Ironman 4x4 Ursa 1300 vs RoofBunk Adventurer
The Ironman 4x4 Ursa 1300 and the RoofBunk Adventurer are both hardshell tents in the same part of the market, which makes them a genuine head-to-head rather than a comparison across categories. Ironman 4x4 and RoofBunk take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
Floor area is close to identical at 3.28 m² and 3.05 m², so neither wins on sleeping room. List prices are within $96 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one. Ironman 4x4 also backs the Ursa 1300 for 3 years against 2.
They open differently: the Ursa 1300 is a fold-out and the Adventurer a clamshell. 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. The Ursa 1300 uses ABS hardshell with aluminium honeycomb base; the Adventurer uses powder-coated aluminium. Canvas differs too: 420D polyester Oxford fly; 320gsm ripstop nylon mesh against 320gsm poly-cotton blend ripstop canvas body; 600D Oxford polyester rainfly. Closed, the Adventurer sits 11 cm lower on the roof — 21 cm against 32 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
Ironman 4x4
Ursa 1300
The Ursa 1300 is the smaller of Ironman 4x4's two Ursa hardshell fold-out tents, sized for CUVs, SUVs, wagons and most truck beds. It sleeps two adults and a child on a 2.4-inch high-density foam mattress and deploys via two base latches and assisted gas struts, expanding sideways from a 65 x 48.8 inch packed footprint to a 63 x 80.6 inch open floor. Integrated star-gazing sky windows, LED strip lighting and a heater/AC hose inlet are included.
- Two-latch, gas-strut fold-out deployment the maker rates at under 5 minutes
- Integrated star-gazing sky windows and LED strip lighting
- Heater/AC hose inlet for cold-weather diesel-heater use
- Manufacturer publishes the 160 lb weight in imperial only, with no metric figure
RoofBunk
Adventurer
The Adventurer is RoofBunk's aluminium clamshell tent and the highest-priced model in its current range. RoofBunk lists a 30-second opening time, open dimensions of 210 x 145cm, an 8cm memory-foam mattress, a powder-coated aluminium shell and an 80kg weight excluding the ladder. It adds three exterior and one interior t-slot rails, twin USB strip lights and a cargo storage net, and is rated 4-season.
- Fast 30-second opening time stated by the manufacturer
- Thickest mattress in RoofBunk's range at 8cm memory foam
- Aluminium shell with three exterior t-slot rails for mounting accessories on top
- Highest-priced model in RoofBunk's current range
Which one to pick
These two are closely matched on the numbers that usually decide it. Read the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex — and let whichever of those you will actually use break the tie.
Every specification, side by side
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Hardshell | Hardshell |
| Opening style | Fold-out | Clamshell |
| Sleeps | 3 | 3 |
| Season rating | 4-season | 4-season |
| List price | $2,999— worst of the tents compared | $2,900— best of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | — | 176 lb |
| Packed length | 5 ft 5 in— best of the tents compared | 6 ft 11 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 1 in— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 9 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 12.6 in— worst of the tents compared | 8.3 in— best of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 5 ft 3 in— worst of the tents compared | 6 ft 11 in— best of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 6 ft 9 in— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 9 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 35.3 sq ft— best of the tents compared | 32.8 sq ft— worst of the tents compared |
| Interior height | 4 ft 4 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 9 in— best of the tents compared |
| Mattress thickness | 2.4 in— worst of the tents compared | 3.1 in— best of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | ~60 secest. | 30 sec |
| Shell material | ABS hardshell with aluminium honeycomb base | Powder-coated aluminium |
| Fabric | 420D polyester Oxford fly; 320gsm ripstop nylon mesh | 320gsm poly-cotton blend ripstop canvas body; 600D Oxford polyester rainfly |
| Warranty | 3years— best of the tents compared | 2years— worst of the tents compared |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | Yes | — |
| Roof skylight | Yes | — |
| Annex available | — | — |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | Yes |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Ironman 4x4 product page | RoofBunk product page |
Related comparisons
Or read the full spec sheets for the Ironman 4x4 Ursa 1300 and the RoofBunk Adventurer.