Roof Lodge Evolution 2 (140) vs Roofnest Meadowlark 2 XL
The Roof Lodge Evolution 2 (140) and the Roofnest Meadowlark 2 XL 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. Roof Lodge and Roofnest take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
On weight they are effectively level — 55 kg against 54 kg — so the roof load question resolves the same way for both. Floor area is close to identical at 3.36 m² and 3.6 m², so neither wins on sleeping room. List prices are within $28 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
Canvas differs too: 320 g/m2 polycotton (65% polyester / 35% cotton), PU-coated against 600D rip-stop polyoxford, 2000 mm waterproof rating. Closed, the Meadowlark 2 XL sits 7 cm lower on the roof — 33 cm against 40 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
Roof Lodge
Evolution 2 (140)
The Roof Lodge Evolution 2 is a German-made fold-out softshell rooftop tent built on a thermoplastic honeycomb floor with a 320 g/m2 PU-coated polycotton canopy. The 140 cm width sleeps two on a 60 mm foam mattress at a setup height of about 120 cm, and mounts to standard crossbars up to 120 mm wide. It is the narrower of Roof Lodge's two Evolution 2 widths and can be ordered as a Basic tent or as an Extended version with a large ground annex.
- Designed and assembled in Germany on a rigid thermoplastic honeycomb floor
- Package includes a 60 mm mattress, 3D-mesh underlay, aluminium ladder, LED lighting and two skylight windows
- Compatible with an optional ground annex/awning for extended stays
- Relatively heavy at 55 kg
Roofnest
Meadowlark 2 XL
Roofnest's soft-shell entry point, and the cheapest tent they sell. It delivers a 3.60 m² three-person floor for well under half the price of the hardshell Condor, at the cost of a fabric cover instead of a shell.
- Well under half the price of Roofnest's hardshells
- 3.60 m² floor for three
- 54 kg suits mid-size SUVs
- Soft cover means slower pack-down in bad weather
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— worst of the tents compared | 3— best of the tents compared |
| Season rating | — | 4-season |
| List price | $1,860— best of the tents compared | $1,886— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 121 lb— worst of the tents compared | 120 lb— best of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 4 ft 8 in— best of the tents compared | 5 ft 5 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 1 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft— best of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 15.7 in— worst of the tents compared | 13 in— best of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 7 ft 10 in— best of the tents compared | 7 ft 6 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 4 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared | 5 ft 2 in— best of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 36.2 sq ft— worst of the tents compared | 38.8 sq ft— best of the tents compared |
| Interior height | 3 ft 11 in— best of the tents compared | 3 ft 9 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Mattress thickness | 2.4 in— worst of the tents compared | 2.5 in— best of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | ~5 minest. | 60 sec |
| Shell material | — | — |
| Fabric | 320 g/m2 polycotton (65% polyester / 35% cotton), PU-coated | 600D rip-stop polyoxford, 2000 mm waterproof rating |
| Warranty | — | 2years |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | Yes | — |
| Annex available | Yes | — |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Roof Lodge product page | Roofnest product page |
Related comparisons
- Evolution 2 (140)vsPioneer
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- Meadowlark 2 XLvsGen2 Overlander XL Tent
Or read the full spec sheets for the Roof Lodge Evolution 2 (140) and the Roofnest Meadowlark 2 XL.