The Best Truck Bed Tent
There are so many options available for tent camping these days: easy to assemble pop-ups, multi-room behemoths that can fit ten or more campers, and even ultra-light bivy sacks designed for fast travel through the backcountry. But perhaps the most unique tent set up is the truck bed tent, which transforms your pickup into a comfy sleeping oasis in the wilderness. If you’ve got a truck of your own and are interested in adding space to get some shut-eye, read on to learn which model might be the best fit for your needs and budget.
Sportz Truck Tent Blue/Grey
The Sportz Truck Tent features one of the best designs, extending a four-foot awning from the front door. This will keep your gear dry and the interior of your tent free of moisture
Best Overall
Our pick for the best truck bed accommodations has to be the Sportz Truck Tent. It’s one of the pricier models on our list, but it also features one of the best designs, extending a four-foot awning from the front door. This will keep your gear dry and the interior of your tent free of moisture.
Best Value For Money
The Napier Backroadz is one of the best truck bed tents out there, featuring quality three-season construction and all the features you’d need for an enjoyable trip into the woods. It strikes the perfect balance between cost and amenities and is a good middle-of-the-road option for anyone buying a truck bed tent.
Best Budget Option
Guide Gear’s Full-Size Truck Tent is a solid option for campers that aren’t ready to throw down a lot of money. It doesn’t have too many features but covers all the basics needed for a weekend camping experience. Plus, it comes with a floor, which is pretty useful for people that don’t keep their truck bed very clean.
Best To Use With a Topper
If you enjoy camping with your pickup truck, there’s a good chance you’ve already outfitted it with a hardshell topper that you can sleep under. These can feel cramped with the tailgate folded up and expose you to the elements when the gate is down, which is why you’ll love the DAC Full – Size Truck Tent. It attaches to the rear of the topper and acts as a rain shell while extending the living space to cover the tailgate.
Best High End Truck Tent
If money is no concern, the Kodiak Canvas Truck Bed Tent is the way to go. Made from stronger and more durable cotton, along with thick aluminum poles, it’s an investment that will last for years. It’s also one of the only truck bed tents that can be used year round, even when snow is blanketing the ground.
Should You Pitch a Tent in Your Truck Bed?
So you’re intrigued by the idea of sleeping in the bed of your truck but aren’t sure what that entails. For the most part, truck bed tents aren’t that different from ground tents – they just don’t sit on the ground. These are some of the advantages and disadvantages of that kind of set up.
Pros
Keeps You Off the Ground
All sorts of creatures can go bump in the night when your tent is pitched at ground level. Being a few feet up and with some bed rails enclosing you on three sides will certainly feel more secure. It’s also not so far off the ground that you could get seriously injured climbing out of the tent, as might be the case with a rooftop tent.
Usually Not Very Expensive
Since the truck provides some stability and structure to the tent, it doesn’t need to be made from as strong of materials. As such, truck tents come with a lower price point compared to equally comfortable ground tents, and certainly less than a rooftop tent.
Can Pitch Your Tent Anywhere
To set up a ground-level family tent, you need a relatively flat surface, free of rock and other debris. Not so with a truck bed tent – anywhere your truck can go is a valid camping surface. Ideally, you should still find a level spot to park the truck, but whatever you consider comfortable is good enough.
Cons
Need to Unload Gear
To set up your tent, you’ll need an empty truck bed. Most of us carry our camping gear (cookstoves, tables, and camping chairs, sleeping bags) in the bed of the truck, which means you’ll have to clear all of that out before setting the tent up. To keep them from getting wet some of those things will need to go in the truck’s cab, which might not be big enough.
Truck Tents Don’t Always Fit the Bed
Unless you’re buying a tent that is designed for your truck model and bed length, there’s a chance it won’t fit perfectly. Universal-fit tents aren’t adjustable, they’re just designed to fit in a wide variety of truck beds. An ill-fitting tent, one that does not stretch to the edges of the truck bed, could cause water to pool up around the sides, which is a recipe for a very uncomfortable camping trip.
It Might Only Fit Your Current Truck
This is the converse of the previous problem, a good tent for truck beds will only fit in one size of bed. If you trade in your truck for a newer one, there’s a good chance it won’t fit. Selling a used truck bed tent isn’t easy either, and you’ll probably take a big loss if you can get it sold.
The Best Truck Bed Tent
1. Sportz Truck Tent Blue/Grey
Sportz’s truck tent is one of the best three-season tents on the market right now, with a whole host of features and a design that takes truck bed camping to the next level.
You can start with the elegant design, a dome tent but with a sixteen square foot awning extending out from it. One of the more annoying issues with truck bed tents is that the rainfly needs to be zipped up in a storm, which severely restricts airflow. But with the awning extended, there’s no need to seal up the door, even if you’re camping in a downpour. The Sportz also comes with an integrated floor, which is a real lifesaver if you’re someone that doesn’t keep their truck bed in the cleanest condition.
The tent is really simple to set up too, with the dome tent quickly assembled using color-coded poles. From there a set of padded straps attach to the wheel wells and bumper to lock it into place. The rainfly can be left off, but quickly set up using the same procedures as you would for a ground tent’s rainfly. The fly does restrict airflow by blocking the mesh windows of the inner tent, but it’s not a disturbance since so much air can come in through the front door.
This tent comes with quite a few accessories to keep the tent in pristine order too, like a gear loft above your head. These ceiling pockets are perfect for stuff that you need to reach in the middle of the night, like a flashlight to find your way to the toilet. There’s also a pair of storage pockets closer to bed level that are nice for eyeglasses or books; the sort of things you might set aside right before hitting the hay. There’s even a lantern holder attached to the ceiling that allows you to install some lighting in your tent.
The coolest feature on the Sportz though has to be the cab access port. The whole backside of the tent can be unzipped so you can run cables or even climb through your truck’s back window to reach the cab. Since many campers store their gear in their truck bed, this is a useful feature for truck bed tents as that gear might now be stored inside the cab.
Many campers will be turned off by the Sportz high price tag. It costs two or three times as much as some of the more inexpensive truck bed tents. However, the extra features and solid construction will be enough to convince hesitant buyers.
Why You Should Buy the Sportz Truck Tent Blue/Grey
- Includes some great accessories to keep everything organized.
- Has a large awning so your gear can stay dry.
- Truck cab is accessible from the tent.
2. Guide Gear Full Size Truck Tent
Guide Gear’s full-size model is one of the best values when it comes to truck tents. It really heaps on the features while costing less than the average ground-based tent.
Let’s start with the size; like most truck tents it comfortably sleeps two with a 63-inch width. It’s designed to fit most full-size truck beds with a length of around 79 inches. At its center point, the tent is 63 inches tall, which is enough to comfortably move about the tent, but not enough to stand in unless you come in on the shorter end of the scale. That’s fairly standard for truck bed tents though – very few can accommodate a person standing at full height. All packed up, the Guide Gear is 26 inches long 7.5 inches in diameter, and only weighs 11 pounds. That’s not bad for a large truck bed tent.
Set up is pretty straightforward, utilizing four fiberglass poles held together with shock cord. Like other dome-shaped tents, it takes only a few minutes to put together. Admittedly, assembling it inside the truck bed can be more time consuming compared to a ground tent as you’re working above your waist. You can save time by putting the tent together at ground level and then moving it to the truck bed to attach the rainfly. Speaking of which, it comes with a full-size rainfly that provides good weatherproofing using 190T polyester fabric.
The tent comes with a sewn-in floor, which separates you from the bare truck bed. This fabric isn’t particularly strong though, so if you have any kind of debris or metal fragments sticking up from the bed, it’d be a good idea to lay down a tarp or something protective before assembling the tent.
Guide Gear added some rather useful features to this tent including mesh windows and a wide D-shaped door for maximum ventilation. The windows get covered by the rainfly though, so this is only useful if you’re not expecting precipitation. With the rainfly on, ventilation drops significantly. There is no window at the back of the tent for running cables into the truck’s cab. However, it does have a couple of interior storage pockets where you could stash a power bank to keep your phone and other devices charged.
The one area where the Guide Gear falters is in durability. The tent poles are thin and the fabric tears relatively easily. You definitely shouldn’t drive with the tent set up as it could get torn up or blown out the back of the bed. It’s not a good choice if you regularly camp in areas with strong winds either.
Why You Should Buy the Guide Gear Full Size Truck Bed Tent
- Set up is easy.
- It has a decent amount of headspace.
- The tent is relatively inexpensive.
- It has adequate weatherproofing for rainy nights.
3. Napier Backroadz Truck Tent
Napier is one of the biggest names in the truck bed tent industry; they carry a wide variety of products, but the Backroadz is one of the more popular models. It’s essentially a dome tent with a small vestibule that sticks out over the tailgate. The Backroadz comes in five different sizes, so check to make sure the one your purchase is right for your make/model and bed length.
The Backroadz is designed with comfort in mind, which is particularly evident if you’re a tall camper – the center height of the tent is 62 inches. It’s not enough for most people to be able to stand up in, but it will make maneuvering around inside the tent a whole lot less stressful. It also has a full floor, which protects you and the rest of your camping gear from any residual dirt or spills that might be in the truck bed. However, the floor is fairly thin and needs to be treated with care.
It’s a three-season tent that comes with a fairly solid rainfly that can be attached if the weather goes south. The inner tent is made from 68-denier polyester, which is definitely on the thinner side but helps to keep weight down (the tent still weighs 16 pounds though). Fiberglass poles hold it all together, which aren’t as strong and are more prone to catastrophic failure when compared to an aluminum frame. The poles are color-coded to make assembly less complicated and time-consuming. It’s easy enough to do on your own, but having a partner will make it go a lot faster.
For ventilation, the Backroadz has two mesh windows plus the large front door. The windows get covered up by the rainfly with only a small gap between the bottom of the rainfly and the tent for air circulation. Napier added some great accessories to this tent though, including a gear loft, a lantern holder, and gear pockets to keep everything organized.
The Backroadz isn’t exactly a stand out tent, but rather a solidly good one in a number of categories. For the vast majority of truck tent users, it’ll be the best option, as it’s pretty affordable and performs well enough in just about every situation without any glaring disadvantages.
Why You Should Buy the Napier Backroadz Truck Tent
- Has a floor to keep everything nice and tidy.
- Setup is super easy with color-coded tent poles.
- It’s a very affordable three-season tent.
4. Rightline Gear Truck Tents
This truck bed tent from Rightline Gear utilizes a familiar form, a dome tent over the bed with a secondary tent shape overlapping the tailgate section. It comes in three different sizes to accommodate short, medium, and full-size truck beds. It’s absolutely critical that you get the right one as the tent doesn’t really stretch or lend itself to a “universal-fit”. The first couple of times are a challenge to get it set up, but after a few successful tries it can be done in ten minutes or less.
Unlike some of the other truck bed tent models, the Rightline lacks a floor. The company touts this as an advantage, making it faster and easier to get set up. It also eliminates the most common wear point on a tent. Just be sure you lay down some fabric beneath your mattress or you may end up getting it dirty with all the grime that’s inevitably left in the truck bed.
All of the seams on the Rightline are taped, which helps to prevent leaks that could ruin your night. The fabric is also a bit thicker than most truck bed tents, utilizing 2000mm polyurethane coated polyester. While it’s still just a three-season tent, this does provide better protection and makes it less likely that moisture will draw through the fabric if you happen to touch the inside surface of it while it’s soaking wet.
Most truck bed tents have mesh windows towards the ceiling, which in theory provides better air circulation. Hot air rises, so having a vent closer to the top works better. The Rightline even includes a vent at the apex of the tent, allowing you to watch the stars as you’re falling asleep. Unfortunately, when a rainfly gets added, it covers those vents and severely impedes airflow. The Rightline gets around this by locating the mesh vents closer to the bed rails, where they won’t be as covered by the rainfly. This is a feature you’ll really appreciate when it’s hot, humid, and pouring down rain.
As for accessories, the Rightline has a couple of gear pockets for handy storage of small items and a hook for hanging your lantern on. The straps and buckles included with the tent are also padded to minimize damage to the paint on your truck.
Why You Should Buy the Rightline Gear Truck Tent
- Has some of the best weatherproofing of any truck bed tent.
- Mesh vents are near the bottom of the tent for better ventilation.
- Tight fit that forms to the bed of your truck.
5. Milliard Truck Tent | Standard 6.5ft Bed
A basic tent with all the essentials – that pretty much sums up the Milliard Truck Tent. This dome-shaped tent fills up the standard truck bed and then some, with a small awning section to cover the tailgate. It’s designed to be as simple as possible to set up, so you can spend more time enjoying camp rather than assembling it.
One of the first things you’ll notice about the Milliard is that it has a rather durable sewn-in floor. It’s a little thicker than most models to stand up to more abrasion. That doesn’t mean you can abuse the fabric, but it should get you more problem-free years than some of the other truck bed tents with floors.
Large mesh panels flank both sides of the Milliard, giving it fantastic airflow when the rainfly is removed. Even with the fly attached though, it has a couple of small bars that can be used to prop up flaps on the outside of the fly. These are critical for keeping the temperature inside the tent at a comfortable level. The front door comes with a storm flap, so unless the rain is coming in sideways, you can leave the front door open for better ventilation, only sealing yourself off when the weather is at its worst.
Like many truck bed tents, the Milliard comes with several internal gear pockets for better organization. Nothing is worse than trying to find your phone in the middle of the night so you can walk to the bathroom. All your gear should be at your fingertips and easily found in the pitch black of night.
Milliard’s Truck Tent isn’t all that different from any other model, but it comes with a fairly low price tag, which makes it attractive to budget-minded campers. Extras like the ceiling vents on the rainfly put it ahead of some of its competitors in ventilation, but that’s really the only area where it is exceptional.
Why You Should Buy the Millard Truck Tent
- Rainfly vents provide improved airflow.
- It’s fairly inexpensive for what you’re getting.
- Doesn’t take long to set up.
6. DAC Full – Size Truck Tent
This truck bed tent is actually a cap tent, which means you need a truck with a topper/camper already attached to it. The cap simply goes on the end of the topper and allows you to better utilize the tailgate space while preventing rain from leaking in. The DAC is designed to fit 2005 and later Toyota Tacoma pickups along with Tundras, Chevy Silverado’s, and F-150’s with full-size beds.
Setting up the DAC is actually a lot simpler than most truck bed tents – just drop the tailgate and hold the tent up to the existing topper. A set of bungee cords attach the tent to the truck body under the wheel wells. It’s simple, but not exactly graceful. There are no tent poles involved which keeps the weight down to a minuscule five pounds. As the tent only extends past the truck bed camper, it does not have a floor and you’ll want to lay a tarp out to protect your air mattress.
Ventilation on DAC is almost entirely determined by the setup of your existing truck bed camper. It’s only opening is the front door, which does go pretty wide with flaps that tie back for maximum airflow. If your camper doesn’t have sliding windows though, this probably won’t do much for you and it will get hot and stuffy inside. The door panels also include a mesh layer so you can keep the mosquitos and other biting insects out.
Overall, this tent has limited usefulness, providing just a small amount of extra space beyond your existing truck bed camper. If you already have a decent camping setup with your truck bed topper though, this will improve the experience and might be worth the investment. Unfortunately, it costs more than some of the full-size tents on this list.
Why You Should Buy the DAC Full – Size Truck Tent
- You own a newer Toyota Tacoma or Tundra, Silverado, or F-150 with a topper.
- Want something that can be set up very quickly.
- Have a truck bed that’s not quite long enough for comfortably sleeping in.
7. Sportz Avalanche Truck Tent III
The Sportz Avalanche Truck Tent III is one of the more specialized models in this list, checking a lot of boxes if you’re a Chevy Avalanche owner. If you don’t drive an Avalanche, there’s no guarantee this tent will fit your rig correctly (it also works on an Escalade EXT). Additionally, one of the coolest features on this tent is that you can crawl through the back to enter the cab, which is possible thanks to the Avalanche’s large, roll-down back window.
The Sportz tent comes with a full floor, which is somewhat helpful in keeping the rain out. If your truck bed is wet, moisture will still seep through the floor, but the floor design keeps rain from ever entering the truck bed in the first place. The floor is fragile though, and you need to be extra careful to prevent it from snagging on anything in the bed. Fortunately, it doesn’t make the tent too heavy – the whole setup weighs just 20 lbs.
This is considered a three-season tent, built with relatively strong poles and tent fabric. It includes a rain fly made from 1200mm polyurethane-coated polyester. The rainfly decreases ventilation somewhat, as it covers the mesh windows, with only a small gap at the bottom for airflow. The only source of fresh air when it’s covered is the large front door.
Setting up the Avalanche Truck Tent is a breeze; it comes with color-coded poles so you know where everything needs to go before you get started (be sure to read the instruc