Soft shell rooftop tents remain the volume product in most markets, and the reason is straightforward: they are lighter, cheaper and easier to fit than hard shell designs, and for a large share of customers they solve the problem completely. The mistake brands make is treating a soft shell tent as a commodity and stocking a single configuration. In practice the category is won or lost on how well the size and option range matches the vehicles and customers in that market.
Why size options matter more than anything else
A soft shell tent that is the wrong size for the dominant vehicle in a market simply does not sell, regardless of quality. Three dimensions decide the fit:
- Footprint. A two-person tent and a four-person tent differ not by a few centimetres but by a different packing footprint, a different folded length and often a different ladder position. On a short-wheelbase vehicle, a tent that overhangs the roof at speed creates noise and a visible overhang that customers dislike.
- Packed height. This determines whether the vehicle still fits in a garage or a car park with a height barrier, which is a genuine purchase criterion for a large share of buyers.
- Weight. Soft shell tents are chosen partly for weight. Offering a lighter two-person version alongside a heavier family version lets a brand serve both ends of the market.
Our soft shell range is available in three sizes, which covers the majority of vehicle and customer combinations without turning the catalogue into a logistics problem.
Construction and specification
- Body fabric. Coated ripstop with sealed seams at the water paths, available in grey, sand, charcoal and olive.
- Travel cover. Heavy duty PVC or coated fabric, sized so the tent folds without straining the zipper.
- Frame. Telescoping or hinged aluminium poles, with the pole diameter and wall thickness matched to the tent size.
- Base. Aluminium or composite base panel with a load spreading mounting rail system.
- Mattress. High density foam with a removable washable cover, thickness options available.
- Ladder. Telescopic aluminium ladder with stowage, available in extended lengths for lifted vehicles.
- Accessories. Optional LED lighting, annexe, and a warm layer for cold climates.
Colour and branding
Colour is one of the cheapest ways to differentiate a soft shell range, and one of the most visible to the end customer. Standard options cover charcoal, sand, olive, grey and two-tone covers. Custom colours are available on the travel cover against a Pantone or RAL reference, which is a sensible place to apply a brand colour because the cover is replaced more often than the tent body.
Branding options include printed logos on the travel cover and carry bag, woven labels, and printed packaging. For customers building a private label range, this is usually the first customization step.
Who soft shell suits, and who it does not
Soft shell is the right choice for:
- Weekend and touring campers who stay two or three nights in one place.
- Vehicles with modest roof load ratings, where a hard shell tent would be too heavy.
- Markets where price sensitivity is high and the entry point matters more than premium features.
- Customers who value interior headroom and a more vertical wall over deployment speed.
Where we recommend a hard shell instead is for customers who move camp daily, for markets with persistent rain where packing a wet soft shell tent becomes a real pain point, and for brands positioning at the premium end where a rigid shell is expected.
OEM and ODM service
- OEM. Our standard range with your branding, packaging and instructions.
- ODM. Development from your drawing, your market and your price point, including size changes, fabric specification, frame upgrade and a modified travel cover.
- Sample development before production commitment.
- Non-disclosure agreements for exclusive designs.
Samples, MOQ and lead time
Samples can start from one unit for a standard configuration. Custom colours and structural changes carry a minimum batch which we confirm before commitment. Production lead time is seasonal: the outdoor market concentrates its orders into the spring, so a conversation about your delivery window is worth having earlier than most buyers expect.
What to send us for a quotation
- The dominant vehicle types in your market, and the roof load rating you are working within.
- How many people the tent must sleep, on average.
- Colour and fabric preference.
- Whether you need branding applied, and on which parts.
- Target retail price band and expected annual volume.
Create your own rooftop tent solution with us, or start from the standard range and adjust from there. Either way, the first useful conversation is about the vehicle and the customer rather than about the specification sheet.
For the size chart, specification sheet or a sample quotation, contact us. Spring Pigeon Outdoor manufactures soft shell, aluminium hard shell and honeycomb shell rooftop tents in Handan, Hebei, China. Email info@springpigeon.com or WhatsApp +86 181 3101 8121.
Explore the range
- Aluminum Honeycomb Shell Square Rooftop Tent — aluminium honeycomb square shell for buyers who want box-room headroom
- Aluminum Shell Rooftop Tent Model 5 — roll-over aluminium shell with a fast one-person setup
- Aluminum Alloy Car Side Awning (Full Manual) — manual aluminium side awning that pairs with any soft shell