The difference in temps inside the bed-cap is incredible. In direct sun the underside of the bed cap panels are cool to the touch. Although I am insulating as much as I can as I will be camping in some extreme temps.

Some of the Urander fit and finish leaves something to be desired.. the side door panels aren't completely straight and don't fully compress the door seals. Although the worst culprit is the door locks.. sorry Urander but they are just terrible latches/locks compared to all the other bed caps I've had. I may try and source upgraded units.

Overall happy with the product and would give it a 7/10 with the current latches and would upgrade my rating to a 8 or 9/10 if they find a better latch supplier. I know they have a certain affordable price-point they try and achieve so my rating is giving some slack on that!

That’s a creative mod, love seeing how people make it their own! Honestly hadn’t thought of doing it that way ourselves so this is cool to see.

On the latches, sorry for the trouble. We caught some issues with a previous batch and have already been shipping out replacements to customers whose latches won’t latch properly. We’ve also switched to a better version going forward so the new ones are much improved. If any of yours are giving you trouble, just let us know and we’ll get replacements out to you!

 

[Eka]

I'm looking at the rack as a base for a trailer wind deflector. Or it might be sufficient on its own. Spoiling the air merge at the truck's rear hurts non-towing range but likely improves things when towing.

One needs to know the front shape of the trailer. If it is sleek, something like the Urander top may be enough. The goal is to get good flow off the back of the CT to the front of the trailer. Trailing edge vortex generators can create a curtain wall between the rear of the CT and the trailer that helps with reducing drag. The AirTabs developed form the original NASA research have been mentioned elsewhere on this site. https://www.airtab.com/ They work.

There are some panels that are close to an exact match for the rack width and length. 4 panels for 800 watts. https://callsunsolar.com/products/n-type-16bb-200w-bifacial-solar-panel
This would be instead of the solid top and I'd connect them to the battery system in the trailer which can double as a sub-optimal range extender.

Yes, those solar panels are a great match for roof size. They would be perfect for the super sleek design I'm working on. I hadn't had the time to search for alternatives. The ones I selected will likely be the ones that go on the roof here. I'd just order extras.

I quickly placed 4 of them on my temp frame to see how they fit. Looks like they would work fine on the Urander, and my narrow and super sleek sketches. Salmon colored rectangles are the solar panels. Tan 40mm tubes are just a test frame I sketched to get a base. The green rectangle, bisected by the front panel, is a Starlink Mini orientated with it's long axis side to side, and at a 12 degree tilt. Its back is within a cm of the roof glass. The black cylinder with the red dot is the height of the top of the windshield glass. The pink cylinder is 80mm taller.

Here is my larger panel design as it is right now. Tail overhang is the same as the with the tailgate down. This is only a sketch. Actual sizes will change. There are many bit I have deliberately not filled in because I know they will change, and it would take a lot of effort to model. The CT model has issues. It will change. I maybe should buy the expensive one. This is just a free model turned into a STL file for OpenSCAD to use. This has a peak of 1275W of solar when closed like when driving..

Roof extended over front, tilt not modeled yet. It extends further forward than I was expecting. This raises the solar up to 2550W peak. Operating flat or at the expected 20 degrees it won't get that.

I don't have visual models of the super sleek idea yet because it would just use edits of what I've already designed. When fully down it looks like one of those ridged bed tonneau covers and would follow the back slope of the CT. It has a set of legs to allow it to be raised to level for transport of long objects or more room under the cover. Windows could be added to the sides and a back door added to enclose the space. In tent mode, In tent mode it could either tilt up or lift and tilt forward.

I'm coming up with ideas and if anybody wants to use them, fine. This includes in products. Part of why I'm doing these integrated stowed solar designs is because I'm disabled by ME/CFS. At this point the only reason I can still travel and camp is FSD*. I can let it do the driving, and I get to relax and not use up more energy than my body can produce. At camp I can press a button and the solar and tent deploy. Then I brace it. I then have more energy to make dinner, etc.

I currently travel in a Model Y and sleep in the back when camping. I have a minimal setup that works.

 

[Eka]

I used SIkaflex 221 to seal everything up and then used white boat epoxy up top. The difference in temps inside the bed-cap is incredible. In direct sun the underside of the bed cap panels are cool to the touch. Although I am insulating as much as I can as I will be camping in some extreme temps.

I've planned on using a marine adhesive sealant as one level of water ingress protection to seal up joints. My mind has been thinking of using vinyl wrap as another layer of water ingress protection. Clear over the whole top cap, solar panels included. A layer of colored wrap could be laid down first over the non solar panel areas. With the Starlink I figured a vinyl wrap layer could also hide it.

I wonder if any vinyl company has a white that is as reflective as Ultra Reflective White paint, or even close? It reflects over 98% of the light that falls on it. Cool to the touch even in bright sunlight. Still don't know where I can get a can of that paint. I wanna paint my roof with it, then install bifacial solar panels.

 

[mongo]

Trailer is Delta 274RKW, its front taper starts between roof peak and top of tailgate.
If I were going full DIY, I'd hinge the front to go from tight to current truck profile to upward sloped toward trailer roof (not sure how to address sides though). It could also telescope rearward.
In reality, I lack a wind tunnel and want to use the trailer, so data collecting/ iteration will be less than fully scientific. So a Urander cap seems like a reasonable starting point. Especially after researching trailer mount ebike racks. May want to stow them in the bed instead.

 

[Eka]

There are some panels that are close to an exact match for the rack width and length. 4 panels for 800 watts. https://callsunsolar.com/products/n-type-16bb-200w-bifacial-solar-panel
This would be instead of the solid top and I'd connect them to the battery system in the trailer which can double as a sub-optimal range extender.

Yes, those solar panels are a great match for roof size. They would be perfect for the super sleek design I'm working on.

I teased a super sleek design. Here is what I'm thinking of. The back is only 3.5 inches thick and hugs the back of the CT. This design mostly uses stainless steel. Mostly because I can weld it with the welder I have. Because the top is so thin and there are solar panels, the mattress must be removed to fold it up. If the solar panels were replaced with a plain stainless steel panel, then a thin mattress could stay up there.

4 Of the 200W solar panels fit. Sadly not enough for recharging the CT at a realistic amount each day. Furthest aft one is slid over to fit a Starlink Mini (green rectangle). Front panel has some overlap with the side covers. The side covers and rail underneath can be cut away to fit the solar panel. Fill panels missing so it looks like it is not flat on top. Still very much a sketch prone to change as I try to fit all the bits needed in. Pink circle at the aft end of the air dam is only 60mm higher than the top middle of the windshield. I think I can stick to that if my measurements of the roof glass curve are right. I don't think I'd have to go more than 10mm higher if not.

The whole top lifts on gas struts. You need to lift the back edge at the tailgate 6 to 12 inches, then the gas struts take over and both the back and front lift up different amounts to get about a meter of lift at front, and 2 meters at the rear. It can be braced so the top is horizontal by installing panels on both sides and a door to the back to make a proper topper. This also makes the lift complex. Only bad thing is the side panels are vertical so they add some more drag over a sloped side design.

The top will have caulk to seal the seams, but I'm thinking of using clear paint protection film as an additional layer of waterproofing.

The sleeping platform is lifted by hand once the top is lifted up. It has legs that lock into spots on the side rails. It's side rails go to the back, but it has platform sections so the area over the bed can be removed. Only way I can see to have it lift with top into position increases the overall height almost 40mm. I'll have to play with lift designs. While chasing thunderstorms, I think I came up with a thinner lift mechanism for sleeping platform and top. I might even be able to use electric lift cylinders to do the whole lift and stow.

This one may or may not be able to have a 270 degree awning tucked under one side out of the airflow. It likely will mean moving the lift mechanism towards the middle some.

If anybody wants to build their own like this, fine with me. This includes companies. Oh, the CT model I have is imprecise. I won't rely on it for measurements.

 

[Urander]

One needs to know the front shape of the trailer. If it is sleek, something like the Urander top may be enough. The goal is to get good flow off the back of the CT to the front of the trailer. Trailing edge vortex generators can create a curtain wall between the rear of the CT and the trailer that helps with reducing drag. The AirTabs developed form the original NASA research have been mentioned elsewhere on this site. https://www.airtab.com/ They work.


Yes, those solar panels are a great match for roof size. They would be perfect for the super sleek design I'm working on. I hadn't had the time to search for alternatives. The ones I selected will likely be the ones that go on the roof here. I'd just order extras.

I quickly placed 4 of them on my temp frame to see how they fit. Looks like they would work fine on the Urander, and my narrow and super sleek sketches. Salmon colored rectangles are the solar panels. Tan 40mm tubes are just a test frame I sketched to get a base. The green rectangle, bisected by the front panel, is a Starlink Mini orientated with it's long axis side to side, and at a 12 degree tilt. Its back is within a cm of the roof glass. The black cylinder with the red dot is the height of the top of the windshield glass. The pink cylinder is 80mm taller.

Here is my larger panel design as it is right now. Tail overhang is the same as the with the tailgate down. This is only a sketch. Actual sizes will change. There are many bit I have deliberately not filled in because I know they will change, and it would take a lot of effort to model. The CT model has issues. It will change. I maybe should buy the expensive one. This is just a free model turned into a STL file for OpenSCAD to use. This has a peak of 1275W of solar when closed like when driving..

Roof extended over front, tilt not modeled yet. It extends further forward than I was expecting. This raises the solar up to 2550W peak. Operating flat or at the expected 20 degrees it won't get that.

I don't have visual models of the super sleek idea yet because it would just use edits of what I've already designed. When fully down it looks like one of those ridged bed tonneau covers and would follow the back slope of the CT. It has a set of legs to allow it to be raised to level for transport of long objects or more room under the cover. Windows could be added to the sides and a back door added to enclose the space. In tent mode, In tent mode it could either tilt up or lift and tilt forward.

I'm coming up with ideas and if anybody wants to use them, fine. This includes in products. Part of why I'm doing these integrated stowed solar designs is because I'm disabled by ME/CFS. At this point the only reason I can still travel and camp is FSD*. I can let it do the driving, and I get to relax and not use up more energy than my body can produce. At camp I can press a button and the solar and tent deploy. Then I brace it. I then have more energy to make dinner, etc.

I currently travel in a Model Y and sleep in the back when camping. I have a minimal setup that works.

Just saw this today

 

[Eka]

Just saw this today

Unfortunately that sticks out into the slipstream. I wonder how many extra kWh it requires one to burn to drive down a full charge? Solutions I'm looking at are to integrate solar into the tent/camper back I already expect I'll be eventually be using.

I've wondered about taking the glass panel out of a conventional aluminum frame bordered panel, and then using windshield adhesive to mount it into my own frame. If I can do that I can make the frames thinner and lighter.

I also could go with standard high output flexible panels knowing they won't survive hail. The other downside is they usually must be mounted to a flat surface. That means more metal weight. For pull out panels one still needs the metal to decrease repeated flexing like one gets driving down the road. Repeated flexing kills the solar cells in them.

The crazy option is to have sheets of super tough glass made in the shape of the bed cap roof, then epoxy bond solar cells to the bottom side of them. If I'm willing to pay I could get tested 25+% efficient solar cells. I can do the soldering to make them into strings and panels. I haven't looked to see if their solar cells would tile nicely to make an enough higher output solar system to be worth it. This is by far the high cost option, so not likely. For solar model aircraft those solar cells are a godsend.

 

[Urander]

A super creative Cybertruck owner shared a video last night while camping in his bed cap he mounted a battery powered portable monitor on the ceiling and turned it into a mini theater setup

 

[Urander]

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