Roof tent dimensions explained

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

i Compared on published specs, not tested. We haven't tested these products. Figures come from makers' and retailers' published specs, linked in the sources. How we compare.

The short answer

Four sets of numbers matter. The closed (packed) size and height tell you what sits on your roof and in your garage. The open size tells you how much pitch the tent covers. The mattress size tells you who can sleep in it. The ladder length tells you how much ground you need beside the car. Compare each one, not just the headline size.

Every figure on this page is the maker's own published figure. We give lengths first (L x W x H) unless a maker's own labels are quoted. Makers measure in different ways, so check the spec page for your exact model before you buy.

External dimensions versus mattress dimensions

The outside of a tent is bigger than the space you lie on. Walls, frame and fabric all take some room. Some makers publish both figures, and the gap differs from tent to tent:

So the Widesky is 220 cm long outside but has a 200 cm sleeping area. Thule Widesky. Dometic's TRT140 Air manual goes further and gives both an outer size and a "usable interior space": 145 x 120 x 219 cm outside against 140 x 110 x 210 cm inside (W x H x D). Dometic TRT140 Air manual (PDF).

What to use each figure for:

• Sleeping: the mattress or interior size. Compare it with the people who'll sleep in the tent.
• Headroom: the interior or peak height, where published. Thule gives the Widesky's peak internal height as 117 cm, below its 131 cm open height.
• Pitch and roof: the external size, open and closed.

If a maker publishes only external figures, the sleeping area will be smaller. Ask the maker for the mattress size rather than guessing it.

Packed height

Closed height is the height of the packed tent itself. Check your manual for how the mounting brackets sit on the bars. Published closed heights for the tents above range from 20 cm to 35 cm:

This figure is the tent only. Your total height on the road is the car, plus the bars and their feet, plus the closed tent, plus anything strapped on top. Dometic's manual warns that a rooftop tent increases the vehicle's height and to look out for low entrances, bridges and branches.

Closed size also tells you how much room the tent takes up off the car. If you plan to lift it off for winter, check you have a dry space at least as large as the closed size.

Opening footprint and overhang

In the makers' figures below, the two hardshells open upwards with little or no change in length. The fold-out softshells open to about twice their packed length, and that extra length hangs out beyond the closed box.

Using the makers' closed and open lengths:

• TentBox Classic 2.0 (hardshell): 218 cm long closed and 218 cm open. It rises from 35 cm to 100 cm high.
• Thule Widesky (hardshell): 210 cm closed and 220 cm open.
• TentBox Lite 2.0 (softshell): 110 cm closed and 220 cm open, so it opens out 110 cm beyond its packed length.
• Thule Approach 2 M (softshell): 124 cm closed and 240 cm open, 116 cm more.
• TentBox Lite XL (softshell): 120 cm closed and 240 cm open, with a width of 183 cm. TentBox Lite XL.

The overhang decides how much space you need beside the car on a campsite pitch, and whether you can open the tent next to a wall or a hedge. Check which way your model opens, and whether a car door needs to open under it. Hardshell vs softshell roof tents compares the two designs in more detail.

Ladder space

The ladder adds a strip of ground beside the open tent. TentBox says the Classic 2.0's ladder extends up to 2.6 m. TentBox Classic 2.0. Thule lists a 2.6 m angled-step ladder with the Approach 2 M. Thule Approach 2 M. A ladder that leans out to reach the tent needs more ground than its height alone suggests.

Dometic's manual says the TRT140 Air's ladder can be fitted to the vehicle's height, and that it shouldn't stand on uneven or unstable ground. It also warns of collisions with doors, vehicles and pedestrians. So when you plan a pitch, allow for:

• flat, firm ground at the foot of the ladder
• room to walk round it without stepping into a neighbour's pitch
• car doors that may open under or beside it

Some makers publish weights without the ladder. Thule gives the Widesky's 67 kg as "without ladder", so add the ladder when you count roof weight.

Why a two-person label is only a starting point

A "2 person" label tells you what the maker designed for. It doesn't tell you whether your two people fit.

• Widths differ. Three tents sold for two people have published sleeping widths of 120 cm (TentBox Classic 2.0), 130 cm (TentBox Lite 2.0) and 130 cm (Thule Widesky).
• Lengths differ. The same three run from 200 cm to 220 cm long. TentBox says most roof tents are long enough for people up to 7ft, but if you're over 6ft you should check the specific model's dimensions. TentBox FAQs.
• Counts differ. Thule describes the Approach 2 M, at 240 x 130 cm, as a tent for 3 people. TentBox lists the Lite XL, at 240 x 180 cm, as sleeping 4.

Lie down on the floor with your sleeping bags, measure the space you take up together, and compare it with the mattress size. Add room for bags and anything you keep inside overnight. If you're planning for children, roof tent camping with children has more on sleeper counts.

To compare more tents on these figures, see roof tents compared on published specs. To check weight, bar spread and fitting, read will a roof tent fit my car?.

Work out your vehicle height

Packed height only matters once it's added to your car and bars. Work out your vehicle height with your tent's closed height before you book a ferry, a car park or a campsite with a barrier.

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