Direct4x4 RoofTrekk Expedition vs Dometic TRT 140 AIR
The Direct4x4 RoofTrekk Expedition and the Dometic TRT 140 AIR are both softshell tents in the same part of the market, which makes them a genuine head-to-head rather than a comparison across categories. Direct4x4 and Dometic take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
By the numbers, the Direct4x4 RoofTrekk Expedition brings 80 kg, 4.64 m² of floor, 117 cm of headroom and sleeps 4. The Dometic TRT 140 AIR counters with 47 kg, 3.16 m² of floor, 115 cm of headroom and sleeps 2.
The TRT 140 AIR is 33 kg lighter at 47 kg against 80 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. Inside, the RoofTrekk Expedition gives 4.64 m² of sleeping floor against 3.16 m², about 47 percent more, and it sleeps 4 to the TRT 140 AIR's 2. Their list prices are within a few percent of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
They open differently: the RoofTrekk Expedition is a fold-out and the TRT 140 AIR an inflatable. That is not cosmetic — it decides whether headroom is even across the tent or tapers towards one end, and how much of the roof the tent occupies when closed. Canvas differs too: poly-cotton canvas, water column 3,000 mm against 300D ripstop polyester. The RoofTrekk Expedition adds integrated LED lighting, which the TRT 140 AIR does not offer.
Direct4x4
RoofTrekk Expedition
The RoofTrekk is a soft-shell fold-out rooftop tent rated for four people, built from Direct4x4's poly-cotton canvas with a 3,000 mm water column. It opens to 220 x 211 cm with a 117 cm interior height and packs down to 34 cm tall. Direct4x4 sells matching annex room add-ons for both the 3- and 4-person RoofTrekk, and the tent ships with a 4 cm mattress and a telescopic aluminium ladder.
- Sleeps up to four
- Compatible with Direct4x4's own annex room add-ons
- Packs down to a 34 cm closed height
- Canvas water-column rating (3,000 mm) is lower than Direct4x4's hard-shell TrailTop
Dometic
TRT 140 AIR
The only inflatable tent in this database. A single-point AIR frame replaces poles entirely, which is how it reaches 47 kg and why it packs to 82 cm wide — narrow enough for hatchback crossbars that most rooftop tents overhang.
- 47 kg, and no poles to bend or snap
- 82 cm closed width fits small car racks
- No poles to break or bend
- 3.2 cm mattress is thin
Which one to pick
Take the TRT 140 AIR if your roof load limit is the binding constraint. Take the RoofTrekk Expedition if you need the sleeping room more than you need the lighter tent. Beyond that the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex, cargo rails — are where the remaining difference lies.
Every specification, side by side
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Softshell | Softshell |
| Opening style | Fold-out | Inflatable |
| Sleeps | 4— best of the tents compared | 2— worst of the tents compared |
| Season rating | — | — |
| List price | $2,370— best of the tents compared | $2,499.99— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 176 lb— worst of the tents compared | 104 lb— best of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 7 ft 3 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 11 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 2 in— worst of the tents compared | 2 ft 8 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 13.4 in— worst of the tents compared | 12.2 in— best of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 7 ft 3 in— best of the tents compared | 7 ft 2 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 6 ft 11 in— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 9 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 49.9 sq ft— best of the tents compared | 34 sq ft— worst of the tents compared |
| Interior height | 3 ft 10 in— best of the tents compared | 3 ft 9 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Mattress thickness | 1.6 in— best of the tents compared | 1.3 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | ~5 minest. | 2 min |
| Shell material | — | — |
| Fabric | Poly-cotton canvas, water column 3,000 mm | 300D ripstop polyester |
| Warranty | — | — |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | No |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | — | — |
| Annex available | Yes | — |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Direct4x4 product page | Dometic product page |
Related comparisons
- RoofTrekk ExpeditionvsVagabond 2.0
- RoofTrekk ExpeditionvsElements Gen II 140
- RoofTrekk ExpeditionvsEvolution 2 (140)
- RoofTrekk ExpeditionvsViken 2.1 Lagom
Or read the full spec sheets for the Direct4x4 RoofTrekk Expedition and the Dometic TRT 140 AIR.