Dometic TRT 140 AIR vs Vickywood BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160)
The Dometic TRT 140 AIR and the Vickywood BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160) 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. Dometic and Vickywood take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
The TRT 140 AIR is 21 kg lighter at 47 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 3.16 m², about 28 percent more, and it sleeps 3 to the TRT 140 AIR's 2. List prices are within $27 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
They open differently: the TRT 140 AIR is an inflatable and the BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160) a fold-out. 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) adds integrated LED lighting, which the TRT 140 AIR does not offer. Closed, the TRT 140 AIR sits 8 cm lower on the roof — 31 cm against 39 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
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
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
Which one to pick
Take the TRT 140 AIR if your roof load limit is the binding constraint. Take the BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160) 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 | Inflatable | Fold-out |
| Sleeps | 2— worst of the tents compared | 3— best of the tents compared |
| Season rating | — | — |
| List price | $2,500— worst of the tents compared | $2,470— best of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 104 lb— best of the tents compared | 150 lb— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 4 ft 11 in— best of the tents compared | 5 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 2 ft 8 in— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 1 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 12.2 in— best of the tents compared | 15.4 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 7 ft 2 in— worst of the tents compared | 8 ft— best of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 4 ft 9 in— worst of the tents compared | 5 ft 5 in— best of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 34 sq ft— worst of the tents compared | 43.5 sq ft— best of the tents compared |
| Interior height | 3 ft 9 in | 3 ft 9 in |
| Mattress thickness | 1.3 in | — |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | 2 min | ~5 minest. |
| Shell material | — | Aluminum honeycomb base with rubberized surface |
| Fabric | 300D ripstop polyester | — |
| Warranty | — | — |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | No | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | — | Yes |
| Annex available | — | Yes |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Dometic product page | Vickywood product page |
Related comparisons
- TRT 140 AIRvsBasecamp 2200
- TRT 140 AIRvsAir Cruiser
- TRT 140 AIRvsSkyRise HD
- BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160)vsBIG WILLOW 4.0 (180)
Or read the full spec sheets for the Dometic TRT 140 AIR and the Vickywood BIG WILLOW 4.0 (160).