RoofBunk Roamer vs Smittybilt Aluminum Pop-up
The RoofBunk Roamer and the Smittybilt Aluminum Pop-up are both hardshell tents in the same part of the market, which makes them a genuine head-to-head rather than a comparison across categories. RoofBunk and Smittybilt take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
By the numbers, the RoofBunk Roamer brings 60 kg, 2.94 m² of floor, 100 cm of headroom and sleeps 3. The Smittybilt Aluminum Pop-up counters with 3.02 m² of floor, 114.05 cm of headroom and sleeps 3.
Floor area is close to identical at 2.94 m² and 3.02 m², so neither wins on sleeping room. Headroom separates them further: 114.05 cm in the Aluminum Pop-up against 100 cm, which is the difference between sitting up to dress and doing it lying down. Their list prices are within a few percent of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one. Smittybilt also backs the Aluminum Pop-up for 5 years against 2.
The Roamer uses high-quality ABS; the Aluminum Pop-up uses aluminum. Closed, the Aluminum Pop-up sits 8.969999999999999 cm lower on the roof — 18.03 cm against 27 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
RoofBunk
Roamer
The Roamer is RoofBunk's ABS hard-shell tent, a gas-strut pop-up that the maker says opens in 30-60 seconds and sleeps 2-3. RoofBunk lists open dimensions of 210 x 140cm, a closed height of 27cm, a 7cm memory-foam mattress and a 60kg weight excluding the ladder. The high-quality ABS shell tops a 320gsm poly-cotton ripstop canvas body rated to 3000mm HH and 4-season.
- Quick 30-60 second gas-strut pop-up setup per the manufacturer
- Thicker 7cm memory-foam mattress than the soft-shell Explorer range
- Bedding can be left inside when the ABS shell is closed
- Weight (60kg) is published excluding the ladder
Smittybilt
Aluminum Pop-up
The Aluminum Pop-up RTT is a hard-shell rooftop tent with an aluminum shell that raises vertically on gas-assisted struts to sleep 2-3 people. It shares the same footprint and external roof rack bars as Smittybilt's Aluminum Side Opening model but pops up to a taller interior peak. It includes a 2.5" high-density foam mattress, an LED light strip with remote and internal mesh storage, and carries a 661lbs load rating with a 5-year warranty.
- Vertical pop-up gives more interior peak height than Smittybilt's side-opening aluminum model
- External roof rack bars for cargo on the closed shell
- Aluminum hard shell with 5-year warranty and quick gas-assisted setup
- Manufacturer does not publish tent weight or season rating
Which one to pick
These two are closely matched on the numbers that usually decide it. Read the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex — and let whichever of those you will actually use break the tie.
Every specification, side by side
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Hardshell | Hardshell |
| Opening style | Pop-up | Pop-up |
| Sleeps | 3 | 3 |
| Season rating | 4-season | — |
| List price | $2,320— best of the tents compared | $2,499.99— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 132 lb | — |
| Packed length | 6 ft 11 in— best of the tents compared | 7 ft 1 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 7 in— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 10.6 in— worst of the tents compared | 7.1 in— best of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 6 ft 11 in— worst of the tents compared | 7 ft 1 in— best of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 4 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 7 in— best of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 31.6 sq ft— worst of the tents compared | 32.5 sq ft— best of the tents compared |
| Interior height | 3 ft 3 in— worst of the tents compared | 3 ft 9 in— best of the tents compared |
| Mattress thickness | 2.8 in— best of the tents compared | 2.5 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | 60 sec | ~60 secest. |
| Shell material | High-quality ABS | Aluminum |
| Fabric | 320gsm poly-cotton blend ripstop canvas | — |
| Warranty | 2years— worst of the tents compared | 5years— best of the tents compared |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | — | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | — | — |
| Annex available | — | — |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | Yes |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | RoofBunk product page | Smittybilt product page |
Related comparisons
Or read the full spec sheets for the RoofBunk Roamer and the Smittybilt Aluminum Pop-up.