Vickywood BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160) vs Wild Land Air Cruiser
The Vickywood BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160) and the Wild Land Air Cruiser 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. Vickywood and Wild Land take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
The Air Cruiser is 17 kg lighter at 51 kg against 68 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 BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160) gives 4.04 m² of sleeping floor against 2.84 m², about 42 percent more, though both are rated for 3. Headroom separates them further: 145 cm in the Air Cruiser against 115 cm, which is the difference between sitting up to dress and doing it lying down. The BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160) lists $526 lower, at $2,473 against $2,999.
They open differently: the BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160) is a fold-out and the Air Cruiser 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. The BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160) uses aluminum honeycomb base with rubberized surface; the Air Cruiser uses aluminium frame base. Closed, the Air Cruiser sits 9 cm lower on the roof — 30 cm against 39 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
Vickywood
BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160)
The BIG WILLOW 4.0 in its 160 width is the smaller of two BIG WILLOW sizes, a large soft-shell fold-out rated for up to 3 people with side-mounted gas struts assisting setup. Open dimensions are given by the maker as approximately 245 x 165 cm. It includes a dimmable USB-C LED and large roof windows.
- Large fold-out floor area
- Gas-strut assisted setup
- Headline weight states it includes mattress and ladder
- Tent fabric material not specified
Wild Land
Air Cruiser
The Air Cruiser is Wild Land's inflatable rooftop tent, using air beams over an aluminium base rather than poles, with a built-in electric pump the maker says fully inflates it in about four minutes. It sleeps 2-3 on a 5 cm foam mattress and includes LED lighting and dual roof skylights. It is the only inflatable model in Wild Land's US line-up.
- Built-in electric pump inflates the tent in about four minutes
- Includes LED lighting and dual roof skylights
- Full fabric specification published (PU5000mm cover)
- Heavier tent-only weight (51 kg) than the lighter fold-out models
Which one to pick
Take the BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160) if you need the sleeping room more than you need the lighter tent. Take the Air Cruiser if your roof load limit is the binding constraint. 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 | 3 | 3 |
| Season rating | — | — |
| List price | $2,470— best of the tents compared | $2,999— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 150 lb— worst of the tents compared | 112 lb— best of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 5 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 11 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 1 in— worst of the tents compared | 3 ft 7 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 15.4 in— worst of the tents compared | 11.8 in— best of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 8 ft— best of the tents compared | 6 ft 11 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 5 ft 5 in— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 5 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 43.5 sq ft— best of the tents compared | 30.6 sq ft— worst of the tents compared |
| Interior height | 3 ft 9 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 9 in— best of the tents compared |
| Mattress thickness | — | 2 in |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | ~5 minest. | 4 min |
| Shell material | Aluminum honeycomb base with rubberized surface | Aluminium frame base |
| Fabric | — | 600D poly-oxford PVC-coated cover (PU5000mm); 280g rip-stop polycotton PU-coated 2000mm walls; 210D poly-oxford PU3000mm floor |
| Warranty | — | — |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | Yes | Yes |
| Annex available | Yes | — |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Vickywood product page | Wild Land product page |
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Or read the full spec sheets for the Vickywood BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160) and the Wild Land Air Cruiser.