FAQs

What is Spirit of 1876?

• Colorado’s premier adventure vehicle outfitter.  The name is inspired by the date Colorado became a state; August 1st 1876.  On August 1st 2018, my wife and I were talking about starting this business and leaned on the date for inspiration for our name.  Our main goal is to help individuals and families of all skill sets to get outside, while giving back to this beautiful state we call home. That’s the Spirit of 1876.

What do you do?

• We are an adventure vehicle outfitter, specializing in overland and outdoor gear focused around getting outside.  We carry racks for all your adventures, and offer a curated selection of camp gear including roof top tents, awnings,, lights, cooking, refrigeration, recovery and general camping gear. Whether you’re looking to enjoy a few weekend getaways a year or heading out on a month-long adventure packed roadtrip, we’ve got the products to improve your experience. 

Why shop at Spirit?

• For one, we’re minimizing decision fatigue by consolidating 100’s of brands to a handful you should care about.  Understanding fitment, pros and cons and general tips and tricks is our specialty because we don’t just sell this stuff, we use it.  We save you time and money by stocking racks and tents, match online prices and offer discounts when bundling.  Lastly, we’re small family business, we care about every customer, every transaction.  Your support means keeping the dream alive,  

Do you have a showroom?

• Absolutely! That’s one of our biggest differentiators and honestly one of the biggest reasons we started. Roof top tents and this kind of gear is expensive, so spending thousands of dollars on something you haven’t seen or physically touched can be overwhelming.  Not to mention the cost and inconvenience of freight. Our goal is to not only show you the product, but let you experience it yourself. Climb in, take a rest, we understand it’s a big investment and we ultimately want you to be happy with your decision. Not local? No sweat! We do facetime walkthroughs and consultations all the time. Email info@spiritof1876.com or call/text 720.339.0142 to book an appointment.  We’ll ask you the questions needed to point you in the right direction, and take the time to walk you through options.

Where are you located?

• We are located in Castle Rock, CO, just a minute off of Interstate 25 in the middle of Denver and Colorado Springs.  We have a showroom as well as a warehouse where we stock inventory and offer assembly and installation.  If you’re coming to look at tents or shop our store, the showroom address is 1006 Interstate 25, unit C7 - if you’re coming to pick up a tent or get an install, our warehouse / install shop address is 2278 Manatt Court unit C6.  These two locations are .02 miles from each other so if you’re at the wrong spot, don’t fret.

What are your hours?

• Tuesday thru Friday, 10am-5pm, and Saturdays seasonally.  We’re a small 100% family owned and operated shop. The goal is to deliver a hands on 1 on 1 experience with every customer so if able, schedule an appointment if you can..  We are here daily, however between kids, dogs, sourcing parts and delivering product it’s difficult to accommodate that experience every time,   Our commitment to our customers satisfaction is our #1 priority. Call, text (720.339.0142) email us (info@spiritof1876.com) or drop in our DM’s, we will get you taken care of as quickly as we can!

Do you offer installs?

• Absolutely!  We have a separate shop just down the road from the showroom focused on installs only.  We also have a network of trusted installers around the state that we can help coordinate, or ship directly to your local favorite installer so your rig can get dialed wherever you feel most comfortable.

What Is Overlanding?

• This is a question that has sparked many online arguments. The lines between Offroading, Overlanding, Rock Crawling, Camping, Car Camping and Road Tripping can be as blurry as you wish. As I see it, Overlanding is driving over land (preferably dirt/mud/rocks) and then camping in a ground tent, rooftop tent, hammock or in a car. A "true" overland trip probably has a few nights camping in a new area each night along a route. That being said if you go offroad for 4hrs and then go home after and want to call it overlanding you get a pass from me.  We’re all out here to get a break from the chaos of life, not pull out the rule book on adventurer travel.

What Is A Rooftop Tent?

• A rooftop tent is much like a traditional ground tent but with a ton of added benefits. It mounts to the roof rack of your vehicle and includes a foam mattress so you're ready to go. They are much easier to set up than ground tents and because they are off the ground, they not only provide a fun factor like a treehouse, they won’t get flooded like ground tents and provide campers with an extra sense of security being elevated. They sit atop the vehicle like a cargo box and include a ladder to get in. Like anything, there’s pros and cons but we’ve created an entirely separate FAQ to focus solely on roof top tents. 

What’s the best roof top tent? Hard shell or Soft shell?

• This is a question we get daily and honestly it comes down to individual needs, budget and personal preference. There’s pros and cons to each but in short, a hardshell rooftop tent is more durable, easier to open and close, lower profile and offers additional storage on top so you don’t fully lose your roof's capabilities.  Soft shells on the other hand offer bigger footprints at half the cost, and although they require more time to get set up and break down, we’re talking a matter off minutes vs seconds.  The experience is still quicker than setting up most ground tents and offer a wide range of advantages. 

I don’t see the rack or product I need on your site?

• No sweat, we’re dealers for several brands that carry thousands of products so listing all variations can be tricky. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, give us a ring and we’ll be happy to get you dialed. Furthermore, not every solution can be purchased off the shelf. We work with our customers to go above and beyond and offer solutions not found online.

Do you offer a Military Discount?

• We try our best to take care of our military friends and family, we truly do!.  However, as a reseller who doesn’t make these products and covers freight, not to mention our costs associated with owning and running a retail store and showroom,, it’s difficult to offer a set discount as some of our suppliers offer minimal margins.  Having said that, things we have control of like our store merch and installs, we’re happy to help!

Can you help consult me on my Overland Build?

• Yes! We’re like a professional rig designer ;)  Decision fatigue is a real thing and when trying to decide what route to go with your build, or what parts and components to consider, it can be overwhelming. However, this is our favorite part of the job, so let us know how we can help. We know the questions to ask to get you the build of your dreams.