Article: Hardshell vs. softshell rooftop tent: which one suits you?
Hardshell vs. softshell rooftop tent: which one suits you?
The short answer
A hardshell rooftop tent is open in about a minute and is the most practical option if you often move on. A softshell is cheaper and usually offers more sleeping area, but each time you spend 10 to 30 minutes putting it up and packing it away. If you travel on every day, choose hardshell. If you stay a week at the same campsite with a large family, softshell is a fine choice.
Below is the whole trade-off, including what we do not like about our own tents.
Hardshell or softshell: the difference in one table
| Hardshell | Softshell | |
|---|---|---|
| Set-up time | About a minute | 10-30 minutes |
| Weight | Heavy: 60.5 to 74 kg for our models | Usually lighter |
| Handling | Low profile, little wind noise | More drag |
| Sleeping space | Fixed, limited by the shell | Often folds out, sometimes with an annex |
| Packing away wet | Shell closed, done | Fabric has to dry later |
| Purchase price | Higher | Lower |
What is a softshell rooftop tent?
A softshell is a folding tent made of tent fabric. You open it like a book, with part of it sticking out beside or behind the car and resting on a ladder. You can often hang an annex underneath, so you have an extra space to change or cook in.
Strong point: you get plenty of sleeping area for your money, and the folded out section carries its share on the ladder.
Weak point: it costs time. And fabric you pack away wet has to be hung out again at home. If you do not do that, after two weeks your tent smells like a cellar.
What is a hardshell rooftop tent?
A hardshell has a hard shell that lies flat on your roof bars when folded shut, like a suitcase. It opens on gas struts: clips off, push, done. About a minute, even when it is raining.
Strong point: speed and convenience. Your bedding simply stays in the tent while you drive. The low profile gives less wind noise than a folded softshell.
Weak point: it is heavy and the sleeping space is what it is. You cannot make a hardshell bigger than the shell. And you pay more.
How heavy is a hardshell rooftop tent exactly?
This is the question most people come unstuck on, so here are the figures for our three models. No "about", but what the scales say.
| LCM Dune | LCM Oasis | LCM Savannah | |
|---|---|---|---|
| People | 2 | 2-3 | 2-3 |
| Weight | 60.5 kg | 66 kg | 74 kg |
| Closed (l × w × h) | 212 × 131 × 11.6 cm | 213 × 151 × 11.5 cm | 212 × 145 × 13.8 cm |
| Open (l × w × h) | 212 × 131 × 156 cm | 207 × 160 × 141 cm | 212 × 145 × 161.7 cm |
| Inside space | 207 × 117 × 144 cm | 206 × 152 × 124 cm | 200 × 131 × 148 cm |
| Mattress | 198 × 116.5 × 5 cm, memory foam | 198 × 137 × 4 cm, cloud foam | 199 × 130 × 5 cm |
| Colour | Grey or khaki | Grey | Khaki |
For the LCM Oasis the following also applies: telescopic ladder of 2.3 metres with a load capacity of 150 kg, waterproof to 5,000 mm, aluminium honeycomb base. All models come with a 2 year warranty.
Yes, 74 kilos is a lot. No, you do not lift that onto your roof on your own. Count on two people and a mug of coffee afterwards.
What we have noticed ourselves
We do not know these tents from a brochure. Our tents have been tested in Mauritania and the Sahara, and there you learn more about materials in a week than in three years at a Dutch campsite.
What stands out there: sand creeps into everything. Zips that work fine at a campsite jam after a few days of desert. Fabric that flaps in the wind all day wears at the folds. And after ten hours of driving on a dirt track you no longer feel like spending half an hour putting up a tent.
That is exactly why we sell hardshell. Not because softshell is bad, but because it did not work for the kind of travelling we do.
Which one do you choose?
Choose softshell if:
- Your budget is limited
- You sleep with more than three people or want an annex
- You usually stay a few nights in the same place
- Extra set-up time does not bother you
Choose hardshell if:
- You often move on, a different place every day
- You want to be set up quickly, in bad weather too
- You want to leave your bedding in place
- You want a tent that lasts for years without any fuss
Will a rooftop tent fit my car?
That depends on the roof load of your car, and that differs per model and per year of manufacture. We deliberately make no promises about this per car make. What you can do: work out your roof load from your registration number; there we also explain the difference between dynamic and static roof load. All information about roof load is indicative only. The figure stated by your car manufacturer is what counts.
Roof bars are not included with the tent. You arrange those yourself, and they have to be at least as wide as the tent.
Do you drive a pickup? Then read our article about a rooftop tent on a pickup: cab roof, canopy or bed rack. It also says which canopy and which rack we can arrange.
If you sleep in the tent, do so in places where it is allowed. Read our article about the rules on staying overnight in a rooftop tent.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to set up a hardshell rooftop tent?
About a minute. Clips off, shell up, slide out the ladder. In practice a softshell takes 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the model and on whether the fabric is wet.
How much does a hardshell rooftop tent weigh?
Our models weigh 60.5 kg (LCM Dune), 66 kg (LCM Oasis) and 74 kg (LCM Savannah). That is the tent weight; the roof bars and the people sleeping in it come on top of that.
Can my bedding stay in the rooftop tent?
Yes. With a hardshell you fold it shut with the duvet and pillows inside. That saves you fuss every evening.
Is a hardshell rooftop tent waterproof?
All our hardshells are waterproof to 5,000 mm water column. The hard shell also protects the fabric while you drive, where a softshell has to rely on its cover.
How many people is a rooftop tent suitable for?
The LCM Dune is a 2 person tent. The LCM Oasis and the LCM Savannah are suitable for 2 to 3 people. With three people do expect it to be tight: look at the inside dimensions in the table above.
Can I rent a rooftop tent first?
Yes. We rent out our rooftop tents, so you can try out whether this way of travelling suits you before you buy one. See the rental options.
Are you collecting it yourself?
If you collect your rooftop tent from us, we help with the fitting on your car free of charge. We use stronger bolts than the bolts that come in the package as standard. You are welcome to lie in it and try it out too. That is usually the moment when people decide. See all hardshell rooftop tents.
