Best Truck Bed Tents and Truck Bed Mattresses

Good Evening TW Peeps:

Next month I will be going camping with a group. I just do NOT do well in tents on the ground. So I want to buy an air mattress for my short bed (5') as well as a truck bed tent.

I'm open to all your suggestions, but I really am looking to keep the price relatively low ($200 or so FOR EACH)...

I also would like the truck bed tent to be relatively easy to put up and take down.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

* Frank

 

Napier truck bed tent. We had one and it was great. Any air bed will work just make sure you get the right size for both tent and air bed

 

For $200 bucks...

A ground pad and a sleeping bag with some mosquito netting and a tarp to drape over the bed.

 

Are you looking for something like this?

https://www.etrailer.com/Air-Mattre...lz6dBZvy1uGKMuMaAuKQEALw_wcB#ymm/2/makes/2022

 

Yes, with the extender to the open tailgate.

And I also want a truck bed tent.

I'm HOPING that this kind of truck bed mattress will fit inside the truck bed tent.

 

Ha ha ha!!

I totally meant around $200 for each.

 

Truck bed tent, not RTT

 

I figured they'd still be nearly as expensive like $1000 vs $3500.

 

I got one for under $200, used it 2 x sold it, hated it!!!! You got to unload all your gear, pffft

 

That too.

 

You got an RTT or a truck bed tent for under $200? I just want to understand what exactly you hated.

 

https://haventents.com/

 

I have trialed one (bed tent), also hated it. Due to it all your camping gear you can't keep it in your truck bed, so you have to have something to do with it and places where I camp I need to either store my coolers and cooking items in my bed under a topper/hard Tonneau or cab due to bears... would much rather a bear try and get into my truck than my tent.

 

Stay at a Motel 6 nearby.

 

There would be a large group of us. We are a nonprofit that does group mentorship with boys and young men. So I really only need the bed as a sleeping space. Most of the gear like coolers and cooking items would already be brought by the other men.

 

Lot of possible ideas here Frank:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/outdoors.259/

You can use the search function to narrow results.

 

Had a truck bed tent, probably because I overpack for most of my trips, I hated the fact that I had to unload all my stuff to use the truck bed tent, firewood, bins, gas cans, etc.... aside from that, it would of been great, now I have a RTT, works better for me!

 

Oh nice! That makes thing a little easier then. You would probably be completely fine and satisfied with a nice bed mattress and the bed tent then!

 

I have tried several.

Tent: Napier Sportz Truck Tent. I liked it, but had trouble setting it up. I’l consider myself very handy and capable of setting up tents as I’ve been doing it my whole life, but this tent is really not that straightforward. I broke o e of the rods, no big deal, but that shouldn’t have been the case. Either way, once it’s set up it’s a good area.

Matress: In my opinion, air mattresses suck big time. I got an Exped Megamat Duo 10 that fits right between the wheel wells and just right (lengthwise) with the tailgate open (or kinda tight with the tailgate closed). This thing is VERY comfortable, so comfortable that we use it at home when visit stays at our apartment.

My last time camping I replaced the tent with our Softopper. It’s way easier/faster to setup, but the ceiling height is not ideal.
Trial and error until you find something that fits your needs.

 

Just in the interest of more options you could get a swag tent and put that in the bed with the tailgate down. Tent and pad all in one. Might want to put it on some plywood if you don't have the factory bed mat.
https://23zero.com/product/dual-swag-900-single/

Otherwise the Napier Tent and and a cheap air mattress is probably the way to go.