If you are a serious Overlander or off-road camping enthusiast, investing in a quality hardshell rooftop tent can make a world of difference in your experience.
iKamper Skycamp 3.0 has set the bar high for its competitors. Hardshell rooftop tents are far more robust than their softshell counterpart. They allow for quick setup times and often allow additional storage options whether that be on top of them or on the sides.
In this article, I will review the 7 best hardshell rooftop tents to consider going into the 2023 camping season.
- Most Luxurious – iKamper Skycamp 3.0
- Best For Families – ROOFNEST Condor XL
- Best For Couples- SMRT Tent Skyloft
- Lightest Weight – iKamper Skycamp Mini 3.0
- Most Budget Friendly – TuffStuff Alpha II
- Most Versatile – Thule Basin Wedge
- Best Wedge Style – Go Fast Campers Platform RTT
Hardshell RTT Comparison Chart:
| Weight | Mattress | Sleeping Area | Shell | Thickness When Closed | Waterproofness | Ladder Length | Lighting | Solar Panel Mount | Style | |
| iKamper Skycamp 3.0 | 165lbs | 2.5″, King Size | 77″ L x 82″ W x 48″ H | FRP | 13.3″ | Rating Not Specified | 7.5′ | N/A | No | Foldout |
| Roofnest Condor XL | 160lbs | 2.5″, King Size | 74″ L x 93″ W x 50″ H | ABS Plastic | 13″ | 3000mm | 8.5′ | LED Interior | Yes | Foldout |
| SMRT Tent Skyloft | 147lbs | 3″ | 84″ L x 54″ W x 48″ H | ABS Plastic | 11.5″ | 2000mm | 7.5′ | N/A | No | Wedge |
| iKamper Skycamp Mini 3.0 | 125lbs | 2.25″ | 51″ L x 82″ W x 48″ H | FRP | 13.5″ | Rating Not Specified | 7.5′ | N/A | No | Foldout |
| TuffStuff Alpha II | 141lbs | 2.36″ | 59.75″ L x 79″ W x 46″ H | ABS Plastic | 14″ | Rating Not Specified | 7.5′ | LED Interior and Exterior | No | Foldout |
| Thule Basin Wedge | 156lbs | Not Specified | 84″ L x 55″ W x 52″ H | ABS Plastic | 12.8″ | 1500mm | 8.6′ | N/A | No | Wedge |
| GFC Platform RTT | 135lbs | 2″ | 96″ L x 53″ W x 60″ H | Aluminum | 6″ | Rating Not Specified | Not Specified | N/A | Yes | Wedge |
1. iKamper Skycamp 3.0 – Most Luxurious
iKamper has cemented its name in the world of rooftop tents by designing high-quality authentic 4-season tents. Their products are built with serious Overlanders in mind. The new iKamper Skycamp 3.0 features small details like drawstrings for the windows that can make an Overlanding trip just that little bit more enjoyable.
Overview at a Glance:
Weight:
165lbs
Dimensions:
Closed – 85.5″ L x 55″ W x 13.3″ H
Open – 77″ L x 82″ W x 48″ H
Shell:
FRP aka fiberglass reinforced plastic.
4 Season Rated:
This tent is constructed out of a breathable canvas, with waterproof zippers, a rainfly, and an insulated mattress that keeps you warm and dry no matter the weather.
The inside of the tent is also lined with quilted insulation that helps keep your body heat in during the winter and keep the sun’s heat out during the summer.
100% Waterproof:
The rainfly is made of a completely waterproof ripstop polyester that will keep you dry even in the harshest of conditions.
Mattress:
King size, 2.5″ thick, nine-zone system foam mattress with an insulating layer on the bottom to help hold in heat.
Easy Access Windows:
The majority of RTTs on the market have both solid privacy windows and bug screens built in, usually operated with 2 different zippers. The Skycamp allows you to open both windows with one zipper or each one individually.
They also feature a drawstring system for the exterior window covering. This allows you to completely roll the window cover out of the way with just the pull of two cords. While this is a seemingly small detail, being able to quickly open the window in the morning from the inside of the tent is a huge plus.
This will allow for more light to come into your tent, and provide you with easy access to that wilderness view while you lay in bed.
Total Darkness:
The 300-gsm poly-cotton canvas blocks out all outside light which means no more 6am sunrise wake-up calls while camping
2. ROOFNEST Condor XL – Best For Families
The Condor XL is the only 4-person tent in ROOFNEST’s lineup. It was designed with families on top of mind.
Overview at a Glance:
Weight:
160lbs
Dimensions:
Closed – 74″ L x 55″ W x 13″ H
Open – 74″ L x 93″ W x 50″ H
Sidenote – on their website the way they have noted the length and width in a slightly different format than I have. I reached out to them for clarification. Because the tent opens up to the side and folds out, the closed width of the tent becomes the opened length of the tent. Then the closed length of the tent becomes the open width.
They were kind enough to clarify this with a sketch done in Microsoft Paint, which makes me love them that much more! They also answered my email within 15 minutes of them opening for the day!
Shell:
The Condor XL has an ASA/ABS plastic shell that is reinforced with fiberglass. They have also designed the shell to allow for a solar panel to be mounted on top of it.
Waterproof:
Both the main canvas (polycotton) of the tent and the rainfly are rated at 3000mm. For perspective, the average backpacking tent is rated at 1000mm.
Mattress:
This tent is equipped with a 2.5″ thick mattress that is nearly a king-size.
Lighting:
A USB-powered LED light strip is included with this tent. It can be powered via the USB port in your vehicle or with a USB power bank (recommended)
3. SMRT Tent Sky Loft – Best For Couples
The SMRT Tent Sky Loft is the first wedge style and 2 person tent on this list. The tent was designed for people with smaller vehicles and those who simply do not need a large 4-person tent.
Overview at a Glance:
Weight:
147lbs
Dimensions:
Closed – 84″ L x 54″ W x 11.5″ H
Open – 84″ L x 54″ W x 48″ H
Shell:
ABS Plastic mounted on an aluminum frame.
Waterproof:
The Sky Loft is waterproof up to 2000mm
Mattress:
At 3″ it is the thickest on our list.
4 Season Rated:
Much like the iKamper Skycamp 3.0, the Sky Loft has a quilted liner inside to help retain heat during the winter and keep things cooler during the summer. The quilted liner also helps reduce the need for a condensation mat.
4. iKamper Skycamp Mini 3.0 – Lightest Weight
Like the name says, this is iKamper’s miniature version of their flagship Skycamp 3.0. Coming in at about 26″ shorter and 22″ narrower when packed up. While this tent is considerably smaller than its sibling and other competitors, it doesn’t lose any of iKamper’s amazing details.
Overview at a Glance:
Weight:
125lbs
One quick note, iKamper does have their Skycamp 3.0 2x which is another smaller version of the original Skycamp 3.0, and it comes in at 121lbs. However, for the 4lbs extra, the Mini 3.0 packs smaller and still has a larger sleeping area than the 2x, so I chose the Mini 3.0 for those reasons.
Dimensions:
Closed – 57.5″ L x 55″ W x 13.5″ H
Open – 51″ L x 82″ W x 48″ H
Shell:
FRP aka fiberglass reinforced plastic.
4 Season Rated:
This tent is constructed out of a breathable canvas, with waterproof zippers, a rainfly, and an insulated mattress that keeps you warm and dry no matter the weather.
The inside of the tent is also lined with quilted insulation that helps keep your body heat in during the winter and keep the sun’s heat out during the summer.
100% Waterproof:
The rainfly is made of a completely waterproof ripstop polyester that will keep you dry even in the harshest of conditions.
Mattress:
2.25″ thick, nine-zone system foam mattress with an insulating layer on the bottom to help hold in heat.
Easy Access Windows:
Like the Skycamp 3.0, the Mini allows you to open both windows with one zipper or each one individually. They also feature a drawstring system for the privacy windows. This allows you to completely roll the blackout blind out of the way with just the pull of two cords.
Total Darkness:
The 300-gsm poly-cotton canvas blocks out all outside light which means no more 6am sunrise wake-up calls while camping
5. Tuff Stuff Alpha II – Most Budget Friendly
The Tuff Stuff team designed the Alpha II with trucks and small SUVs/Crossovers in mind. They developed a medium-sized hardshell tent that is on the lower end of hardshell pricing, and also doesn’t weigh half a ton.
Overview at a Glance:
Weight:
141lbs
Dimensions:
Closed – 59.75″ L x 49.75″ W x 14″ H
Open – 59.75″ L x 79″ W x 46″ H
Shell:
Much like the other tents on this list it has an ABS plastic shell, but has an aluminum honeycomb floor.
Waterproof:
This tent comes with the most waterproof rainfly on the list, coming in at 5000mm!
Mattress:
2.36″ thick, 78″ long, and 53″ wide
Lighting:
One feature I love about this tent is the fact that it doesn’t just come with an LED light strip for inside the tent, but also a couple for the outside that attach underneath the fold-out portion!
I usually store my cookware under there, and having some permanent lighting would be a huge bonus.
6. Thule Basin Wedge – Most Versatile
Thule is a brand that lives and breathes vehicle lifestyle accessories. Bike racks, rooftop storage bins, and rooftop tents are just a few examples of the accessories that they supply.
For the large majority of RTT users, their tent lives on top of their vehicle year-round even though it might only get used a handful of times every year. The Basin Wedge is the answer to this. When you are not using your tent for camping, you are able to use it as a storage bin!
The Basin is also offered in a version that pops straight up. You can view that version here.
Overview at a Glance:
Weight:
156lbs
Dimensions:
Closed – 84″ L x 55″ W x 12.8″ H
Open – 84″ L x 55″ W x 52″ H
Shell:
An ABS shell that has both UV and Fade inhibitors that will keep the shell strong and provide it with a long life, even in climates with consistent sunshine. The lower shell combines ABS, welded aluminum substructure with unique felt-lined honeycomb polypropylene panels for reinforced support.
Waterproof:
Waterproof up to 1500mm
Mattress:
Thule does not specify the thickness of the mattress, however, the sleeping footprint is 72″ in length and 51″ in width.
Storage Bin:
As I mentioned, this RTT can double as a storage bin in the off-season of camping. A simple zipper system allows you to easily remove the canvas from your tent. By removing the canvas and mattress you are blessed with ample storage for bodies, I mean bags, skis, and snowboards!
I don’t believe this was Thule’s intention, but having an easily removable canvas means that you can hang dry your tent if you get caught in a storm and don’t have a place to easily open and airdry out your tent while it’s on your vehicle.
7. GFC Platform RTT – Best Wedge Style
When Go Fast Campers designed their Platform RTT they had the Baja in mind. They wanted to construct a tent that could withstand the abuse of fast desert driving. This means all the parts on the tent are replaceable!
Overview at a Glance:
Weight:
135lbs
Dimensions:
Closed – 96″ L x 53″ W x 6″ H
Open – 96″ L x 53″ W x 60″ H
Shell:
Both the top and lower shells are assembled with black anodized aluminum.
The sides of the shell also sport a t-slotted track all the way around. This allows you to mount accessories flush to your tent. The t-slots also allow you to mount crossbars to the top of the tent.
When closed the top of the tent can hold up to 500lbs, and when open it can support up to 75lbs. This means you can leave your bikes, kayaks, recovery boards, etc attached to your tent when you pull into camp for the night.
Waterproof:
The vinyl fabric is heat-welded and has no stitched seams which means no leakage in wet conditions
Mattress:
90″ long and 50″ wide, 2″ Multi-density foam
Mounting:
If you own a Toyota Landcruiser or 4Runner, you are in luck! GFC makes special mounting hardware just for you, that eliminates the need for any roof rack or crossbars.
For the Landcruiser, they have a gutter adapter, and for the 4Runner they have a special bracket system that allows your tent to sit nearly flush with the roof.
For all of us other folks, they have adapters that allow you to mount the tent to regular crossbars or roof racks.