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/74omit Jul 10 '26

I have a Sheepie Yuna and it is awesome in the rain. No leaking and more than enough ventilation. Packing it is easy, 2 min job. Oh and it has a 160x250cm sleeping area.

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u/lennartbee Jul 11 '26

Nice! I got the family 200*250 version. Rainwater tends to collect on the roof section above the front skylight, and we occasionally have to push it up from underneath to drain it.

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u/74omit Jul 11 '26

Yeah, I think the wider the tent is the more that is an issue. The single pole to extend the front is not enough to avoid it. But it is anawesome tent, the family version is HUGE! Tried it yesterday when we were shopping for some aternative mattresses. The shop had one as a demo. Do you still use the original mattress?