Buyers Guide to Pickup Truck Tents
For the person who only occasionally takes their family camping, a nice alternative to a camper is a bed tent for their pickup truck. Installing directly in or over the bed of your truck bed, a bed tent can get you up off the ground, is easy to setup and weighs virtually nothing. When combined with a nice bed air mattress, a bed tent can make your outdoors adventures easier and more comfortable.
There are a handful of major manufacturers of bed tents. One of the most popular and commonly available is the Sportz bed tent by Napier. Other manufacturers include Kodiak and Camp-Right.
The Sportz tent is a nylon tent that attaches to the rails of your truck bed. Extending to the end of the tailgate it provides adequate room for a full-length mattress, even on a short bed pickup. A rain fly with awning will help to keep out any precipitation while still allowing you adequate ventilation to stay comfortable.
The Camp-Right is easy to set up with color coded poles that are matched to their own pockets. Also including a rain fly, the Camp-Right tent has a vented top to allow moisture to exit the tent and reduce condensation inside the tent. Additional features on the Camp-Right that are not commonly included with other tents include access to your truck's cabin if you have a sliding rear window, inside pockets for storing your gear and "stuff" and little touches like glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls.
Kodiak is possibly the premier bed tent on the market. Costing a bit more than the others, the Kodiak tent is made of canvas, rather than nylon or polyester. With a five foot ceiling height and an entry door the full width of the truck bed, this tent has plenty of room for a couple, and possibly a couple of extra small children. Five windows and cab access, the Kodiak is well ventilated and comfortable.
To any of these tents you can add a standard air mattress, or consider a specially designed mattress that will fill the entire bed, including the spaces around the wheel wells. Truck Bedz offers two models of air mattresses for virtually any make of vehicle. For under $100 the PVC Weekender mattress is perfect for occasional use. At nearly twice the price, the nylon/urethane Expedition series will hold up to virtually anything. And, the Expedition model includes a heavy-duty carrying bag designed to fit behind the truck's seat.
Able to be carried with you wherever you go, a truck bed tent along with an appropriate mattress will allow you to set up camp anywhere you can park your truck. Perfect for a weekend getaway, or an off road expedition into the backcountry, such a combination is virtually unbeatable.
