Alu-Cab Gen 3-R Expedition vs Eezi-Awn Sword Family
The Alu-Cab Gen 3-R Expedition and the Eezi-Awn Sword Family are both hardshell tents in the same part of the market, which makes them a genuine head-to-head rather than a comparison across categories. Alu-Cab and Eezi-Awn take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
By the numbers, the Alu-Cab Gen 3-R Expedition brings 76 kg, 2.73 m² of floor, 160 cm of headroom and sleeps 2. The Eezi-Awn Sword Family counters with 100 kg, 3.8 m² of floor and sleeps 4.
The Gen 3-R Expedition is 24 kg lighter at 76 kg against 100 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. Inside, the Sword Family gives 3.8 m² of sleeping floor against 2.73 m², about 39 percent more, and it sleeps 4 to the Gen 3-R Expedition's 2. Their list prices are within a few percent of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
They open differently: the Gen 3-R Expedition is a pop-up and the Sword Family 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. The Gen 3-R Expedition uses aluminium hard shell with insulated roof and base; the Sword Family uses aluminium hard-shell with one-piece hinge mechanism. Canvas differs too: double-layer 400gsm canvas, hydrostatic head above 1000 mm against 260 g/m² Teflon-coated polyester ripstop. Closed, the Gen 3-R Expedition sits 10 cm lower on the roof — 28 cm against 38 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
Alu-Cab
Gen 3-R Expedition
The overlanding specialist's tent: an aluminium pop-up hard shell rather than plastic, a heavy 400gsm double-layer canvas, and solar-ready wiring with internal USB and USB-C points. It stands 160 cm at the interior peak on a 210 x 130 cm floor.
- Heavy 400gsm double-layer canvas
- Pre-wired for solar with integrated LED and USB-C
- Cargo rails rated for 50 kg
- Alu-Cab publishes no list price or warranty term
Eezi-Awn
Sword Family
The Sword is a hard-shell family tent that Eezi-Awn rates for two adults and two children, listing a 100kg weight and a 70mm high-density laminated mattress. It includes internal LED lighting, dual storage pockets, a USB port and an integrated ladder, plus a 1m K9 track for accessories and a solar-panel bracket. Packed dimensions are 2200 x 1450mm, 260mm high at the front and 380mm at the back. At 100kg it is the heaviest of Eezi-Awn's hard-shell tents with a published weight.
- Manufacturer states family capacity of two adults plus two children
- Published 100kg weight and packed dimensions
- Internal LED, USB and a K9 track with solar-bracket compatibility
- Eezi-Awn does not publish price or open/erected dimensions
Which one to pick
Take the Sword Family if you need the sleeping room more than you need the lighter tent. Take the Gen 3-R Expedition if your roof load limit is the binding constraint. Beyond that the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex, cargo rails — are where the remaining difference lies.
Every specification, side by side
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Hardshell | Hardshell |
| Opening style | Pop-up | Clamshell |
| Sleeps | 2— worst of the tents compared | 4— best of the tents compared |
| Season rating | 4-season | — |
| List price | $4,850— worst of the tents compared | $4,850— best of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 168 lb— best of the tents compared | 220 lb— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 7 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared | 7 ft 3 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 7 in— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 9 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 11 in— best of the tents compared | 15 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 6 ft 11 in— best of the tents compared | 6 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 4 ft 3 in— worst of the tents compared | 6 ft 3 in— best of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 29.4 sq ft— worst of the tents compared | 40.9 sq ft— best of the tents compared |
| Interior height | 5 ft 3 in | — |
| Mattress thickness | 2.8 in | 2.8 in |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | ~60 secest. | ~60 secest. |
| Shell material | Aluminium hard shell with insulated roof and base | Aluminium hard-shell with one-piece hinge mechanism |
| Fabric | Double-layer 400gsm canvas, hydrostatic head above 1000 mm | 260 g/m² Teflon-coated polyester ripstop |
| Warranty | — | — |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | Yes | — |
| Roof skylight | No | — |
| Annex available | — | — |
| Solar ready | Yes | Yes |
| Carries cargo on top | Yes | Yes |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Alu-Cab product page | Eezi-Awn product page |
Related comparisons
- Gen 3-R ExpeditionvsSkycamp 3.0
- Gen 3-R ExpeditionvsOdyssey
- Gen 3-R ExpeditionvsSkyera
- Sword FamilyvsSkycamp 3.0
Or read the full spec sheets for the Alu-Cab Gen 3-R Expedition and the Eezi-Awn Sword Family.