Truck Bed Tents

What a truck bed tent is

A truck bed tent turns the load bed of a pick-up into a raised, flat floor to sleep on, up off the wet ground with the truck as its base. A soft one pitches inside the bed on its own poles and straps to the truck. A hard-shell one fits over the bed and opens up. This range also holds the roof tents, tailgate tents and awnings made to fit pick-ups, so you can camp on the roof, in the bed or beside the truck.

Soft bed tents, hard shells, canopies or awnings

• Soft truck bed tents pitch in the bed on fibreglass poles. The two-person one here is 210 by 170 by 170cm and fits 5.5 to 6.5ft beds.
• Hard-shell truck bed tents are made to fit beds such as the Ford Ranger, RAM, Chevy Silverado and Nissan Frontier, need no drilling, and lock at the tailgate.
• Tailgate canopies extend from the open tailgate for covered sleeping or storage at the back, in sizes for standard and large trucks. See SUV and tailgate tents.
• Roof tents and awnings for trucks fit a pick-up's roof rack. See roof tents and car awnings.

Measuring the bed

A bed tent has to fit the bed, so measure yours before ordering: the length from the back of the cab to the closed tailgate, the width between the wheel arches, and the height of the sides. Then compare them with the sizes on the product. Clear the bed before you pitch and put a mat down, because the ribs of a bare load bed are hard to sleep on and can rub the tent floor. See tent rugs and carpets.

What the waterproof rating means on a truck bed tent

The rating in millimetres, the hydrostatic head, is the height of a column of water the fabric holds back before it leaks, tested to BS EN ISO 811. About 1,000mm is the lowest rating usually called waterproof, most lightweight flysheets are 1,500mm to 3,000mm, and more is worth having for long wet trips or a truck bed tent left up for days. The groundsheet is often rated higher, because you kneel and lie on it. The two-person bed tent here is rated over 4,000mm. Taped seams matter as much as the number. Shop by rating: to 2,000mm, to 3,000mm and 5,000mm and over.

Questions people ask about truck bed tents

Can I use a truck bed tent in winter?

The two-person bed tent here is single layer and sold as four-season, with mesh doors front and back for air. A single layer gets damp inside on a cold, still night, so keep the vents open. See single layer tents.

How does a soft bed tent fix to the truck?

The one here fixes with webbing straps round the truck body. Pull them tight, and check them again after the first night, when the fabric has settled.

How long does delivery take?

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when that tent usually arrives, so check it before ordering for a set date.

More to look at

• Roof tents
• Tent boxes
• SUV and tailgate tents
• Car awnings
• Single layer tents
• Tent rugs and carpets
• Guide: Roof tents and car awnings