As camping continues to grow in popularity, the methods by which campers enjoy the activity have steadily evolved.
Gone are the days when the only option for camping was a ground tent.
Today, campers have a lot at their disposal for how they can sleep; from the ground tents, roof-mounted tents, travel trailers to the latest craze, the truck bed tents.
And today, we shall focus on the novel truck bed tents.
Aptly named the truck bed tents, these camping shelters unfurl inside your truck, allowing you to use your truck bed as a sleeping platform. Normally, they rest on your truck’s empty bed, creating a similar structure to that of a ground tent.
Like the rooftop tents, these tents let you sleep off the ground, thus protecting you from the element, animals, insects, and uneven sleeping surface.
They don’t compromise on space or comfort; most of them are designed to offer plenty of interior spaces while offering a roomy area, leaving enough room to store extra gear.
The best models even feature a sewn-in floor to offer added protection from the actual truck bed. Some even feature large awnings for extra shape and keeping your area dry in case of rain.
But as you can imagine, there’re already so many options in the market, and choosing the right tent for your needs can be difficult.
To help with the selection, we’ve created a comprehensive guide outlining the best truck bed tents in the market. We’ve also included a handy buying guide to help with the selection process.
Table of Contents
- 1 Table of Contents
- 2 Quick Comparison Table!
- 3 The Best Truck Bed Tents For The Money
- 4 #1 Napier Backroadz Truck Tent - EDITOR'S CHOICE
- 5 #2 Rightline Gear Truck Tent - Best for Full-Size Trucks
- 6 #3 Kodiak Canvas Truck Bed Tent - Luxurious Option
- 7 #4 Guide Gear Truck Tent - Compact and Full Size
- 8 #5 Sportz Truck Tent Blue/Grey - Best Full-Size Option
- 9 Best Truck Bed Tents Buying Guide
- 10 Final Thought
Table of Contents
Quick Comparison Table!
The Best Truck Bed Tents For The Money
#1 Napier Backroadz Truck Tent - EDITOR'S CHOICE
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
Though the market for the truck bed tent continues to grow by the day, no brand does it better than Napier Outdoors.
With the Backroadzs, Napier delivers a quality tent with a thoughtful design and practicality.
The Backroadzs is also built for longevity, with the polyester fabric and fiberglass poles offering reliable support holding up against high winds and wet weather.
But is it the right option for you?
Features and Benefits
Design-Molded for your Truck
Backroadzs optimizes on the available space, ensuring you get the most square footage your truck can handle. It easily molds into the dimensions of your truck bed, with the tent’s lining hugging the wall for a perfect fit.
The dome-style tent also has a generous space and at over 5.5 feet, which gives users plenty of space to move around. While it won’t allow you to stand up comfortably, it provides the interior with a spacious feel. The headroom also simplifies getting in and out of the tent with minimal crouching required.
Construction
Like all Napier tents, Backroadzs is well designed and crafted with care and precision for a long-lasting outdoor shelter solution.
Though not the sturdiest, the fiberglass poles provide a solid tent edifice, and one can stand up to the winds and rain.
The poles are color-coded, helping with ease of set up and dismantling.
Unlike steel, the fiberglass poles are also lightweight, so you don’t have to worry about getting bogged down by them when moving them in their portable case.
Waterproofness
The last thing you want when camping is getting rained on.
Fortunately, Napier Backroadzs integrates some waterproofing features to keep you dry around the clock.
An 86D polyester taffeta used for the shell is durable and stays rigid even when wet. It’s further complemented by a polyester taffeta rain fly with a water-resistant coating to deflect moisture away from the campers under it.
Breathability
A polyester mesh, located on the 2 side windows and the larger entry door, is dense to keep out any bugs while letting the tent’s air cycle.
This way, your tent is less likely to get humid, and you’re less likely to get sweaty as well.
Easy to Install
The tent does require some work to assemble, but it shouldn’t take your time.
The fiberglass frames are all shock-corded, color-coded, and feature an interlocking mechanism for a quick setup.
Pros
- Easy to pitch
- Waterproof
- Plenty of headroom
- Fits many truck bed length
Cons
- Lacks an extended awning
#2 Rightline Gear Truck Tent - Best for Full-Size Trucks
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
Rightline Gear Truck Tent seems to hit all the right spots when it comes to form, functionality, and durability.
It’s available in various sizes, but this option is suitable for the full-size truck only.
This gear truck tent is also rich in features, throwing in a full set of waterproofing features and has some nice bells and whistles to round it all out.
But is the Rightlibe Gear Truck Tent, alongside its features, the right option for you?
Features and Benefits
Light and Airy Performance
Rightline Gear Truck Tent uses a blend of lightweight yet sturdy materials to keep your comfortable and shielded against the elements.
The tent employs polyester, a lightweight, waterproof and breathable fabric that doesn’t sag even when exposed to water.
Fiberglass poles are responsible for the tent’s frame and are responsible for holding Rightline Gear Truck Tent in an upright position.
The poles are also lightweight and shock-corded for easy assembly and disassembly. They’re also flexible, yet strong enough to provide a rigid tent structure that can easily stand up to the winds and elements.
If you’re worried about getting sweaty and humid in your tent, you’ll love the mesh windows that keep the bugs out while regulating the tent’s ventilation.
Simple to Set Up
While it does take a couple of tries to pitch Rightline Gear Truck Tent, the folks at Rightline ensure it can be done by a single person and in record time.
The three color-coded fiberglass frames are easy to connect to provide the tent’s sturdy design.
Waterproof
Waterproofing should be an essential consideration for any camping tent, and the Rightline Gear Truck Tent doesn’t fail in this department.
The tent has several waterproofing features, and notably, we love how it fits tight to the bed rails while wrapping around the lowered tailgate to prevent water leakage.
The tent’s dome-shape also plays a crucial role, ensuring rain rolls easily from the shelter and truck.
Finally, Rightline Gear Truck Tent features a rain fly, which drapes over the tent, especially over the mesh skylight vents. The rainfly is also coated with a 2000 mm waterproofing agent, which alongside the taped seams and buckles, underlines the tent’s waterproofness.
Of note, this tent lacks a floor, unlike the Napier Backroadzs. It’s not exactly a deal-breaker but a testament, underlining the superior waterproofness of the tent. With the Rightline Gear Truck Tent, no water is going to get anywhere close to you.
However, you require a floor; then, you’ll certainly need a tarp or blanket for comfort.
Pros
- Big for big trucks
- Superior waterproofing
- Easy to pitch
Cons
- No floor
#3 Kodiak Canvas Truck Bed Tent - Luxurious Option
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
If you’re looking for a luxurious tent solution and something out of the ordinary for your truck bed tent, then the Kodiak Canvas Tent truck is a fantastic purchase.
Sporting a premium canvas construction, Kodiak Tent is durable than most of its competitors.
While it commands a higher price tag than a majority of the tents, it guarantees a quality build, which will last for a long time.
Features and Benefits
Material Construction
Kodiak Canvas Tent employs a duck cotton canvas fabric, in contrast to most of the polyester’s tents.
Canvas excels over nylon and polyester in several ways, and notably, it’s the tight weave, for waterproofing purposes.
Yet, the canvas is breathable and can withstand the rain and snow.
Canvas is also a rugged and durable fabric that easily outlasts the cheaper tents made from polyester or nylon.
Steel Frames
Kodiak Canvas Tent also upgrades in the frame department, and rather than using the normal fiberglass frame; it employs premium ¾” steel poles.
The steel poles give the tent a tunnel shape, allowing for uniform headroom throughout the interior.
Hail Hydration
Kodiak Canvas Tent lacks a rainfly, yet it’s a waterproof option. So, how does it manage to keep your interior dry?
It all starts with a Hydra-Shield canvas technology, using a combination of tight weave and silicone-based treatment to keep you dry. The technology keeps the canvas impervious to water penetration.
The good thing with the treatment is that it’s watertight, and lasts for a long time, so you shouldn’t ever have to re-treat it again.
The tent’s water-resistance is further underlined by the dual awnings, shielding water from accessing the tent, regardless of the angle it’s falling at.
Finally, the storm flaps on the windows and the door can be rolled back for breathability and zipped shut for an impenetrable fortress against rain.
Easy Access
Kodiak Canvas Tent is all about jacking the comfort levels, and having easy access to your truck’s cab is a welcome
An opening on the tent lets you utilize the truck’s bed to the maximum as you don’t have to store extra bags, shoes, or gear.
Instead, you can leave everything in the cab and simply open the window to access what you need when you need it.
It’s even possible to run a cable right from the cab to your tent for charging.
Pros
- Durable
- Premium material
- Waterproof
Cons
- Expensive
#4 Guide Gear Truck Tent - Compact and Full Size
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
Guide Gear Truck Tent is a versatile and flexible truck bed tent that seems to tick on the right boxes or the best truck tent.
It’s a capable and durable option, too, and it will last for a long time.
Features and Benefits
Dual Model for Any Size Truck
Guide Gear Truck Tent is available in two different sizes so that you won’t have any problems fitting the truck tent into your pick up.
The full-size option, designed for use with larger truck beds, measures 63 by 79 inches and has an additional 5.25 feet at the center so you can easily sit up.
On the other hand, the compact option, suitable for the smaller pickups, measures 643 by 74 inches. Still, it has ample space for 2 persons to rest easy.
Either way, both models utilize a dome-shaped design, featuring frames with side rails, allowing the tent to rest atop the truck side. The tent also utilizes the entire truck bed, thus maximizing the interior space.
Breathability
Tents tend to retain heat well, and the truck bed tents are no different.
Fortunately, Guide Gear Truck Tent features large windows, which work with the large D-door to provide a cross draft whenever you need it.
The windows are covered with a dense mesh, which keeps the bugs out while allowing air in.
Moreover, all the openings on the tent feature zip-up laps, which can open and zip to regulate the airflow. So, even if the rainfly is still attached, it’s possible to get fantastic ventilation.
Convenience
The D-shaped door offers the perfect entry and exit to the Guide Gear Truck Tent.
The entryway on this tent is large enough for users to crawl in and out with ease.
At the same time, it provides users with an excellent view of the outside world.
Heavy Duty
A lot of high-quality materials have gone into the construction of Guide Gear Truck Tent.
The shell fabric on the tent is 190T polyester, while the frames maintain the typical fiberglass frames.
Combined, all the material used for constructing this tent is durable and will easily stand up to whatever Mother Nature throws at them.
Waterproofing
Waterproofing on the Guide Gear Truck Tent is quite exceptional, with the credit going to the polyethylene floor and 1500mm hydrostatic coating on the polyester shell.
The floor is also sewn, further underlining the waterproofness and ensuring that no water penetration through the bottom of the tent.
Pros
- Fits varying sizes of trucks
- WaterProof
- LightWeight
- Durable
Cons
- Tad bulky
#5 Sportz Truck Tent Blue/Grey - Best Full-Size Option
- Quality
- Price
- Our Rating
Sportz Truck is yet another fantastic truck bed tent coming with a host of desirable features.
It’s a durable option, too, and it will serve you for several long seasons without breaking down.
It’s breathable and comfortable, with the mesh and large door allowing for proper ventilation and the sewn-in floor for the better sleeping experience.
Features and Benefits
Material construction
Like most truck bed tents on our list, Sportz Truck features a polyester fabric and fiberglass frame.
The polyester fabric is one of the durable materials for tent construction. It’s a sturdy option and one that doesn’t tear easily.
Even better, it has waterproof capabilities, and you will, therefore, not have to worry about an incoming storm.
On the other hand, the fiberglass frames are durable and sturdy, helping to maintain the tent’s overall structure. The frames are also flexible and will help the tent to maintain its position even amid the torrential rain and gusts of wind.
Ventilation
Tent tends to get humid, but not with the Sportz Truck.
This option features a large entrance door, 2 mesh window, and a side vent; combined, they promote airflow in the tent and ensure you don’t drench in your sweat or get humid.
Rear Access Panel
The tent has a rear panel for the additional storage need, allowing you to access the truck’s cab with ease. This means you don’t have to worry about crushing your phone or other accessories when sleeping because you can simply store them safely in the cab.
Comfortable
There’re plenty of comfort-enhancing features on the Sportz Truck. Notably, the sewn-in floor provides the perfect place for you to rest after a long journey. More importantly, it’s designed in such a way it prevents water or moisture entry, so you can always rest easy knowing you won’t get wet or damp.
The tent also has plenty of space for a couple, and we love the 5.6 feet of headroom, which will even allow you to stand without worrying about hitting the roof.
Ease of Use
Pitching the Sportz Truck is quite easy, and assembly takes less than 10 minutes. The color-coded poles and the sleeve system of the tent help with the fast and easy setup.
Convenient
Sportz Truck includes an expandable carrying bag for storage and a set of strap protectors to shield the straps.
It also comes with 4″ by 4″ shade awnings that secure the tailgate making it suitable for setting it up at any particular place.
Pros
- Features strap protectors
- Easy to assemble
- Comfortable
- Plenty of storage
Cons
- Poles are a tad long
Best Truck Bed Tents Buying Guide
Choosing a truck bed tent can be challenging at the very least, but in the buying guide below, I shall share with you everything you need to know about selecting the best truck bed tent.
How to Choose a Truck Bed Tent
Ventilation
When choosing a tent, you want to note the number of windows and air vents available.
Ventilation is necessary to promote good airflow, which lets you experience more fun and relaxing tenting experience.
It removes the inconveniences of excess humidity and sweating.
Fit
You’ll also want to pay attention to the straps. In particular, the straps are essential if you plan camping in a windy environment.
Straps will ensure your tents stays securely in place and won’t easily get blown by the wind.
Ease of Installation
Generally, truck bed tents are easier to unfurl and install compared to the ground tents.
Still, some are easier to install than others.
So, you would want to pick an option allowing you to set it up with the least effort and time.
Some of the tents even come with features that make setting up even easier. For instance, some feature color-coded poles help you set up a tent in record time.
Size
Of course, truck bed tents are limited by the size of your truck.
Still, you can have a say in your truck bed tent height.
If you don’t like feeling enclosed too much, you can choose a higher-end model with an extra interior room.
This tent will give you more headroom, and some will even allow you to stand up.
Pole Construction
The common pole option for the truck bed tents is fiberglass, steel, and aluminum.
Of the three, we recommend aluminum because it balances strength and lightness.
However, it doesn’t offer the same strength as steel. On the flip side, steel is only suitable for those camping in extreme conditions and need maximum durability.
Fiberglass, on the other hand, is ultra-lightweight, but it compromises the overall strength.
Tent Material
Tent material is just as crucial as your pole construction.
Ideally, your tent material should be durable and waterproof.
Most tents are made from polyester, a waterproof option, offering maximum protection.
Others use canvas; it’s not exactly a waterproof option, but it lets your tent breathe while eliminating condensation. However, it’ll jack up your price tag significantly.
Floor
Some truck tents have a floor built-in, while others lack.
We would recommend picking those with a floor as it shields you against the cold and hard truck floor. A truck bed floor creates an enclosed feel while offering additional protection from the elements.
However, to use this type of tent, you must clean the truck bed first.
Storage Capability
Of course, while sleeping or relaxing in your truck bed cab, you’ll want to have items like your phone or wallet with you.
That’s why it’s helpful to have at least a storage pocket in the truck bed tent to help you keep your valuable safe and dry. Also, it protects them, preventing you from crushing them when you roll around at night.
Price
We only wish you didn’t have to pick a truck bed based on the price, but we can’t ignore that most people work on a budget.
The good news is even when you’re strapped of cash; it’s always easy to find some great truck bed tent options.
However, keep in mind that you get what you pay for. Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean that inexpensive options are flimsy. You simply need to strike a balance between cost and practicality.
Choose an option that is well within your budget, and most importantly, an option that will satiate your needs.
Final Thought
Truck camping is a real adventure that leads to life-long memories.
Whether you need to camp alone, with friends or loved ones, it’s always easy to find a truck bed suiting your needs.
You can always choose a full-sized option for extended vacations or small, easy-to-setup for the quick stops.
Either way, the truck bed offers lots of versatility, protection, and security when you’re away from your home’s comforts.
But ensure you choose wisely and pick an option suiting your needs.
