Super Light and Surprisingly Sturdy: Dometic TRT 140 Air Review

More than 1,500 miles from home, I opened my truck’s tailgate and pulled out the two-burner stove. As I started cooking dinner, waves crashed loudly on the rocky shore, a stone’s throw away. It was 4:30 p.m.

Moments earlier, I’d peeled off my wetsuit and booties, and the sun was setting along Mexico’s northern Baja California Peninsula. A couple of friends and I had caravanned south to camp, explore, and surf along the region’s remote, raw Pacific coastline.

We’d overlanded an hour or so from the closest two-lane highway — a string of potholes followed by rocky, rough, sandy, and unmarked double track — to set up camp on a prow overlooking the zone’s primary surf spot, where the waves are the most consistent and typically crest.

A handful of surfers and campers speckled the coast: several car campers, vans, and RVs, but mostly slide-in truck campers. My friends traveled in a luxurious adventure van, which they professionally design and build.

I landed on a unique setup: an inflatable rooftop tent on my truck bed topper.

As I camped, several Baja old-timers — who were posted up for 2 months in slide-in truck campers and camper trailers — approached to ask how I liked the innovative setup, which they’d never seen. Camping with a tent atop your rig along the coast could expose you to the elements, especially if you’re planning a longer trip than mine.

Baja is known for drops of wind, high gusts, and humidity. But this rooftop tent proved to be comfortable, durable, spacious, efficient, simple, and protective for camping beside the ocean throughout my road trip.

In short: Comfortable, roomy, and easy to use, the two-person Dometic TRT 140 Air Inflatable Rooftop Tent ($2,500) inflates in a few minutes via an included electric 12V pump that plugs into your vehicle’s interior outlet. Centered on the roof, the tri-fold base unfolds into thirds with the included, detachable telescopic ladder on one side and two fixed leverage arms that guide the base down or up on the other side.

The included foam mattress is supportive. Large mesh windows occupy the three walls, door, and roof — offering 360-degree views — with solid walls that zip or Velcro shut. Storage is plentiful with two large exterior cargo pockets, five interior mesh pockets, two ceiling clips (that are great for hanging lights), and a detachable elastic line that functions well as a clothesline.

To see how this rooftop tent stacks up against the competition, check out GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Rooftop Tents.

Dometic TRT 140 Air Inflatable Rooftop Tent Review

To those who’ve never been to Baja, it’s like backpacking through a far-flung paradise with your rig: I have a Toyota Tacoma with an extended cab and a 6-foot bed. With limited vehicle storage at home, owning a slide-in truck camper would require renting an additional large storage.

I also explored camping inside my truck bed topper, flying to Baja and renting a built-out truck, renting a friend’s built-out van, and pulling an off-road camper trailer.

Ultimately, to maximize cargo space on my road trip — and to travel with several surfboards protected inside by the topper versus on a roof rack — the most functional, economical option was to utilize the roof.

As a bonus, I was excited to have a novel bird’s-eye view of the surrounding landscape and ocean. Also, if you’re going to sleep in a tent in Baja, it’s best to have an elevated one so that scorpions or other creatures can’t crawl inside.

On my 15-day road trip, I tested out the Dometic TRT 140 Air Inflatable Rooftop Tent, which utilizes the brand’s AIR Frame, a technology that launched in 2023. The structure inflates into a rigid frame when filled to 9 psi.

While this design is not the first-ever inflatable rooftop tent, there aren’t many. GentleTent — a startup based in Vienna, Austria — holds the title of “world’s first” inflatable rooftop tent, for which the innovation received a 2018 Outdoor Industry Award at the OutDoor Show, Europe’s leading outdoor industry trade fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

The two-person GentleTent GT Roof ($3,281) weighs only 68 pounds (read our review), while the Air Inflatable is 106 pounds but costs less.

As I continued south, the warmer and calmer the weather was. Overall, daytime and overnight temps ranged from approximately 45 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit with a range of humidity, wind, gusts, cloud coverage, and direct sunlight. I was happy to find that the Air Inflatable felt durable and reliable and performed extremely well in these conditions.

Lightweight, Streamlined Design

At 106 pounds and a height of 12.2 inches, the Dometic TRT 140 Air Inflatable Rooftop Tent is relatively lightweight and compact. In comparison, the two-person iKamper BDV Duo Tent ($2,799) is 200 pounds.

Also for two, the Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO ($3,495) is 140 pounds. Weight is important if you need to consider the load capacity for your vehicle and roof or topper on a long off-roading trip: cargo and passenger weight can add up fast.

Initially, I noticed a subtle sound of air passing through the roof racks on the cab and topper. Installing the tent on the topper’s rack didn’t noticeably change that sound, which quickly became white noise.

My gas mileage only slightly dropped while toting around the tent. When I removed the tent post-trip, the drop of air resistance and weight was noticeable, in part because I drive a light truck.

During the installation and removal of the tent, lifting the folded-up tent from the topper to the ground with one other person felt like a moderate, if not easy, effort — but it’s not a solo job.

Given this tent has a tri-fold design — meaning, two ends fold out from the center to create the base before inflation — the low weight reassured me that I could independently open and close each section of the tent during setup and breakdown.

Ample Space, Compact Tri-Fold Size

As a two-person tent, the space felt roomy thanks to the interior’s relatively high overhead height. When the tent is inflated, the external dimensions are 45.3 inches, or a bit under 4 feet. While I couldn’t stand up straight inside the tent, I could easily move around on my knees, crouch, and comfortably change outfits.

It would be ideal if the tent could be secured to the left or right side of the roof rack, to help maximize the collapsed tent’s compact size. The tent sits in the middle of the roof rack for the safest weight distribution. (I installed the tent closest to the topper’s rear window versus the passenger doors.)

If rooftop accessories or carried gear is placed on either side of the roof rack where the tent base unfolds and rests, those items need to be removed before opening and inflating the tent.

For instance, it’d be sweet to utilize the Dometic vertical surfboard carrier on either side of the tent when it’s folded up: The Slimline II rack installed on my topper is roughly 45.87 inches wide.

The opened tent is 57 inches wide. When closed, the folded tent is 31.1 inches wide, meaning there’s nearly 14.5 inches (width-wise) of open space left on the rack. But the vertical holders are 15.8 inches long, so there’s not enough space to fold them down, even if the tent was slid to one side of the rack.

Also, when folded down, the surfboard carrier’s holders rest 45mm above the Slimline II Rack. I would question the long-term impact of resting the tent — plus additional human weight — on top of that hardware, even if it felt fairly level. Not the best idea.

In theory, if an auto accessory like the vertical surfboard carrier was mounted to the roof rack on the truck’s cab, then you could take advantage of a portion of the air space when the tent is folded up while driving.

You’d need to remove the surfboards before folding down the tent’s base. Or, perhaps half of a two-piece bracket — like the narrower hi-lift jack or axe holder — could be attached next to the tent on the rack’s open space toward the passenger windows.

Air Inflation & Breakdown Process

Throughout the trip, I collapsed and set up the tent solo a dozen times. On either end, the process takes under 10 minutes. I can’t imagine an easier setup and breakdown.

At just under 5’6″ tall, I stood on the rearmost running boards, bumper, and door sill. While elevated, I could easily reach the surrounding attachment points for the cover: a series of elastic bands that stretch around the knobs that affix the tent to the rack. There’s plenty of space between the knobs and the vehicle’s roof to slide your hands.

After removing the cover, I’d walk to the vehicle’s side to grab the feet of the ladder, which easily extended. With a gentle push, the lightweight ladder would leverage and open one-third of the tent’s base.

I’d walk to the opposite side of the truck and grab two sturdy, narrow arms to pull the other third of the tent base open and flat against the roof rack. When open, each side of the tent extends a bit past the roof rack.

With the tent fully opened, I’d plug in the 12V pump, climb the ladder, and attach the pump to the tent’s inflation valve. The best part? The pump could be pre-programmed to shut off at 9 psi, so I’d leave the pump inside the tent’s external cargo pocket and tend to other camp tasks during the 3-minute inflation.

For breakdown, the tent collapses in seconds when you open the valve. Then you gently tuck in the fabric along the edge, fold up the tent in thirds in reverse, and pull on the protective cover.

Material & Windows: 360-Degree Views

I wondered about the rigidity and durability of this tent, considering it’s inflatable. After living in the TRT 140 Air Inflatable for a couple of weeks, I can confidently say that this design is burly, sturdy, and feels long-lasting. When inflated, the structure reminds me of a high-end whitewater standup paddleboard inflated to its topmost PSI.

Each segment of the tent body is made with strong TPU inflation tubes that are zipped into a reinforced PE cover and housed inside a heavy-duty polyester sleeve. The tent body is a 300-denier brushed ripstop polyester shell — that complies with CPAI-84, a flammability standard for outdoor fabrics — and I never noticed condensation build up inside.

Once, I (mistakenly) left the door open, and moisture rolled in off the ocean. A layer of moisture coated everything inside the tent, which I wiped away with a beach towel and experienced no lasting effects.

The AIR Frame design proved to be stout in the wind — which was my biggest concern as a rooftop tent sitting high above the ground next to the ocean without any protective vegetation or structure to help barricade gusts.

While I didn’t experience the notorious 50- or 60-mph gusts that certain zones in Baja are known to occasionally receive, there were windy afternoons and nights. With gusts, the tent remained upright and stable when it was empty or when I was upstairs.

I loved that the two side walls have huge mesh barriers — that take up the full wall — as does the door, back wall, and a portion of the roof. I could enjoy 360-degree views of the ocean, shoreline, and distant desert peaks from high above the ground.

That mesh allowed ample airflow. When I wanted privacy or to block wind or humidity, the shell walls on the door and backside zipped up via a horseshoe-shaped zipper. The two larger side walls each have two vertical zippers that go to the ceiling, and the top edge doesn’t zip, but there’s a Velcro tab. This rooftop tent never felt stuffy despite days of direct sunshine.

Internal Storage & Pockets

I thought the tent offered plenty of functional storage, including four smaller interior mesh hanging pockets, which are great for items like headlamps, socks, a journal, and a pen. Those pouches are 26 cm by 29 cm by 14 cm. Up top, hanging against the ceiling is a large mesh hammock where you could stash clothes, towels, or other goods. That top hammock is 60 cm by 67 cm by 72 cm.

Two fixed ceiling clips offered a good option for hanging a rechargeable lantern. I also liked using the detachable elastic line, which clipped to each wall and hung perpendicular to the door, to dry out clothes during the day when I wasn’t inside the tent — that said, the line is technically supposed to be removed when the tent is set up.

The orange elastic is for folding the roof tent down: It pulls the side wall fabric into the fold so that it does not overhang the package when the tent is folded.

But my favorite storage detail is the most unique: Two large exterior cargo pockets hang outside the tent on either side of the ladder. They’re spacious enough to fit multiple pairs of shoes.

There’s even a nifty storage net for the tent cover, which slides into the channel of the tent base and fastens to a set of buckles.

Mattress & Ladder

Dometic’s inflatable rooftop tent includes a high-density foam mattress, which remains inside the tent when you fold it up into thirds. While the mattress isn’t plush memory foam — like the Hest Dually, which we found to be luxurious — the included 1.3-inch thick mattress is supportive, fairly comfortable, and integrates cleanly with the design.

Beneath the mattress is a slender anti-condensation mat, as well. The mattress stays put, and there are thick strips of Velcro on the underside to help secure the mattress in place.

The ladder feels substantial and light. When it’s collapsed, I left it affixed on top of the folded-up tent, which was all encased with the included waterproof cover, made of 600-denier PVC, during road travel. But the ladder can be easily removed with the two spring-loaded pins.

To extend the ladder, it was easy for me to grab the feet and pull outward until the ladder reached its full set height: Two release buttons on the side let you adjust the ladder to one of four heights to pair well with the height of your rig.

Installation & Accessories

I decided to put the rooftop tent on the topper versus the cab. My topper has a reinforced roof and extra reinforcement along the periphery, and it can handle the load capacity.

Two friends helped me install a pair of Dometic’s universal tracks to the topper: This process was challenging and time-consuming, even with the aid of a professional electrician and mechanic. Tracks are required to hold the RSI Smart Canopy Slimline II Rack Kit base atop a 6-foot-long bed — read our GearJunkie review of the Slimline II — where the tent would attach.

The installation of the rack was likewise challenging and time-consuming, even for a crew of experts. It was much quicker and easier to install the Slimline II tray and rails to the cab, because the kit connects to the factory mount, has a height that’s compatible with the roof’s antenna, and no drilling or bolt cutting is required.

Knowing that all three of these products are manufactured by Dometic set me at ease regarding compatibility. I like that this rack kit is made of high-strength steel and powder-coated T6 aluminum — especially for a rooftop tent that I’ll be sleeping inside — and the modular design is a plus for attaching other mounts.

For instance, on the cab’s rack, I was able to mount the off-road shovel kit on one side. On the other side, I added the under-rack table bracket to hold an aluminum camp table, which stealthily slides between the roof and top of the rack.

The camp table easily slides out but is a tad trickier to slide in, so be sure to properly align the edge with the opening of the bracket. After thousands of miles on the road, none of these items rattled loose or made noise.

To install and remove the tent, I had the help of one other person. To take the tent off the rack, you first need to unscrew and remove the plastic end caps, brackets, washers, and screws that hold the tent to the rack. That step doesn’t require tools and can be done by hand.

Actually sliding and lifting the tent off the roof requires thoughtfulness, but step-by-step was relatively swift. Lifting the tent was a moderate to easy effort. Given the tent is rigid, it can be stored vertically on its side that’s 12.2 inches wide, so it doesn’t take up a ton of space.

Critiques & Advice

Occasionally, the singular Velcro came undone at the top-center of the tent walls when the gusts were strong and straight on. But most of the time, the Velcro remained fixed even when it was windy. A simple solution could be for Dometic to add a couple more sections of Velcro along the top of each detachable wall.

The biggest critiques I have are with Dometic’s instruction manuals, which lean heavily on pictographs with little to no written direction. To make sure everything was on nice and secure before taking a solo international trip, I had the help of a professional mechanic, electrician, and even the owner of Labyrinth Overland — who builds high-end truck campers — and they all separately agreed that the instructions are poor.

For the installation of the tracks, Dometic’s instructions were very sparse and don’t provide information about ideal placement in order to be the most supportive. To install the RSI Smart Canopy Slimline II Rack Kit to the integrated tracks, you need to remove the interior rubber, add holes to the rubber, and then reinstall the rubber as the rack base. It’s a difficult process that’s not easy for the average person.

The shovel rack is not the easiest to install, either. It’s not impossible to do at home, but you should be up for a challenge and have the right tools, a warm garage, and patience.

The instructions for installing the under-rack table bracket (to hold the aluminum camp table beneath the Slimline II) were likewise sparse and lacked specific guidance on a specific installation location. A bunch of plastic washers were included with the table rack; they were not on the list of included components, which was confusing.

Warnings could be included in the instructions, like: Before you tighten down the under-rack table bracket, remember to slide the bolts into the rack that attach the rack to the base on the topper.

And, if you have a sunroof, be careful when opening it beneath the Slimline II Rack, because there’s only about an inch or so of clearance — so there’s a potential it could get stuck and break if it’s popped all the way open.  

Conclusion: Excellent Rooftop Tent for Long Road Trips

These days, there are so many rig configurations to choose from for a road trip or off-road experience, including various excellent rooftop tents. But the Dometic TRT 140 Air Inflatable Rooftop Tent is a simple, compact, lightweight solution for folks who want their rig to remain fairly nimble and who don’t want to break the bank.

Even more, the Air Inflatable is extremely easy to set up — after the necessary rooftop tracks and rack have been installed, which is the challenging part. The tent inflates in a few minutes, and you can leave the preset electric air pump alone to do the work. The tent deflates in seconds. Whether you’re folding away or opening up the tri-section design, the process takes 5 to 10 minutes.

In the bundle, the mattress is comfortable, the lightweight ladder is sturdy, and the exterior cargo pockets are spacious for footwear or other gear that you want to store outside the tent.

Thanks to top-to-bottom mesh walls, the 360-degree treehouse views are a spectacular perk, especially when you’ve driven a few hours into the hills for a weekend escape — or, thousands of miles to camp on a remote beach in another country. The solid walls block wind and moisture very well. And the tent’s tall overhead height makes the two-person tent feel even roomier.

Without pause, the Air Inflatable Rooftop Tent provides a luxurious, comfortable, and spacious camping experience that I recommend you take advantage of if your rig’s roof is to spec to handle the weight.