Jeep or Tacoma
Explorer
which rooftop tens are the absolute lightest
lightest RTT
- Thread starter Jeep or Tacoma
- Start date
Lemsteraak
Adventurer
The absolute lightest tent was made about 25 years ago in France at about 35 pounds for a full sized two person roof tent. It was called an "Oasis" and the design is brilliant,, like a zero gravity chair for two built into a tent. They were able to dispense with the mattress by using a mesh like on a catamaran and doesn't require a sport rack system as it has an alloy tube frame. I pair this with a lightweight AutoHome ladder that mounts under the tent when traveling. Not for everyone but I like it because I can quickly undo it from its mounts and place on the ground. The feet system keeps it up about a foot above the ground. It is a great design for what it is,- minimal.
DefendersNW
Observer
Lightest how?
From bare roof to bed ready would be the full weight, vs lightest empty tent shell for mounting/demounting...
Autohome carbon Fiber is stupid expensive but just under 100lbs (including mattress) and only requires two crossbars for mounting.
Small Columbus is under 125lbs (including mattress) and again only two crossbars needed.
Both have room to store bedding in the tent when closed so sub 30-seconds to setup for the night.
There are other lightweight tents that require a full platform rack for support, and do not have bedding storage meaning additional daytime weight is stored in car not on roof (space and cleanliness issues) but they can be lighter while driving.
The Terrapod Solo is (was) a great design, but (as I discovered when I investigated purchasing one) the company has been out of business for a couple of years now, and has had its intellectual property listed as "for sale" for the past couple of years.
I've not been able to find a comparable solo roof-top tent in terms of quality and design.
I have always associated "light weight" builds as "whimpy" in a bad weather situation and or over time due exposure to the elements. There just don't seem to be a lot of light weight RTT that can hold up over time due to the use of light weight materials used in the build. Autohome has it down with years of experience, a matured design and materials that hold up. LIght weight is not a good, single criteria for the multitude of other considerations that should be considered.
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i asked ChatGPT this question and got an answer! https://chatgpt.com/share/68caf8ee-a75c-8003-9e45-8b52e2f2a99e
Depends on what you mean exactly by “roof-top tent” (hard shell vs soft shell vs clamshell vs wedge etc.), how many people it needs to sleep, and how low of a weight you’re after. But here are some of the lightest commercially available roof-top tents, and what “light” means in this category:
Depends on what you mean exactly by “roof-top tent” (hard shell vs soft shell vs clamshell vs wedge etc.), how many people it needs to sleep, and how low of a weight you’re after. But here are some of the lightest commercially available roof-top tents, and what “light” means in this category:
Some of the Lightest RTTs Out There
| Model | Approx Weight* | Type / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Inspired Overland Standard Lightweight RTT | ~ 76 lb | Soft/clamshell-style. Built to be one of the lightest full-feature tents. Artemis Outdoor+2Overland Odyssey+2 |
| GFC SuperLite 50 RTT | ~ 80 lb | Frameless hard shell / composite shell, very low stowed height. GearJunkie |
| Inspired Overland Carbonlite | ~ 80 lb | Carbon fiber shell version if you want premium materials. Inspired Overland |
| Inspired Overland XL Lightweight | ~ 87 lb | Bigger footprint but still kept weight quite low. Inspired Overland |
| Front Runner Feather-Lite | ~ 93 lb | Soft shell, bigger tent, still among lighter of the larger ones that sleep more people. Off Road Tents |
What Affects “Light”
- Roof load limits on your vehicle (dynamic vs static load). For safety, you don’t just want the lightest tent, you want one that falls safely within your roof’s capacity when driving, when parked, and when occupied.
- The style matters: hard shell tents tend to be heavier than soft shells, but some hybrid or frameless designs (like GFC’s “Frameless Hardshell”) are pushing limits.
- Stowed or closed height, ease of setup, ladder weight etc. These “secondary” weights or dimensions often make a big difference practically.
Lemsteraak
Adventurer
Weight is only one factor in roof top tent design. For example, you can save weight by using carbon fiber but there are trade offs. I prefer fiberglass as it doesn't transfer heat and cold as much as carbon and aluminum. So, in other words, you might save weight on material but it may require more insulation to maintain the same comfort level.
Probably the best way to reduce weight is to eliminate components. Take mattresses for example. An AutoHome Columbus tent is lighter than a Maggiolina tent for the same footprint. The mattress is thinner, designed for more temperate conditions. The Maggiolina design, as some say a "coffin", as the roof is designed only with sitting headroom to retain heat. Much better design for cold weather and the provided mattress is thicker also for colder weather. Pretty much the same materials for both tents but the for same size, a Maggiolina will be roughly 15% heavier.
I've been playing with tubular hammock designs in roof tents for the past few years. You can eliminate the roof rack, about 20 pounds, mattress, as much as 25 to 35 pounds, just for starters. The lack of rigid materials also allows a huge weight savings too but I've found these tents comfortable only in temperate conditions, down to about 45 -50 degrees, so they have pretty limited applications. Of course you can modify them with more and better insulation but then you are adding weight.
Look at buying a roof tent the same way you would evaluate buying a sleeping bag. Buy only what you need, size it for the conditions you plan to go out in. If you only camp in temperate conditions, you wouldn't buy a heavy expedition bag nor should you buy an heavy expedition roof tent. I think most of the folks complaining about roof tents tend to buy over complex heavy tents, then complain about their heavy complex tent.
Probably the best way to reduce weight is to eliminate components. Take mattresses for example. An AutoHome Columbus tent is lighter than a Maggiolina tent for the same footprint. The mattress is thinner, designed for more temperate conditions. The Maggiolina design, as some say a "coffin", as the roof is designed only with sitting headroom to retain heat. Much better design for cold weather and the provided mattress is thicker also for colder weather. Pretty much the same materials for both tents but the for same size, a Maggiolina will be roughly 15% heavier.
I've been playing with tubular hammock designs in roof tents for the past few years. You can eliminate the roof rack, about 20 pounds, mattress, as much as 25 to 35 pounds, just for starters. The lack of rigid materials also allows a huge weight savings too but I've found these tents comfortable only in temperate conditions, down to about 45 -50 degrees, so they have pretty limited applications. Of course you can modify them with more and better insulation but then you are adding weight.
Look at buying a roof tent the same way you would evaluate buying a sleeping bag. Buy only what you need, size it for the conditions you plan to go out in. If you only camp in temperate conditions, you wouldn't buy a heavy expedition bag nor should you buy an heavy expedition roof tent. I think most of the folks complaining about roof tents tend to buy over complex heavy tents, then complain about their heavy complex tent.
JackW
Explorer
Chad had a great design and with his background in aerospace (he used to work at Boeing) he knew his materials and proper construction practices for a light weight roof tent. He is around 6'6" tall so he made tents he could fit in as well.
Unfortunately between the covid panic and the flooding of the market with a bunch of inferior roof tents right about the time he got his production line sorted out he just couldn't sell enough to keep the project alive.
I haven't talked to him in a couple of years but I'm still very pleased with my Terrapod. As a former Lockheed engineer I knew as soon as I saw his prototype I had to have one -
He used a composite honeycomb material for the top and bottom panels, custom aluminum extrusions for the framework and the same aircraft sealant we used on the F-22 Raptor
It was my idea to build a solo model since I noticed he used a modular design that would allow him to vary the width of the tent with a few minor modifications.
The best feature to me is thin profile of the tent which greatly reduces the overall height of my rig.
