Cascadia Vehicle Tents La Sal Tent vs iKamper Skycamp 3.0
The Cascadia Vehicle Tents La Sal Tent and the iKamper Skycamp 3.0 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. Cascadia Vehicle Tents and iKamper take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
Setup is not close. The Skycamp 3.0 opens as a fold-out in 60 seconds; the La Sal Tent takes 3 minutes. Over a trip with a new campsite every night, that gap compounds. List prices are within $26 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
They open differently: the La Sal Tent is a clamshell and the Skycamp 3.0 a fold-out. 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 La Sal Tent uses aluminum; the Skycamp 3.0 uses dual-layer fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) with 25 mm air insulation. Canvas differs too: 280GSM polyester against 300gsm poly-cotton blackout canvas. The La Sal Tent adds a heater or HVAC port and integrated LED lighting, which the Skycamp 3.0 does not offer. Closed, the La Sal Tent sits 12.41 cm lower on the roof — 21.59 cm against 34 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
Cascadia Vehicle Tents
La Sal Tent
The La Sal is a side-opening aluminum hardshell sold in 50- and 56-inch widths at $3,399, with a 3-inch mattress and a stated 47-inch maximum headroom. CVT lists a 2-4 minute setup, a stargazing skylight, an LED light strip with USB connector, and integrated climate ports suited to diesel heaters. CVT's guide describes it as a 2-person tent.
- Side-opening hardshell with a stated 2-4 minute setup
- Stargazing skylight and a 3-inch mattress
- Integrated climate ports suited to a diesel heater
- Manufacturer does not publish weight or open/packed dimensions
iKamper
Skycamp 3.0
The previous-generation Skycamp, still sold alongside the 4.0 range at a lower price. It gives up the integrated lighting and heater pass-throughs of the 4.0 but keeps the four-person platform and adds a Skyview roof window the newer tents do not have.
- Roughly $1,275 cheaper than the 4.0 Quad
- Skyview roof window
- Works with the mature 3.0 annex ecosystem
- At 75 kg it is the heaviest iKamper
Which one to pick
Take the Skycamp 3.0 if you move camp most days. 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 | Clamshell | Fold-out |
| Sleeps | 2— worst of the tents compared | 4— best of the tents compared |
| Season rating | 4-season | 4-season |
| List price | $3,399— best of the tents compared | $3,425— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | — | 165 lb |
| Packed length | — | 7 ft 1 in |
| Packed width | — | 4 ft 7 in |
| Packed height | 8.5 in— best of the tents compared | 13.4 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | — | 6 ft 11 in |
| Sleeping width | — | 6 ft 5 in |
| Floor area | — | 44.3 sq ft |
| Interior height | 3 ft 11 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft— best of the tents compared |
| Mattress thickness | 3 in— best of the tents compared | 2.5 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | 3 min— worst of the tents compared | 60 sec— best of the tents compared |
| Shell material | Aluminum | Dual-layer fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) with 25 mm air insulation |
| Fabric | 280GSM polyester | 300gsm poly-cotton blackout canvas |
| Warranty | — | 2years |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | No |
| Heater / HVAC port | Yes | No |
| Roof skylight | Yes | Yes |
| Annex available | — | Yes |
| Solar ready | — | No |
| Carries cargo on top | — | No |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Cascadia Vehicle Tents product page | iKamper product page |
Related comparisons
Or read the full spec sheets for the Cascadia Vehicle Tents La Sal Tent and the iKamper Skycamp 3.0.