Roof tent camping with children: questions before booking

By the Overlanding.info team · Updated 21 October 2026 · Sources checked 21 October 2026

The short answer

Start with the maker's sleeper count, mattress size and internal weight limit, then read the safety section of the manual. None of the makers we checked gives a minimum age, so the decision is yours. Before booking, work out who climbs the ladder at night, how toilet trips will work and where everyone goes if it rains all afternoon.

This guide covers the questions to answer before a family trip. It doesn't replace your tent's manual or the campsite's own rules, and both come first.

Manufacturer age and occupancy guidance

Look for an age limit, but don't expect one. We found no minimum age on the TentBox FAQs or the Thule product pages, and the Dometic TRT140 Air manual doesn't give one either. Makers talk about how many people a tent sleeps, not how old they need to be. If your own tent's manual sets an age or supervision rule, follow it.

The sleeper count is the maker's starting figure. TentBox says its GO, Lite, Classic and Cargo tents sleep 2, and that some larger models will sleep two adults and two children. TentBox FAQs. Its Lite XL is listed as sleeping 4. TentBox Lite XL. Thule describes the Approach 2 M as a softshell for 3 people and the Widesky as a 2-person tent.

Check the internal weight limit, then the car. TentBox lists an internal weight capacity of 300 kg for the Classic 2.0 and Lite XL, and Thule lists a maximum static load of 300 kg for the Approach 2 M and Widesky. Thule Approach 2 M. Add up everyone sleeping in the tent plus bedding and bags. The tent's figure is only one limit: the Dometic manual says your vehicle and roof rack must also carry the tent and the people and things inside it. Dometic TRT140 Air manual (PDF). If you don't have a published static figure for your car or bars, ask the maker. Don't work one out from the dynamic roof load.

More than the tent sleeps? TentBox suggests larger families may need two roof tents, or a roof tent and a ground tent. Some campsites allow a small extra tent: the Camping and Caravanning Club allows pup tents for extra sleeping, for a maximum of 2 people. Camping and Caravanning Club: site policies. Ask the campsite before you pack one.

Ladder access and supervision

The ladder is how everyone gets in and out, day and night. The Dometic TRT140 Air manual asks owners not to let children play around or in the tent, and to make sure they're careful on the ladder. Its general ladder rules are:

• one person on the ladder at a time
• climb up and down facing the ladder, keeping a secure grip
• don't carry anything heavy or awkward while climbing
• wear suitable footwear, and don't use a muddy or snowy ladder
• check every extended section is locked before anyone climbs

The same manual says to close the entrance before going to sleep, so no one falls out, and not to put two people's weight on one side of the tent at once. Your own tent's manual may say more. Read it with older children so they know the rules too.

Campsites put supervision on parents. The Caravan and Motorhome Club says parents are responsible for children's supervision and behaviour on its sites. Caravan and Motorhome Club: site rules. The Camping and Caravanning Club says children must be supervised and accompanied by an adult at all times, and no one under 18 may be left alone on site.

Practise at home before the trip. Let each child climb up and down in daylight with an adult beside the ladder, and decide who sleeps nearest the door.

Night-time toilet trips

Plan this before you book, because it shapes which pitch you want.

• Ask where the toilet block is and how far it is from the pitches you could book, and whether you can book one nearby.
• Decide who goes down with a child. Given the one-person-at-a-time ladder rule, one adult climbs down first and the child follows.
• Keep a torch or head torch where you can reach it in the dark, and shoes at the bottom of the ladder where they won't get wet.
• Talk about what happens if a child needs the toilet urgently. Some families keep a children's potty or travel toilet in the car for the night, rather than walk to the block. Decide in advance what suits yours.
• Think about younger children who wake often. If one adult and one child may climb in and out several times a night, a tent near the facilities is worth asking for.

Night trips mean opening the door, so put warm layers by the entrance. Sleeping warm in a roof tent covers bedding and layers for cold nights.

Usable mattress dimensions

Compare the mattress size, not the tent's outside measurements, with the people sleeping in it. These are the makers' published figures:

Measure your family lying down, with the sleeping bags you'll use, and compare. Bags, a nappy kit, books and a water bottle all need space too. Check your manual for what bedding, if any, can stay inside when the tent is closed before you buy bulkier sleeping bags for the children.

Roof tents compared on published specs puts these and other figures side by side.

Wet-weather living space

A roof tent is for sleeping. On a wet afternoon you'll need somewhere else for the whole family to sit, eat and play.

Look at the maker's awning or annex options. Thule says the Approach 2 M is compatible with an awning and awning walls, sold separately. The Widesky's awning is also sold separately, and Dometic lists two awnings as accessories for the TRT140 Air. Check the current price and which awning fits your exact model.

Check it fits the pitch. The Caravan and Motorhome Club says awnings must fit entirely within the pitch, including any ropes. Tell the campsite how much space the car, tent, ladder and awning need together.

Never cook or heat inside. The Dometic manual warns never to use a fuel-burning appliance, such as a barbecue or gas heater, inside the tent, because carbon monoxide builds up. Keep the tent's ventilation open, as the same manual says. Cook outside or under an open shelter.

Plan a wet pack-down. The Dometic manual says not to fold the TRT140 Air away during heavy rain. With children, packing up in rain takes longer, so leave time before checkout. Your first roof tent weekend has a plan for a wet Sunday.

Can everyone use the setup comfortably?

Before you book, check each of these against your own family:

• Does the maker's sleeper count include everyone, and does the total weight stay inside the tent's internal limit and your car's and bars' limits?
• Can every child climb the ladder safely, with an adult close by?
• Who sleeps nearest the door, and is the entrance closed at night?
• How far is the toilet block, and what's the plan for a night-time trip?
• Does the mattress fit everyone lying down, with bags?
• Where will the family sit and eat if it rains?
• Does the campsite accept roof tents and offer a pitch big enough for the car, ladder and any awning?

If any answer is "not sure", try a single night close to home first. The Caravan and Motorhome Club welcomes roof tents at all its UK campsites, on grass and hardstanding touring pitches. Caravan and Motorhome Club: roof tents.

Build your family kit list

Once you've answered these questions, list what each person needs, from bedding and torches to wet-weather clothes. Build your kit list with the setup and season you've chosen, then add the children's extras.

Your tent's manual, the campsite's rules and your vehicle maker's limits come before anything on this page.

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