Best CVT Rooftop Tent 2026: Pioneer, Cirrus, Cumulus, Mt. Hood 2, and La Sal Compared

Quick Answer: CVT (Cascadia Vehicle Tents) sells five rooftop tents in 2026, from the $1,599 Cirrus ultra-slim hardshell up to the $2,699 La Sal hardshell, with the $1,699 Cumulus hardshell and $1,699 Pioneer Soft Shell in between. A common point of confusion: the “Mt. Bachelor” and “Mt. Shasta” names older brand roundups — including other pages on this site — still list as CVT’s flagship softshell tents haven’t been discontinued; they’re now just the 48-inch and 56-inch size options inside the single Pioneer Soft Shell product. For most buyers the Cumulus hardshell is the best overall pick at $1,699; shoppers who want CVT’s largest 4-person size or a lower upfront cost should look at the Pioneer instead.

CVT — Cascadia Vehicle Tents — is one of the brands that put rooftop camping on the map in the US, a family-owned manufacturer based in Bend, Oregon. In 2026 its catalog spans both softshell and hardshell, which makes it one of the few budget-to-mid-tier brands with a genuine hardshell option. Below we break down what’s actually for sale today, clear up the old model-name confusion, and flag the one spec CVT doesn’t publish. New to the category? Start with our best rooftop tent pillar, or see the full field in our best rooftop tent brands ranking.

CVT rooftop tents by the numbers

• Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Shasta aren’t discontinued — they’re size names now. CVT’s own Pioneer Soft Shell product page lists four size options: 48” (Mt. Bachelor), 56” (Mt. Shasta), 72” (Mt. Rainier), and 87” (Mt. Denali). They used to be marketed as separate tents; today they’re one product with four sizes.
• CVT’s current price range tops out $300 higher than widely-quoted figures. The lineup runs $1,599 (Cirrus) to $2,699 (La Sal) per cvttents.com’s own listings — above the roughly $1,500-$2,400 range some older brand comparisons, including this site’s own best rooftop tent brands roundup, still cite.
• None of CVT’s five current tents list a published weight. A direct check of every current CVT rooftop tent product page (Pioneer, Cirrus, Cumulus, Mt. Hood 2, La Sal) found zero published weight figures — a real gap compared to iKamper, Front Runner, and Roofnest, which all publish spec-sheet weights for roof-load planning.
• The Mt. Hood 2 has the tallest headroom in the lineup at 53.5 inches, versus 47 inches on both the Pioneer Soft Shell and La Sal, per CVT’s own spec sheets.

CVT rooftop tent picks at a glance

1. CVT Pioneer Soft Shell — Best Budget / Largest Size Available

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If you clicked in looking for “the CVT Mt. Bachelor” or “the CVT Mt. Shasta,” this is the tent you want — those names now describe the 48” and 56” sizes of the Pioneer Soft Shell, not separate products. At $1,699 to start, the Pioneer sits in the same budget tier as Smittybilt and Tuff Stuff Overland’s softshells, and the 87” Mt. Denali size is the only CVT tent built to sleep more than 2-3 people. The trade-off against CVT’s own hardshells is setup time — 5-8 minutes versus 2-4 for the clamshells below — and a softshell canopy that needs the same seasonal re-waterproofing any softshell does. See our soft shell vs hard shell guide if you’re still deciding between the two styles.

2. CVT Cirrus Ultra-Slim — Best Lightweight Hardshell

The Cirrus is the entry point into CVT’s hardshell range, and at $1,599 it’s actually cheaper than CVT’s own softshell Pioneer. Its 4.75-inch closed profile is the thinnest in the current lineup, which matters for highway drag and keeping a low center of gravity. The catch is the same one that applies to every CVT tent: there’s no published weight on the spec sheet, so if your roof rack’s dynamic rating is tight, you’ll want to call CVT or cross-reference a third-party review before ordering. Compare it against other budget hardshells in our best budget rooftop tent roundup.

3. CVT Cumulus — Best Overall Hardshell

The Cumulus is the best-rounded CVT hardshell for most buyers — annex-compatible, roomier than the Cirrus, and priced at the exact same $1,699 starting point as the softshell Pioneer. That price overlap is worth sitting with for a second: for the same money, you’re choosing between a hardshell that opens in a couple of minutes (Cumulus) or a softshell with more floor space per dollar and a larger maximum size (Pioneer). If you want the hardshell convenience without CVT’s priciest options, this is the one to start with. See how it stacks up against the premium hardshell brands in our best hardshell rooftop tent rankings, and if condensation under the mattress is a concern, CVT’s own $100 universal mat is covered in our rooftop tent insulation breakdown.

4. CVT Mt. Hood 2 — Best Headroom

The Mt. Hood 2 is CVT’s step up from Cumulus, and the headroom difference is the real reason to pay more — 53.5 inches versus 47 on the Pioneer and La Sal, enough that taller campers will actually notice the difference sitting up inside. At $2,599 to start it’s still a four-figure gap under iKamper and Roofnest’s premium hardshells, while adding panoramic windows and a sturdier aluminum shell over the Cumulus. If your vehicle can carry the extra size options, the Large (60”) is worth considering for couples who want more shoulder room without stepping all the way up to La Sal pricing.

5. CVT La Sal — Best Premium / Lowest Profile

La Sal is CVT’s most expensive tent, and the pitch is a lower, sleeker profile rather than more interior room — at 8.5 inches closed it’s noticeably flatter than the Mt. Hood 2, trading the taller headroom for less highway drag and a cleaner roofline. At $2,699 it’s also the figure that pushes CVT’s real price ceiling about $300 past what some older brand roundups still quote. If a low profile matters more to you than standing headroom, this is the CVT to cross-shop against Roofnest’s similarly low-slung hardshells.

How to choose a CVT rooftop tent

Start by clearing up the naming confusion: if you went looking for a Mt. Bachelor or Mt. Shasta, you’re actually looking at the Pioneer Soft Shell in its 48” or 56” size — those model names haven’t existed as standalone tents for a while. From there, pick softshell versus hardshell: the Pioneer gives you the most floor space per dollar and the only size (87”, 4-person) built for larger groups, while the four hardshells (Cirrus, Cumulus, Mt. Hood 2, La Sal) trade some interior volume for a 2-4 minute setup. Within the hardshells, Cirrus is the cheapest and slimmest, Cumulus is the best all-rounder at the same price as the Pioneer, Mt. Hood 2 adds the most headroom, and La Sal trades headroom back for the lowest profile at the top price. Whichever you pick, confirm your rack’s dynamic roof rating the hard way — by contacting CVT or finding a third-party weight measurement — since CVT’s own product pages don’t publish one.

The bottom line

CVT’s 2026 lineup runs from the $1,599 Cirrus to the $2,699 La Sal, with the Cumulus at $1,699 as the best all-around hardshell pick for most buyers and the Pioneer Soft Shell as the budget and large-group option. The brand’s old Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Shasta names live on, just repurposed as size options inside the Pioneer rather than tents of their own — worth knowing if an older review (including other pages on this site) sent you looking for them directly. The one real gap against competitors like iKamper and Front Runner: CVT doesn’t publish weight specs for any current tent, so budget extra time to confirm roof-load fit before you buy. Browse the full best rooftop tent rankings to see how CVT compares to the rest of the field.