Darche Basecamp 2200 vs Dometic TRT 140 AIR
The Darche Basecamp 2200 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. Darche and Dometic take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
The TRT 140 AIR is 40 kg lighter at 47 kg against 87 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 Basecamp 2200 gives 5.06 m² of sleeping floor against 3.16 m², about 60 percent more, and it sleeps 4 to the TRT 140 AIR's 2. List prices are within $139 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
They open differently: the Basecamp 2200 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: 260gsm Ripstop Polycotton Canvas body; 210D Ripstop Polyester Oxford fly against 300D ripstop polyester. The Basecamp 2200 adds integrated LED lighting, which the TRT 140 AIR does not offer.
Darche
Basecamp 2200
The Basecamp 2200 is a large fold-out softshell rooftop tent rated for four people, using a 65mm high-density foam mattress. It has an integrated LED strip, twin panoramic sky windows and fine insect mesh on all windows, and an annex is available separately. A 2.3m telescopic ladder and transit cover are included.
- Four-person capacity, the largest in Darche's softshell line
- Twin panoramic sky windows
- Annex-compatible and transit cover included
- No published weight or dimensions
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 Basecamp 2200 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 | $2,640— worst of the tents compared | $2,500— best of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 192 lb— worst of the tents compared | 104 lb— best of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 4 ft— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 11 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 7 ft 4 in— worst of the tents compared | 2 ft 8 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 13 in— worst of the tents compared | 12.2 in— best of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 7 ft 7 in— best of the tents compared | 7 ft 2 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 7 ft 3 in— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 9 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 54.5 sq ft— best of the tents compared | 34 sq ft— worst of the tents compared |
| Interior height | — | 3 ft 9 in |
| Mattress thickness | 2.6 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 | Coated Heavy-Duty Compressed Alloy base | — |
| Fabric | 260gsm Ripstop Polycotton Canvas body; 210D Ripstop Polyester Oxford fly | 300D ripstop polyester |
| Warranty | 3years | — |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | No |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | Yes | — |
| Annex available | Yes | — |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Darche product page | Dometic product page |
Related comparisons
- Basecamp 2200vsBIG WILLOW 4.0 (160)
- Basecamp 2200vsFamily
- Basecamp 2200vsAir Cruiser
- TRT 140 AIRvsBIG WILLOW 4.0 (160)
Or read the full spec sheets for the Darche Basecamp 2200 and the Dometic TRT 140 AIR.