Direct4x4 Pathseeker Auto Solar vs Direct4x4 TrailTop Expedition
Both of these are Direct4x4 tents, so the question is not which brand to trust but which size and configuration suits your vehicle and how you camp. The Pathseeker Auto Solar and the TrailTop Expedition share Direct4x4's construction and warranty; where they part company is in the numbers below.
The TrailTop Expedition is 7.399999999999999 kg lighter at 54.6 kg against 62 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. Inside, the TrailTop Expedition gives 3.56 m² of sleeping floor against 3.04 m², about 17 percent more, and it sleeps 3 to the Pathseeker Auto Solar's 2. Headroom separates them further: 130 cm in the Pathseeker Auto Solar against 115 cm, which is the difference between sitting up to dress and doing it lying down. The Pathseeker Auto Solar lists $448 lower, at $1,472 against $1,920.
They open differently: the Pathseeker Auto Solar is a pop-up and the TrailTop Expedition a fold-out. That is not cosmetic — it decides whether headroom is even across the tent or tapers towards one end, and how much of the roof the tent occupies when closed. Canvas differs too: 210D ripstop Poly Oxford, PU 2,000 mm, silver coating, UPF50+ against poly-cotton, 65% polyester / 35% cotton, waterproof 10,000 mm.
Direct4x4
Pathseeker Auto Solar
The Pathseeker is a two-person hard-shell rooftop tent with a heavy-duty ABS polymer composite shell and a built-in solar panel that powers its remote-control opening mechanism and a USB device charger. It opens to 225 x 135 cm with a 130 cm interior height and a 62 kg tent weight, using a 210D ripstop Poly Oxford fly with a silver PU coating rated UPF50+. Direct4x4 offers a matching annex room, sun-shade awnings and a detachable thermal inner tent as add-ons.
- Built-in solar panel powers the remote-control opening and a USB charger
- 5 cm mattress and ABS composite shell
- Supported by Direct4x4 annex, awning and thermal inner-tent add-ons
- Two-person capacity only
Direct4x4
TrailTop Expedition
The TrailTop is one of Direct4x4's hard-shell rooftop tents, sold in 3-person and 4-person configurations with a gloss-black aerodynamic shell that folds open. The 3-person version opens to 162 x 220 cm and weighs about 54.6 kg, while the 4-person version opens to 220 x 225 cm at roughly 70 kg. It uses a 65% polyester / 35% cotton poly-cotton canvas rated to a 10,000 mm water column and ships with a 4 cm mattress and a telescopic aluminium ladder.
- Offered in both 3-person and 4-person sizes
- Poly-cotton canvas rated to a 10,000 mm water column
- Includes a 4 cm mattress and telescopic aluminium ladder
- Manufacturer does not publish a warranty period or season rating
Which one to pick
Take the Pathseeker Auto Solar if the budget is fixed. Take the TrailTop Expedition if you need the sleeping room more than you need the lighter tent. Beyond that the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex, cargo rails — are where the remaining difference lies.
Every specification, side by side
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Hardshell | Hardshell |
| Opening style | Pop-up | Fold-out |
| Sleeps | 2— worst of the tents compared | 3— best of the tents compared |
| Season rating | — | — |
| List price | $1,470— best of the tents compared | $1,920— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 137 lb— worst of the tents compared | 120 lb— best of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 7 ft 5 in— worst of the tents compared | 5 ft 4 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 5 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 1 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 11.8 in— best of the tents compared | 12.6 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 7 ft 5 in— best of the tents compared | 5 ft 4 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 4 ft 5 in— worst of the tents compared | 7 ft 3 in— best of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 32.7 sq ft— worst of the tents compared | 38.3 sq ft— best of the tents compared |
| Interior height | 4 ft 3 in— best of the tents compared | 3 ft 9 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Mattress thickness | 2 in— best of the tents compared | 1.6 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | ~60 secest. | ~60 secest. |
| Shell material | ABS polymer composite | — |
| Fabric | 210D ripstop Poly Oxford, PU 2,000 mm, silver coating, UPF50+ | Poly-cotton, 65% polyester / 35% cotton, waterproof 10,000 mm |
| Warranty | — | — |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | — | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | — | — |
| Annex available | Yes | — |
| Solar ready | Yes | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Direct4x4 product page | Direct4x4 product page |
Related comparisons
- Pathseeker Auto SolarvsPolaris 2
- Pathseeker Auto SolarvsSirius 1 Plus
- Pathseeker Auto SolarvsHD Bundu 2 Cantilever
- Pathseeker Auto SolarvsDiscovery
Or read the full spec sheets for the Direct4x4 Pathseeker Auto Solar and the Direct4x4 TrailTop Expedition.