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Mars Adventure Gear has burst onto the scene with its sexy and sleek Expedition Rack System and its ultra slim 3.5″ thick Aeroblade tent.
The combination is likely the lightest and easiest to install tent and rack system for the Cybertruck. We reached out to Mars adventure group and they sent over one of their rack and tent combos for us to run through the paces.
Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
Disclaimer: Mars AG provided the rack and tent to the author for the purposes of this review
Installation
Right out of the gate, the ease of install for the Mars rack is unparalleled. It comes in two pieces per side with a front windfaring that I highly recommend installing along with the rack to direct airflow up and over the rack.
The two pieces of the rack that install on either side are light and fairly easy to manage with one person. I installed it myself and with the exception of a few minutes where I wish I had had smaller hands to tighten some of the bolts, the process was very straightforward and easy.
Pro tip: Install the Mars AG Wind Deflector along with the rack, as it is much easier to install with the rack compared to after you have a tent installed (which is what I did).
The Mars Adventure Gear Wind Deflector mounts at the front of the rack, pushing air up and over the rack and tent. Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
Installing the Mars wind deflector requires the front rack bar to be installed in the front position. The wind fairing comes with a robust rubber strip that mounts securely to the front of the fairing and butts up nicely against the middle of the windshield. It would be nice if it completely sealed the air gaps, but as it stands, it does drastically reduce the noise caused by the rooftop rack.
After getting the rack and crossbars installed, it was time to install the Aeroblade tent. Mars touts the Aeroblade tent as a 110-pound lightweight tent, and while it is likely lighter than most rooftop tents, the shape is unwieldy so it’s better to have a helper or two to get it up onto the rack.
When folded down, the Aeroblade sits low on the Mars Adventure Gear Expedition Rack. Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
I enlisted the help of my younger son, and my wife was gracious enough to support as well. We easily have the tent overhead and slid it onto the rack.
From there, it was a simple matter of sliding bolts into position in the tent and clamping them to the rack. It’s a total of eight bolts and nuts that make for a fast and secure installation. I will probably look for a way to make this more secure as I don’t want anyone with a socket set to be able to come out and remove the tent.
Let’s Get Camping!
With the installation out of the way, it’s time for the fun stuff. Driving around with the Mars roof rack and Aeroblade tent on, the look of the Cybertruck is transformed. The aggressive wedge shape of the rack combined with the low profile Aeroblade tent make it look like it’s something straight out of a movie.
It’s aggressive and sexy, though of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder so your mileage may vary on this one. The functionality of the Aeroblade tent is also extremely attractive to me.
Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
The tent comes with two side clamps to hold it closed, as well as two clamps at the rear of the tent to hold it closed when underway. When installing the Aeroblade tent on the Mars rack, they suggest removing the two side clamps for a sleeker install. I did this and found the tent to be held securely closed with just the two rear clamps.
It also makes deploying the tent much faster. When it came time to hop into the tent for my first night, I simply opened the tonneau of the truck halfway, stepped into the bed of the truck, released the two clamps, and lifted the lid.
The two air struts on either side of the tent did the rest of the work, opening the tent to its full height. The tent is a fairly standard wedge design with the pivoting section of the roofline up at the front of the truck.
Hopping inside the tent, doors on either side have a second layer that can be zipped down to allow light and air to pass through a mesh screen. Similarly, the main door at the rear of the tent can be zipped closed with a mesh window that can be opened to let light and air in.
Taking in the sunset above Cedar Breaks National Monument through the side door of the Mars AG Aeroblade tent. Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
An integrated awning at the rear of the tent can be set up quickly with two metal holes that fit nicely inside the tent when it’s collapsed. These two poles hook onto the top of the awning and mount securely to the lower half of the tent, providing shade and protection from the elements over the door.
Sleepy Time
Inside the tent, a 1.5″ thick foam mattress provides a decent amount of comfort. In the handful of nights I’ve slept in the tent, it has been comfortable and I haven’t ever brought them down to the point where I feel the hard floor of the tent below the mattress.
This setup is likely fine for weekend warriors and even week-long trips. For those looking to use the tent for longer term expeditions or full-time living? You’ll probably want to look for a mattress topper or a thicker mattress replacement.
For me, I love the quick setup configuration offers and I’m easily able to go from driving to having a fully set up tent in around 3 minutes. The mattress itself does not have a removable sheet, so I laid out a base blanket with two extra blankets on top of it for warmth.
Optimizing The Setup
At the foot of the tent, two small circular baffles can be connected to an external heater or air conditioning unit. There are a lot of aftermarket options to that can be plumbed in to these baffles for extra comfort. You could also just hook up a fan to the baffles to get some extra air flow.
Overhead inside the tent, a hook and loop type fabric has a Mars topographic print and logo on it. It was designed as a base layer for customers to be able to purchase accessories that can simply be pressed on to this layer to provide extra storage for their cellphones, toiletries, a bag with a change of clothes in it, and more.
Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
It’s a great option to have and allows Mars to keep the inside of the tent as lean and thin as possible. I didn’t have any of these accessories for my review, but I can imagine having a single bag that I bring up every night with my toiletries and room to store my cellphone overnight.
Accessories
Mars also offers a range of accessories to let owners customize their installation to their exact needs. For the tent itself, Mars offers a set of roof rack bars that mount to the top of the tent and lets you mount things like traction boards or kayaks to the roof with ease. These bars have a weight capacity of 100 pounds / 45 kilograms per pair, which is pretty impressive for a tent.
Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
They also offer a thermal insulation kit for the Aeroblade tent which essentially adds a lightweight zippered blanket layer to the inside walls of the tent. This provides an extra layer of insulation, protecting you from heat or cold when you’re camping. It comes in a slick little bag that makes it easy to deploy when you need it.
Additional accessories like a solar panel for the top of the tent, a step to help you get up into the tent or mount additional accessories to the rack, a ladder to help you get into the tent from the side, a 48 volt light bar, eye bolts to mount to any of their many t-track rails or rack accessories, and a line of titanium cookware round out their offerings.
Camping at 10,200 feet with a view of Cedar Breaks National Monument. Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
Mars Adventure Gear is clearly building a full ecosystem of overlanding gear, not just for the Tesla Cybertruck but also for Rivian owners to help them get out and adventure more. Their solutions are personalized to their equipment, building out a comprehensive system that lets owners build out their kit as their needs change.
Overall
Mars Adventure Gear has done a fantastic job of developing a sleek yet extremely functional rack system for the Cybertruck. It’s optimized for their Aeroblade tent, which strikes a fantastic balance between the weight, the aerodynamic profile, functionality, and comfort.
Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
Because it’s lightweight, it’s something that you could easily lift on and off of the truck for weekend warrior duty. The tent also features t-track along the side where you could mount a set of eye bolts from which you could lift the tent on and off of your rack from the ceiling in your garage.
Everybody’s configuration is different and I love how adaptable the Mars Adventure Gear ecosystem is. The Mars AG Aeroblade tent retails for $2,999. For more information about Mars Adventure Gear’s rack and Aeroblade tent, head over to their website.
Specs
Exterior dimension (closed): 87 in x 52.2 in x 3.48 in
Interior dimension (open): 82.2 in x 46.5 in x 50 in
Integrated 3D Air-Foam Hybrid Mattress (no inflation needed)
Weight: ~110 lb
UPF: 50+
Hydrostatic head: 18890 (mmH2O)
WVTR: 10900 ( g/(㎡.24h) )
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