Cascadia Vehicle Tents Pioneer 2 Tent vs Thule Foothill 2
The Cascadia Vehicle Tents Pioneer 2 Tent and the Thule Foothill 2 are both softshell 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 Thule take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
By the numbers, the Cascadia Vehicle Tents Pioneer 2 Tent brings 119.38 cm of headroom and sleeps 2. The Thule Foothill 2 counters with 55 kg, 2.64 m² of floor, 94 cm of headroom and sleeps 2.
Headroom separates them further: 119.38 cm in the Pioneer 2 Tent against 94 cm, which is the difference between sitting up to dress and doing it lying down. Their list prices are within a few percent of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
Canvas differs too: 320g canvas against 600D recycled polyester ripstop, 1500 mm waterproof rating.
Cascadia Vehicle Tents
Pioneer 2 Tent
The Pioneer 2 is Cascadia Vehicle Tents's fold-out softshell, offered in four sizes named for mountains: 48-inch Mt. Bachelor, 56-inch Mt. Shasta, 72-inch Mt. Rainier and 87-inch Mt. Denali, priced from $1,999 to $3,199. CVT rates it for 4-season use and lists a 5-8 minute setup, a 47-inch maximum headroom, dual stargazer windows and annex compatibility on the larger sizes. It uses a 320g canvas body over a 1000D PVC travel cover with a 3-inch mattress, and CVT's guide lists it in 2 to 4+ person sizes.
- Four sizes spanning roughly 2 to 4+ people
- Manufacturer-rated for 4-season use
- Lower entry price ($1,999) than CVT's hardshells, with annex compatibility on larger sizes
- Longer 5-8 minute setup than CVT's hardshell models
Thule
Foothill 2
The half-width folder: 64 cm closed, so it occupies only one side of the roof and leaves the other free for a cargo box, bikes or boards. No other tent in this database packs down that narrow.
- 64 cm closed width leaves half the roof free
- Dual skylights
- Cheapest Thule tent here
- 94 cm interior height
Which one to pick
These two are closely matched on the numbers that usually decide it. Read the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex — and let whichever of those you will actually use break the tie.
Every specification, side by side
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Softshell | Softshell |
| Opening style | Fold-out | Fold-out |
| Sleeps | 2 | 2 |
| Season rating | 4-season | 4-season |
| List price | $1,999— best of the tents compared | $2,099.95— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | — | 122 lb |
| Packed length | — | 7 ft |
| Packed width | — | 2 ft 1 in |
| Packed height | — | 11 in |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | — | 7 ft |
| Sleeping width | — | 4 ft 1 in |
| Floor area | — | 28.4 sq ft |
| Interior height | 3 ft 11 in— best of the tents compared | 3 ft 1 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Mattress thickness | 3 in— best of the tents compared | 2.4 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | 7 min | ~5 minest. |
| Shell material | 1000D PVC travel cover | — |
| Fabric | 320g canvas | 600D recycled polyester ripstop, 1500 mm waterproof rating |
| Warranty | 2years | — |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | — | No |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | Yes | Yes |
| Annex available | Yes | — |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Cascadia Vehicle Tents product page | Thule product page |
Related comparisons
- Pioneer 2 TentvsBAOBAB AIR 135
- Pioneer 2 TentvsGen2 Overlander XL Tent
- Pioneer 2 TentvsMeadowlark 2 XL
- Foothill 2vsFun
Or read the full spec sheets for the Cascadia Vehicle Tents Pioneer 2 Tent and the Thule Foothill 2.