Whether you’re newly venturing into the world of camping or you’re a regular camper looking to upgrade your setup, we have got you covered with the six best truck bed tents that will completely transform your camping experience.
Truck bed camping is a great budget-friendly way to explore and travel with maximum comfort. While it’s easy to get caught up with fancy camping gear, truck bed tents help you transform your pick up into the perfect camping site with minimal setup.
Here we have listed all the pros and cons of truck tents and the best options on the market so that you can have the perfect camping experience!
Should you set up a tent on your truck bed?
Truck bed tents, also known as pickup tents, are among the most inexpensive ways to start your camping journey. They allow you to utilize your truck bed without any additional camping gear.
Truck bed tents open up inside your truck bed, enabling you to use the space as an elevated sleeping platform.
Pickup tents come in a variety of sizes, making them the perfect match for any camping vehicle. They are often set up by either attaching them to the bed rails or strapping into your fender wells.
For any camper, truck bed tents are the most viable option. Not only are they budget-friendly and easy to set up, but they are also compact and easy to carry around, taking up less space than any other option.
Their portability, variety, and cost make them a must-buy for any camper. Nonetheless, we have compared the pros and cons so you can make the best decision for your adventure.
Advantages and disadvantages of Truck Bed Tents
Every camping setup offers you different advantages over one another. Truck bed tents have proven to be a versatile option for most campers; however, they are not always the perfect fit for everyone.
For this purpose, we have broken down all the advantages and disadvantages of truck bed tents, so you make the right choice for yourself.
Advantages
- Truck bed tents are the best option for entry-level tents. They often range from $170 to $250, providing a comfortable budget for new campers.
- Due to their limited expanse and small truck footprint, they can be set up almost anywhere without taking up additional space.
- They are incredibly compact, taking up very little cargo space when compared to other tent options.
- Pickup tents are not only easy to set up but are easy to take down as well. Their easy setup makes it an excellent choice for your daily vehicle as you do not have to commit to a massive installation and can remove it quickly.
- They are incredibly durable despite their low price point and can withstand most weather conditions without any problem.
- They offer you maximum comfort and protection; the elevation protects from ground elements while the overhead cover protects from rain, wind, and wildlife.
- Truck bed tents are lightweight and portable, weighing 8 to 10 pounds on average.
Disadvantages
- One significant disadvantage of using truck bed tents is that you cannot use your cargo storage for any other purpose besides sleeping. This would mean packing and unpacking your luggage every time you set up and remove your tent. It can prove to be an even more significant inconvenience if you decide to camp during the night.
- Despite the overhead protection, you might still have to face water pooling inside your truck tent if you encounter a rough storm.
- While they do come in various sizes, it might always be the right fit. This makes truck bed tents not so easy to adjust according to your vehicle.
- They are only useful as long as you have a pickup truck. If you plan to sell your pickup for another type of vehicle, you will not be able to use this type of tent anymore.
- Some truck bed tents are floorless and require you to make additional mattress purchases to improve the comfort factor.
Our favourite truck tents
Keeping all these factors in view, we have picked out the six best truck bed tents on the market, which will transform your pickup into the ultimate camping setup.
Napier Backroadz Truck Tent
The Napier Backroadz is one of the best truck bed tents available on the market. It caters to a large variety of truck sizes, and its versatile design takes barely 5 minutes to set up.
Napier Outdoors leads the tent market by providing inexpensive and quality tents that provide you with maximum comfort. The Napier Backroadz includes a fully covered floor, which saves you the cost of buying additional mattresses, and its 5.5 feet headroom creates a considerably spacious interior. Gear loft, gear pocket, and lantern holder are included, providing you with in-built storage spaces.
The color-coded poles and assembly make it incredibly easy for you to set up on your own without additional help. It proves to be extremely versatile due to its adjustable nature, allowing you to use it both as a truck bed tent and a ground tent.
The fully covered floor protects you from all the dirt that might have gathered in your cargo while providing you protection from water pooling during rain. Additionally, Backroadz comes included with a rain fly that offers you maximum shelter from snow and rain.
This fiberglass tent comes in grey and green colors, making it easy to camouflage your setup with the environment. It also includes two large mesh windows that create optimum ventilation within the tent. Napier Outdoors also promotes a great initiative by planting a tree at every purchase made.
With the entry-level price tag of $180, Napier Backroadz is one of the best truck bed tents to buy that offer you all that you would need in your pickup tent
Milliard Truck Tent
Whether you own a Chevy or a regular cab, the Milliard Truck Tent has proven to be an excellent choice for campers of all kinds. With its massive fir of 6.5 ft, this truck tent provides you with an incredibly spacious setup that if you’re less than 5’10” you can easily stand inside!
Setup for Milliard is unbelievably easy, with concise and clear instructions provided in the manual. It takes about 10 minutes to set up, and the included carry case makes it a compact and lightweight option.
The sewn-in floor provides you with maximum protection from dirt and water pooling and comes included with a rainfly to prevent you from snow and rain. The tent completely encloses the truck bed with no areas exposed, making it one of the most protective camping gear. The mesh door and windows provide you with maximum privacy so you can sleep and unwind peacefully.
The ripstop grade material makes it incredibly durable and long-lasting despite the weather conditions. The overall black color makes it easy to camouflage so you can effectively stay safe from all critters at your camping site. The tent also features storage pockets and lantern hooks so you can maximize your storage capacity even inside the tent.
With a price tag of $230, Milliard Truck Tent is a great addition to upgrade your camping experience and fulfill any camper’s needs.
Rightline Gear Truck Tents
If your vehicle has a smaller truck bed and you’re struggling to find the perfect fit, Rightline Gear Truck Tents might be your ideal match. Despite its smaller dimensions, this tent still gives you enough room and comfort for two people.
Rightline Gear Truck Tents are the best option for smaller and more compact trucks such as Nissan, Ford, or Toyota. Even though the headroom is less than five feet, it can still accommodate two adults allowing you to turn your truck bed into a comfortable camping site.
The tent features a sky view window alongside several mesh windows along the tent’s sides, allowing maximum airflow while giving you a captivating view of the starry sky at night. The tent is made with glow in the dark zippers, which makes it easy to use at night alongside a lantern hook
The interior sides have storage pockets sewn, allowing you to store handy gear like torches and smartphones for easy accessibility. This tent also features taped seams and water-resistant fabric that keeps you dry in wet weather conditions while the heavy-duty straps and nylon buckles will ensure that your tent stays intact on even the windiest day.
Rightline Gear Truck Tents are priced initially at $180, making it one of the most inexpensive tents to buy for smaller vehicles with all-encompassing features for any camper.
Sportz Truck Tent
If you’re going to be traveling and camping in the predictable rainstorm, you need to be prepared with the best gear to protect yourself. The Sportz Truck Tent takes the cake with its massive awning and rear access door to access your truck’s cab without even stepping outside.
The Sportz offers you with 5.5 feet of headspace and nearly 6 feet in length, making it comfortable for two adults to camp comfortably. It comes with an in-built gear loft that frees up floor space and provides you storage space to protect your gear from the rain.
It comes with a sewn-in floor that helps protect your dirt and water while also giving you warmth and comfort. This tent features a nylon exterior and tape seamed rainfly that effectively keeps out any moisture from the tent alongside mesh windows to allow ventilation.
Like all Napier tents, Sportz also comes with color-coded poles and sleeves system that makes the setup process incredibly easy, taking up less than 10 minutes. It requires no rope guides, and the 4’ x 4’ awning provides you a covered entryway, where you can dry off before entering the tent.
Despite its price of $270, it is the best investment for you if you often camp in rainy regions; however, it will prove its excellency in all weather conditions no matter where you go.
Guide Gear Compact Truck Tent
If you’re looking to purchase a truck bed tent that offers you maximum comfort and space, then Guide Gear Compact Truck Tent is the best option for you. Its color-coded poles allow quick setup and breakdown, making it easy for using on the go and quick naps throughout your traveling.
While it fits almost all full-sized truck beds, it weighs only 10 pounds, making it extremely compact and portable. It offers polyethylene sewn-in floor giving you unbeatable comfort while protecting you from all dirt and critters.
It offers you ample ventilation through its mesh windows and D-shaped entryway, making it breathable while protecting your privacy. The 190T polyester ensures maximum waterproofing making it durable for most weather conditions.
Guide Gear offers you maximum desirable features for your camping experience, all under $200.
Hasika Waterproof Double Layer Tent
Hasika Waterproof Double Layer Tent is one of the cheapest and easiest to use truck bed tents. Its simple design is easy to set up while providing you with the complete camping experience.
This tent comes with a sewn-in floor and awning with over 5.6 feet of headspace, making it one the roomiest tents, accommodating up to 3 people. There’s also an additional awning of 5’x6.5’ included that gives you shade while extending the protected area by a margin.
Hasika tent also comes with a large rear access panel that will allow you to access your truck’s cab without having to move out from the tent and expands the storage space. The large entrance, two mesh windows, and side vents that provide you with maximum ventilation.
With the price tag of just $145, Hasika Double layer tent proves to be one of the cheapest and user-friendly tents that are great for light traveling and beginner campers.
Whether you’re new to camping or prefer minimal camping equipment, Truck bed tents are a great addition to your camping gear collection. They’re easy to use and protect you from all kinds of weather and critters. It’s essential always to make sure that your choice is the best for you and fulfills all your camping needs.
