How Many People Can Sleep in a Roof Top Tent?

Rooftop tents provide many amenities like cleanliness, comfort and a straightforward set-up process, however, they can only accommodate so many people because of their small footprint.

In addition, they can accommodate up to ten people, and aren’t restricted in the size of footprint they can occupy. Ground tents also do not have a limit on weight like roof top tents.

There is the possibility of sleeping up to five in the biggest roof top tents that are available, like The FSR Hight Country 80′ as well as the Tuff Stuff Elite Overland. This is assuming there are two adults and three children inside the tent.

We will provide more detail on the largest roofing tents (RTT) you can purchase, what weight restrictions that you must keep in mind, and the best way to accommodate more than five persons in an RTT in a safe manner!

How do you fit more people inside a top tent

The simplest way to increase the number of people on your roof top tent is able to sleep is to attach an annex on top of it.

A good portion of RTTs have an annex. If not however, the company you purchased your tent from is likely to have an annex available for sale separately , with prices ranging from $150 to 550 dollar.

An annex is essentially an extra that fits under your RTT and has doors and meshed nets. Based on the type and dimensions of your RTT there are annexes that will fit the size of a queen or king mattress inside.

If your RTT features an extended canopy similar to one like the Tepui Autana, then the annexe will be enclosed by the ladder. This is great if have children and wish to monitor them as the entryway to the tent is accessible via the annexe.

Certain annexes are more extensive than others. Here is an article about the most beautiful roof top Tents With Annex.

In addition to the fact that it increases sleeping capacity is an amazing advantage, having an annex could be the most beneficial RTT accessory you can purchase. It’s also great to store extra items as well as a changing area as well as a space to eat and more.

The biggest roof top tents

Here are five of the most powerful RTTs you can purchase:

  • Tuff Stuff Elite Overland
  • iKamper Skycamp 2.0
  • FSR High Country 80”
  • Eezi-Awn Series 3 (Size 2200)
  • CVT Mount Denali

Each tent is manufactured by well-known and well-respected RTT brands, which guarantees the highest quality of tents, and various accessories that you can upgrade to and from.

A majority of models offer the option of attaching an annex, which is an enormous benefit. If you’re interested in more details about the dimensions, price as well as the weight and the features of these tents, look at my post The 5 largest roof Tents.

I believe you’ll be able to use it as it provides in-depth information on the advantages and disadvantages of each tent, as and also includes videos to aid in visualizing.

Tent’s roof top weight limit

There are some weight limits to be aware of when you are using an RTT such as your tent’s weight limits, the roof racks’ weight limit, and the roof weight limit of your vehicle.

The weight limit of an RTT is straightforward and will be determined by the company that makes the product. The typical tent for roofs comes with a an weight limit that can be anywhere between 650 and 900 pounds.

RTT models equipped with honeycomb flooring in aluminum can hold greater weight due to the sturdy and strong material. A majority of larger tent models utilize this technique.

The next limit of weight to be familiar with can be found on that of the roof rack. A dynamic limit on weight (DWL) refers to the weight that the rack handle can hold when your vehicle is moving. Static weight limits (SWL) determines the weight that the rack is able to hold even when the vehicle isn’t moving.

The SWL is larger in terms of capacity due to the fact that when the vehicle isn’t in motion , the rack is able to distribute the weight evenly across the frame of the vehicle.

I’d be more focused on the DWL and it will be on the rack manufacturer’s site. For example, I own my Yakima Corebar crossbars, and the DWL weighs 165 pounds. Because my tent weighs only 117 pounds, it’s absolutely safe to attach an RTT onto it.

In the end, you must read the owner’s manual to ensure you’re within the roof’s limit for weight. For large SUVs, this might not be that big an issue however for smaller cars I’d recommend being cautious as the roof’s design isn’t intended to carry very large loads.

What is the typical size of a tent with a roof?

The tents I’ve listed above could be considered an outlier since there are only a handful of tents with this much sleeping capacity.

The majority of roof top tents are suitable for sleeping two people. In most cases it will have a capacity described as 2.5 which is equivalent to two adults plus one dog or child.

You can get a wide range of RTTs that are available when you shop for two or three-person tents. There’s even a decent quantity of four-person RTTs to choose from, but you’ll be restricting your options to softshell tents.

One of the few RTTs with a hardshell that can accommodate 4 people is the Roofnest Condor XL, the Skycamp iKamper 2.0 as well as the Tuff Stuff Alpha/Stealth.

Another factor to take into consideration is the best vehicle to accommodate these larger tents. Most of the time, only large trucks and SUVs are equipped to accommodate the four-person tent as it is such a huge footprint.

Related useful content

Before we reach the conclusion of this piece, I’d like to introduce you to some carefully selected articles and videos that can be extremely helpful!

Join our YouTube Channel! I upload videos every week and I’m sure you’ll appreciate the content for all the camping or roof-top tent requirements! You’ll also learn to get to know me a little better!

I also suggest my article The Top Rooftop Tents for Families. I’ve listed all 10 of my top RTTs, and also list every feature that you must be looking for, that are really important.

Also, look around the blog. I have broken down the categories into beginner-friendly information How to stuff, and buyer’s guides. I’ve designed these materials as helpful as I can without prejudice.

Roundup of How Many People Can Sleep In A Roof Top Tent

While roof top tents only sleep five persons, there are solutions. The addition of an annex could quite literally make the total number of people you can take along. I’ve also observed others who have two RTTs. One on their vehicle and the other on an trailer.

Be aware of the various weight limits is crucial to be safe when using an RTT. In conclusion there are a few of issues roof top tents can cause over the simple ground tent.

Overall, the advantages far outweigh any disadvantages when you own one.

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Den Kyle

Den Kyle

I'm the founder of Dens Camp Guide. After many years of hiking and trekking worldwide, I decided to share my experiences by making my guide website! Former science teacher, Ohio State graduate, and now full-time adventurer!