Overland Vehicle Systems LD TMON vs Trustmade Pioneer Series

The Overland Vehicle Systems LD TMON and the Trustmade Pioneer Series 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. Overland Vehicle Systems and Trustmade take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.

By the numbers, the Overland Vehicle Systems LD TMON brings 68 kg, 2.67 m² of floor, 165.1 cm of headroom and sleeps 2. The Trustmade Pioneer Series counters with 115.7 kg, 3.36 m² of floor and sleeps 3.

The LD TMON is 47.7 kg lighter at 68 kg against 115.7 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 Pioneer Series gives 3.36 m² of sleeping floor against 2.67 m², about 26 percent more, and it sleeps 3 to the LD TMON's 2. The Pioneer Series lists about 20% lower than the LD TMON. Overland Vehicle Systems also backs the LD TMON for 2 years against 1.

They open differently: the LD TMON is a clamshell and the Pioneer Series 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 LD TMON uses honeycomb aluminum; the Pioneer Series uses honeycomb aluminium. Canvas differs too: 600D rip stop poly cotton Oxford against 300 g flame-retardant poly-cotton ripstop, PU 3000 mm, UV50+ (CPAI-84). Closed, the LD TMON sits 17.759999999999998 cm lower on the roof — 15.24 cm against 33 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.