In case you’re operating out the door, my high choose is the Napier SportZ Truck Tent.
I don’t have to inform pickup truck homeowners about how helpful a truck will be – and so they’re simply as helpful in relation to tenting.
Sleeping in your truck mattress is extra comfortable than sleeping on the bottom, you received’t take up any additional house on the campground and you may sleep wherever you’ll be able to park.
Sounds fairly candy, proper? Of course, sleeping in an open truck mattress simply received’t do, so that you’ll want a truck mattress tent.
In this text, I’ll assessment the perfect truck tents for tenting on the go. Then, I’ll present you what to search for in a truck tent, and why it is best to get one.
The finest truck mattress tents are:
Best Truck Bed Tent: Our Top Recommendations
Also, be sure you see our whole Truck Bed Tent Comparison Table and Scoring Methodology.
Napier SportZ Truck Tent
This is the gold commonplace of truck tents. Napier provides a number of fashions, and that is by far their finest one. And sure, it does are available in a ton of sizes to suit each pickup truck.
As I discussed, the SportZ is Napier’s premium mannequin. It’ll be costlier than their BackroadZ mannequin (mentioned later), however the added options make it properly price it.
The greatest function is the awning. This awning permits you to unzip your tent when it’s raining with out water falling into your it.
You’ll keep dry and comfy inside irrespective of how a lot it’s pouring down. It additionally offers you a pleasant shaded place to kick your legs out of the tailgate, crack open a chilly one, and loosen up.
I additionally love the window choices. First, there’s a window on the bottom of the tent. This permits you to attain into your truck’s cab through the rear window.
Next, the home windows open and shut with zippers. For no matter cause, many truck tents don’t can help you open and shut the home windows. The solely solution to shut the home windows is to throw on the rain fly.
Not with the SportZ tent. The home windows are absolutely zippable, so you’ll be able to have privateness with out attaching the rain fly.
If only a primary tent isn’t sufficient for you, Napier provides some cool add-ons. You can complement your truck tent with a 4-person room utilizing the SportZ Link attachment. Or, you should buy this tent in camo, which is a good choice for looking lovers who wish to mix in.
Pros:
- Comes with an enormous awning which lets you preserve water out when getting into or exiting
- 5’8” headroom offers most individuals loads of room to stroll round
- The sewn-in ground makes it so that you keep clear from any grime within the truck mattress
- Color-coded poles and cushioned strap protectors make setup simple and protected
- The rear window permits you to enter your truck cab and seize any gear you want
- Awning retains you dry and supplies shade so that you can loosen up in
Cons:
- The door doesn’t zip to the underside, which may make entrance annoying
- This tent’s price ticket is likely to be too excessive for extra budget-conscious campers
Best for: critical outdoorsmen who need a premium tent that’ll final for years.
Kodiak Canvas Truck Bed Tent
Seasons: 4-season | Weight: 47.2 lbs | Inside Height: 60 in | Square Footage: Truck mannequin dependent | Setup Time: 30 minutes
Now I’ll combine it up and throw within the Kodiak Canvas Truck Bed Tent.
All of the opposite tents on this assessment are constructed with nylon. Nylon is a good cloth, but it surely’s not good. It whips within the wind, is liable to rips, and might let water seep in typically.
To counter this, Kodiak crafted a truck mattress tent made with heavy-duty canvas. This canvas materials is thick sufficient to maintain you heat within the winter, however can be breathable sufficient to chill you off in the summertime.
The truck tent is offered in a number of sizes and has air flow home windows on each panel (together with cab aspect).
This tent additionally makes use of a novel rail design to carry the poles up. Although it may be complicated the primary time you put in the tent, setup is a breeze when you be taught the ropes. You’ll be glad you probably did the work whenever you see how a lot width and headroom you get with this tent.
Pros:
- Heavy-duty canvas tents present a snug tenting expertise in any season
- The home windows are made with an excellent fantastic display – this blocks bugs from getting into the tent however nonetheless permits you to open them for air flow
- Like the SportZ, this tent comes with a truck cab window, so you’ll be able to seize gear out of your truck with out going outdoors
- Large, heavy-duty YKK zippers can help you open and shut the tent with out worrying about ripping the material
- Unique metal pole design maximizes truck width and supplies superior wind safety
Cons:
- Canvas is costly (however sturdy), making this tent much less reasonably priced than different tents on this listing
- First time setup will be tough since it’s important to work out the place to position the pole rails
- No ground means your butt may get soiled from sitting within the truck mattress
Best for: winter campers who need a super-warm tent and aren’t fearful in regards to the price ticket.
Napier BackroadZ Truck Tent
Seasons: 3-seasons | Weight: 14.25 lbs | Inside Height: 57 to 62 in | Square Footage: Truck mannequin dependent | Setup Time: 15 minutes
As talked about, that is Napier’s commonplace truck tent. It’s received the identical high quality of the SportZ (reviewed above), but it surely lacks a few of the premium options that make the SportZ my high choose.
This highly regarded tent comes with a full ground and is offered in tons of sizes. It doesn’t have the SportZ mannequin’s superior awning, but it surely does include a detachable rain fly and color-coded poles (for straightforward setup).
This tent didn’t make my high choose as a result of it doesn’t have the awning or home windows that the SportZ has. Despite the value distinction, I believe the SportZ mannequin is definitely worth the improve. However, BackroadZ continues to be a fantastic tent.
Pros:
- Setup could be very simple due to the easy pole design – shouldn’t take quite a lot of minutes to have it pitched
- Super excessive middle peak (5’6”) so that you don’t should crouch
- Features a gear internet on the roof of the tent to retailer your iPhone, keys, or pockets
- Great customer support – any points will likely be resolved fairly dang fast
- More reasonably priced than the SportZ, however nonetheless a wonderful choice for truck tenting
Cons:
- Windows don’t shut with out the rain fly, so air flow choices are restricted
- The ground design means you’ll be able to’t have a toolbox in your truck mattress
Best for: individuals who need the long-lasting development of a Napier tent, however don’t want the extras that include the SportZ
Fofana Stand Up Truck Bed Instant Tent
Seasons: 3-season | Weight: 13.5 lbs | Inside Height: 72 in | Square Footage: Truck mannequin dependent | Setup Time: 5 minutes
Tall folks rejoice! The Fofana Stand Up Truck Bed Tent shouldn’t be solely an prompt tent, so it may be pitched in beneath 5 minutes, BUT it is also made for tall folks with a 72 inch or 6 foot rise up peak.
Also, as a result of it’s styled like a cabin tent, the within peak is substantial all through the truck mattress.
Fofana is predicated within the US simply north of San Diego, and comes with a full rain fly.
Pros:
- Plenty of headroom with 6′ tall, mesh ceiling
- Instant setup in 5 minutes for 2 folks or 10 minutes max for one
- Comes with a full protection rainfly
- Weighing solely 13.5 lbs, it received’t trigger you any issues hauling it
Cons:
- The materials shouldn’t be the sturdiest on the market
- Due to the tall cabin-like construction, wind is usually a downside
Best for: taller campers, who need to have the ability to absolutely rise up inside your tent.
JoyTutus Pickup Truck Tent
The JoyTutus Pickup Truck Tent received’t win any awards, however is a stable worth tent none-the-less.
With a simple setup in simply 5-10 minutes, you’ll be able to camp very quickly.
Users rave in regards to the customer support, so in the event you run into any issues with the fiberglass poles, relaxation assured that you just’ll get the issue resolved.
Pros:
- A fast 5 minute setup with two folks
- Lightweight at 8.88 lbs
- mixture of peak at 67 inches and house at 39.5 sq ft
- Nicely priced
Cons:
- No rainfly, so you might be fully depending on the waterproof cloth
- Poles are fragile
Best for: winter campers who need a super-warm tent and aren’t fearful in regards to the price ticket.
Guide Gear Full Size Truck Tent
I like the Napier SportZ tent, however I perceive that it is likely to be too dear for some. So, right here’s probably the most reasonably priced truck tent I like to recommend: Guide Gear’s Truck Tent.
Despite being probably the most reasonably priced tent on our listing, it’s received a fantastic monitor file serving to campers sleep sound at evening.
This is a primary, all-around high-quality tent. It doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of the SportZ, however this tent will assist your truck mattress really feel like your house mattress.
Pros:
- Most reasonably priced truck tent we reviewed (nice bang to your buck)
- Its easy design makes it extraordinarily sturdy, laborious to interrupt
- 1500mm HH waterproof coating and an added rain fly preserve you bone dry
- The spacious inside and added ground offer you a soothing tenting expertise
- Very light-weight tent (solely 10 lbs.), so it may be saved in your truck indefinitely
Cons:
- Only obtainable in two sizes
Best for: campers who wish to “test the waters” to see in the event that they like truck tents earlier than splurging on a premium product.
Check Price on Sportsman’s Guide
Rightline Gear Truck Tent
Seasons: 3-season | Weight: 8 lbs | Inside Height: Truck mannequin dependent | Square Footage: Truck mannequin dependent | Setup Time: 10 minutes
Last however not least is the Rightline Gear’s Truck Tent. I saved this one for final as a result of actually, there isn’t something magical about it. That being mentioned, it’s a well-rounded tent that gives a fantastic tenting expertise.
It is available in a ton of various sizes, so each pickup truck proprietor should buy one.
It’s light-weight so you’ll be able to retailer it beneath your seats for on-the-go tenting.
The solely function that stands proud is that it doesn’t have a ground. The solely tents on this listing that don’t have a ground are this and the Kodiak canvas. If you need a polyester tent with no ground (so you’ll be able to have a toolbox), that is the selection for you.
Pros:
- Removable rain fly so you’ll be able to open up the tent and see the celebs
- No ground, so you’ll be able to nonetheless use this tent you probably have a toolbox – it’s additionally good to don’t have any ground if you wish to use your individual footprint (or tarp)
- Sizes obtainable for compact, mid-size, and full-size vehicles
- Price is middle-tier – lower than the Napier tents, however greater than the Gear Guide tent
- Lightweight (11 lbs.) so you’ll be able to preserve it in your toolbox with out taking on a lot house
Cons:
- No ground is likely to be a disadvantage for some folks for the reason that ground is likely to be soiled or moist – I recommend bringing a tarp or footprint simply in case
- Zippers aren’t the highest quality and will get caught
Best for: campers who need a versatile polyester truck tent, however don’t need a ground connected.
Best Truck Bed Tents – Everything We Recommend
Truck Bed Tent Buying Guide
You’ve determined you need a truck tent. Great!
Now, listed here are a few of the components you’ll have to consider to ensure you choose the precise one.
Compatibility
The primary concern in relation to truck tents is compatibility.
There are tons of vehicles available on the market and so they all have completely different dimension beds. You should double-check to ensure your truck tent matches your truck.
Most truck tents specify what dimension beds they match. Make positive you exit and measure your truck mattress and make sure it matches the tent producer’s specs.
Size
When you get your truck tent, you’re gonna be excited to open it up and get began. However, don’t rush out to the mountains simply but.
First, take into account the scale of your tent.
Heed this warning – most truck tents are made to solely sleep two folks. If you’re seeking to camp with greater than two, you may wish to go for a family-sized floor tent. Or, get the Napier SportZ and add the Link tent.
Material
Most truck tents are product of both nylon, polyester, or canvas.
Each of those materials has their very own set of professionals and cons, so which materials you find yourself going for goes to return down to non-public desire, and what your priorities are.
Nylon and polyester are artificial supplies which might be lighter than canvas and fast to dry, making them much less liable to mildew. That being mentioned, they’re not as sturdy or breathable as nylon.
Canvas, however, is a pure materials that’s robust, breathable, weatherproof and environmentally sustainable. It is, nevertheless, loads heavier than nylon or polyester, and it dries slowly, so mildew can usually be a difficulty.
Season Rating
Unless you’re going truck tenting in extraordinarily sizzling or extraordinarily chilly climate situations, chances are high you’ll find yourself getting both a 3 season or a 4 season truck tent.
Well, a 3 season tent is ideal in the event you plan on tenting through the summer time, and probably late spring and early fall.
However, in the event you plan on utilizing your tent through the winter months, in addition to late fall and early spring, then a 4 season tent is the best way to go.
Note: though it’s referred to as a 4 season tent, these tents aren’t preferrred to be used through the summer time when it’s sizzling outdoors.
Water-Resistance
With any tent, water resistance has received to be a high precedence. After all, the very last thing you need in your tenting journey is to be caught in a rainstorm in a leaky tent.
To ensure you get a tent that can preserve you dry in every kind of climate, test its waterproof score. The minimal score for a tent to be thought of waterproof is 1000 mm, however the larger the determine the higher protected you’ll be.
Also, ensure it comes with a great rain fly that covers your complete tent.
A tub ground is one other good function to look out for, because it prevents your tent from flooding throughout heavy rains.
If you wish to make double positive, deal with your tent utilizing waterproofings spray earlier than you head off in your journey.
If you’ve received a canvas tent, you’ll be able to season it as a substitute, or use waterproofing merchandise identical to you’d with an artificial tent.
Ventilation
Other than the breathability of the supplies themselves, the home windows and vents on a truck tent are tremendous essential for sustaining good air flow, with sufficient airflow by way of the tent.
If there isn’t sufficient air flowing by way of your tent, condensation will kind on the internal partitions and drip down onto you and every part else that’s inside. This is true no matter whether or not it’s sizzling or chilly outdoors.
Not to say, you’ll be feeling so stuffy and sweaty that getting a great evening’s sleep will likely be out of the query.
Make positive that you choose a tent with good, massive home windows with mesh screens to maintain the bugs out.
Also, search for vents on the perimeters or roof that permit air to flee by way of the highest of the tent.
Set-Up
You wish to ensure you get a truck tent that’s pretty simple to arrange.
Most importantly, know easy methods to arrange your tent earlier than you hit the street. Read the directions and arrange your tent at your own home so you understand what you’re doing.
You’ll shortly discover that organising a truck tent is kind of completely different to a floor tent. While floor tents use guy-lines and stakes to maintain the tent tight, truck tents use straps that connect to the surface of your truck.
I’ve received two tricks to maximize your use of those straps.
Tip #1: ensure you don’t over-torque the straps.
It’s quite common for folks to over-pull the straps to maintain their tent inflexible. However, you’ll discover that it’s simple to tug an excessive amount of and harm your tent.
Be cautious, and preserve this in thoughts when strapping down your tent.
Tip #2: watch your paint job.
Depending on the setup, your straps (or ratchet) may chip away on the paint on the surface of your truck.
You can forestall this by not over-torquing the straps, however you too can add some safety to your truck. A tarp, pad, and even only a towel will be positioned beneath your straps to maintain your paint job clear.
Additional Features
Finally, look out for added options like a built-in ground, door flaps, cab entry, wire ports, storage pockets and a gear loft.
These may seem to be minor factors, however they’ll usually make a world of distinction in relation to staying comfy and arranged in your journey.
Keep in thoughts that in the event you get a truck mattress tent with a ground, you received’t be capable to have the rest at the back of the trunk whereas your tent is up.
Why Would You Want A Truck Tent?
At this level, you is likely to be pondering “hmm, I like the sound of these truck tents, but there are some alternatives that look just as good.”
Here are some the explanation why a truck tent is healthier than a floor tent or a truck cap.
Truck Tent vs. Ground Tent
Truck tents aren’t almost as fashionable as regular tents (that arrange on the bottom).
I’m undecided why, but when I needed to guess, I’d say it’s as a result of vehicles aren’t as fashionable as vehicles or SUVs (which can be utilized for SUV tenting). My analysis exhibits pickup vehicles make up solely 15-20% of American vehicles.
My take is… their loss! Trucks are superior and are made even higher with truck tents.
The main good thing about utilizing a truck tent over a floor tent is that you just don’t should sleep on the bottom. Depending in your terrain, this is usually a main perk. A truck tent permits you to park on any rocky, swampy, or bumpy floor with out having to sleep on the bottom.
Truck tents can help you camp wherever you’ll be able to drive. That’s a fantastic cause to select a truck tent, for my part.
Truck Tent vs. Truck Cap
You’ve determined you wish to camp in your truck, however perhaps you’re tempted to get a truck cap (also called a truck topper) as a substitute. These caps are put in on the mattress of your truck to offer everlasting protection.
The profit to a truck cap is that it’s long-lasting and ensures rain safety. The damaging is the price.
Depending on the scale of your truck and the fabric you select, a truck cap may value wherever between $750 and $2,200. Compare that to a truck tent, and the tent is trying fairly good!
Our Truck Bed Tent Rating & Review System
New in 2022, Wilderness Times has rolled out a completely new tent score and assessment system.
We’ve already been using our personal private experiences, different campers we speak to, on-line evaluations and every other piece of content material we are able to get our arms on from YouTube movies to Amazon video evaluations, and many others.
But now in 2022, we’ve constructed out a new scoring system and algorithm powered assessment course of. What goes into this? We grade every tent on a wide range of metrics:
- Space and Comfort
- Quality and Durability
- Value
- Weather Resistance
- Ease of Use
- Intangibles (distinctive options and key promoting factors)
- User Reviews
Depending upon what you might be searching for in a tent, you’ll wish to pay kind of consideration to every particular merchandise.
Overall Score
All of the above metrics are factored into our algorithm to create an Overall Score. The Overall Score goes to be the perfect for tents which might be high notch in each class accordingly.
Therefore solely a tent that gives nice all-around worth, climate resistance, top quality supplies, together with intangibles AND nice person evaluations will rating higher than a tent that’s particularly made for 4-seasons, however can be extraordinarily costly.
Or maybe you might be searching for a fantastic tent at a fantastic worth? In this case, your tent is probably not rated the best, as a result of it is probably not utilizing the perfect of the perfect supplies, however it would certainly have the best worth to cost ratio.
So whereas the Overall Score is essential, it’s not every part.
Space And Comfort
When you might be tenting in a truck mattress tent, you might be working in restricted house primarily based on the truck you personal.
But even so, there are nonetheless some variables within the truck mattress tent design that make this one price trying into. The greatest of which is probably going going to be the peak of the tent.
The final thing you wish to do is be hunched over attempting to get into your truck with none headroom. Here are the truck mattress tents by peak:
Clearly, if you’re a tall particular person, or just wish to have some head room, the Fofana Stand Up Truck Bed Instant Tentgoes to be your finest guess with 6 toes of clearance.
Other contenders for house are going to be the Napier SportZ Truck Tent and the JoyTutus Pickup Truck Tent.
Quality And Durability
This metric is fairly easy. We fee the tents primarily based on their precise supplies and the standard of the development.
We additionally get suggestions from tent homeowners who put it their tents the take a look at over a protracted time frame.
Many tents make the most of a mix of the identical polyester or nylon supplies, however their development will be simply as essential. This all will get factored into the standard and sturdiness rating.
Also factored within the Quality and Durability rating is the guarantee.
While most tents have some form of Limited guarantee, many have Lifetime Limited Warranty’s, and a few none in any respect!
Value
All tents aren’t created equally, and never all tents are priced equally both. JoyTutus as an example produces a fantastic price range tent, whereas Kodiak produces a superior canvas tent that may face up to the weather. These tents won’t be priced wherever shut to one another:
As you’ll be able to see the Kodiak Canvas Truck Bed Tent is the best priced, however if you’re seeking to go winter tenting in your truck mattress tent, then the Kodiak Canvas tent is for you! That will present superior worth, even at it’s present worth.
Coming in under $100, the Guide Gear Full Size Truck Tent is a good price range tent. However, it doesn’t come with out it’s dangers because it has mid-range headroom and restricted climate resistance.
That is why we finally love the Napier BackroadZ Truck Tent for its superior worth.
Weather Resistance
Weather resistance is a straightforward metric.
Does the tent let in water, or does it not? Does the tent face up to excessive winds, or collapse onto itself? Does the tent have good air flow through the summer time months or does it get too sizzling and stuffy? This is what issues to us once we fee a tent for climate resistance:
The Kodiak Canvas Truck Bed Tent once more proves that canvas is king. However, lots of the different truck mattress tents that we checked out all had favorable scores for wind and rain.
The Napier SportZ Truck Tent exhibits why it’s an total nice tent, and the Fofana Stand Up Truck Bed Instant Tent might not maintain up the perfect in excessive winds, however retains water out properly.
Ease Of Use
How quick can a median person pitch this tent? How simple it’s to take down and/or make the most of extra options?
Also, how a lot does the tent weigh? A tent weighing 47 lbs goes to attain barely decrease than light-weight truck mattress tent that weights 8 lbs complete that may be pitched in the identical period of time.
So right here is all the knowledge that goes into this score:
You can see that the Fofana Stand Up Truck Bed Instant Tent and the JoyTutus Pickup Truck Tent will go up the quickest – each in 5 minutes with two folks.
On the opposite hand, the Kodiak Canvas Tent has a steep studying curve. But you received’t go improper with any of the others as typically truck mattress tents appear to be fairly easy.
Intangibles
These are the distinctive options or promoting factors of every particular person tent that give it a leg up on the competitors.
Does the tent have two doorways? Perhaps the tent has a big vestibule for storing tools? Is the tent is a two-room tent with a particular house for the kiddos or a canine? Maybe the footprint is included within the worth?
This ALL will get factored into the intangibles rating.
User Ratings
Last, however not least are person evaluations!
We can get numerous nice suggestions from person evaluations, however they aren’t good. The common tent proprietor received’t ever depart a assessment, so evaluations are usually left by customers who both have a very favorable or unfavorable expertise.
Of course even that’s nonetheless good data, as a result of if 90% of tent homeowners depart a optimistic 5-star assessment, then that’s actually saying one thing. So we mix evaluations collectively from numerous sources and give you a median person score rating. Here is how they shake out for truck mattress tents:
The Kodiak Canvas is available in with the best User Rating rating by a stable margin, however don’t sleep on the Napier BackroadZ Truck Tent which as we noticed earlier supplies superior worth and clearly customers love.
But many of the different tents we checked out rated fairly properly. The Rightline Gear Truck Tent rated the least extremely, and as you’ll be able to see is the bottom rated tent that we have now checked out.
Even so, we don’t merely belief the general person score on Amazon. We undergo and skim the evaluations. We learn the nice, we learn the dangerous, after which we issue within the amount of evaluations and calculate all of into our ultimate User Rating rating.
Our Verdict
In conclusion, utilizing a truck tent is an superior solution to get outdoors. Camping in your truck mattress permits you to sleep on any terrain, offering glorious consolation and safety. You may not be capable to discover truck tents at your native out of doors retailer, however that doesn’t imply they aren’t a fantastic selection for tenting.
There are tons of truck tents available on the market. Out of all of these, I believe the perfect truck tent is the Napier SportZ Truck Tent. It might need a premium price ticket, but it surely’s jam-packed with so many options that I believe it’s properly price it.
Either manner, all the tents on this article will offer you an epic tenting expertise.