Factory 2nds—a selection of tents graded as a ‘cosmetic second’ by our tent inspectors.
FACTORY 2NDS
I was so excited to get my new Springbar Skyliner tent! Having had a 2 man Campsite 939 since the mid-90's, and thoroughly loving that little guy, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the big, deluxe version. As it was a factory 2nd, I called Springbar and asked them to send pics of the defects. Within about 15 minutes they emailed several pics of the defects of the 2 tents I was interested in. This was at the end of the business day. Thank you for great customer service!
The defects on the tent I chose were 1- an extra stake loop placed in the wrong place and 2- a tiny fabric defect in the end panel above the window. Now, I don't know about you but I have no complaints about an extra stake loop. Just serves to make the tent more stable, correct? And the fabric defect? What fabric defect? I had a hard time finding it and I'm still not sure I did find it.
The tent goes up easily; especially so if you are already familiar with the process, as I was because of my little 939 2 man campsite tent. The materials and workmanship are fabulous as you would expect from a $2K tent. The bag it comes in is well sized to allow you to repack the tent away easily, the bucket bag for the tent stakes is super cool. They even threw in an extra stake to fill the extra loop!
So why the three stars when this tent clearly should rate 5?
I set it up this past Saturday (Feb 28, 2026) with no problems and had an enjoyable night in it with my wife, just to test it out. Wasn't able to strike it the following day so left it up. I live in northern Utah and was dismayed to see a storm roll in Sunday night. It has rained all night Sunday, all day Monday, and all night last night. Monday after work I thought I'd check the interior to see how dry it was and was dismayed to find 4 spots where the rain had dripped through, right at the corners where the roof meets the sidewalls. Granted, this was after about 48 hours of constant rain and sleet, but it now makes me nervous to think I might be caught out in a wicked storm and experience a leak. The upside is that the tent stayed up and held up against some pretty heavy slush on the roof and awnings. One stake holding the front awning pulled out because the ground is so wet; in less wet conditions this probably won't happen. This morning (03-03-2026) before work the roof had a layer of slush/ice probably 3/16" thick but no seepage inside; the walls were wet but again, nothing seeping in through the canvas material. Just in the corners were some drips; enough to put maybe a teaspoon to a teaspoon and a half of water on the floor in each corner. Maybe the threads will swell up and seal it off? Is this how you season a canvas tent - by soaking the material so the fabric swells and seals up better for next time? I don't really know.
I'm very excited to have this tent and do some boondock style camping with my wife this summer. I figured the best thing to do to make her comfortable was to get a tent big enough to fit in some nice amenities such as a cot for comfortable sleeping and enough room to stand up easily in it.
Having never had a leak in my little 2 man Springbar in 30 years, I was fully expecting the same from this new Skyliner. And maybe it will deliver on that promise. I'm looking forward to many many years with this deluxe tent. Just gotta let it dry out for a week or so now! Thank you Springbar!
Dear Springbar,
My new Skyliner tent arrived on time, ahead of scheduled delivery, and in what appears to be great shape. So far, I haven’t had the time to set it up and try it out… …busy building out my “wood shop" and refurbishing old tools. More later on this tent, but I have no doubts about its inherent quality and future serviceability. My Dad bought a used Springbar (or possibly an early knockoff) when I was a kid. At least it set up the same way even if it wasn’t a genuine Springbar tent.
When it comes to “factory seconds”, it’s not the product itself or the cosmetic flaws that count. It’s the reputation of the company that backs it up. This request for comments screams Springbar CARES.
This being said, at this point in my journey with the Skyliner, I do have these comments, neither of which were deal breakers, at least for me. As such, I respectfully suggest that Springbar consider adding shoulder straps to the tent and pole bags, which would make each item much easier to handle, especially on solo trips. Gunny/duffle-style sacks, which I admit work, are really old school. A great product deserves a better bag.
Like genies, I’ve never met a tent that likes to go back in the bag once released. In lieu of a “burrito-style" bag, I plan to use three tie-down straps or maybe just ropes to squeeze out the air when I pack away the tent. In this regard, your designers might take a look at the bag for the Ellis Canvas Shackleford tent for inspiration.
The tent looks great. Can’t wait for my first trip in it. Upon initial setup and seasoning I found one pole was dented. They sent a new pole in two days no questions asked. You may pay a bit more for an American made tent, but this is the premium service you get with a premium product. I don’t expect this tent to fail me anytime soon, but I would totally buy another.
So glad I purchased this tent finally. Buying American Made was a priority for my family and I as well as purchasing a tent that we tend to use for many years. With the discounted 2nd option after visiting the factory made sense as with the savings we purchased a footprint and the rain fly. We have not set this thing up yet, but the quality of the tent was apparent upon review of the models and website. First trip this coming weekend, ready to get out in the wild!
