Best Truck Bed Tents for Epic Tailgating Excursions
For those with trucks, camping has never been easier – all thanks to the truck bed tent. Gone are the days of pitching a ground tent because you can now transform your truck into a comfortable and roomy sleeping area.
The 9 Best Truck Bed Tents for 2022
Ready to get out on the road in your very own truck bed tent, but unsure of which model is right for you? Check out our top 9 recommended camping tents for trucks below to make comparison shopping a little easier:
1. Fofana Truck Bed Tent
The Fofana Truck Bed Tent comes with an automatic pole structure that allows you to set up your tent in as little as five minutes. All you need to do is stand the tent up, fold out the legs, and lock them in place.
Their truck bed tent is available in both a full size and mid-size variation, with the full size being 85” x 57” and the mid-size 80” x 50”. Fofana designed their tent to be a universal fit and will fit truck beds of 5.5 feet like a glove. If your truck is any bigger than this, the tent will still fit, just with a gap near the truck’s tailgate.
One thing we particularly love about the Fofana truck bed tent is its interior 6-foot standing height. This high ceiling will mean you’ll never feel cramped or confined, which is a common problem when sleeping in a tent.
Unique Features
Fofana went with a fully sewn-in waterproof floor that isolates you and your belongings from the surface of your truck bed. This floor protection means you and your things will remain dry and clean for the entirety of your trip.
To also aid in weatherproofing, they included a weatherproof rainfly that acts as a giant raincoat. The rainfly covers the entire tent as well as the U-shaped door.
A cool feature of Fofana’s truck tent is its full-height mesh windows that can be zipped or unzipped to give you panoramic 360-degree views around the tent and up above you.
As the windows are mesh, you’ll receive not only cool breezes, but also protection against bugs.
Throughout the roomy interior space, you can find large premium pockets conveniently placed on the tent walls. These pockets will help you stay organized and keep all your important possessions close by. Fofana even installed a cab port so you can charge any electronics in your tent from the cab of your truck.
2. Guide Gear Premium Truck Tent
The Guide Gear Premium Truck Bed Tent allows you to turn your truck bed into a camper with a sleeping capacity of two.
They designed it to be lightweight and compact so you can permanently store it in its weather-resistant polyester carrying bag. This bag can then fit in your truck with the rest of your camping gear.
Unique Features
Guide Gear wanted their tent to be weatherproof, so they created it out of 190T polyester. To improve the waterproof qualities they then coated it in a 1500mm water-resistant coating.
They even went one step further and added a rain fly. The rain fly ensures you and all your belongings remain happy and dry in inclement weather.
The mesh windows and sewn-in polyethylene flooring will allow ventilation inside the tent and protect your bedding from any dirt or water on your truck bed.
Regarding size, Guide Gear has said that their tent will fit most full-sized trucks that are 72” to 74”, but as with any tent, it’s important to check and double-check your bed’s measurements.
3. JoyTutus Truck Tent
JoyTutus made their pickup truck tent out of 150D polyester oxford and coated it with a PU2000 waterproof coating. The bottom of the tent is also waterproof to prevent your bedding from getting wet in the event of a downpour.
JoyTutus claim that their compact truck tent will fit pickup trucks with beds that are 5.5 to 6 feet in length, so when measuring your bed, measure from the cab to the end of the tailgate and see if it matches up with the JoyTutus truck tent specifications.
Unique Features
The tent has three windows which you can use to increase ventilation, sightsee, or even as a hunting base. When not in use, you can zip the windows up to increase privacy and give you some well-deserved shade during those hot and sunny days.
Inside the tent are four mesh bags and pockets to help you keep the interior organized and tidy, while also storing your important belongings in an easy-to-reach place.
At checkout, you have the option of fiberglass or aluminum tent rods. Although the fiberglass rods are slightly cheaper, the aluminum rods are more durable. In our opinion, they would be the better option if you use your truck bed tent regularly.
4. Kodiak Canvas Truck Bed Tent
The Kodiak Canvas Tent is a popular option for those in the truck camping community as the 100% cotton duck canvas has a water-resistant hydra shield that can take on a range of different weather conditions. Light snowfall, strong winds, cold weather, and humid temperatures are no match for the Kodiak Canvas Tent.
No matter what the weather is, the tent will remain in good condition and keep its occupants and all their possessions dry and happy inside.
Unique Features
The tent has five windows, mesh screens, and a rear opening that gives you access to your truck’s cab. It also has interior storage pockets for small camping gear or possessions.
Kodiak designed their short-sized truck tent to fit smaller truck beds that are 5.5 to 6.8 feet in length. If you have a longer bed, they also have a tent suitable for beds that are 8 to 8.5 feet.
One of the only downfalls of the Kodiak tent is that it lacks a built-in floor. So, if you decide to purchase this canvas tent, we recommend also taking along a camping bed and a tarp. A bed that is slightly raised off the ground will ensure your bedding remains clean and dry throughout your adventure.
5. Napier Backroadz Truck Tent
The 800mm PU Polyester Taffeta Napier Backroadz tent comes in a range of sizes. They have sizes to fit beds that are 5.5 feet all the way up to 8.2 feet.
In addition to a selection of sizes, Napier Backroadz designed their tent to have 5’6” worth of headroom. This headroom creates a spacious interior that can comfortably sleep up to two people.
Unique Features
The allows incredibly easy setup and has two mesh windows that encourage ventilation. The truck tent also features a large door, a flap so you can charge your electronics from your truck cab, and a full floor to protect you and your belongings from the elements.
As the tent is lightweight and compact, you can store it in your truck and set up camp anywhere and everywhere you please.
6. North East Harbor Pickup Truck Bed
With almost 5’8” worth of headspace and available in four sizes, the North East Harbor Pickup Truck Bed Tent is roomy and suitable for trucks beds of all lengths.
North East Harbor constructed their truck bed tent out of a weather-resistant polyester. They also added an additional rain fly to further protect you from downpours.
Unique Features
Several mesh windows, gear pockets, a mesh door, and a sewn-in floor all come with the truck bed tent, making it an ideal off-the-ground camping option for those who enjoy an outdoor adventure.
7. Sportz Avalanche Truck Tent III
The Sportz Avalanche Truck Tent III can sleep up to two people and has over 5.5 feets worth of headroom. One important thing to mention is that this tent is only suitable for an open-bed Chevrolet-Avalanche or a Cadillac Escalade EXT. If you don’t have one of these trucks, the tent won’t fit correctly in the back.
Unique Features
Sportz Adventure fitted a rear access window so you can store your gear in the truck’s cabin. Leaving your gear in the truck frees up space in the tent and also keeps everything neat and organized.
Although the materials they used to create the tent are waterproof, they also added a rain fly for those days when the weather is particularly unpleasant.
The tent has a patented sewn-in floor, two large mesh windows, and a large front door access. What needs a special mention, however, is the 6′ x 6′ awning because not many other pickup truck tents have this feature. We especially love how you have an extra shaded section to protect you from the sun and rainfall.
Interior pockets, a gear loft, and a lantern hook are some other features that Sportz Avalanche decided to include in their pickup truck tent.
8. Quictent Waterproof Truck Tent
Like our previous recommendation, the Quictent Waterproof Truck Tent also features a retractable awning. Not only do you get a fully waterproof tent that comes in different sizes to fit truck beds from 5.5 feet to 6.7, but you also get an additional 47 x 47-inch awning that extends out from your truck bed to give you shelter from the rain or sun.
Unique Features
To help improve the assembly time, Quictent used color-coded tent poles and pole pockets. The color coding is so you can easily identify which pole goes where. Because, let’s be honest, we’ve all tried putting up a tent and failed miserably at one time or another.
Quictent constructed their tent out of a water-resistant fabric, tape-sealed all the seams, and added a fully sealed floor. All these features combined create a waterproof fortress that can tackle all the outdoor elements.
Like our other listed truck tents, Quinctent’s tent features mesh side windows and an opening so you can charge electronics from your truck cab.
9. Rightline Gear Truck Bed Tent
The Rightline Gear Truck Tent is yet another truck tent without a built-in floor. Although some may see this as a fault, it could also be seen as beneficial. Without flooring, you can pack up your tent and not have to remove any gear from the truck bed.
I guess it all comes down to personal opinion and what works best for you.
Unique Features
Rightline Gear has a selection of tent sizes to fit all-size beds. They carefully chose quality water-resistant fabrics with tape-sealed seams to make all their tents weatherproof and durable.
To enhance their tent’s waterproof qualities even further, Rightline Gear included a rainfly. The rainfly simply fits over the tent and buckles in place.
Similar to the Quictent Waterproof Truck Tent, the Rightline Gear Tent has color-coded poles and pockets. This feature helps to simplify and improve the tent’s setup. We personally love the color-coded poles as setting up tents can sometimes be a nightmare.
Throughout the interior, you’ll find two gear pockets, a lantern hook, and a sky view vent. The sky vent is a nice touch, since it gives you front-row seats for nature’s most spectacular light show in the night sky.
What Is a Truck Bed Tent?
Truck tents aren’t much different from regular tents or rooftop tents, except they fit perfectly inside a truck’s bed. Unlike their ground tent cousins, truck tents have straps to attach them to the truck bed instead of the typical guy ropes you’d find on a regular tent. Truck tent companies usually design them with specific trucks in mind to ensure they are a perfect fit.
There are benefits that come along with fitting a truck tent to your truck. For one, they give you added protection against moisture. As your tent isn’t directly touching the ground, it won’t get wet from grass dew or rain build-up.
Secondly, your truck bed supplies an instant camping site no matter where you are. You can simply park up your truck, set up your tent, and get a good night’s sleep out in nature.
The Best Truck Bed Tents: Conclusion
A good truck bed tent is a worthy investment that will provide you with years of adventures right from the back of your truck.
Luckily, you can find budget-friendly truck bed tents worth $100 and others considerably higher. No matter what your price point and preferences are, there is a truck bed tent option for everyone.
Thanks to their versatility and easy-to-set-up design, truck bed tents are becoming increasingly popular and we are totally here for it.
As we wrap up with our nine truck bed tents, we’re intrigued to know: Do you have one? If so, what is your favorite part about owning a truck bed tent? Let us know in the comment section down below!
Hello,
I have a 2003 ford explorer sport trac.
The truck bed is 50” or 4.17 feet!
Small.
Desperately seeking a truck bed tent to fix recommendations – please.
My best, Therese