Overland Vehicle Systems HD Nomadic 3 Extended vs Roofnest Meadowlark 2 XL
The Overland Vehicle Systems HD Nomadic 3 Extended 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. Overland Vehicle Systems and Roofnest take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
The Meadowlark 2 XL is 16.900000000000006 kg lighter at 54 kg against 70.9 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 HD Nomadic 3 Extended gives 3.94 m² of sleeping floor against 3.6 m², about 9 percent more, though both are rated for 3. Setup is not close. The Meadowlark 2 XL opens as a fold-out in 60 seconds; the HD Nomadic 3 Extended takes 3 minutes. Over a trip with a new campsite every night, that gap compounds. List prices are within $136.01 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one. Overland Vehicle Systems also backs the HD Nomadic 3 Extended for 4 years against 2.
Canvas differs too: 280g rip stop poly cotton Oxford against 600D rip-stop polyoxford, 2000 mm waterproof rating.
Overland Vehicle Systems
HD Nomadic 3 Extended
The HD Nomadic 3 Arctic White Extended is the white-body, dark-grey-rainfly colorway of OVS's 3-person Nomadic Extended, and unlike the base Extended listing it publishes a 64 x 95.5 in open size and a 156.2 lb dry weight. It includes a skylight, a 40 in LED strip and annex compatibility on a double-insulated aluminum base. Warranty is 4 years fabric and structural.
- Published open size and 156.2 lb dry weight
- Skylight, LED strip and annex compatibility
- Double-insulated aluminum base
- Color/size-specific listing (white 3-person only)
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
Take the Meadowlark 2 XL if you move camp most days. Take the Meadowlark 2 XL if your roof load limit is the binding constraint. Beyond that the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex, cargo rails — are where the remaining difference lies.
Every specification, side by side
| Specification | Overland Vehicle Systems HD Nomadic 3 Extended
| |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Softshell | Softshell |
| Opening style | Fold-out | Fold-out |
| Sleeps | 3 | 3 |
| Season rating | 4-season | 4-season |
| List price | $1,749.99— best of the tents compared | $1,886— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 156 lb— worst of the tents compared | 120 lb— best of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 5 ft 9 in— worst of the tents compared | 5 ft 5 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 6 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft— best of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 14 in— worst of the tents compared | 13 in— best of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 5 ft 4 in— worst of the tents compared | 7 ft 6 in— best of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 7 ft 11 in— best of the tents compared | 5 ft 2 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 42.4 sq ft— best of the tents compared | 38.8 sq ft— worst of the tents compared |
| Interior height | — | 3 ft 9 in |
| Mattress thickness | 2.8 in— best of the tents compared | 2.5 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | 3 min— worst of the tents compared | 60 sec— best of the tents compared |
| Shell material | — | — |
| Fabric | 280g rip stop poly cotton Oxford | 600D rip-stop polyoxford, 2000 mm waterproof rating |
| Warranty | 4years— best of the tents compared | 2years— worst of the tents compared |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | No | — |
| Roof skylight | Yes | — |
| Annex available | Yes | — |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | No | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Overland Vehicle Systems product page | Roofnest product page |
Related comparisons
- HD Nomadic 3 ExtendedvsPioneer
- HD Nomadic 3 ExtendedvsEvolution 2 (140)
- HD Nomadic 3 ExtendedvsTanami Light 140
- Meadowlark 2 XLvsEvolution 2 (140)
Or read the full spec sheets for the Overland Vehicle Systems HD Nomadic 3 Extended and the Roofnest Meadowlark 2 XL.