Cascadia Vehicle Tents Pioneer 2 Tent vs Wild Land Normandy Auto 120
The Cascadia Vehicle Tents Pioneer 2 Tent and the Wild Land Normandy Auto 120 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 Wild Land 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 Wild Land Normandy Auto 120 counters with 37 kg, 2.46 m² of floor, 118 cm of headroom and sleeps 2.
Setup is not close. The Normandy Auto 120 opens as a fold-out in 60 seconds; the Pioneer 2 Tent takes 7 minutes. Over a trip with a new campsite every night, that gap compounds. The Normandy Auto 120 lists about 34% lower than the Pioneer 2 Tent.
Canvas differs too: 320g canvas against 210D ripstop poly-oxford 3000mm shell (silver-coated); 190g rip-stop polycotton PU2000mm inner; 210D poly-oxford PU2000mm floor; 600D oxford PU5000mm cover.
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
Wild Land
Normandy Auto 120
The Normandy Auto 120 is Wild Land's softshell fold-out tent with a hydraulic-assisted single-fold opening the maker says sets up in about a minute. Weighing 36.5 kg, it is the lightest tent in Wild Land's EU range and includes dimmable LED lighting and a diesel heater port. The dealer notes it cannot carry cargo on top.
- Light 36.5 kg softshell with roughly one-minute hydraulic setup
- Dimmable LED lighting and diesel heater port included
- Detailed multi-layer fabric specification published
- Cannot carry cargo on the closed shell
Which one to pick
Take the Normandy Auto 120 if you move camp most days. Take the Normandy Auto 120 if the budget is fixed. 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 | Softshell | Softshell |
| Opening style | Fold-out | Fold-out |
| Sleeps | 2 | 2 |
| Season rating | 4-season | — |
| List price | $1,999— worst of the tents compared | $1,320— best of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | — | 82 lb |
| Packed length | — | 7 ft 1 in |
| Packed width | — | 4 ft 1 in |
| Packed height | — | 9.8 in |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | — | 6 ft 9 in |
| Sleeping width | — | 3 ft 11 in |
| Floor area | — | 26.5 sq ft |
| Interior height | 3 ft 11 in— best of the tents compared | 3 ft 10 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Mattress thickness | 3 in— best of the tents compared | 2 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— worst of the tents compared | 60 sec— best of the tents compared |
| Shell material | 1000D PVC travel cover | — |
| Fabric | 320g canvas | 210D ripstop poly-oxford 3000mm shell (silver-coated); 190g rip-stop polycotton PU2000mm inner; 210D poly-oxford PU2000mm floor; 600D oxford PU5000mm cover |
| Warranty | 2years | — |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | — | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | Yes |
| Roof skylight | Yes | — |
| Annex available | Yes | — |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | No |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Cascadia Vehicle Tents product page | Wild Land product page |
Related comparisons
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- Pioneer 2 TentvsGen2 Overlander XL Tent
- Pioneer 2 TentvsMeadowlark 2 XL
- Pioneer 2 TentvsFoothill 2
Or read the full spec sheets for the Cascadia Vehicle Tents Pioneer 2 Tent and the Wild Land Normandy Auto 120.