REASONS TO BUY
Compact
Light
Thick cover
REASONS TO AVOID
Lacking space
Extra installation steps
CVT Pioneer Series Bachelor Review
A light and compact rooftop tent that doesn’t have any special accolades to speak of
Credit: CVT
RELATED: Best Rooftop Tents of 2024
Our Verdict
The CVT Bachelor is essentially a run-of-the-mill two-person rooftop tent. It’s not uncomfortable, but it’s not especially uncomfortable either. The installation process is pretty straightforward, but the manufacturers chose to leave a few steps for us to figure out on our own with some rather unclear instructions. The cover is on par with most, and converting it from travel to camping mode and back is the same process as most other softshell rooftop tents in our review. While we appreciate the thick rubber cover, both the tent canopy and the rainfly are made of lightweight materials that don’t really match this price point. The best thing that this model has going for it is that it is super light, and the conversion process while setting up or breaking down camp is easy for a softshell model.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
CVT Pioneer Series Bachelor | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Bang for the Buck |  Best for Fitting More Gear | |||
| Price | $1,575 List | $1,632 List $1,428 at Amazon | $1,960 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $1,700 at Evo Compare at 4 sellers | $1,326 List $1,048 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A two-person model with mostly standard features and some added assembly steps | A high-performance model that doesn't injure your bank account | In the world of rooftop tents, this durable and versatile model is the standard | If you want a rooftop tent that won’t take up your entire rack, this is the one | A reasonably priced rooftop tent that offers excellent performance in almost every aspect |
| Rating Categories | CVT Pioneer Series... | Smittybilt GEN2 Ove... | Thule Tepui Kukenam 3 | Thule Tepui Foothill | Smittybilt Overlander |
| Space and Comfort (30%) | |||||
| Durability (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Conversion (20%) | |||||
| Ease of Assembly and Installation (15%) | |||||
| Cover Convenience (10%) | |||||
| Specs | CVT Pioneer Series... | Smittybilt GEN2 Ove... | Thule Tepui Kukenam 3 | Thule Tepui Foothill | Smittybilt Overlander |
| Seasons | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Weight | 98 lbs | 154 lbs | 130 lbs | 122 lbs | 144 lbs |
| Max Inside Height | 45 in | 51 in | 52 in | 38 in | 51 in |
| Pockets | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Windows | 3 side 2 roof | 3 side, 2 roof | 3 side, 2 roof | 3 side, 2 roof | 3 side, 2 roof |
| Floor Dimensions | 96 in x 48 in | 56 in x 96 in | 56 in x 96 in | 87 in x 40 in | 56 in x 96 in |
| Floor Area | 32 sq ft | 38 sq ft | 38 sq ft | 24 sq ft | 38 sq ft |
| Packed Size | 48 in x 48 in x 15 in | 12 in x 48 in x 56 in | 12 in x 48 in x 56 in | 9.5 in x 24 in x 83 in | 12 in x 48 in x 56 in |
| Floor Materials | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Welded aluminum | Aluminum |
| Main Tent Materials | 280g poly-cotton ripstop | 600 D | 420 D | 600 D | 420 D |
| Rainfly Materials | 420D | 420D Oxford | 600 D | 600 D | 600 D |
| Number of Poles | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 8 |
| Design Type | Fold-out | Fold-out | Fold-out | Fold-out | Fold-out |
| Capacity | 2 Person | 2-3 Person | 2-3 Person | 2 Person | 2-3 Person |
| Extras | n/a | Interior LED, extension cords, boot bag | Memory foam mattress | Double level pockets, loop inside for hanging lights and gear | Interior LED, extension cords, boot bag |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The CVT Bachelor was not designed to be a top-tier state-of-the-art rooftop tent. As shown by our analysis below, it doesn't compete with the award-winning models. That said, it does have some admirable and attractive traits. It is super light, which makes installation and removal substantially easier on your back, and is ideal for smaller vehicles. Additionally, converting the tent from travel to sleep mode and back is faster and easier than many other softshell models.
Performance Comparison
The CVT Bachelor is a very nice tent but did not stand out in any of our evaluations.
Credit: Ross Patton
Space and Comfort
For our most heavily weighted metric, we looked at how spacious and comfortable the tents were compared to one another. For the testing process, we carefully measured the dimensions of each tent's floor area, then sent our team out into the wilderness to camp and subjectively assess the comfort factor for each model.
The Bachelor was one of the least spacious tents that we've reviewed. With two people inside the tent, we felt pretty cramped. The main interior hinge where the frame poles converge is right where your hips are when you sleep –- and right where you would hope there would be extra room. Although it's a bit small, we think this model would be wonderful for one person and their gear. Also, it should be noted that, while in travel mode, it hardly takes up any room on your rack compared to three-person softshell tents or hardshell tents.
The CVT Bachelor is small enough to leave plenty of access to the bed of your truck for things like firewood, gas cans, and coolers.
Credit: Ross Patton
Durability
Our team did not find that the Bachelor has any glaring durability flaws. Still, based on the manufacturer's technical specifications and our own comparisons, it is clear that the canopy material is not quite top-tier. If you're worried about wear and tear over years of abuse, we suggest going with a model with a tent material that's rated higher.
The CVT Bachelor has a fancy logo, but it's printed on material that may not hold up to industry standards.
Credit: Ross Patton
Ease of Conversion
Every rooftop tent in our review is much faster to pitch than most standard ground tents when you get to camp. However, within our review, the time each takes to convert from travel mode to camping mode and back can significantly vary from model to model. This evaluation section showed strong results for the CVT Bachelor. The tent cover is easily removed by undoing two straps and unzipping the bottom. This model's ladder effortlessly extends, then there is plenty of leverage to use the ladder to unfold this relatively light tent. At this point, the tent is ready to sleep in.
The CVT Bachelor is on par with the easiest softshell rooftop tents when it comes to converting it from travel to camping mode and back.
Credit: Ross Patton
If you'd like to utilize any of the awnings or set the rain fly up, this will add a minute or two to the setup process. It's also, as you might imagine, more challenging on taller vehicles.
Ease of Assembly and Installation
Installing a rooftop tent on your vehicle is never a simple task. Most softshell versions require around an hour of unboxing and assembly before you're ready to put it on a rack and the CVT Bachelor is right about in the middle of the pack for this metric. It comes packaged like most softshell models we've seen — tightly wrapped up in cardboard and plastic straps with the cover, ladder, hardware, and mounting rails inside of the tent. All of the necessary tools are included, and so long as you have a buddy to lend you a hand, it really isn't that difficult to get everything bolted into place. At only 98 pounds, the Bachelor is one of the lightest models we've ever tested, making a big difference in the installation process. We had to dock some points because the straps used to roll up the cover and stow it out of the way while you're camping do not come installed. This is a task that would be simple at the factory but might be a pain for somebody without the right tools.
When you order a rooftop tent, be prepared for a large freight truck with a lift gate to arrive at your house.
Credit: Ross Patton
Cover Convenience
The cover for the CVT Bachelor is just as easy to use as other models in our review that have similar construction. It has two straps secured with large metal D-rings and a heavy-duty zipper that goes around three sides of the tent floor.
Get out there and get lost.
Credit: Ross Patton
Value
The Bachelor is a fairly affordable model, but it doesn't offer much in the way of space or comfort. If you're willing to drop this much money on a tent, we think it's either worth it to spend a little more for higher performance or save more and go with a cheaper model. The person who should purchase the Bachelor is somebody that is very concerned about overall weight, wants a fairly easy conversion process, and doesn't mind limited space. Otherwise, other options cost less and offer more room and luxuries.
Conclusion
The CVT Pioneer Series Bachelor didn't bomb in any of our evaluations, but it didn't shine either. The strongest element that it offers is that it is super light and relatively compact while in travel mode. It's great that it's fairly easy to convert from camping to travel mode and back, but other models still performed better.
—Ross Patton
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