The two cars in these photos are a Jeep Compass and a Volkswagen Tiguan. Not a lifted Wrangler, not a Land Cruiser on 35s — the same family SUVs that do the school run on Monday. Both left the workshop with our side opening rooftop tent on the roof, and both owners had asked us the same question first: "Will it work on a car like mine?"
It is the most common question we get, and the honest answer is: usually, yes — and here is what that actually looks like.
Closed, it just looks like a roof box
On the Compass, the closed tent is a plain black shell that most people would walk past in a car park. That matters more than it sounds. A family SUV still has to be a family SUV on weekdays: car parks, school gates, the occasional low barrier. The tent earns its keep on weekends without taxing you for it Monday to Friday.
Open, the bed unfolds sideways
The trick of a side opening tent is in the name. Instead of sleeping within the footprint of the roof, the bed platform folds out over the side of the car, and the canvas follows it. You climb the ladder on the open side — in the Compass photo above, with the workshop dog supervising, which is not a service we charge for.
Why bother? Because roof width is the hardest limit on a smaller SUV. A Compass roof is not wide. But a bed that unfolds sideways is not limited to the width of the roof, and two people sleep flat instead of negotiating for elbow room.
Inside: the part photos usually skip
The Tiguan's interior shot is our favourite of the set, because nobody stages a tent's ceiling. The LED strip along the roof of the tent, windows on the sides for air, and enough height over the bed to sit up and read — that is what a night in it actually feels like. The fold-out design gives the tent a room-shaped interior instead of a wedge, and for couples who camp together, that shape is the difference between a bed on a car and a small room above one.
The checks we run before we say yes to a car like yours
- Roof load rating. A unibody SUV's roof is rated lower than a body-on-frame 4x4's. We check the dynamic rating of your exact model and count the rack in the total. If the numbers don't work, we will tell you not to buy it.
- Rails and rack. You need proper roof rails or a rack rated for the load. The clamp-on bars from a discount listing are not a foundation for a bed.
- Where you park at night. The bed folds out to one side and the ladder needs its patch of ground. A campsite pitch is fine; a narrow mountain lay-by might not be. Think about your usual spots.
- Garage and barrier height. Measure your car with the tent closed and write the number on the sun visor. Future you, tired, at a barrier, will be grateful.
Who the side opening tent suits
If your camping car is also your everyday car — and for most of our customers it is — the side opening tent is the shape that asks the least of the car and gives back the most bed. The Compass and Tiguan owners in these photos didn't buy new cars for camping. They made the car in the driveway do one more job.
Send us your car model before you order. We would rather check the fit on paper than have you find out on a roof.
About SMARCAMP
SMARCAMP — Innovate For Camping. SMARCAMP is a leading rooftop tent brand in the RTT industry. Our strengths: a strong R&D team, semi-automatic production lines and a complete product testing system.
We supply & wholesale rooftop tents, hard shell rooftop tents, pop-up car top tents, caravan tents, awnings and shower tents. As a professional manufacturer in China, we deliver premium-quality products at competitive prices. Custom service available. Welcome your inquiries!
👉 Visit us at: www.smarcamp.com
📧 Email: info@smarcamp.com
📞 Phone: +86-0755-2359-1201
💬 WhatsApp: +86-181-2395-9761
💬 WeChat: +86-181-2651-4680
📍 Head Office: 3 Floor, No. 3 Factory, Minsheng 4th Road, Baoyuan Community, Shiyan Street, Baoan District, Shenzhen City, China
For wholesale inquiries, OEM/ODM partnerships, or international distribution, feel free to reach out — we are here to support your outdoor ambitions.
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