Rack and Tent compares rooftop tents, roof racks, awnings and coolers from the figures their makers and sellers publish, then does the arithmetic in the open. We have not bought, mounted or tested any product. This page lists every source, the rule behind every pick and badge, and what the comparison leaves out.
What we cover
65 products (47 rooftop tents, 12 coolers, 6 awnings) plus 9 rack listings, from 12 stores, all read on November 7, 2026. 8 products are sold by two of these stores; we matched them by part number (SKU) and list both prices, the cheapest in stock first.
| Store | Products in its public catalog | Products we kept | Read on | Affiliate program |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overland Kitted | 7340 | 15 | November 7, 2026 | none found: plain link |
| Roofnest | 70 | 12 | November 7, 2026 | AvantLink 15757, 5% |
| Cascadia | 52 | 11 | November 7, 2026 | AvantLink 24169, 5% to 10% |
| Naturnest | 62 | 11 | November 7, 2026 | Impact, up to 5% |
| Trail Recon | 9204 | 10 | November 7, 2026 | none found: plain link |
| iKamper | 218 | 6 | November 7, 2026 | AvantLink 16621, 6% |
| Engel | 189 | 4 | November 7, 2026 | AvantLink 27493, 15% |
| Canyon | 106 | 4 | November 7, 2026 | none found: plain link |
| Yakima | 2249 | 3 | November 7, 2026 | AvantLink 24129, 7% |
| Bison | 169 | 3 | November 7, 2026 | AvantLink 25441, 15% |
| ROAM | 130 | 2 | November 7, 2026 | AvantLink 22013, 5% |
| Grizzly | 275 | 1 | November 7, 2026 | none found: plain link |
How we compare: criteria, sources and dates
Where each figure comes from
- Prices, compare-at prices and stock: each store's public catalog (Shopify
products.json), read by our script on November 7, 2026, for the variant we link to. A struck-through price is the store's own compare-at price; we never compute a discount. - Weights, beds, capacities, closed heights, ratings: the text of each product page on the same day (makers' stores for ROAM, iKamper, Roofnest, Yakima, Cascadia, Naturnest, Engel, Bison, Canyon and Grizzly; the sellers' descriptions at Overland Kitted and Trail Recon for ARB, 23ZERO, Rhino-Rack and the racks). Each figure is quoted in our data file with the sentence it comes from.
- Affiliate programs: the programs' own pages (ROAM, Naturnest, RTIC) and AvantLink's public program directory for ROAM, iKamper, Roofnest, Yakima, Cascadia, Rhino-Rack USA, Engel, Bison, Dometic, ARB and 23ZERO.
Rules when figures disagree or are missing
- Missing figure: "not published". The tools leave that product out of the check that needs the figure and say how many they left out.
- Two figures on one page: we keep the less favorable one, the heavier weight, the taller closed height, the shorter bed, and say so next to it (Naturnest Sirius 1 Plus, Polaris 2 and Polaris Aero; iKamper BDV Duo; Grizzly 60).
- A weight range: we keep the top (iKamper Skycamp 4.0).
- A capacity range ("sleeps 2-3"): the crew check uses the top figure, as the maker publishes it.
- A shipping weight is not a product weight (Rhino-Rack soft shell): not used.
- Store addresses: Cascadia Vehicle Tents now answers at cvttents.com, and several stores redirect to a host with or without "www": our links point to the final address.
The rule behind every pick
Every "Our picks in 30 seconds" badge follows one written rule: the cheapest product in stock, at its cheapest seller, that meets the condition named on the badge. The conditions are about published figures (shell type, capacity, weight, closed height, bed length, quarts). When one product meets two conditions first, it gets one card with both badges. Tables are sorted by price, the lightest first or by the tool's result, as their heading says.
What we do not do
- We do not test products and never write that we did. No hands-on claims about comfort, wind noise, leaks, setup time or ice life: setup and ice figures on the site are the makers' claims, quoted as such.
- No star ratings, no scores, and no customer reviews, written or imported by us.
- No vehicle figures of our own: roof load ratings come from your manual. The one vehicle figure on the site (Ford Bronco) is quoted from a seller's listing and labeled that way.
- No fake urgency or stock counters.
How we are paid
Some links may earn us a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you, once a program accepts the site; none has as of November 7, 2026. Commissions are not part of any rule above: a store with no program (Overland Kitted, Trail Recon, Canyon, Grizzly) can be first, and is when it is cheapest. Details: Affiliate disclosure.
What is missing
- Not exhaustive. Thule and Tepui tents (bot check on thule.com), Smittybilt, 23ZERO's own store, YETI and RTIC (blocked or unreadable), Dometic coolers (no catalog we could read), Front Runner racks, Amazon, REI and other large retailers are not covered.
- Left out for lack of a published weight: ARB Simpson, ARB Esperance (first generation), ARB Altitude and Cascadia Pioneer. Yakima publishes no sleeping capacity, Cascadia no sleeping area.
- Rack ratings are vehicle-specific seller descriptions; we did not read the rack makers' manuals.
How often
Prices and stock are not live. The date each price was read is shown next to it, and each page shows the date it was last changed. We plan to read the catalogs again at least once a month, and after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, since many prices on our first check were sale prices.
Who writes
Pages are written and checked by the Rack and Tent editorial team. Spotted an error? Tell us the page and the figure through the contact details on the About page.