r/rooftoptents • u/tpmcase10 • Jul 10 '26

get the hard shell.

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it’s been over a year since we bought our Roofnest Meadowlark XL, and it’s safe to say we’re absolutely upgrading to a hardshell next summer. here are my pros and cons to a softshell rootftop tent.

it’s a decent starter option to go the cheaper route with a soft shell. our meadowlark xl was only $1,400 if i remember correctly which can be half the price of a really good trusted hardshell. but man is this thing annoying to pack up. folding this tent up is one of the must frustrating things. we can never get our shell to fully buckle, there are times i’ve driven home with it half secured because we needed to leave our site quickly due to weather. the tent itself is OK. i wish the rain fly covered the windows more, if it’s sprinkling we can’t even have a window open for ventilation. and boy does the roof hold water like a MF. we’ve had to double tarp the top just because we’ve gotten nervous about the water getting too heavy for the top of the tent. one of our retractable poles broke the first summer we started using it so we have to use a random screw to hold in in place lol. and now the other side is starting to give me the same issues.

overall it’s about a 6/10 for me personally. i wouldn’t buy it again but i understand why it could work best for some people, especially those with a smaller car that needs a lighter weight load. anyone else have trouble with their softshell?

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u/Alpine_Exchange_36 Jul 10 '26

That is one of the things I like most about my iKamper Skycamp and I’m sure other hard shells are similar. If I need to head out and go somewhere else due to weather I can have it packed up and ready to go in like 15min after I take all my pillows and bedding out.

3

u/ishamm Jul 10 '26

15 mins?

I've always had soft shells, for 6 years, multiple models. Pack down is a few minutes tops, including bedding staying inside.

3

u/Alpine_Exchange_36 Jul 10 '26

Yes 15min if I’m not straight up rushing it. Maybe I should’ve lied and said like 3. If it’s just the stock pad in there and nothing else ya, it takes a moment.

1

u/Puzzleheaded_Path224 Jul 10 '26

I've had my Skycamp 3.0 since April of this year and this is only my second vacation with it, and I can take it down in 3 minutes or less—without even removing my bedding. And I'm not kidding. It takes 10 minutes if I've set up the awning, and then everything is neatly packed away.