6 Rooftop Tents With Skywindow You Never Heard Of… | Skylight, Skyview and Stargazing

Who would not want to stare at the twinkling stars while laying in their roof top tent? Or just let the sunshine in during the day? Or actually stand up in the roof top tent? Well, rooftop tents with skywindow are not that common as you’d think; and an actually decent rooftop tent with skywindow is even scarcer.

In this post I’ve collected 6 (actually, 11) great examples of roof top tents with skywindow. I tried to focus on the lesser-known RTTs, so I did not include the iKamper Skycamp for example, or the Yakima Skyrise.

Disclaimer: not all skywindows are the same. Some are actually just a gap covered with a removable flysheet (bye-bye stargazing on a winter night), others are proper PVC windows built into the flysheet itself (bye-bye standing up in the roof top tent).

Depending on your needs and, especially, the weather conditions you’ll use your RTT in, some simply won’t be suitable. But let’s have a look at them first, and you’ll be the judge.

Rooftop Tents With Skywindow – Built-in

1. TentBox Lite
2. iKamper X-Cover
3. Ox Overland Dakota 210 & Diesel 310 & Diesel 410

Rooftop Tents With Skywindow – Removable flysheet

1. RoofCabin Navigator & Navigator Plus
2. Roofnest Condor & Condor XL
3. Darche Intrepidor 2 1400 & 1600

Rooftop Tents with Skywindow – Built-in

1. TentBox Lite

The TentBox Lite is probably the most popular TentBox model, and it appears to be really difficult to get hold of one cause stocks run out very quickly, for a reason.

Update: you can pre-order it now on the new TentBox website

If you enter your email address below you’ll get a VOUCHER that you can exchange for a FREE GIFT if you purchase any TentBox Roof top tent.

The reason that the TentBox Lite is in this post is the see-through roof windows. They are integral part of the roof, so you can’t open them. There are little privacy curtains that you can undo if you’d love a bit of stargazing at night, or you’d just want to let more light in during the day.

In terms of other features, the TentBox Lite is 140 cms wide, and TentBox modestly puts it in the ‘2-person roof tent’ bracket. While it is true, (it’s probably the most comfortable for up to 2-people occupancy), a roof top tent of this size is normally categorised as a 3-person RTT.

As for internal comfort, the TentBox Lite comes with a 6 cms thick mattress, so you might want to invest in a new one, along with an anti-condensation mat that goes underneath. Bear in mind, that a thicker mattress would eat up the internal space inside: every centimetre of mattress thickness reduces the not too bright internal height of 112 cms. In comparison to other roof top tents of similar shape and design, those tend to have at least 126-128 cms internal height as default.

As for the materials used, the TentBox Lite has a 280gsm rip-stop canvas material with a 2000mm HH PU coating to prevent water seeping through.

The TenBox Lite certainly is lightweight, only 50 kgs, it fits almost any car from the Fiat Panda upwards. You can upgrade your camp with accessories such as a side awning or a portable power station!

There are a lot of tiny details, though that distinguish the TentBox Lite from the competition in the same price range: like the double sealed zips and the very low profile, that could win over any argument.

Drop me an email at greg@10ts-tents.com or enter your email below for a Voucher to get a complementary gift with when you buy any TentBox Roof Top Tent!

Where to buy the TentBox Lite: TentBox’s official website

2. iKamper X-Cover

The iKamper X-Cover is a hybrid RTT: a soft-shell roof top tent packed inside a hard-shell case. The design eliminates the bulky PVC cover of traditional soft-shell roof top tents, the cover is the skin of the tent itself. It saves some time getting the cover off, and looks better than the heavy duty tarps of other models but the X-Cover is not just a pretty face.

It is also extremely spacious – especially if you compare it to the size of the box when it’s closed. I

I must admit, it’s an ingenious design. It’s large: 3 adult can comfortably sleep in it (the matress is 175 cms wide), or an entire family of 2 adults and 2 kids/dogs. Still, the iKamper X-Cover remained lightweight, only 55 kgs, no other tent will beat the X-Cover in space / weight.

Thanks to its clever mechanism and smart design, there’s not just plenty of space, but there’s plenty of light inside too. There are two skywindows built into the flysheet, you can cover them up with a toggled privacy curtain when necessary.

The fabrics used have nothing to be ashamed of either, they hit right at the middle of average: good quality polycotton with some PU coating. Thankfully, it seems that iKamper got rid of that ridiculous polyester flysheet that they threw on top of the iKamper Skycamp 2.0.

Related post: iKamper X Cover v Skycamp 2.0

The iKamper X-Cover is ideal for couples, small families with 1-2 kids / dogs who’d like to experience overlanding without the ‘ruggedness’ of it. People who are looking for a pleasant stay for the family over the weekend, to have a great time and who may want to come back the next weekend.

More info and where to buy the iKamper: for more info click on the comparison post above, otherwise you can head to ikamper.com

3. Ox Overland Dakota 210 & Diesel 310

Another small RTT maker based in the UK. I have been keeping an eye on them for a while now (since my post on the cheapest roof top tents in the UK) cause they do some really good stuff such as RTT hire (or used to, not sure about the post-COVID plans).

Anyways, their tents are pretty solid. They all sit on an aluminium base with insulated foam, the body fabric is the usual 600D Rip-stop polycotton, the flysheet is polyester. What’s better than average is the 7 cm thick mattress, heavy duty SBS zips, and – of course – the dual skywindows!

They don’t have a huge range of roof top tents, still, they can probably cater for all needs;

The Dakota 210 is a 2/3-person tent (140 cms x 240 cms inside with 126 cms headroom), the Diesel 310 (that comes with an Annex) is the same size, but the tent is obviously longer to accommodate the annex; and the Diesel 410 is a 3/4-person tent with a 183 cms wide sleeping area.

Their pricing is really competitive so it’s worth checking out the OxOverland website.

Rooftents with Skywindow – Removable flysheet

4. RoofCabin Navigator & Navigator Plus

Available in the UK only, the Navigator series by RoofCabin seems very much ‘inspired by’ the design of the iKamper Skycamp 2X/4X – which is not necessarily a bad thing.

The Navigator Plus is the bigger one (open dimensions: 221 (L) x 180 (W) x 102 (H) cm), while the Navigator is 212 x 132 cms with a bit more tolerable internal height of 123 cms.

Quite interestingly, the RoofCabin roof top tents use a fibreglass composite base plate (rather than an aluminium one), this probably helps keep the weight low: they are only 60 kg / 68 kg. This means that the Navigator can fit on most cars (if you add the weight of the roof bars, you’ll still be under 75kgs dynamic load capacity), while the Navigator plus require extra slim and lightweight crossbars, or a bigger car (having said that, even a Vauxhall Insignia has 100 kgs dynamic load capacity).

More here: Roof Top Tent Weight Limits

The rest is pretty average: 6 cm memory foam mattress to sleep on, and a 280 g Polycotton fabric that is 600D thick, anti-tear with a waterproof coating (no info on HH rating). It is also UV and mold resistant.

I contacted RoofCabin for more pictures and info, but I haven’t heard back (which is a bit unusual…I wonder if they responded if I said I was not happy with their product).

If you own a RoofCabin Navigator (or have experience with RoofCabin) please don’t hesitate to leave a comment!

More info and where to buy: Roof Cabin UK

5. Roofnest Condor & Condor XL

The Condors are in the line of RTT’s ‘inspired by’ the iKamper Skycamp tents. The Roofnest Condors are not without flaws, and although you are probably best brace yourself for a bit of compromise, they are not bad tents. The iKampers aren’t perfect either… The pitching / packing away the Roofnest Condor is not that smart and seamless as the Skycamps’ well-though-out process, but in return, you have HUGE interior space and 2 sky windows.

Even if they cost the same, I would seriously consider the Roofnest over the iKamper…but the Roofnest Condors are almost a category cheaper than the iKamper Skycamps. So if your after value for the price you pay, there should not be a lot of questions about which one to pick…

Related post: Roofnest Condor vs iKamper

The Condor and the Condor XL are the only hybrid roof top tents made by Roofnest, but they are the largest too. The Roofnest Condor XL is a 4-person rooftent that fits on most cars from smaller sedans / estates upwards, it’s easy to pop up and has good all-round weather protection. Overlanding is a smooth experience with the Roofnest Condor XL. Paired it with the size the Condor XL offers, it can be an ideal family rooftent or a proper expedition rooftent for hardcore overlanders as well.

The same is true for the smaller Condor too, which has a decent size for a smaller family or couples.

The Roofnest Condor & Condor XL have removable flysheets – you just have to unclip the flysheet and roll it up. They both have large skywindows that can be opened, so you can actually stand up in them.

 6. Darche Intrepidor 2 RTT 1400 & 1600 With Skywindow

The Darche Intrepidor 2 series RTTs have a ‘With Skywindow’ option. Apart from their size, weight, and price there’s no difference between the 1400 and the 1600; so it’s only a matter of your needs which one you pick.

If the TentBox Lite was the ideal ‘beginners’ roof top tent (on a tighter budget), the Darche Intrepidor 2 RTTs are for the more seasoned overlanders. While the Interpidor 2 1400 with its 55 kg weight fits on almost any car, the Interpidor 2 1600 is bigger and heavier (65 kgs), recommended for larger SUVs and 4×4’s.

The Darche Intrepidor 2 tents have a removable flysheet made of 210D ripstop oxford polyester. You need to unclip the flysheet on both sides, unhook the window poles and then the flysheet can be rolled back. The actual skywindow on the tent opens and closes with a zip.

As for other features – you might have guessed already, that the 1400 is 140 cms wide – that’s 2.5-berth, the 1600 is 160 cms wide – let’s call it a 3-berth with 53.3 cms per head. In all honesty, both are probably going to be used as a 2-person tent, with the 1600 being the roomier of the two. They both have 125cms headroom (measured inside the tent).

The mattress is only 6.5 cms thick, while the tent itself is made of 280gsm polycotton.

Where to buy and more info: Trek Overland (UK) or Darche Official

More Roof Top Tents with Skywindow

If you are still not convinced, here are a few more example

1. iKamper Skycamp 2x & 4x
   Detailed review here: iKamper Skycamp 2X Review and iKamper Skycamp 2.0 | 4-person Roof Tent Review
2. Thule Tepui Explorer Autana 3 (Explorer Series)
   Detailed review of another RTT of the Tepui Explorer series: Tepui Kukenam Explorer SKY 3 Roof Top Tent Review
3. Smittybilt overlander and Overlander XL
4. Yakima Skyrise
5. Carword Overland Rooftop Tent