Roof top tents offer many luxuries such as cleanliness, comfort, and a simple set up process, but they can only sleep so many people due to their limited footprint.
Meanwhile, ground tents have the advantage of sleeping upwards of ten people and have no restrictions on the footprint they can take up. Ground tents also have no weight limit, unlike a roof top tent.
You can sleep up to five people in the largest roof top tents available such as the FSR Hight Country 80″ and the Tuff Stuff Elite Overland. This assumes you have two adults and three children sleeping in the tent.
We will go into more detail about the largest roof top tents (RTT) that you can buy, which weight limits you need to be aware of, and how to fit more than five people in a RTT safely!
How to fit more people in a roof top tent
The easiest way to double the number of people your roof top tent can sleep is by attaching an annex to it.
A fair amount of RTTs actually comes with an annex included. If they don’t, the brand you bought your tent from will surely have an annex sold separately with the cost ranging anywhere from $150-$550 dollars.
An annex is simply an add-on that zips under your RTT, has doors, and meshed netting. Depending on the brand and size of your RTT, you will find annexes that can fit a queen or king-sized mattress inside them.
If your RTT has an extended canopy like the Tepui Autana, then the annex will enclose the ladder. This is great if you have kids and want to keep an eye on them since the entrance of the tent can be accessed right from the annex.
Some annexes are bigger than others, here is an article on the Best Roof Top Tents With an Annex.
While adding more sleeping capacity is an awesome benefit, having an annex is probably the best RTT accessory one can buy. It is also great for extra storage, a changing room, a place to eat, and much more.
Biggest roof top tents
These are 5 of the largest RTTs money can buy:
- Tuff Stuff Elite Overland
- iKamper Skycamp 2.0
- FSR High Country 80″
- Eezi-Awn Series 3 (Size 2200)
- CVT Mount Denali
Each of these tents is made by well known and respected RTT brands which ensures a quality tent but also many accessories to upgrade to as well.
Most of the models have the option to attach an annex which is a huge plus. Now for more information like the dimensions, cost, weight, and features of these tents, check out my article Top 5 Largest Roof Top Tents.
I think you will find it extremely helpful since it goes in-depth on the pros and cons of each tent as well as adding some videos for visual aid.
Roof top tent weight limits
There are a few weight limits you must keep in mind when using a RTT; the weight limit of the tent, your roof racks weight limit, and your vehicle’s roof weight limit.
The weight limit of the RTT is straight forward and will be specified by the manufacturer. A typical roof top tent has a weight limit that will range anywhere from 650-900 pounds.
RTT models with aluminum honeycomb flooring will be able to hold more weight because of the thick and durable material. Most of the larger tent models implement this technology.
The next weight limit to familiarize yourself with is the roof rack. The dynamic weight limit (DWL) is the amount of weight the rack handle hold when your vehicle is in motion. The static weight limit (SWL) is the amount of weight the rack can hold when the vehicle is NOT in motion.
The SWL is much higher in terms of weight capacity because when the vehicle is not in motion the rack distributes weight across the frame of the vehicle.
I would be more focused on the DWL, which will be listed on a rack manufacturer’s website. For example, I have the Yakima Corebar crossbars and the DWL is 165 pounds. Since my tent is only 117 pounds, it is completely safe mounting a RTT to it.
Last but not least, you should read your vehicle’s owner’s manual and make sure you’re not exceeding the roof’s weight limit. For SUVs, this may not be as much of a concern, but for smaller vehicles, I would be cautious since the roof isn’t meant to handle very heavy loads.
What is the average size of a roof top tent?
The tents I have listed above would be considered outliers since there is only a handful with that amount of sleeping capacity.
Most roof top tents will be able to sleep 2-3 people. More times than not, the capacity of the tent will be listed as 2.5, which means two adults and either a child or dog.
You will be able to find WAY more RTTs available if you’re shopping around for two or three-person tents. There is even a good amount of 4-person RTTs available, however, you will then be limiting yourself to mainly softshell tent models.
Some of the only hardshell RTTs that can fit four people are the Roofnest Condor XL, the iKamper Skycamp 2.0, and the Tuff Stuff Alpha/Stealth.
Another thing to consider is you need the right vehicle to fit these larger tents. Generally, only full-size SUVs and trucks will be able to fit a four-person tent since it has such a large footprint.
Related helpful content
Before we get to the end of the article I wanted to direct you to some hand-selected articles and videos which you may find very helpful!
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel! I post weekly videos and I know you will find the content very helpful for all of your camping and roof top tent needs! You will also get to know me a bit better too!
I would also recommend my article, Best Roof Top Tents For Families. I list all 10 of my favorite RTTs and list out all of the features you should keep an eye out for that really matter.
Lastly, search throughout the blog. I broke the categories down in beginner information, How to stuff, and buyer’s guide help. I make all of these resources to be as genuinely helpful as possible with no biases.
Wrapping up
Even though roof top tents can at best sleep 5 people, there are some workarounds. Adding an annex can quite literally double the number of people you can bring along. I have also seen many other campers have two RTTs, one on their vehicle and another on a trailer.
Being aware of the different weight limits is very important for safety while using a RTT. With that being said, these are a couple of headaches roof top tents bring over a simple ground tent.
Overall, the benefits far outweigh the downsides for me when it comes to owning one.