I don’t know about you, but I like to spend my holidays putting all my stresses behind me and getting away from it all with my nearest and dearest.
What I don’t like is having to spend my vacation getting frustrated because my truck tent is too difficult to set up and put together. It can turn a dream road trip into something of a nightmare.
It can be especially frustrating if you’re trying to put it up in heavy rain, when you’re rushing because shelter just can’t come quick enough.
The solution, of course, is to get yourself a truck tent that’s a breeze to put together and that will go up in just a few short minutes. And that’s what we’ve got here for you today.
We’ve been checking out some of the best truck tents on the market, and after much deliberation, we hand-picked our top 5 favorites.
Our reviews on them are coming very shortly, and after that we’ve got a buying guide for you that lays out all the key things to think about before you buy. Then we’re going to top that off with another handy section where we tackle some of your most frequently asked questions.
And without further ado…
OUR TOP PICK
Now, this truck tent comes from one of the top brands in the business. It’s a bestseller with the online retailers and comes highly recommended by those who’ve actually tried it out.
What we love the most about it is just how easy it is to put up. It uses a color-coded pole and sleeve assembly process that makes everything very clear and easy to understand. You can set it up and secure it within just 10 short minutes, and it’s a breeze.
We also love just how much headroom you get with it - something you don’t always get with a truck tent. The center height comes in at a very roomy 62 inches. And it's spacious enough to sleep two adults.
And, something else you don’t get with every truck tent, there’s also a full tent floor designed to keep your truck floor clean and dry.
The tent also gives you ample protection from the elements, thanks to the full rainfly and storm flaps covering the doors and windows. But if it’s warm and sunny you take advantage of that too, with the large mesh windows offering plenty of ventilation.
It has some other nice features too, like a lamp holder, a gear loft, and a gear pocket.
It will fit onto most trucks and is available in different sizes, worked out according to what size bed you want to fit in there...
And, if you click on “Check price” you’ll be taken to the product page on Amazon where there’s a handy chart explaining what size beds you’ll be able to fit in the truck tent according to the make and model of your truck.
Napier is a brand that’s environmentally conscious, and they pledge to plant a tree for every truck tent that’s bought from them. Way to make buying a tent feel good!
Pros:
- Comes from a top brand
- Very easy to put up
- Features a tent floor
- Very spacious and roomy
- Available at a reasonable price
Cons:
- There have been reports of the poles snapping, but this appears to be very rare
EDITORS CHOICE
Guide Gear is another great brand for truck tents. But better yet, when this article was written, this was the number one bestselling truck tent for Amazon in the category of Truck Bed & Tailgate Bed Tents. Moreover, more than 70% of customers had rated it at a full 5 stars out of 5.
It’s super easy to set up, which is great. There are only 4 poles to worry about but they deploy quickly, and your tent will be up, secure and ready in mere moments.
The other thing we love about it is the easily affordable price - a bargain if ever there was one.
It will fit most trucks, like Ford, Chevy, Nissan, GMC, Toyota, and more full sized pickup trucks. It’s big enough to comfortably sleep two adults, and most truck beds up to about 81 inches in length will fit. This tent is full sized, meaning you can comfortably sit up and crawl out.
And the tent comes prepared for any kind of weather conditions. It’s made with 190T polyester fabric with a highly water-resistant coating AND a full rain fly. So no matter how much it rains you can stay completely dry.
And when it’s warm? There are mesh windows for convenient ventilation, so it won’t get stuffy.
It also comes with it’s own carry bag, which is perfect for transport and easy storage.
Pros
- Comes from a top brand
- Very easy to put up
- Comes with a full rain fly
- Comes with a carry bag
- Available at a bargain price
Cons
- Customers who’ve used it recommend practising setting it up before you take it on the road, so you’re more familiar with what to do
BEST VALUE
This is another top quality truck tent, a best seller with online retailers that comes highly recommended.
What we love the most about this one is the sky view - on a dry and clear night you can gaze through the sky view vent at all the stars!
It’s also very easy to put up, since the poles are all color coded, removing all the guesswork. And there’s a set up guide sewn into the fabric, just where you need it - very handy.
And one aspect that makes it so quick and easy to set up is that it’s floorless, so you don’t have to remove anything from the floor of the truck to set it up.
It’s constructed with water resistant fabric, and that combined with the tape sealed seams means you will stay completely dry whatever the weather. And for extra protection you can always put the included rain fly over.
We also love how the plastic buckles and soft polypropylene straps won’t damage the truck’s finish.
And we love the glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls - perfect if you need to leave the tent at night.
It’s available in a choice of three sizes, compact, mid size and full size. And all three sizes allow you to select according to the size of your truck bed.
The after sales service is really good too. The tent comes backed by a full 1 year warranty, and the customer service team is US based, all ready to deal with any concerns you might have.
The only drawback is that it’s only compatible with certain vehicles, namely 2019-2020 Ford Ranger, 2020 Jeep Gladiator, 2015-2020 Chevrolet Colorado, and the 2015-2020 GMC Canyon.
Pros
- Bestseller with online retailers
- Color coded & easy to set up
- Floorless, making set up quicker
- Features a view of the night sky
- Backed by a full 1-year warranty
Cons
- It’s only compatible with certain vehicles
RUNNER UP
Now, this truck tent comes from one of the top brands in the business. It’s a bestseller with the online retailers and comes highly recommended by those who’ve actually tried it out.
Sure it may look small in the photo, but it’s actually quite roomy inside. It can comfortably sleep 2 people and has over 5.6 feet of headroom.
It’s very quick and easy to put up thanks to its color coded poles and sleeves. And it requires very few straps to secure it to the truck.
But what we really love about it is the 4 by 4 foot awning to provide a little shade for you to sit out in. A godsend on the really hot days. And all without the need for guide ropes too.
And that’s not all it has to offer in the way of protection from the weather. There are zipped storm flaps for the rain, and vented windows and doors when it’s hot.
Other somewhat special features include a rear access panel to get to the truck’s interior, and a fully enclosed floor to keep the truck clean and dry. There’s also an integrated lamp holder, a gear loft and a gear pocket.
Another thing we love about it is the strap protectors that protect your car from being scratched by the tent’s straps.
You might also be interested in buying an attachment tent to go with it, as per the product page.
Napier is a brand that’s environmentally conscious, and they pledge to plant a tree for every truck tent that’s bought from them. Way to make buying a tent feel good!
Pros
- Comes from a top brand
- Very quick & easy to put up
- Comes with a shade awning
- Features a rear access panel
- Also comes with strap protectors
Cons
- No rain fly included
- Perhaps a little expensive for such a small tent
RUNNER UP
Again this is a tent from a good, reputable, well established brand Guide Gear. And better yet, it’s available at a very good price too.
This is all the tent you need if all you’re looking for is shelter from the weather as you sleep.
It’s super easy to set up, which is great. There are only 4 poles to worry about but they deploy quickly, and your tent will be up, secure and ready in mere moments.
It will fit most trucks, like Ford, Chevy, Nissan, GMC, Toyota, and many more besides. It’s big enough to comfortably sleep two adults, and most truck bed mattresses up to about 72 to 74 inches in length will fit.
And the tent comes prepared for any kind of weather conditions. It’s made with 190T polyester fabric with a highly water-resistant coating AND a full rain fly. So no matter how much it rains you can stay completely dry.
And when it’s warm? There are mesh windows for convenient ventilation, so it won’t get stuffy.
And, something else you don’t get with every truck tent, there’s also a full tent floor designed to keep your truck floor clean and dry.
It also comes with it’s own carry bag, which is perfect for transport and easy storage.
It’s also a best seller with online retailers in the category of Truck Bed & Tailgate Bed Tents, and comes highly recommended by those who’ve tried it out.
Pros
- Comes from a top brand
- Available at a great price
- Very easy to set up & secure
- Comes with a full rain fly
- Comes with a carry bag
Cons
- It only fits truck beds that are 72 to 74 inches long
Best Truck Tents For Camping Buying Guide
As promised here’s your buying guide. We’ll tell you what to look for in a truck tent for camping.
Easy To Put Up
As you may have gathered from our introduction, we like truck tents that are easy to put up. And there are a number of ways this can be made easy for you.
For example, many of the truck tents that made our shortlist feature color coded poles, so you know exactly what goes where.
And with one of the tents, the Rightline Gear Truck Tent, the assembly instructions are sewn right into the fabric of the tent, so you don’t need to panic, thinking that you’ve forgotten to bring the instructions.
Weather Resistance
You can get rain even in the summer, so we would argue that a rain fly is an important piece of kit for your truck tent if you’re expecting bad weather.
But you also don’t want light rain seeping through if you hadn’t had the foresight to put up the rain fly, in which case you will need the tent to have at least some water resistance.
Similarly, when it’s hot out, it’s nice to have a little ventilation in your tent, which is easily achieved by introducing mesh windows.
Storage Space
In addition to providing room for your mattresses, you may also appreciate storage areas for all your bits and pieces, so any tent that features a gear loft or a gear pocket is a plus.
Optional Extras
If you love to gaze up at the stars at night, why not scroll back up and check out the Rightline Gear Truck Tent with it’s sky view panel.
Brand
There are two brands in the truck tent industry that tend to out-perform the rest. They are Napier and Guide Gear.
Not only do these brands see more sales than their counterparts, but they generally receive far better customer feedback too. Four out of our shortlist of 5 truck tents come from these brands.
What we particularly like about the Napier brand is how for every truck tent sold, they will plant a tree.
Value For Money
Truck tents tend to vary quite widely in price. You can get some that cost under $100, and some that can cost over a whopping $800.
You’ll be pleased to hear however that all of the truck tents in our shortlist come under $300, because we took value for money into our account in making the shortlist.
Whenever you’re shopping for anything online though, it’s good practice to check the prices of items as you go along. That way you can learn just what your money buys you, and make a good, well informed decision about what your budget should be.
One of the main factors affecting the cost of the tent is it’s size, so please bear in mind that cheaper tents usually tend to be smaller ones.
Best Truck Tents For Camping - FAQ's
What is the best truck bed tent?
This is a tricky question to answer because we love all the truck bed tents that made our shortlist (and a few others besides)...
But if we did have to pick just one it would be our number one pick, the Napier Backroadz Truck Tent because not only does it tick all the boxes, but the manufacturer also plants a tree for every tent of theirs that gets bought. How cool is that - so good for the environment…
And the tent has all the features you could want, such as a rainfly to keep off the rain and keep you completely dry in bad weather. And it’s an absolute breeze to set up, thanks to the color coded poles. It’s also one of the few truck bed tents that has a fabric floor, so your truck floor also stays clean and dry.
It’s also a best seller that customers highly recommend.
Are truck bed tents worth it?
We think trunk bed tents are absolutely worth it. You can take your truck bed tent anywhere you want to go and set it up in minutes. And they’re just as affordable as regular camping tents...
But best of all, unlike regular camping tents, the floor of the tent is completely off the ground, which means the tent floor stays completely clean and dry. And better yet, this also means that you don’t have to worry about any creepy crawlies coming into the tent.