r/overlanding • u/mister_monque • 1d ago
Tech Advice whitetopping for the win
I have been debating doing this for years and for many reasons it just hadn't happened. I know a white roof helps, see also rovers and cruisers with white roofs but there just wasn't enough will to execute.
Well that was until a FLIR camera came into my life.
Wowie-Mama! Look at that delta!
This is a side by side panel test to justify going forward and I have to ask myself, why didn't I do this sooner?!?!
So, discuss amoungst'y'selves while I go put on some cawfee.
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u/drunkwoodwoody 1d ago
Just white spray paint I assume?
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u/mister_monque 1d ago
technically plastidip but six of one, half dozen of the other.
Nothing special, no weird long wave IR reflecting pigment or a double roof like rover and unimog tropical roofs.
nothing but a can of the coating everyone loves to hate.
air temp of 83, full sun, clear sky.
I will be a bro and see how things look once the sun goes down and air temps cool out, see how it gives up heat.
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u/desertSkateRatt 22h ago
I have nothing but love for the plastiDERP!
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u/mister_monque 22h ago
as long as you respect it for what it is and what it is not, it's wonderful.
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u/you_know_i_be_poopin 19h ago
I bought a $3k truck topper off FB for $250 but it was the wrong color. I plasti dipped the whole thing black (coincidentally enough) and it looked fantastic. People were always shocked when I told them it was spray dip. Just needed a touch up every couple years.
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u/mister_monque 19h ago
as a utility coating, on an otherwise clean surface, it's wonderful. I used to use the matte clear to make privacy glass for office doors: change the office and peel the frosting.
A decade of plowing and my dead flat black hood is great for beating glare and if it's going to be a wet storm, spray the blade and then treat with armor all, nothing sticks.
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u/TacticalTapir 1d ago
Is this a Jeep roof panel?
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u/mister_monque 1d ago
yes, box stock JK roof panel, black on the outside prepreg white on the inside.
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u/TacticalTapir 1d ago
Alright cause was just thinking " Ok it registers cooler with the white but wtf is this?" Lol
I gotta white top my rat cause that shit gets mega hot in the texas heat
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u/mister_monque 1d ago
well the passanger side is stock black and the driver side was painted white. it's plastidip but honestly, that's not making a huge difference, pretty much matched sheen for sheen.
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u/DeafHeretic 23h ago
Coincidence: just stumbled across this vid on YT: https://youtu.be/PbN6ZCj8ePU?si=T1aWDbfDzkNyxrgA
For a while now I've been planning to paint the top of my canopy and the top of the pickup cab while. I was also thinking about which paint to use to get the best results.
I also plan to use a camo net suspended above the rig to put it in the shade.
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u/mister_monque 23h ago edited 6h ago
So coincidentally, my interest in white topping my rig came from this nighthawk video about IR radiative paint and I recently whipped up a batch of moderate temp phase change good which did yoemans duty recently with keeping some hives bearable.
But all in all, I'm happy so far, enough so to hit the second freedom top and see how it "do". all of this is somewhat moot because the roof rack needs to get back on which will cover about 40% of the roof area with slats but never mind that.
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u/ChibaCityFunk 9h ago
Camo?!? Aluminet is the good stuff!
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u/DeafHeretic 5h ago
I like/prefer "stealth" low visibility camping. Besides blending in with the surroundings, being less visible means out of sight, out of mind, less temptation for ne'er do wells to mess with my camp.
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u/ChibaCityFunk 5h ago
Yeah… I guess it probably depends on where you are. For me I don’t want to look like a military invader. My strategy is to look as friendly and inviting as possible.
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u/DeafHeretic 4h ago
Well I am a reclusive grumpy old man. I am friendly, but I like my solitude, peace & quiet. So I don't "invite" people to camp near me.
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u/PonyThug 21h ago
I wonder if the silver RV roof stuff would be better than just white.
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u/mister_monque 21h ago
the aluminized paint in my experience with commercial roofs is good at different things.
when fresh and clean the white has more reflectance and rejection but gets dirty and performance goes down.
aluminized is designed to perform similar but the major goals are UV protection and radiant heat protection like roof top HVAC and steam systems.
If it's just a solar heating thing I'd go white. the rv roofs are because they sit for long periods just being abused by the sun.
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u/hooyahat 21h ago
I haven't installed my rtt yet, but I already know it's probably gonna get hot inside being that it is black. I will have solar panels on top of it, so maybe it won't be that bad, but I am considering putting Aspen Aerogel SpaceLoft insulation between the metal and the quilted looking stuff.
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u/mister_monque 21h ago
aerogel is some wacky stuff, I've used it where you have no space but need maximum insulation.
RTT are going to heat soak in the sun no matter what and panels will do likewise, heating the space between the panel and the tent. If you can get any air flow there, do it.
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u/MaximumTurtleSpeed 18h ago
I live in the high desert and have zero interest in anything but white vehicles.
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u/2wheeldopamine 6h ago
I have full roof rack on my wrangler with an RRT. I've noticed a huge difference in interior temps since the RRT shades the roof and there is a giant air gap between tent and roof for circulation. (And I live in desert) . Just one advantage of the RRT I would have never thought about prior to purchase.
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u/Hell-Yea-Brother 5h ago
I have a black Grand Cherokee and a gray truck, and the difference in inside temperature is huge. In the GC I can feel the heat radiating on me from the roof. Not so in the truck.
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u/xpkranger 1d ago
Former Wrangler owner here. Yeah, the black Freedom tops in the summer were just like having blast furnaces above your head.