After testing a bunch of the most highly recommended and best truck tents on the market, we have finally selected 5. Our verdict is that the Rightline gear truck tent stands apart and emerges as the best option for you.
Being avid campers, we keep a keen eye out for any innovations and new entrants into the tent world. Additionally, we understand that your convenience, comfort, and budget hold a lot of prominence for you. Thus, the product we recommend is the best of the best in terms of usability and quality.
Who doesn’t like to enjoy the starry nights while camping in the back of their trucks? Moreover, the truck beds you relied on earlier are now available as truck tents are more comfortable than ever. Thus, from rains to even mild storms, they can brave it all with finesse.
Our top pick, the Rightline gear truck tents, come equipped with a top-notch fabric and a great design. However, all the tents that we’ve listed have their unique qualities, and you won’t regret purchasing any of them.
Read further to get well-versed in making the best truck tent purchase using our comprehensive buying guide. Additionally, as described by us, the features will make this complex decision quite simple for you.
Our Top Picks For Truck Tents
Here are the best truck tents that we have carefully evaluated and selected due to their qualities. Read further as we take you through their features and benefits in greater detail. These indeed make for the perfect alternatives to traditional camping tents, with a hassle-free experience.
Rightline Gear Truck Tents – Best Overall Quality
We have selected the Rightline gear truck tent as the winner, owing to its stellar features and qualities. Right from capacity to quality to its design, it stands apart and offers you the best.
Design
The Rightline Gear truck tents can comfortably accommodate two sleeping people at once. Additionally, the unique floorless design allows you to set it up in no time. You don’t even need to remove the gear from the bed for installation.
It has a sky view vent, and as a result, you can enjoy the sky’s view while laying down. In the daytime, it will permit the right amount of light inside the tent, and even the ventilation is perfect. Also, it comes with a zipper closure and weighs just 8.5 pounds, which makes it easy to handle.
Quality
You can use it in all three seasons, and fiberglass material is very durable. Since you’ll likely use it during monsoons, the fabric is also water-resistant. It’s equipped with tape-sealed seams, up to 2000 mm, to keep you dry and shielded.
Also, your truck’s protection is ensured with nylon buckles. Even the heave duty straps of the tent, for that matter, won’t damage your truck’s finishing. Moreover, the gray and orange color makes it pleasing to the eye, and it won’t attract too much attention.
Installation
The Rightline Gear truck tents are easy to set up even if you’re a novice at camping. With the thorough user manual and color-coded assembly components, it’ll be a guaranteed smooth sail. You can use their truck tent sizing guide to see if it can fit your trunk and measure it by hand for confirmation.
The poles and the pole pockets are color-coded and make for a quick and set-up. Additionally, the rainfly and the stuff sack with a sewn-in guide only aid the process. The rainfly is optional, and you can choose not to install it, depending on the weather conditions.
Specifications
- Fiberglass material
- 8.5 weight
- 2000 mm tape sealed seams
Pros
- High-quality, durable fiberglass
- Excellent ventilation and sky view
- Easy to set-up
- The floorless design won’t pick up grime and dirt.
Cons
- None to point out
Guide Gear Compact Truck Tent- Best For Travel
The guide gear truck tent is compact and well suited for all pick-up trucks. The following are the features that make it the best if you’re constantly on the go.
Design
It’s very lightweight despite being exceptionally sturdy. Moreover, the design is compact, yet it can house two people comfortably. It snugly fits truck bed mattresses that measure 72-74-inches.
It offers up to 4.75-inches of comfortable headroom; thus, you can freely move around without it being cramped. Additionally, the top is dome-shaped, and the center is 57-inches in height. Therefore, it’s also well-ventilated and looks pretty on the outside as well.
Quality
The mesh windows are constructed with mesh and provide good ventilation while keeping bugs and critters outside. The base uses polyethylene, and the poles are made of fiberglass, both of which are high in terms of quality.
The polyester carrying bag that’s included is water-resistant too. Even the floor is made out of sewn-in polyethylene material.
Installation
The best part is that it comes with only four poles and a well-illustrated manual to make for a super easy set-up. These will fit your vehicle snugly and securely, and that makes traveling relatively safe, and the journey will be comfortable. Additionally, a rainfly to protect you from showers and lousy weather conditions is included.
Moreover, it’s fully enclosed, and you can take your camping tent anywhere with you, as it’s portable. You can easily fold it up and then stack it into the trunk of your car when it’s not in use. Also, the polyester carrying bag comes in handy.
Specifications
- 10 pounds in weight
- includes four poles
- 190T polyester bag, 1500 mm water-resistant
Pros
- Great for traveling
- Portable, comes with carrying bag
- Compact yet comfortable
- Cost-effective
Cons
- The fit will differ, truck to truck
DAC Full-Size Truck Tent- Best In Capacity
One of the Amazon bestsellers, the DAC full-size truck tent, has a genuinely great capacity. Here are the various features that make it a great option.
Design
The design is top-notch and allows for two people to sleep peacefully. Additionally, you can bring in your pets, and it still won’t feel cramped up and will have sufficient space for everyone.
The design is so well thought out that it can fit camper tops, soft caps, hardshell caps, and SUV. However, the SUVs need to have a tailgate and a rear window that can open up. Also, the tailgate must measure more than 58-inches.
Quality
The quality is high, and the fit is excellent. Additionally, even though the tent is full-sized, it looks classy and not overstuffed on your truck. The poles are made of good-quality fiberglass, and the tent has a zipper-type closure.
The fabric used for the truck tent is heavy-duty polyester and plastic that is water-resistant. Additionally, what sets it apart from its competitors is that the material is treated as a flame retardant. Also, the blue walls and tan roof are pleasing to the eye.
Installation
These truck tents fit the after 2005 Toyota truck models, the best. It’s simple and hassle-free in terms of installation, and the tent will fit over the tailgate with ease. Ensure that the corners that touch your trunk must be in place.
However, the windows could have been taller, even though the ventilation is sufficient. The overall quality of the tent is excellent, but you must install protective equipment over the windows. That is because tiny or minuscule insects can get in.
Specifications
- 10-inch length, 12-inch width
- Heavy-duty polyester and plastic fabric
- Flame retardant, water-resistant fabric
Pros
- Great Capacity
- High-quality material, flame resistant
- Great fit
Cons
- Smaller bugs might get in
Napier Backroadz Truck Tent- Best Design and Safety
The Napier Backroadz truck tent is very secure and has some great features to protect you against adversities. Here are some of its prominent features to help you decide.
Design
With a maximum height of 62-inches, the Napier backroads tent can accommodate two sleeping people comfortably. The interior area has an ample amount of space with significant headroom for movement. Moreover, it’s convenient to use with zipper closure.
It has two mesh windows that offer the required ventilation. Additionally, there are pockets and compartments on the inside for the safekeeping of your belongings. There is a gear loft, gear pocket, and even a lantern holder.
Quality
The tent floor is full and will keep you dry and protected from external elements. To top it off, it’s available in 5 different models to fit your truck, so you must check them out for the aptest decision possible. It’s made out of Taffeta fabric, and the poles are constructed with fiberglass.
The rainfly is full and will provide the ultimate privacy and protection. Even the storm flaps are included, and they will protect you against unfavorable weather conditions.
Installation
It’s easy to assemble and has a patented sewn-in floor. Additionally, the manual is comprehensive, and the process is quite simple to execute within 10 minutes. The poles and sleeves are color-coded for an easy understanding.
There’s a large entrance door that makes it easy to enter and exit the tent. Also, the door is made of mesh as well. However, the cherry on top is their partnership with Trees for the future. Hence, they’ll plant a tree upon every purchase that we make.
Specifications
- Two mesh windows
- 58-62-inch height
- Taffeta fabric
- 8 pounds of weight
Pros
- Environment conscious brand
- Very safe and secure
- Additional pockets and compartments
- Best Design
- Great colors, green and grey
Cons
- None to point out
Offroading Gear Truck Tents- Best Functionality
The Offroading gear truck tents are smartly designed and are very functional yet compact. Here are some of the unique features that make it an excellent buy for you.
Design
These Granville II truck tents are designed to fit almost any short bed pick-up truck with a 6-5-inch bed. Also, it can accommodate two sleeping adults quite comfortably. Additionally, there are storm guard flaps that you can lift to travel from your truck’s cabin.
Moreover, three large windows provide more than enough ventilation, and you won’t ever feel suffocated. A durable rainfly is also included with this functional truck tent to offer more protection and privacy.
Quality
The quality of this one is undeniably superior, along with having a great design. The floor is sewn-in, and the three windows are made of mesh. Additionally, the floor is integrated and waterproof to keep you dry and clean while inside.
The poles are made of fiberglass, while you can completely unzip the rear window to enter your cabin. However, it’s heavy, but the functionality and other factors more than makeup for it.
Installation
You can set-up this Granville II truck tent within a few minutes, and it’s effortless to assemble. While the color-coded poles are featured in all the tents, this one also has elasticized straps and scratch-free clips.
You can even set it up solo without asking for a helping hand. That is because the instructions are simple to understand with the illustrated sizing guide. Additionally, you get an over-sized well-constructed carrying bag to stack it away when it’s not in use.
Specifications
- 16.68 pounds of weight
- Granville II truck tent
- Three mesh windows
- Cabin entry from window
Pros
- Allows easy access to the truck’s cabin
- Great ventilation
- Good quality, unique design
Cons
- Relatively heavier than others
Buying Guide For Best Truck Tents
Planning a mobile trip with just your truck and your friends can be extremely fun and adventurous. However, if you end up with the wrong kind of truck bed tent, then that can spoil your fun quickly. Finding that your truck tent is incompatible with your truck or that its capacity is not enough to hold everyone can be disappointing. That’s why it’s essential to consider your truck’s specifications and the truck bed tent you finalize before you make the purchase.
Several factors and features need to be considered when buying a compatible truck bed tent for your vehicle.
Failing to check if the tent is suitable for your needs and truck can be very inconvenient and waste your time and resources.
With this buying guide’s help, you can go through the factors you need to consider in your tent before settling on your final choice. This way, you’ll make the best choice for your trip and have a safe, smooth, and fun adventure without any tent issues.
The Type Of Truck
The size of your vehicle and its type will also play an essential role in deciding what size of the truck bed tent you should select. A cargo Hatchback tent would be more suitable if your vehicle is a smaller vehicle or SUV. A tent for the pick-up style truck will be defined differently and will be suited for such trucks.
The size of your truck, its dimensions, and the compatibility with the tent’s size is essential to consider. There are universal truck bed tents that fit several types of vehicle space, so if you plan to use different vehicles, this would be more appropriate.
If your truck size is incompatible with your tent seize, then that could make for an uncomfortable fit. Not to mention, you may end up wasting space by not using the tent to its total capacity.
The Type Of Truck Tent
Since there are various types of vehicles used for trips, multiple kinds of tents are made to fit them. Truck tents for different shapes and styles are available for your convenience.
A short bed truck tent and hatchback tent would be more appropriate for smaller SUV beds. There are long bed truck tents available for trucks with long beds with more space and capacity. That is ideal for trips with families or groups of friends.
There are even tents designed for truck toppers. For the SUVs in which you can open the truck topper, there are truck topper tents available.
Tailgate tents are designed without a covering on the side to help you move to and from the tent and vehicle easily. They come with a sleeve that you can slip over the hatchback tailgate.
The Shape of The Tent
There are various shapes like A-frame, dome-shaped, to umbrella-shaped truck tents.
The A-frame or the wedge truck tent is one of the most popular truck tent shapes today. It’s mostly due to its simplistic and basic model and easy to assemble process. It can hold around 2-3 people, depending on the truck bed size, and provide a comfortable and durable space, although they tend to have less headroom space.
A dome-shaped truck tent is trendy due to its sleek and modernistic design and fish. They are durable and flexible, making them easy to set up and use. The unique point of dome-shaped tents is their rain fly that protects the tent from lousy climate and weather conditions. It also allows the tent to have lightweight interior walls, some even made of mesh.
Dome tents can have more headroom space due to their exterior support design. They also can allow for a hanging tent pole frame that acts as interior support, giving more wing rooms.
The umbrella-shaped truck tents tend to be more spacious, which makes them ideal for families.
However, they come with no floors, which can be inconvenient, but it also allows for a campfire and stoves on the truck bed. You can easily view the scenery and your surroundings with such tents as they feature large windows.
Weather Protection
The weatherproofing or the seasonality of your tents matters more than you would think. There are tents available that come for all four seasons and are hardy and very durable. They tend to be useful for all types of weather and withstand harsh snow and rainfall.
There are three-season truck bed tents available that do well in all seasons, even rainfall, considerably well. However, they may not be an ideal fit for harsh winters with heavy snowfall.
The three-season truck tents are very common and are more affordable than the 4 season ones. They also have excellent ventilation and feature lightweight material that isn’t bulky to carry around. They also have a rain fly system that prevents moisture from seeping into the tent and keeps the interior dry and comfortable.
In comparison, the four-season truck tents don’t have as good airflow as they are made for their hardness and durability.
There are also one-season and two-season tents available, which are fit for summertime and springtime.
Ventilation
The airflow in and around the tent is crucial to consider as well for both safety and comfort. The tents with multiple ventilation outlets are better as they tend to keep the tent more comfortable. Especially in the summertime, adequate ventilation will help keep you cool and present the feeling of suffocation.
Oversized windows and mesh coverings allow for more airflow, and some tents even feature air vents and side panels, too. Tents that come with a rainfly can use the rain fly feature to keep the windows cracked open even when it rains.
Tent Straps
The straps that fit on the truck’s side and are secured from the tent to the truck help settle the tent properly into the truck bed. The straps help provide and affix the tent securely to the truck bed. Many tents have strapping systems that come with tension straps for a secure fit. If the tent is appropriately connected to the ruck, then it can even withstand strong winds and severe weather conditions without falling apart.
When considering the strapping system of the tent, look for good quality and strong straps. Padded straps with softer and high-quality material will also not scratch up your truck’s paint so keep that in mind when selecting tents.
Material Of the Tent
The tents made up of durable material will last longer and tend to function firmly even in adverse conditions. That’s why ensuring that your tent is made up of durable material can go a long way towards ensuring its long-lasting use. Most tents are made up of nylon, taffeta, PU. The kind of fabric your tent is made of will also provide its waterproofing ability. Check for the hydrostatic head rating and a coating of waterproofing material on your tent.
Since it will be the rainfly that will act as a barrier between your tent and therian, then look for good water-resistant material for the rainfly as well.
You also need to check up the seams and ensure that the tents’ seams are correctly closed and sealed.
Affordability
Your budget will also determine the kind of tent you end up selecting. While it may better to spend a little more and find tents with durable and robust materials and features, affordability plays a lot into it. The tent with better water resistance is more expensive than the ones with moderate waterproofing abilities. The tents with better floor lining and ventilation are not as affordable as ones that don’t come with such features. Tents that cover more seasons are also highly-priced than the two or three-season tents.
However, it’s better to go for quality products that don’t cost excessively while also delivering satisfactorily on features and functions. In the end, the quality of your tent gets reflected in its price, so carefully examine your requirements and budget before you select a truck tent.
Poles Of The Tent
The poles are the main features of support in your tent. How many tent poles are included in your truck bed will depend on its size. A spacious tent would likely require more structural supports and hence more poles.
Good quality and sturdy poles will offer better support and structure than cheaper quality poles. Most of the poles are made up of aluminum or fiberglass.
Aluminum poles offer more stability and support for truck tents and are a good choice.
Unlike backpacking tents and other lightweight tents, a truck bed tent isn’t limited by its weight. So you can go for stuffy and heavy pole material that will last long and support even during strong winds and adverse weather conditions.
Poles that are color-coded based on their positions also make it easier to assemble and set up when camping.
Ease of Assembling
How easy you find the setting up the truck bed tents and how convenient the set-up can also impact your decision. No one wants a tent that takes forever to set up. If that were the case, then you’d spend a lot more time assembling and taking down the tent instead of enjoying and having fun on your adventures. That’s why how easy the set-up of the tent is should be taken into consideration.
Tents that come with better straps and color-coded poles make it easier to set up. Sometimes, numerous buckles, connectors, and straps can be confusing. Checking the manual for the truck tent you’re considering will tell you a lot about its set-up.
Setting up tents can be easy with basic and simplistic tents. It’s also something you’ll find improving upon as you practice.
Often you’ll find that heavy-duty and premium tents have a more arduous set-up process than the more bare minimum and simplistic designs. So before you pick up a truck, be clear in your purpose and requirements so you can choose the ease of set up accordingly.
Floor Lining
Since tents will primarily be used when you’re going to rest and relax for sleep, having a comfortable floor can make a huge difference. The beds of the trucks and other vehicles are not conventionally comfortable or smooth. Most have grooves that make it difficult for you to rest. That’s why choosing a tent that features a comfortable and sturdy floor is also essential. That’s Unless you wish to go for a tent that comes without the flooring system to use a campfire and stoves.
However, some refer to having good and comfortable flooring to set up sleeping bags more conveniently. They also provide a barrier between the trucks’ cold bed and your sleeping bag and are generally suitable for protection and safety from the elements. A waterproof floor will also be an added protection against moisture and water from rainfalls.
If that’s not a confederation for you, then floorless tents have ample benefits too. Floorless tents will also allow you to set up your gear without moving it around much quicker.
Proper Sealing
The seams should be sealed appropriately to ward off any moisture that may seep in. Having a good and robust seal gourd the tent will ensure that water during rainfall or snowfall and any other debris doesn’t make it inside the tent. Look for the tents with long and appropriately sized overhang and wings that will seal over the truck’s edge and are fixed in place using straps. Shorter wings tend to be bad at preventing water from seeping inside the tent.
Wrapping Up
Now that you’re aware of all the factors you would need to consider before and select the best truck tents to choose from, your purchase for the tent should be more accessible.
You can easily select the most suitable tent depending on your needs and the type of vehicle you have. You will only need to consider the details of your camping, your personal preference, and your budgets.
However, after our detailed research and scrutinized selection process, we recommend the Rightline gear truck tent because of its multifaceted use. Not only is it high quality and has plenty of space and features, but it also offers value for its price. You will also find it’s well protected and ventilated, making it an ideal choice.
You can easily find more about the details of purchasing this truck tent here.
This page was last updated on 2022-08-29. Affiliate links and Product Images are from Amazon PAAPI
