Roof Top Tent
Roof Top Tent Guide
Choosing a roof top tent can seem a bit overwhelming due to the large offer of brands, types, qualities and even sizes. The popularity that overlanding and the activity of camping over your car have gained over the past few years has lead to a flood of tent options to choose from. Well, the idea of this guide is to help you understand the different types of roof top tents out there, the brands you can rely on, and finally help you make an informed decision on what tent to pick over the other ones.
Types Of Rooftop Tents
Typically, roof top tents can be divided into two different “strains” or types: hard shell and soft hell. However, innovation has lead to different types of hard shell tents, which can be subdivided into clamshell, side opening, and pop up.
Softshells all tend to have a similar design, with the two biggest differences being if they have an annex or not, or if the tent has an overhang over the ladder or not.
Then of course, each tent type has different sizes or person capacities, ranging from one person RTTs all the way to five or six people tents.
Let’s take a quick look at the difference of each type of tent.
Hard Shell Roof Top Tents
A we mentioned above, hard shell roof top tents can be divided into three different types:
- Clamshell
- Pop Up
- Side Opening
Let’s take a quick look at each one.
Clamshell Roof Top Tent
The clamshell roof top tent is the tent that opens as if it was a clam, the mouth of an alligator, or the one where you lift one side as if it was the lid or trap door of a tornado underground shelter. They can be made of either aluminum, ABS plastic, or even fiberglass, although the first two materials are the most common ones.
The dimensions are usually to sleep a maximum of three people, with two being the most common. The great thing about them is they’re the faster to open or close amongst all types, plus, the fact they only have two gas struts or opening arms/levers, as well as hinges on only one side, make them the ones with less components, hence less likely to suffer any set back with time. The simpler design tends to be easier to maintain.
Pop Up Roof Top Tent
The classic box like tent, where the whole upper shell pops up and creates this box-like look. These tents are supported by either gas struts on all four sides, or a mechanical arm that holds it open by locking.
The greatest advantage these tents have is the excellent ventilation. They have windows on all four sides, you can hypothetically climb into the tent form any side, and the air flows freely from anywhere. They tend to have less condensation, offer very good views, and still open or close really, really quickly. Some of them, such as the Bundutop, are even mechanical and open with a motor!
The main drawback these tents have is a reduced headspace. Since all sides open up at the same height, in order to keep all arms or struts locked and capable of withstanding weight or wind, they usually aren’t as tall as a clamshell, or even a softshell. The head room isn’t the best one. Also, the mechanism keeping the tent open can at times get faulty on one side, making it look a bit awkward. However, these things don’t happen often.
Side Opening Hard Top Roof Top Tent
In recent times these have become the most popular hardshell tents, simply because they tend to offer more room for more people. The fact they open sideways, allow you to pull out an additional extension to the lower shell, creating a larger sleeping footprint or base. In return, a tent that would have normally been for two people, can suddenly accommodate four or five, like the diagram below shows. Of course, there are also two person side opening tents, but that’s just because with such design, when closed, the tents can be even smaller and fit over short truck beds.
![side opening hard shell sleeping footprint](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/Dimensions-ikamper-skycamp-3.0_480x480.jpg?v=1652566951)
Quality wise they are great. The sells are either aluminum, plastic or fiber glass, the pull-out base is metal and holds strong. The greatest thing is the extra room, as well as the extra window on the roof or upper side of the canvas. There aren’t very many design flaws, as these have also just hinges on one side, like clamshells, and the pull out base hasn’t given any real trouble to anyone.
Perhaps the only minor difference comes from these tents having more canvas, which in turn means when opening or closing the tent, it’ll take around twenty seconds longer to fully open it with the extra parts and dealing with the canvas, and folding it properly back in. That’s all.
Softshell Car Tents
Softshell car tents are almost all the same. As we mentioned above, the biggest differences come from those tents that do have an annex, those that don’t, and those that have an overhang over the ladder.
![Soft Shell car tents](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/kakadu-2-person-tent_480x480.jpg?v=1711381178)
Freespirit Recreation is one of the few brands offering different concepts on softshells, and we highly recommend you look at their designs. We will be reviewing a couple further down in this guide, but for now, what matters is understanding that soft shells are broken down mostly into sleeping capacity: 2, 3, 4 or even 5 people.
The greatest things about soft shells is that they can almost all have the same footprint when packed, normally being around 55” by 50” by 12-15” tall, yet when open they can fit a lot more people. Most of these tents will go on any rack, even smaller bed racks.
They also tend to be lighter than hard shells, hence suitable for smaller vehicles, or weaker rack systems such as cross bars.
Advantages Of A Soft Shell:
- They are extremely durable
- Easier to fix if anything happens (such as a tear in the canvas or travel cover)
- They are very well insulated and protected from rain with a rainfly going over the canvas
- They mostly come with the annex included which is easier to install than onto hard top tents
- Thicker mattresses as they don’t need to fit in a perfectly shut shell
- Lower priced on average
- Tend to have more room for more people
The drawback is it takes a lot longer to open or close than the hardshells. Normally, opening it can take around 5 minutes, closing it can take between 8u to 10 minutes on your own. Still, way better than a ground tent, but you get the point.
Best Roof Top Tent Models
On this section we will take a look at the best roof top tent models for 2024. We will go over specific models, both hard shell and soft shell, of some of the best and most reliable brands in the market. All of these models have been tested by us, and carefully selected for this guide, with some advantages and disadvantages at the end of each short review, so you get a good idea of which one you might like better.
Guana Equipment Wanaka Roof Top Tent With Annex
![wanaka roof top tent with annex](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/subaru-forester-wanaka_480x480.jpg?v=1701087740)
We chose the Guana Equipment Wanaka as the best description of a roof top tent with annex, since this tent makes of the annex it’s best selling feature. The annex for any Wanaka is of 100” x 100”, the biggest in the industry. It doesn’t stop there, it has 4 doors, meaning, one door that unzips to give you access to your vehicle, as well as three other doors which you unzip and they open up like if they were awnings, each comes with two poles to create a huge, covered setup. Oh, and the annex has a removable floor. Yes, it’s great.
The tent itself is frankly unbelievable and comes with all the bells and whistles. An LED light strip, two boot bags, a 3” thick mattress with a removable cover, inner storage pockets, an anti-condensation mat, a net below the base for even more storage, and a great feature which is a metal plaque or plate on the side of the base to recognize the batch and serial number of the tent.
Quality wise is one of the best in the market, with an inner aluminum frame which is made of 1” tubes. The base is diamond plate aluminum, all in black, even the corners, frame, bolts you name it. It’s an anti scratch base, for added protection. The canvas is thick for 4-season camping, and the rainfly has a special silver coating on the inner side, for better insulation as well as for reducing the amount of light going through it. Top quality tent!
Name |
Capacity |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Type |
Warranty |
Wanaka 72 |
4 People |
160 lbs |
72" x 48” x 12” closed |
Soft Shell |
2 Years |
Off Road Tent’s Rating:
- Quality: 9 out of 10
- Comfort: 8 out of 10
- 4-Season Rating: 8 out of 10
- Extra Accessories: 8 out of 10
- Ventilation: 7 out of 10
Autana Ruggedized 3 Tepui Roof Top Tent
![Thule Autana Ruggedize 3 person roof top tent](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/thule-ruggedized-autana-3_480x480.png?v=1696259376)
Tepui was one of the first companies to ever manufacture roof top tents. They got sold to Thule a few years back, and since then their RTTs are better known as Thule Tepui roof top tents. Out of all their models, we prefer the Autana Ruggedized 3: a 3 person soft shell roof top tent, with a large annex and premium materials.
The tent is made of a 360g poly-cotton canvas and a 600D ripstop fabric coated, a rainfly made of 420D poly-oxford fabric, and a diamond plate aluminum base. The internal frame is a ¾” aluminum tube, strong and reliable, it as a 2.5” thick density foam mattress with a removable cover, and a great technology to easily unzip the canvas off from the base of the tent for easier storage or drying of the canvas.
The windows aren’t the largest ones, but ventilation is still good enough. There can be some condensation as a result of the thicker canvas that’s suited for 4-season camping, luckily the tent includes an anti-condensation mat to help reduce it. On top of that, other accessories include the annex, which is great to use as a private changing room or for additional dry storage whilst camping, and large internal pockets for wallets, keys or smaller devices.
The tent is on the heavier side, mostly due to the premium materials mentioned above. The good thin is it will fit any Thule cross bar or rack system, and it doesn’t exceed their common 165 lbs of dynamic weight, so you can fit it on any of their rack systems.
Name |
Capacity |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Type |
Warranty |
Autana ruggedized 3 |
3 People |
162 lbs |
56" x 48” x 12” closed |
Soft Shell |
2 Years |
Off Road Tent’s Rating:
- Quality: 8 out of 10
- Comfort: 7 out of 10
- 4-Season Rating: 8 out of 10
- Extra Accessories: 6 out of 10
- Ventilation: 7 out of 10
Skycamp iKamper Roof Top Tent
![iKamper roof top tent](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/skycamp-ikamper-4runner-rooftop-tent_480x480.png?v=1697704443)
What else is there to say about the iKamper Skycamp 3.0 hard shell roof top tent? A fantastic roof top tent that completely revolutionized the industry. Yes, it did. The first iKamper roof top tent, which by the way we pride ourselves at Off Road Tents for being the first distributor of the brand in USA, completely changed the game by being the first of it kind back in the day: a side opening hard shell tent. All of a sudden, hardshells could fit more than 4 people, it was like magic.
Other brands started copying their design, so since then iKamper has patented many of their designs and technology. Regardless of the fact many tents are similar to the Skycamp, the 3.0 remains an outstanding tent, manufactured directly at iKamper’s headquarters in South Korea, where quality control and craftsmanship are at their finest.
This tent comes with windows on three sides as well as sky window, allowing great airflow, visbility and to even gaze at the stars at night. The mattress is super comfortable, being 2.55 inches thick, but with a 9-zone comfort technology, much better than most of the competition. You get to open and close it in literally 60 seconds or less, and well it comfortably sleeps 4 adults sometimes even families of 5 with kids.
Name |
Capacity |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Type |
Warranty |
Skycamp 3.0 |
4 People |
165 lbs |
55" x 85.5” x 13” closed |
Hard Shell |
2 Years |
Off Road Tent’s Rating:
- Quality: 9 out of 10
- Comfort: 8 out of 10
- 4-Season Rating: 9 out of 10
- Extra Accessories: 6 out of 10
- Ventilation: 7 out of 10
Breezeway 23Zero Roof Top Tent
![breezeway 23Zero Roof Top Tent open view](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/23Zero-Breezeway-72-2.0-Roof-Top-Tent-open-view_480x480.jpg?v=1710459620)
23Zero makes excellent roof top tents in all their ranges, the Walkabout, Armadillo and the Breezeway. We specifically included the Breezeway 56 2.0 on this list given the fact that it’s quite different to other tents and mixing it up a bit might actually refresh your eyes.
The Breezeway is the tent with the best ventilation in the whole roof top tent industry. This model literally has side windows rather than walls, which you can open, fully close by zipping the canvas shut, or leave as a mesh wall for better airflow, yet keeping bugs and creatures out. On top of that, the rainfly also has huge windows that can be opened or kept as mesh for better visibility and airflow. This is a tent that will experience as little condensation as possible and will be as fresh as possible.
On top of that, it’s very comfortable, thanks to a 3” thick density foam mattress, and the quality is excellent. The tent is made with a wrapped 5/8” aluminum tube frame, a waterproof 280gsm rip stop poly cotton canvas, a 210D ripstop poly oxford rainfly, an insulated and aluminum frame base with no petrochemical glue in it. An excellent rooftop tent weighing only 121 lbs with unmatched breathability.
Name |
Capacity |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Type |
Warranty |
Breezeway 56 2.0 |
2-3 People |
121 lbs |
56" x 48” x 14” closed |
Soft Shell |
2 Years |
Off Road Tent’s Rating:
- Quality: 8 out of 10
- Comfort: 7 out of 10
- 4-Season Rating: 7 out of 10
- Extra Accessories: 6 out of 10
- Ventilation: 10 out of 10
FSR Evolution V2 4 Season Roof Top Tent
![4-season roof top tent](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/fsr-evolution-v2-4runner-tent-on-top_480x480.png?v=1697703378)
What’s the best 4 season roof top tent? The Freespirit Recreation Evolution V2, and there’s no question about it. First, it uses FSR’s tri-layer technology in the canvas, essentially 3 layers of 150D poly oxford material with a 90g/M2 poly-fil. It’s the best, best insulation in the world for any tent canvas. The good thing is, this tent is very tall with huge windows which enable you to get a lot of great airflow and reduce condensation, and if you need to keep it closed or shut, it has very large air vents on the sides, which can also be closed if you prefer.
The tent comes with an aluminum frame and an insulated aluminum base, with a 1” thick insulating layer pad. On top of it, you find one of the most comfortable mattresses out there: a 3” thick inflatable mattress. Whilst other brands sell you their inflatable mattresses separately, FSR already includes it.
Storage and accessories are fantastic, the tent is full, literally full of pockets to store anything inside of it. It also comes with an LED light strip which is dimmable, as well as mounting channels on the sides of the tent’s frame to install more gear, or you can even get additional cross bars to carry gear on top of it. Finally, comes in two sizes, long and short, with the short one allowing you to use it on truck beds.
Name |
Capacity |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Type |
Warranty |
Evolution V2 |
2 People |
184 lbs |
60" x 88” x 9.75” closed |
Hard Shell |
2 Years |
Off Road Tent’s Rating:
- Quality: 8 out of 10
- Comfort: 8 out of 10
- 4-Season Rating: 10 out of 10
- Extra Accessories: 8 out of 10
- Ventilation: 7 out of 10
23zero Walkabout 87 Largest Roof Top Tent
![23Zero Walkabout 87 2.0 largest roof top tent](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/23zero-walkabout-87-roof-top-tent_480x480.jpg?v=1709160183)
What’s the largest roof top tent? The 23Zero Walkabout 87, literally the biggest rooftop tent in the world, at least when it comes to the sleeping capacity. This unit has a sleeping area of 87” x 96”, the biggest mattress you will find. It has two ladders with two entrances to climb onto the tent and it is perhaps the only true 5 to 6 people tents in the world.
Not just that, this is a 4-season roof top tent with a great patented technology in the canvas from 23Zero, the LST, standing for light suppression technology, which essentially reduces the light going through the canvas and helping the tent remain as dark as possible inside during the morning. Plus, since it also blocks sunlight, it keeps it slightly cooler during the warmer months.
You can purchase an annex separately in order to have even more space to store bags or luggage, use as a changing room, and who knows, maybe even sleep more people! Since this is such a big tent, heavier than others, the guys at 23Zero have thought of everything and they included a reinforcement on critical joints, which you can see as “bar-tacks” which are f ½ inch thick orange stitches. Overall, a fantastic tent, the largest roof top tent.
Name |
Capacity |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Type |
Warranty |
Walkabout 87 2.0 |
5+ People |
198 lbs |
88" x 48” x 14” closed |
Soft Shell |
2 Years |
Off Road Tent’s Rating:
- Quality: 8 out of 10
- Comfort: 8 out of 10
- 4-Season Rating: 8 out of 10
- Extra Accessories: 6 out of 10
- Ventilation: 6 out of 10
Tuff Stuff Alpha Overlanding Tent
![tuff stuff alpha overlanding tent](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/tuff-stuff-alpha-ii-truck-bed-tent_480x480.jpg?v=1711315551)
The Tuff Stuff Alpha II is what we call a true overlanding tent. This RTT has some of the best insulating features out there. The hard shell is made of ABS plastic with an FRP reinforcement as well as a heavy duty honeycomb aluminum floor with great insulation. Add to that a tent canvas of 280g Poly-Cotton ripstop and a great 210D polyoxford rainfly, and you got yourself what you need to survive anywhere.
It fits two adults comfortably (although there is a 4 person version of the same tent), with the great upside of being a tent with a small enough base footprint to be able to install it either on a bed rack, or even on the cab of a double cab pick up truck. It’s adaptable, and literally for any vehicle you can imagine.
What else? Well, it’s lockable thanks to two steel cable locks, meaning added safety. All the mounting hardware is stainless steel, it includes a storage bag, LED light strips one amber and one white, window awnings, a sky light, a telescoping ladder and a really comfortable mattress. This roof top tent is made for true overlanders that want comfort, quality and a practical design that takes less than 1 minute to pack down or set up.
Name |
Capacity |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Type |
Warranty |
Alpha II |
2 People |
141 lbs |
59.75" x 49.75” x 14” closed |
Soft Shell |
2 Years |
Off Road Tent’s Rating:
- Quality: 8 out of 10
- Comfort: 7 out of 10
- 4-Season Rating: 8 out of 10
- Extra Accessories: 8 out of 10
- Ventilation: 6 out of 10
OVS Bushveld Car Top Tent
![OVS Bushveld car top tent](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/ovs-bushveld-hardshell-rooftop-tent_480x480.jpg?v=1709141882)
OVS or Overland Vehicle Systems is one of the most famous and reliable brands of overlanding equipment in America. From truck bed caps, to racks and tents, all they manufacture is of very high quality, and with a smart design. The OVS Bushveld hard shell roof top tent is no exception. Wit a side opening hardshell design, this tent can fit 4 people comfortably, can be opened and closed in around 1 minute, and has the option to add an annex to it for more storage space.
As we said, quality is exceptional, not for nothing the Bushveld car top tent has a 4 year warranty, yes, you read that right: 4 years. The tent itself is made of a polymer shell, with a dimaondplate insulatd aluminum base, a 600D poly-oxford canvas, waterproof seal, and marine grade stainless steel hardware.
On top of these quality features, it comes with many extras that are hard to ignore. An anti-condensation mat, LED light strip, telescoping ladder, 4 closing lathes and a closing strap to pull down and make your life easier when closing the tent, a storage loft, shoe pouches, storage pouches and even a blanket. Overall, the perfect family roof top tent!
Name |
Capacity |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Type |
Warranty |
Bushveld |
4 People |
180 lbs |
81" x 47” x 10” closed |
Hard Shell |
4 Years |
Off Road Tent’s Rating:
- Quality: 7 out of 10
- Comfort: 7 out of 10
- 4-Season Rating: 7 out of 10
- Extra Accessories: 8 out of 10
- Ventilation: 7 out of 10
Skycamp Mini Truck Top Tent
![ikamper truck top tent](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/ikamper-truck-top-tent_480x480.jpg?v=1712365399)
What determines a truck top tent? Well, in our eyes it’s a tent that can be installed over the cab of a truck, most likely a doble cab. As such, it needs to be a smaller tent, preferably an aerodynamic one. But the main thing is that it has to be small enough to fit over the cab, with little or no overhang, and lightweight. If you own a truck you know you don’t want too much weight just on the cab side of the truck, as it can create a lack of balance on the truck itself.
Well, the iKamper Skycamp Mini ticks all those boxes. With a smaller footprint, it can go over double cab trucks, even smaller ones like the Tacoma. It’s only 13.5” tall when closed, with a quite aerodynamic design, which reduces wind resistance and noise, and it weighs only 125 lbs. It ticks all the boxes, it’s a truck top tent.
The Skycamp Mini, much like its older brother, is a premium roof top tent, manufactured directly at iKamper’s headquarters in South Korea. It only fits two people, so do keep that in mind. It comes with insulating honeycomb aluminum panels in the base and floor, it has an excellent canvas and rainfly, a durable outer hard shell, an excellent mattress and takes literally 60 seconds to open or close. Quick and easy to use, great for truck tops, and will last for year. This is a tent for those solo travelers or adventure couples looking for a simple yet durable tent system.
Name |
Capacity |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Type |
Warranty |
Skycamp Mini 3.0 |
42People |
125 lbs |
5" x 57.5” x 13.5” closed |
Hard Shell |
42Years |
Off Road Tent’s Rating:
- Quality: 9 out of 10
- Comfort: 7 out of 10
- 4-Season Rating: 9 out of 10
- Extra Accessories: 7 out of 10
- Ventilation: 7 out of 10
Kakadu Roof Top Tent Hard Shell
![kakadu canning hard shell roof top tent](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/kakadu-canning-clamshell-roof-top-tent_480x480.jpg?v=1706382412)
The Kakdu Canning 1300 is an excellent roof top tent that only got to America in 2023. Kakadu is an Australian brand, better known for other overlanding products such as their outdoor shower, that decided to make a splash into the RTT world with a premium quality hardshell.The Canning is a clam shell aluminum hard shell tent, with two cross bars on top of it to easily carry boards, kayaks, fishing equipment and more. It comes with a lot fo bonus features such as an anti condensation mat, an LED light strip and shoe bags. The gas struts, which tend to be a weakness on heavy hard shells, are the best in the market as they are German engineered.
Comfort and quality wise it’s great. The mattress is only 2 inches thick, but memory foam. It could be upgraded, but gets it done. The canvas is of the highest quality ripstop poly-cotton, and it comes with a unique four point scissor frame system which increases the internal space and headspace making it even more comfortable.
Name |
Capacity |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Type |
Warranty |
Canning 1300 |
2 People |
188 lbs |
82.5" x 51” x 8” closed |
Hard Shell |
3 Years |
Off Road Tent’s Rating:
- Quality: 8 out of 10
- Comfort: 7 out of 10
- 4-Season Rating: 8 out of 10
- Extra Accessories: 7 out of 10
- Ventilation: 6 out of 10
Tuff Stuff Elite Roof Top Tent Trailer
![elite roof top tent trailer](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/products/tuff_stuff_elite_rooftop_tent_480x480.jpg?v=1699530517)
Any roof top tent can go over a trailer, as long as the trailer can withstand the weight of the tent and has a rack or tower system to hold it in place. Trailers are perhaps the greatest thing to pair with a tent, since you don’t carry the tent on the roof all year round decreasing your mpg, nor does the closing of the tent affect your ability to drive off in case of an emergency, or if you want to use your vehicle to see other places nearby. Just leave the tent open over the trailer, and you’re set.
However, our choice for a roof top tent over a trailer is the Tuff Stuff Elite. Why? Well, it’s a very large tent that comfortably accommodates 5 people, it has two ladders to get into it, a divider in the middle in case you want to share with other friends, family members or kids, and we believe that over a trailer a larger tent is simply a better choice.
Add to that an incredibly affordable price for such a large tent, a strong 1” thick aluminum frame, heavy duty zippers, excellent quality canvas, a huge annex included, a shoe bag and even two separate mattresses and you have almost a camping apartment over your trailer.
Name |
Capacity |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Type |
Warranty |
Elite |
5 People |
194 lbs |
79" x 48” x 16” closed |
Soft Shell |
2 Years |
Off Road Tent’s Rating:
- Quality: 7 out of 10
- Comfort: 7 out of 10
- 4-Season Rating: 7 out of 10
- Extra Accessories: 7 out of 10
- Ventilation: 6 out of 10
Eezi Awn Blade Hard Roof Top Tent
![blade hard roof top tent](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/ezzi-awn-blade-4runner-tent_480x480.png?v=1697704481)
One of our preferred roof top tents in this list, the Eezi Awn Blade hard roof top tent, a beast. An aluminum hardshell with the option of adding crossbars to the top shell to carry more things like boards, fishing gear or camping equipment. It fits two adults really, really comfortable, and inside of it you feel like in a safari thanks to the nice prints inside the tent’s roof and canvas.
It's a big and heavy tent, designed for big off road vehicles, since it weighs 175 lbs. However, it’s really comfortable with a 3” thick mattress, laminated, as well a 12v power supply socket inside the tent, a National Lune LED light, lockable stainless steel latches, internal storage pockets and a mesh panel too.
It’s a true 4 season roof top tent with some of the best aluminum panels in the market, great internal gas struts that are perhaps amongst the best in the industry, insulation both in the floor and upper shell, and a patented ladder system which doesn’t give in like other cheaper ladders from other brands. It’s an expensive tent, but this is what you call the tent of a lifetime.
Name |
Capacity |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Type |
Warranty |
Blade |
2 People |
175 lbs |
87" x 57” x 13” closed |
Soft Shell |
3 Years |
Off Road Tent’s Rating:
- Quality: 9 out of 10
- Comfort: 9 out of 10
- 4-Season Rating: 9 out of 10
- Extra Accessories: 7 out of 10
- Ventilation: 7 out of 10
Body Armor 4x4 Sky Ridge Pike Budget Roof Top Tent
![body armor cheapest roof top tent](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/Body_Armor_4x4_Sky_Ridge_Pike_2_Person_Tent_480x480.webp?v=1694116492)
Finding an affordable, cheap or budget roof top tent nowadays can be hard. Even with the massive influx of brands, you would have thought prices would drop. Some did, bt at the same time, quality did too. Therefore, the industry has adjusted and adapted, and it’s now focused on providing fair and reasonable prices for quality products. Brands focus more on design, warranties and great after purchase support rather than a price war. Make sense, and we like that.
The good news is, there are still some quality budget RTTs, and Body Armor 4x4 makes one of them: the Sky Ridge Pike 2 person tent. At an almost unbeatable price, this tent sleeps comfortably 2 adults, it weighs only 108 lbs being one of the lightest in the world, and it’s suitable for 3 season camping, maybe 4 if you have the right bedding.
Body Armor has focused on keeping the Sky Ridge affordable and light, that means that the canvas isn’t as thick being 280gsm polycotton ripstop, with a rainfly of 420PVC poly oxford, and dimensions that are only 48 inches wide. It’s strictly a two person tent. The mattress is a 2.4” thick high density foam, and it even comes with an aluminum honeycomb base, which is one of the best. As you can see, they’ve saved a bit on the dimensions, but have kept their base and hardware as good as other tents.
How do they manage to make it so affordable? Well, they have. A few other things here and there such as SBS zippers rather than YKK, which are still excellent, the tent comes with no boot bags or LED lights, but it does have a wrapped inner frame, a sky light, and decent ventilation. Like all soft shells it can take longer to set up or pack, but all in all this is hands down our recommendation for a budget rooftop tent!
Name |
Capacity |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Type |
Warranty |
Sky Ridge Pike |
2 People |
108 lbs |
48" x 43” x 12” closed |
Soft Shell |
2 Years |
Off Road Tent’s Rating:
- Quality: 7 out of 10
- Comfort: 6 out of 10
- 4-Season Rating: 6 out of 10
- Extra Accessories: 4 out of 10
- Ventilation: 7 out of 10
Rev X Lightest Roof Top Tent
![rev x lightest roof top tent](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2002/2095/files/full-roof-rack-toyota-4runner-5th-generation-prinsu_480x480.jpg?v=1710802899)
Only 77 lbs, that’s the total weight of the C6 Rev X Roof Top Tent, being the lightest roof top tent in the world. But how? That’s a great question, how? This tent is broken down into different pieces, so to speak, but literally you can buy it just as foldable tent with no platform and either set it up directly on the ground, or directly over your truck bed. You can buy the platform so you can mount it over roof racks and bed racks, and even with both things you can mix and match and play around with it. It’s innovative, and light weight.
By removing most of the fixed parts and hardware that other tents have, the Rev RTT literally cuts down weight in over 30% when compared to other roof top tents its size. Sure, we still haven’t put into account the ladder which weighs 11 lbs, but that’s detachable and can be kept inside your vehicle. Essentially, this tent has almost no weight impact on your vehicle, thus not impacting at all the fuel consumption.
Many question quality, well, no need. It’s an excellent car top tent. First of all it’s a 4-season tent thanks to the dual layer of waterproof coated 210 outer fly (or rainfly). It has a 4” thick mattress, which is perhaps the thickest in the market. It comes in a heavy duty nylon bag for transportation when folded and separated from the base, and as such weighs only 25 lbs. Meaning, if you plan to take it off the roof or bed, put it on the ground, it’ll weigh only 25 lbs. Crazy. Want to learn more about it? Click the button below to find out!
Name |
Capacity |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Type |
Warranty |
Rev x |
2 People |
77 lbs |
47.25" x 42” x 8.5” closed |
Soft Shell |
2 Years |
Off Road Tent’s Rating:
- Quality: 7 out of 10
- Comfort: 8 out of 10
- 4-Season Rating: 6 out of 10
- Extra Accessories: 8 out of 10
- Ventilation: 7 out of 10