In case you’re operating out the door, my high choose is the Napier SportZ Truck Tent.
I don’t have to inform pickup truck house owners about how helpful a truck could be – and so they’re simply as helpful in terms of tenting.
Sleeping in your truck mattress is extra comfortable than sleeping on the bottom, you gained’t take up any further house on the campground and you’ll sleep wherever you possibly can park.
Sounds fairly candy, proper? In fact, sleeping in an open truck mattress simply gained’t do, so that you’ll want a truck mattress tent.
On this article, I’ll assessment the perfect truck tents for tenting on the go. Then, I’ll present you what to search for in a truck tent, and why it is best to get one.
The perfect truck mattress tents are:
Greatest Truck Mattress Tent: Our High Suggestions
Additionally, make sure to see our complete Truck Mattress Tent Comparability Desk and Scoring Methodology.
Napier SportZ Truck Tent
That is the gold commonplace of truck tents. Napier provides a number of fashions, and that is by far their finest one. And sure, it does are available in a ton of sizes to suit each pickup truck.
As I discussed, the SportZ is Napier’s premium mannequin. It’ll be dearer than their BackroadZ mannequin (mentioned later), however the added options make it nicely value it.
The largest characteristic is the awning. This awning lets you unzip your tent when it’s raining with out water falling into your it.
You’ll keep dry and comfy inside irrespective of how a lot it’s pouring down. It additionally provides you a pleasant shaded place to kick your legs out of the tailgate, crack open a chilly one, and loosen up.
I additionally love the window choices. First, there’s a window on the bottom of the tent. This lets you attain into your truck’s cab by way of the rear window.
Subsequent, the home windows open and shut with zippers. For no matter purpose, many truck tents don’t assist you to open and shut the home windows. The one solution to shut the home windows is to throw on the rain fly.
Not with the SportZ tent. The home windows are absolutely zippable, so you possibly can have privateness with out attaching the rain fly.
If only a fundamental tent isn’t sufficient for you, Napier provides some cool add-ons. You’ll be able to complement your truck tent with a 4-person room utilizing the SportZ Hyperlink attachment. Or, you should buy this tent in camo, which is a good possibility for searching fans who wish to mix in.
Execs:
- Comes with a giant awning which lets you hold water out when getting into or exiting
- 5’8” headroom provides most individuals loads of room to stroll round
- The sewn-in flooring makes it so that you keep clear from any filth within the truck mattress
- Colour-coded poles and cushioned strap protectors make setup simple and secure
- The rear window lets you enter your truck cab and seize any gear you want
- Awning retains you dry and offers shade so that you can loosen up in
Cons:
- The door doesn’t zip to the underside, which might make entrance annoying
- This tent’s price ticket is perhaps too excessive for extra budget-conscious campers
Greatest for: severe outdoorsmen who desire a premium tent that’ll final for years.
Kodiak Canvas Truck Mattress Tent
Seasons: 4-season | Weight: 47.2 lbs | Inside Top: 60 in | Sq. Footage: Truck mannequin dependent | Setup Time: 30 minutes
Now I’ll combine it up and throw within the Kodiak Canvas Truck Mattress Tent.
The entire different tents on this assessment are constructed with nylon. Nylon is a good cloth, but it surely’s not excellent. It whips within the wind, is vulnerable to rips, and might let water seep in typically.
To counter this, Kodiak crafted a truck mattress tent made with heavy-duty canvas. This canvas materials is thick sufficient to maintain you heat within the winter, however can be breathable sufficient to chill you off in the summertime.
The truck tent is out there in a number of sizes and has air flow home windows on each panel (together with cab facet).
This tent additionally makes use of a singular rail design to carry the poles up. Though it may be complicated the primary time you put in the tent, setup is a breeze when you study the ropes. You’ll be glad you probably did the work whenever you see how a lot width and headroom you get with this tent.
Execs:
- Heavy-duty canvas tents present a snug tenting expertise in any season
- The home windows are made with an excellent advantageous display screen – this blocks bugs from getting into the tent however nonetheless lets you open them for air flow
- Just like the SportZ, this tent comes with a truck cab window, so you possibly can seize gear out of your truck with out going outdoors
- Massive, heavy-duty YKK zippers assist you to open and shut the tent with out worrying about ripping the material
- Distinctive metal pole design maximizes truck width and offers superior wind safety
Cons:
- Canvas is expensive (however sturdy), making this tent much less inexpensive than different tents on this listing
- First time setup could be troublesome since it’s a must to work out the place to put the pole rails
- No flooring means your butt may get soiled from sitting within the truck mattress
Greatest for: winter campers who desire a super-warm tent and aren’t anxious in regards to the price ticket.
Napier BackroadZ Truck Tent
Seasons: 3-seasons | Weight: 14.25 lbs | Inside Top: 57 to 62 in | Sq. Footage: Truck mannequin dependent | Setup Time: 15 minutes
As talked about, that is Napier’s commonplace truck tent. It’s obtained the identical high quality of the SportZ (reviewed above), but it surely lacks a number of the premium options that make the SportZ my high choose.
This very talked-about tent comes with a full flooring and is out there in tons of sizes. It doesn’t have the SportZ mannequin’s superior awning, but it surely does include a detachable rain fly and color-coded poles (for simple setup).
This tent didn’t make my high choose as a result of it doesn’t have the awning or home windows that the SportZ has. Regardless of the worth distinction, I believe the SportZ mannequin is definitely worth the improve. Nevertheless, BackroadZ continues to be a fantastic tent.
Execs:
- Setup may be very simple because of the easy pole design – shouldn’t take various minutes to have it pitched
- Tremendous excessive middle top (5’6”) so that you don’t need to crouch
- Includes a gear web on the roof of the tent to retailer your iPhone, keys, or pockets
- Nice customer support – any points might be resolved fairly dang fast
- Extra inexpensive than the SportZ, however nonetheless a wonderful possibility for truck tenting
Cons:
- Home windows don’t shut with out the rain fly, so air flow choices are restricted
- The ground design means you possibly can’t have a toolbox in your truck mattress
Greatest for: individuals who need the long-lasting building of a Napier tent, however don’t want the extras that include the SportZ
Fofana Stand Up Truck Mattress Immediate Tent
Seasons: 3-season | Weight: 13.5 lbs | Inside Top: 72 in | Sq. Footage: Truck mannequin dependent | Setup Time: 5 minutes
Tall individuals rejoice! The Fofana Stand Up Truck Mattress Tent just isn’t solely an on the spot tent, so it may be pitched in underneath 5 minutes, BUT it is also made for tall individuals with a 72 inch or 6 foot arise top.
Additionally, as a result of it’s styled like a cabin tent, the within top is substantial all through the truck mattress.
Fofana is predicated within the US simply north of San Diego, and comes with a full rain fly.
Execs:
- Loads of headroom with 6′ tall, mesh ceiling
- Immediate setup in 5 minutes for 2 individuals or 10 minutes max for one
- Comes with a full protection rainfly
- Weighing solely 13.5 lbs, it gained’t trigger you any issues hauling it
Cons:
- The fabric just isn’t the sturdiest on the market
- Because of the tall cabin-like construction, wind is usually a drawback
Greatest for: taller campers, who need to have the ability to absolutely arise inside your tent.
JoyTutus Pickup Truck Tent
The JoyTutus Pickup Truck Tent gained’t win any awards, however is a strong worth tent none-the-less.
With a straightforward setup in simply 5-10 minutes, you’ll be able to camp very quickly.
Customers rave in regards to the customer support, so should you run into any issues with the fiberglass poles, relaxation assured that you simply’ll get the issue resolved.
Execs:
- A fast 5 minute setup with two individuals
- Light-weight at 8.88 lbs
- A very good mixture of top at 67 inches and house at 39.5 sq ft
- Properly priced
Cons:
- No rainfly, so you’re fully depending on the waterproof cloth
- Poles are fragile
Greatest for: winter campers who desire a super-warm tent and aren’t anxious in regards to the price ticket.
Information Gear Full Measurement Truck Tent
I really like the Napier SportZ tent, however I perceive that it is perhaps too dear for some. So, right here’s essentially the most inexpensive truck tent I like to recommend: Information Gear’s Truck Tent.
Regardless of being essentially the most inexpensive tent on our listing, it’s obtained a fantastic observe file serving to campers sleep sound at evening.
It is a fundamental, all-around high-quality tent. It doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of the SportZ, however this tent will assist your truck mattress really feel like your private home mattress.
Execs:
- Most inexpensive truck tent we reviewed (nice bang to your buck)
- Its easy design makes it extraordinarily sturdy, laborious to interrupt
- 1500mm HH waterproof coating and an added rain fly hold you bone dry
- The spacious inside and added flooring offer you a soothing tenting expertise
- Very light-weight tent (solely 10 lbs.), so it may be saved in your truck indefinitely
Cons:
- Solely accessible in two sizes
Greatest for: campers who wish to “take a look at the waters” to see in the event that they like truck tents earlier than splurging on a premium product.
Examine Worth on Sportsman’s Information
Rightline Gear Truck Tent
Seasons: 3-season | Weight: 8 lbs | Inside Top: Truck mannequin dependent | Sq. Footage: Truck mannequin dependent | Setup Time: 10 minutes
Final however not least is the Rightline Gear’s Truck Tent. I saved this one for final as a result of truthfully, there isn’t something magical about it. That being stated, it’s a well-rounded tent that gives a fantastic tenting expertise.
It is available in a ton of various sizes, so each pickup truck proprietor should purchase one.
It’s light-weight so you possibly can retailer it underneath your seats for on-the-go tenting.
The one characteristic that stands out is that it doesn’t have a flooring. The one tents on this listing that don’t have a flooring are this and the Kodiak canvas. In order for you a polyester tent with no flooring (so you possibly can have a toolbox), that is the selection for you.
Execs:
- Detachable rain fly so you possibly can open up the tent and see the celebrities
- No flooring, so you possibly can nonetheless use this tent when you’ve got a toolbox – it’s additionally good to haven’t any flooring if you wish to use your personal footprint (or tarp)
- Sizes accessible for compact, mid-size, and full-size vehicles
- Worth is middle-tier – lower than the Napier tents, however greater than the Gear Information tent
- Light-weight (11 lbs.) so you possibly can hold it in your toolbox with out taking over a lot house
Cons:
- No flooring is perhaps a downside for some individuals for the reason that flooring is perhaps soiled or moist – I counsel bringing a tarp or footprint simply in case
- Zippers will not be the highest quality and will get caught
Greatest for: campers who desire a versatile polyester truck tent, however don’t desire a flooring connected.
Greatest Truck Mattress Tents – Every little thing We Suggest
Truck Mattress Tent Shopping for Information
You’ve determined you desire a truck tent. Nice!
Now, listed below are a number of the components you’ll must take note of to be sure to choose the fitting one.
Compatibility
The primary situation in terms of truck tents is compatibility.
There are tons of vehicles available on the market and so they all have completely different measurement beds. You will need to double-check to verify your truck tent matches your truck.
Most truck tents specify what measurement beds they match. Be sure you exit and measure your truck mattress and ensure it matches the tent producer’s specs.
Measurement
While you get your truck tent, you’re gonna be excited to open it up and get began. Nevertheless, don’t rush out to the mountains simply but.
First, think about the scale of your tent.
Heed this warning – most truck tents are made to solely sleep two individuals. Should you’re seeking to camp with greater than two, you may wish to go for a family-sized floor tent. Or, get the Napier SportZ and add the Hyperlink tent.
Materials
Most truck tents are fabricated from both nylon, polyester, or canvas.
Every of those materials has their very own set of execs and cons, so which materials you find yourself going for goes to come back down to non-public choice, and what your priorities are.
Nylon and polyester are artificial supplies which are lighter than canvas and fast to dry, making them much less vulnerable to mildew. That being stated, they’re not as sturdy or breathable as nylon.
Canvas, alternatively, is a pure materials that’s powerful, breathable, weatherproof and environmentally sustainable. It’s, nonetheless, loads heavier than nylon or polyester, and it dries slowly, so mildew can typically be a problem.
Season Ranking
Until you’re going truck tenting in extraordinarily sizzling or extraordinarily chilly climate situations, likelihood is you’ll find yourself getting both a 3 season or a 4 season truck tent.
Nicely, a 3 season tent is ideal should you plan on tenting throughout the summer season, and presumably late spring and early fall.
Nevertheless, should you plan on utilizing your tent throughout the winter months, in addition to late fall and early spring, then a 4 season tent is the way in which to go.
Observe: though it’s known as a 4 season tent, these tents will not be perfect to be used throughout the summer season when it’s sizzling outdoors.
Water-Resistance
With any tent, water resistance has obtained to be a high precedence. In spite of everything, the very last thing you need in your tenting journey is to be caught in a rainstorm in a leaky tent.
To be sure to get a tent that can hold you dry in every kind of climate, verify its waterproof score. The minimal score for a tent to be thought of waterproof is 1000 mm, however the larger the determine the higher protected you’ll be.
Additionally, be sure that it comes with a great rain fly that covers the complete tent.
A bath flooring is one other good characteristic to look out for, because it prevents your tent from flooding throughout heavy rains.
If you wish to make double certain, deal with your tent utilizing waterproofings spray earlier than you head off in your journey.
Should you’ve obtained a canvas tent, you possibly can season it as an alternative, or use waterproofing merchandise similar to you’ll with an artificial tent.
Air flow
Apart from the breathability of the supplies themselves, the home windows and vents on a truck tent are tremendous necessary for sustaining good air flow, with sufficient airflow by the tent.
If there isn’t sufficient air flowing by your tent, condensation will type on the internal partitions and drip down onto you and the whole lot else that’s inside. That is true no matter whether or not it’s sizzling or chilly outdoors.
To not point out, you’ll be feeling so stuffy and sweaty that getting a great evening’s sleep might be out of the query.
Just remember to choose a tent with good, giant home windows with mesh screens to maintain the bugs out.
Additionally, search for vents on the edges or roof that enable air to flee by the highest of the tent.
Set-Up
You wish to be sure to get a truck tent that’s pretty simple to arrange.
Most significantly, know the right way to arrange your tent earlier than you hit the street. Learn the directions and arrange your tent at your own home so what you’re doing.
You’ll rapidly discover that organising a truck tent is kind of completely different to a floor tent. Whereas floor tents use guy-lines and stakes to maintain the tent tight, truck tents use straps that connect to the skin of your truck.
I’ve obtained two tricks to maximize your use of those straps.
Tip #1: be sure to don’t over-torque the straps.
It’s quite common for individuals to over-pull the straps to maintain their tent inflexible. Nevertheless, you’ll discover that it’s simple to drag an excessive amount of and injury your tent.
Be cautious, and hold this in thoughts when strapping down your tent.
Tip #2: watch your paint job.
Relying on the setup, your straps (or ratchet) may chip away on the paint on the skin of your truck.
You’ll be able to stop this by not over-torquing the straps, however you too can add some safety to your truck. A tarp, pad, and even only a towel could be positioned underneath your straps to maintain your paint job clear.
Further Options
Lastly, look out for extra options like a built-in flooring, door flaps, cab entry, wire ports, storage pockets and a gear loft.
These may seem to be minor factors, however they will typically make a world of distinction in terms of staying comfy and arranged in your journey.
Understand that should you get a truck mattress tent with a flooring, you gained’t be capable of have anything behind the trunk whereas your tent is up.
Why Would You Need A Truck Tent?
At this level, you is perhaps considering “hmm, I just like the sound of those truck tents, however there are some options that look simply nearly as good.”
Listed here are some the explanation why a truck tent is healthier than a floor tent or a truck cap.
Truck Tent vs. Floor Tent
Truck tents aren’t practically as standard as regular tents (that arrange on the bottom).
I’m unsure why, but when I needed to guess, I’d say it’s as a result of vehicles aren’t as standard as automobiles or SUVs (which can be utilized for SUV tenting). My analysis reveals pickup vehicles make up solely 15-20% of American automobiles.
My take is… their loss! Vehicles are superior and are made even higher with truck tents.
The most important good thing about utilizing a truck tent over a floor tent is that you simply don’t need to sleep on the bottom. Relying in your terrain, this is usually a main perk. A truck tent lets you park on any rocky, swampy, or bumpy floor with out having to sleep on the bottom.
Truck tents assist you to camp wherever you possibly can drive. That’s a fantastic purpose to choose a truck tent, in my view.
Truck Tent vs. Truck Cap
You’ve determined you wish to camp in your truck, however perhaps you’re tempted to get a truck cap (also referred to as a truck topper) as an alternative. These caps are put in on the mattress of your truck to offer everlasting protection.
The profit to a truck cap is that it’s long-lasting and ensures rain safety. The detrimental is the associated fee.
Relying on the scale of your truck and the fabric you select, a truck cap might price wherever between $750 and $2,200. Examine that to a truck tent, and the tent is trying fairly good!
Our Truck Mattress Tent Ranking & Assessment System
New in 2022, Wilderness Occasions has rolled out a wholly new tent score and assessment system.
We’ve already been using our personal private experiences, different campers we speak to, on-line critiques and every other piece of content material we will get our fingers on from YouTube movies to Amazon video critiques, and so on.
However now in 2022, we’ve constructed out a new scoring system and algorithm powered assessment course of. What goes into this? We grade every tent on quite a lot of metrics:
- House and Consolation
- High quality and Sturdiness
- Worth
- Climate Resistance
- Ease of Use
- Intangibles (distinctive options and key promoting factors)
- Person Critiques
Relying upon what you’re in search of in a tent, you’ll wish to pay roughly consideration to every particular merchandise.
Total Rating
The entire above metrics are factored into our algorithm to create an Total Rating. The Total Rating goes to be the perfect for tents which are high notch in each class accordingly.
Due to this fact solely a tent that gives nice all-around worth, climate resistance, prime quality supplies, together with intangibles AND nice person critiques will rating higher than a tent that’s particularly made for 4-seasons, however can be extraordinarily costly.
Or maybe you’re in search of a fantastic tent at a fantastic worth? On this case, your tent might not be rated the very best, as a result of it might not be utilizing the perfect of the perfect supplies, however it would absolutely have the very best worth to cost ratio.
So whereas the Total Rating is necessary, it’s not the whole lot.
House And Consolation
If you find yourself tenting in a truck mattress tent, you’re working in restricted house primarily based on the truck you personal.
Besides, there are nonetheless some variables within the truck mattress tent design that make this one value trying into. The largest of which is probably going going to be the peak of the tent.
The very last thing you wish to do is be hunched over attempting to get into your truck with none headroom. Listed here are the truck mattress tents by top:
Clearly, if you’re a tall individual, or just wish to have some head room, the Fofana Stand Up Truck Mattress Immediate Tentgoes to be your finest guess with 6 ft of clearance.
Different contenders for house are going to be the Napier SportZ Truck Tent and the JoyTutus Pickup Truck Tent.
High quality And Sturdiness
This metric is fairly easy. We fee the tents primarily based on their precise supplies and the standard of the development.
We additionally get suggestions from tent house owners who put it their tents the take a look at over a protracted time frame.
Many tents make the most of a mix of the identical polyester or nylon supplies, however their building could be simply as necessary. This all will get factored into the standard and sturdiness rating.
Additionally factored within the High quality and Sturdiness rating is the guarantee.
Whereas most tents have some form of Restricted guarantee, many have Lifetime Restricted Guarantee’s, and a few none in any respect!
Worth
All tents will not be created equally, and never all tents are priced equally both. JoyTutus as an illustration produces a fantastic price range tent, whereas Kodiak produces a superior canvas tent that may stand up to the weather. These tents is not going to be priced wherever shut to one another:
As you possibly can see the Kodiak Canvas Truck Mattress Tent is the very best priced, however if you’re seeking to go winter tenting in your truck mattress tent, then the Kodiak Canvas tent is for you! That can present superior worth, even at it’s present worth.
Coming in beneath $100, the Information Gear Full Measurement Truck Tent is a good price range tent. Nevertheless, it doesn’t come with out it’s dangers because it has mid-range headroom and restricted climate resistance.
That’s the reason we in the end love the Napier BackroadZ Truck Tent for its superior worth.
Climate Resistance
Climate resistance is a straightforward metric.
Does the tent let in water, or does it not? Does the tent stand up to excessive winds, or collapse onto itself? Does the tent have good air flow throughout the summer season months or does it get too sizzling and stuffy? That is what issues to us once we fee a tent for climate resistance:
The Kodiak Canvas Truck Mattress Tent once more proves that canvas is king. Nevertheless, most of the different truck mattress tents that we checked out all had favorable rankings for wind and rain.
The Napier SportZ Truck Tent reveals why it’s an general nice tent, and the Fofana Stand Up Truck Mattress Immediate Tent could not maintain up the perfect in excessive winds, however retains water out nicely.
Ease Of Use
How briskly can a mean person pitch this tent? How simple it’s to take down and/or make the most of further options?
Additionally, how a lot does the tent weigh? A tent weighing 47 lbs goes to attain barely decrease than light-weight truck mattress tent that weights 8 lbs complete that may be pitched in the identical period of time.
So right here is the entire knowledge that goes into this score:
You’ll be able to see that the Fofana Stand Up Truck Mattress Immediate Tent and the JoyTutus Pickup Truck Tent will go up the quickest – each in 5 minutes with two individuals.
Alternatively, the Kodiak Canvas Tent has a steep studying curve. However you gained’t go incorrect with any of the others as usually truck mattress tents appear to be fairly easy.
Intangibles
These are the distinctive options or promoting factors of every particular person tent that give it a leg up on the competitors.
Does the tent have two doorways? Maybe the tent has a big vestibule for storing gear? Is the tent is a two-room tent with a particular house for the kiddos or a canine? Perhaps the footprint is included within the worth?
This ALL will get factored into the intangibles rating.
Person Scores
Final, however not least are person critiques!
We will get lots of nice suggestions from person critiques, however they aren’t excellent. The common tent proprietor gained’t ever depart a assessment, so critiques are usually left by customers who both have a extremely favorable or unfavorable expertise.
In fact even that’s nonetheless good data, as a result of if 90% of tent house owners depart a constructive 5-star assessment, then that’s actually saying one thing. So we mix critiques collectively from varied sources and give you a mean person score rating. Right here is how they shake out for truck mattress tents:
The Kodiak Canvas is available in with the very best Person Ranking rating by a strong margin, however don’t sleep on the Napier BackroadZ Truck Tent which as we noticed earlier offers superior worth and clearly customers love.
However many of the different tents we checked out rated fairly nicely. The Rightline Gear Truck Tent rated the least extremely, and as you possibly can see is the bottom rated tent that we’ve checked out.
Even so, we don’t merely belief the general person score on Amazon. We undergo and skim the critiques. We learn the great, we learn the dangerous, after which we issue within the amount of critiques and calculate all of into our closing Person Ranking rating.
Our Verdict
In conclusion, utilizing a truck tent is an superior solution to get outdoors. Tenting in your truck mattress lets you sleep on any terrain, offering glorious consolation and safety. You won’t be capable of discover truck tents at your native out of doors retailer, however that doesn’t imply they aren’t a fantastic alternative for tenting.
There are tons of truck tents available on the market. Out of all of these, I believe the perfect truck tent is the Napier SportZ Truck Tent. It might need a premium price ticket, but it surely’s jam-packed with so many options that I believe it’s nicely value it.
Both method, the entire tents on this article will offer you an epic tenting expertise.
