RooftopTentCompare

Smittybilt Aluminum Pop-up vs Smittybilt Aluminum Side Opening

Both of these are Smittybilt tents, so the question is not which brand to trust but which size and configuration suits your vehicle and how you camp. The Aluminum Pop-up and the Aluminum Side Opening share Smittybilt's construction and warranty; where they part company is in the numbers below.

Floor area is close to identical at 3.02 m² and 3.02 m², so neither wins on sleeping room. Headroom separates them further: 114.05 cm in the Aluminum Pop-up against 96.01 cm, which is the difference between sitting up to dress and doing it lying down. List prices are within $100 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.

They open differently: the Aluminum Pop-up is a pop-up and the Aluminum Side Opening a clamshell. 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.

Smittybilt

Aluminum Pop-up

The Aluminum Pop-up RTT is a hard-shell rooftop tent with an aluminum shell that raises vertically on gas-assisted struts to sleep 2-3 people. It shares the same footprint and external roof rack bars as Smittybilt's Aluminum Side Opening model but pops up to a taller interior peak. It includes a 2.5" high-density foam mattress, an LED light strip with remote and internal mesh storage, and carries a 661lbs load rating with a 5-year warranty.

  • Vertical pop-up gives more interior peak height than Smittybilt's side-opening aluminum model
  • External roof rack bars for cargo on the closed shell
  • Aluminum hard shell with 5-year warranty and quick gas-assisted setup
  • Manufacturer does not publish tent weight or season rating

Smittybilt

Aluminum Side Opening

The Aluminum Side Opening RTT is a hard-shell rooftop tent with a low-profile aluminum shell that opens to the side, sleeping 2-3 people. It uses gas-assisted struts, a 2.5" high-density foam mattress, an LED light strip with inline remote, internal mesh storage and external roof rack bars on the shell. Smittybilt rates it for a 661lbs load and backs it with a 5-year warranty.

  • Aluminum hard shell with 5-year warranty and gas-assisted setup
  • External roof rack bars allow cargo carrying on the closed shell
  • 2.5" mattress and LED strip with remote
  • Manufacturer does not publish tent weight or season rating

Which one to pick

These two are closely matched on the numbers that usually decide it. Read the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex — and let whichever of those you will actually use break the tie.

Every specification, side by side

Side-by-side specifications for Smittybilt Aluminum Pop-up, Smittybilt Aluminum Side Opening
Specification

Smittybilt

Aluminum Pop-up
Hardshell
  • Most headroom
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Smittybilt

Aluminum Side Opening
Hardshell
  • Cheapest
Check current price
Overview
TypeHardshellHardshell
Opening stylePop-upClamshell
Sleeps33
Season rating——
List price$2,499.99— worst of the tents compared$2,399.99— best of the tents compared
Weight and size
Weight——
Packed length7 ft 1 in7 ft 1 in
Packed width4 ft 7 in4 ft 7 in
Packed height7.1 in7.1 in
Living space
Sleeping length7 ft 1 in7 ft 1 in
Sleeping width4 ft 7 in4 ft 7 in
Floor area32.5 sq ft32.5 sq ft
Interior height3 ft 9 in— best of the tents compared3 ft 2 in— worst of the tents compared
Mattress thickness2.5 in2.5 in
Setup and build
Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice.~60 secest.~60 secest.
Shell materialAluminumAluminum
Fabric——
Warranty5years5years
Features
Integrated LED lightingYesYes
Heater / HVAC port——
Roof skylight——
Annex available——
Solar ready——
Carries cargo on topYesYes
Sources
Last verifiedSmittybilt product pageSmittybilt product page

Related comparisons

Or read the full spec sheets for the Smittybilt Aluminum Pop-up and the Smittybilt Aluminum Side Opening.