Do you have an aversion to tent camping because you don’t enjoy sleeping on the ground? Well, if you have a truck, you can have a shelter that is off of the ground and easy to set up. There are a lot of different truck bed tents on the market, so how will you know which one works best for the bed of your truck?
Before you go and purchase a truck tent for your truck bed, you need to make sure that the tent is compatible.
This guide is designed to answer any questions that you may have about pickup bed truck tents, and we are going to review six products that could be great options for you to go camping. Let’s get started!
Be sure to take a look at our buyers guide after the reviews.
Best Truck Bed Tent Reviews
1. Rightline Gear Pickup Truck Tent
This Rightline Gear truck tent option is available for mid-size, full-size, and compact trucks. It has a floorless design that will allow you to keep items that are stored in the bed of your truck without moving them. The Rightline Gear tent is designed to accommodate two, and it does not really go much past the end of the truck bed. It has a rainfly that can easily be removed so that you can see the stars on a clear night. This will also protect you from the rain when you’re inside the tent.
This Rightline Gear tent is relatively simple to install. It has color coded poles that make the process more straightforward so that setting up the tent only takes a few minutes. The fabric is heavy duty with water-resistant seams that are sealed to keep you dry during a rainstorm. In addition, the Rightline Gear straps and the buckles are made out of nylon so that your vehicle does not get damaged when the tent is secure.
2. Guide Gear Full Size Truck Tent
This is a great option to consider for full size trucks. It is a dome-shaped truck tent that is compatible with the Ford F-Series, the Nisan Titan, the Dodge Ram, the Toyota Tundra, and the Chevy Silverado. It is designed with four fiberglass poles and tension straps that can quickly be set up. This tent can comfortably accommodate two people.
Internally, the tent is 5.25 feet tall, so you should have plenty of headspace. It has a polyethylene floor that will give you some padding in the truck bed, and it has a water resistant coating that will keep the water at bay. The rainfly is also designed to be waterproof, and it covers the entire tent with ease. There is a D-shaped door at the end of the truck bed, which can be opened to provide you with ventilation on a hot day. The overall construction of this product is fairly heavy duty.
3. Napier Backroadz Full Size Short Bed Truck Tent
This full size tent comes in a few different color options; you can select a gray and green model or a camouflage option that will blend in a bit more in the wild. Both colors come in a variety of sizes that range from a full size truck with a short bed to a compact truck with a regular bed. This is a truck tent that comes with a large opening at the end of the truck bed, and on each side, it has two mesh windows that will add additional ventilation.
The interior of the truck tent is rather spacious. It has enough room to fit two grown adults, and it will also have a bit of space for your gear and other personal items. The roof has a lantern holder that will provide you with a place to light up the tent. It comes with a floor that is double seamed to keep the water out as well as a fly that will protect your truck tents from wind and rain in a storm.
4. Napier Backroadz Pick Up Truck Tent
Another Napier truck tent to consider is this green and white Backroadz model. It is a spacious model that can be purchased to fit on any full-size truck, regardless of the size of the bed. It can also fit on a compact truck with a regular-size bed. It is quite spacious inside, and the tent is designed to accommodate two people.
It is very straightforward to set up this full size truck tent. It is designed with poles that are color-coded to make the process even simpler. The sleeves are also designed to be quick to set up, so it should be easy to do within a 15 minute time period. The tent provides you with 55.6 feet of headroom, so you will be able to sit in the bed of the truck comfortably. It has an attached floor and a rainfly that will help to keep the inside of the tent dry if it happens to rain.
5. Kodiak Canvas Truck Bed Tent
One of the best camper tents for trucks is this one from Kodiak. The kodiak canvas truck bed is a 100% cotton canvas that is designed to be breathable and keep the water out. It will fit several truck models, so check that you are getting the right size. It is made out of durable material that will last, and the tent has a ceiling that is five feet tall. This will give you enough space to sit and even stand in the tent without an issue.
This truck tent is designed with a D-shaped door that makes it easy to enter the tent. It has durable YKK zippers and a rainfly that will give you a cover to protect you from the rain, the sun, and the wind. It has five ventilation windows as well as access to the cab so that you can have more space to store things. There are also two gear pockets in the tent that could be useful.
6. Guide Gear Compact Pickup Truck Tent
The final tent that we are going to look at in this guide is one that is designed specifically for a compact pickup truck. It is black and green in color, and it is made out of high-quality material that is designed to last. The fabric is UV resistant so that it does not fade in the sun, and it has a water resistant coating as well to help protect you from the rain while you are tent camping.
These truck tents are quite spacious, and it has a D-shaped door that offers a good amount of ventilation. In addition to the door, there are two mesh windows that add additional ventilation. Inside, there are two storage pockets that can be used to hold smaller items, and the truck tent has a polyethylene floor that is connected to the tent.
How to Choose the Best Tent for Truck Beds
The first thing that you’ll need to consider is whether or not the tent will fit onto the truck beds that you already own. There are camper tents for trucks, SUVs, and minivans that you may want to consider.
The different models of truck tents are not going to necessarily work on different vehicles, so don’t forget to measure your truck and check that the dimensions of the tent are compatible.
Once you measure the size of your truck, you can start considering some of the other features that you want the truck tents to have.
Consider the Size of Truck Tent Camper
Once you know the length and the width of the tent that you need to fit your truck, you’re going to need to consider the height of the tent that you are going to purchase. If you are claustrophobic, you won’t want any truck tents that are too small because it may not be comfortable for you to sleep. After all, feeling like the truck tents are small and enclosed will make your camping trip less enjoyable.
A truck bed tent that is too small could even hinder your ability to sit up in the tent, which could be extremely inconvenient during a rainstorm. You’re going to want the sides of the tent to be high as well as the center of the tent so that you have more space to move around without feeling cramped.
Don’t Forget About Seasonal Conditions
What seasons will the truck bed tent you select be appropriate to use? Some tents are only designed to be used during one season, while others can be used in all four seasons. When a tent is only usable in a few seasons, it always starts with the warmest season and goes to the coldest. With that being said, the seasons in this order would be summer, spring, fall, and winter.
A four-season tent will cover them all, but a three-season option is not going to be warm enough to handle the cold temperatures that can come in the winter. Decide when you’re going to be camping the most, and find a pickup tent that accommodates your needs. Also remember that most truck beds are not insulated and the cold can transfer from their surface.
Ideal Number of People to Consider
Make sure that you purchase a tent that can accommodate the number of people that will be traveling with you. The last thing that you need during a camping trip is to find out that the tent is designed for one and you brought another person with you.
You may be able to squeeze in and sleep close together, but it may be uncomfortable to sleep so close to the other person. Most standard pickup truck tents are designed to sleep two people. The best truck bed tents are those that are spacious enough to have a good nights sleep in.
Ease of Set Up is a Must
With one of these truck tents, you’re going to want a straightforward setup process. Most of these tents can be attached to the bed of your pickup truck in 10 to 30 minutes, especially if the weather is good. Windy conditions can make it more challenging to set up one of these truck tents, but color-coded poles and pockets can make the process even easier to complete.
The straps that attach the tent to your truck bed are just as important when it comes to the installation. These are effectively the stakes that attach a traditional tent to the ground. These are straps that will help to keep the tent in place during a strong wind. Try get straps that are padded so that they do not scratch the paint on your truck or create small dents when the straps aren’t in place.
Don’t Forget Accessibility for Varied Points of Entry
With a pickup bed tent, you’re going to need to have a good amount of accessibility, especially if you’re traveling with others. If the truck tent extends past the bed of the truck, it is a great idea to have multiple points of entry.
If it only extends to the end of the truck, you may be able to find one that reaches over the cab of the truck to give you additional storage space and access to the stereo.
Consider The Construction and Design for Lasting Enjoyment
When it comes to the construction of these truck tents, you’re going to want to find a durable option that is not going to be damaging to your vehicle. You want the tent to last a long time, so it needs to be made out of fabric that can withstand the wind and other inclement weather.
Ripstop nylon is a great option to consider, and it is less likely to tear because of the crosshatch design of the fabric. Make sure that the seams are double stitched so that they are effective at keeping the rain out as well.
Finding a truck tent that is weatherproof is a necessity as well. You don’t want water getting into the tent as you sleep if a storm comes along, so you’ll want to check that the tent is water-resistant.
One of the key features that is considered when you get a truck tent is whether or not there is a floor built into the design. Since you’re not sleeping on the ground, you may not want a tent that has a floor because you won’t need to worry about cleaning out the truck bed before installing it. This ensures that the bottom of the tent cannot be ripped.
Whether you consider a bottom for your truck tents or not is essentially up to you and your preference.
Ventilation is Key to Your Comfort Through The Night
As with any tent, the amount of ventilation that you have available in your new truck tent is important. Air ventilation is required to help keep you cool while you are inside. Make sure that in addition to the entrance of the truck tents, there are also mesh windows that can be considered to provide more fresh air.
The hotter the climate where you’ll be camping, the more ventilation you’ll want your tent to have.
Don’t Forget Truck Tent Camper Storage Options
As we already discussed, the cab of the truck can be used for storage needs, but will you need additional space for gear to keep things that you’ll want to access during the night?
Pockets are still an option, but you will need to consider how important the additional storage space is going to be for your camping experience.
If excess storage is required for your tent, make sure to find tents that have the additional space that you can use.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you enjoyed our best truck bed tents roundup, and this guide has helped you to find the right tent for your needs. In our opinion, the Kodiak Canvas truck bed tent is the option that stands out above the rest of the products that we have reviewed.
It is a canvas truck bed tent made out of breathable material that is durable, waterproof, and well ventilated. It provides you with access to your truck cab, and it has a height that allows you to almost stand up in the back of the truck.
I’m Nebojša, a seasoned digital marketing professional with over 15 years of experience. My writing covers a diverse range of topics, from technology and gaming to app development and automobiles, all while delving into the intricacies of SEO optimization. Beyond the digital realm, I find solace in nature, inherited from my father’s love for the outdoors. His passion for hunting has influenced me, adding another layer to my appreciation for the natural world.