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Truck Bed Tents

copb8

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Bart
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Nale
I'm thinking about buying a tent that sets up in the bed of my truck for some of the TWT overnight rides. The one I like is the Rightline Gear 110730. My truck has a bed-rug bed-liner so I'd prefer a tent without a floor so I don't have to clear the bed to set it up.

I was thinking about getting it for the West of Granbury ride this weekend instead of getting up at the crack of dawn on Saturday. Well, I can only seem to find the thing online and drop-shipped. Amazon will do next day but then I won't be sure it's here early enough for me to leave for the event. Anyone know any local sources? I've looked at Cabelas, Dicks, Academy, etc. Also sent an email to the manufacturer.

Anyone used one of these tents and have any opinions of their worth?
 
Have you done what I just did? - plug your tent model into YouTube and absorb the many reviews and suggestions out there.

Pretty favorable reviews. Now you've got me wanting one.

IIWY I'd hold out for the best price and features after you've done due diligence. :haha: Don't rush buy like you did with your KTM 500

FYI I also ran across something I didn't know existed - truck bed mattresses.
 
IIWY I'd hold out for the best price and features after you've done due diligence. :haha: Don't rush buy like you did with your KTM 500

LOL!! That KTM 500 made me money. I'd do that deal again all day long. That said, I've been kinda of keeping my eye out for a more used (cheaper) 500 but that doesn't seem to happen that often.

I just went through the camping on the TWT cheap thread (LONG). I saw your post on the 4 man tent. I've been playing with the idea of camping off the bike for some time and I wonder if I should just forego the truck bed idea and get a tent I can use with the bike and truck.
 
I might consider both

I don't relish the idea of truck bed or tent camping in hot Texas weather, but in agreeable weather they would both have their uses. That tent I have you speak of is the smallest I would go. Don't be fooled by tent sizes as listed by the manufacturer. When tent camping off the bike you want and need that extra room.

Truck tent camping: I like the idea because I HATE forking over $100 plus for the privilege of less than 8 hours of shut eye in a motel. That, and I think it would be the perfect thing to have in for example Big Bend during Uncle's Ride. Truck your bike out in the back of the vehicle and unload it, then set up the truck tent.

Hmmmmm......I may go get me one of these
 
And when truck camping weight isn't an issue and you can get a really comfortable bed mattress which is a big plus.
 
I have a truck tent.... Very similar to the one your looking at. I bough it back on 02 or so. It's when they first came out.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...T.z_btnclk=YMAL-1191401&WT.z_pg_ref=prd715626

I have this one, but awning is a bit different on mine (older model). It does not puff up like that one and the poles go to the ground and are tied and staked for stability.

I spent a week in it at an event. It rained ever day. I was dry. The camp I was with had a large aluminum framed tent covered with a tarp. It was nice as the one I have has a awning that comes out and had two poles that support it for shade and keeping dry getting in and out. I used a bungee cord to hold that up the aluminum frame. Nice and try. I have also used this set up for over night races and such. I sometimes would rather have some AC and a shower, but also hate paying over 100 to sleep for a single night. I really raises the cost of a weekend of racing.

For regular camping I don't use the awning and its a little bit of a pain and I suspect is the reason for the resign like the one I linked.

  • A full size mattress will fit between the wheel wells nicely. Don't shell out for the expensive one that has the well cutouts.A single cot will work in the center. If you can find a cot that does not have a center support you could use one on each side, but they are costly
  • You will need a way to get in a out of the tail gate easy. I used a plastic double step stool, but saw a nice platform that I will be switching to soon. (also use this for loading and unloading the bikes)
  • It kinda sucks that you have to unload your whole truck bed to camp. Your truck is stuck there so if you need supplies you will have to break down the tent.
  • A good sleeping bag. The wind under the cold metal bead is cold.
    It's nice your off the ground, but the air mattress does not add a ton on insulation. I have a slumber jack mummy bag (I need a wedge so I can make the shoulders a little wider )
  • Its kind of hard to stand up as its not super tall and your standing on your air mattress. Easier to get dressed laying down then get out of the tent to put on socks and shoes
  • Easy to set up. Mine takes about 10 to 15 minutes if I don't rush. I ditched the bag it came in (to hard to fold up and pack. I store it in a large bin I purchased at Walmart. I laminated the instructions to the underside of the lid. It stores nicely under the tailgate when the tent is deployed.
  • Learn to pack efficiently for camping. Fitting the bike, motorcycle gear, and bins with supplies for camping is tight. I can fit two dirt bikes, gear, and camping stuff for a overnight stay, but things are stacked and tied down. If you push the bikes to the outside of the bed you have a lot of room between them for bins and gear bags.

The biggest downsides for me are the being stuck at camp (not a bad deal if you bike is street legal) and that you can't stand up easily inside the tent. I seem to remember seeing one that had a 6ft. height that easier to stand. They also had expensive cot that allowed for wheel well so you could stand in the center. That was a while back. I went with the one I did because it was way less.

These looked pretty interesting for two.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-XL-Outfitter-Bunk-Bed-by-Disc-O-Bed/2373451.uts?slotId=1

With room to stand in the center.

Also: The only issue I have with mine is one of the cinches broke (plastic type). I need to replace it, but its sewn in and I have not used the tent in a while. Need to pull it out and set up and get some fishing line to stitch a new one in. Good quality.
 
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I read a review on one truck bed tent(can't remember which one)that said it could be removed intact and put back in without too much trouble.
 
I have a truck tent.... Very similar to the one your looking at. I bough it back on 02 or so. It's when they first came out.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...T.z_btnclk=YMAL-1191401&WT.z_pg_ref=prd715626

I have this one, but awning is a bit different on mine (older model). It does not puff up like that one and the poles go to the ground and are tied and staked for stability.

I spent a week in it at an event. It rained ever day. I was dry. The camp I was with had a large aluminum framed tent covered with a tarp. It was nice as the one I have has a awning that comes out and had two poles that support it for shade and keeping dry getting in and out. I used a bungee cord to hold that up the aluminum frame. Nice and try. I have also used this set up for over night races and such. I sometimes would rather have some AC and a shower, but also hate paying over 100 to sleep for a single night. I really raises the cost of a weekend of racing.

For regular camping I don't use the awning and its a little bit of a pain and I suspect is the reason for the resign like the one I linked.


  • A full size mattress will fit between the wheel wells nicely. Don't shell out for the expensive one that has the well cutouts.A single cot will work in the center. If you can find a cot that does not have a center support you could use one on each side, but they are costly
  • You will need a way to get in a out of the tail gate easy. I used a plastic double step stool, but saw a nice platform that I will be switching to soon. (also use this for loading and unloading the bikes)
  • It kinda sucks that you have to unload your whole truck bed to camp. Your truck is stuck there so if you need supplies you will have to break down the tent.
  • A good sleeping bag. The wind under the cold metal bead is cold.
    It's nice your off the ground, but the air mattress does not add a ton on insulation. I have a slumber jack mummy bag (I need a wedge so I can make the shoulders a little wider )
  • Its kind of hard to stand up as its not super tall and your standing on your air mattress. Easier to get dressed laying down then get out of the tent to put on socks and shoes
  • Easy to set up. Mine takes about 10 to 15 minutes if I don't rush. I ditched the bag it came in (to hard to fold up and pack. I store it in a large bin I purchased at Walmart. I laminated the instructions to the underside of the lid. It stores nicely under the tailgate when the tent is deployed.
  • Learn to pack efficiently for camping. Fitting the bike, motorcycle gear, and bins with supplies for camping is tight. I can fit two dirt bikes, gear, and camping stuff for a overnight stay, but things are stacked and tied down. If you push the bikes to the outside of the bed you have a lot of room between them for bins and gear bags.

The biggest downsides for me are the being stuck at camp (not a bad deal if you bike is street legal) and that you can't stand up easily inside the tent. I seem to remember seeing one that had a 6ft. height that easier to stand. They also had expensive cot that allowed for wheel well so you could stand in the center. That was a while back. I went with the one I did because it was way less.

These looked pretty interesting for two.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-XL-Outfitter-Bunk-Bed-by-Disc-O-Bed/2373451.uts?slotId=1

With room to stand in the center.

Also: The only issue I have with mine is one of the cinches broke (plastic type). I need to replace it, but its sewn in and I have not used the tent in a while. Need to pull it out and set up and get some fishing line to stitch a new one in. Good quality.
Thank you for such a thoughtful and detailed reply.

Couple of comments. My truck has the built in in tailgate step that comes out the end of the gate. That would be super handy but I think the tents cover it.

I think I want a tent without the floor built in because then I can leave my backflip cover in place and just did it up out of the way and also don't need to remove everything out of the bed to setup the tent.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
I used to have one and my only problem was if it was cold (35 and below) and the wind was blowing the truck bed turns into a freezer, all the metal your surrounded by radiates the cold. And this was sleeping on a cot, and it still felt like sleeping in a freezer...


http://www.cabelas.com/product/CABELAS-LOUNGER-COT/1784606.uts?slotId=5

This is what I use in my trailer and love it..
 
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Yes, you could remove it and set it on the ground, but in any sort of wind is a sail! Just easier to break it down and cram it in the bin than wrestle it out of of the bed.

The floor from the bead down is basically a tarp bag that just lays inside the bed. It not molded or tight and pretty flexible for getting around things. It would likely work with a back flip depending on which one you want.

I don't think I've seen a "tent" without a floor, but have seen a like a safari canvas top.

Something like this would be pretty cool, but not sure I want the rails on my truck all the time. Would be cool, but the down side is not standing up in it. https://www.softopper.com/softopper

A built in tailgate ladder would be pretty cool, but my truck does not have one :-)

This would be cool. Thinking of switching it up and picking up one of these for the bikes and around the house. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gorilla...ep-with-300-lb-Load-Capacity-GLP-WP/206582004

I have one know that lives in the garage. I bought it for getting the bikes in and out truck bed. It super handy in the garage and house: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004Q0I2RS/?tag=twowhetex-20
 
I used to have one and my only problem was if it was cold (35 and below) and the wind was blowing the truck bed turns into a freezer, all the metal your surrounded by radiates the cold. And this was sleeping on a cot, and it still felt like sleeping in a freezer...


http://www.cabelas.com/product/CABELAS-LOUNGER-COT/1784606.uts?slotId=5

This is what I use in my trailer and love it..

It does, which is why I mentioned having a good sleeping bag. I sweat in the zero degree one I have. Also, a tent heater will help ease the pain.
 
I used to have one and my only problem was if it was cold (35 and below) and the wind was blowing the truck bed turns into a freezer, all the metal your surrounded by radiates the cold. And this was sleeping on a cot, and it still felt like sleeping in a freezer...


http://www.cabelas.com/product/CABELAS-LOUNGER-COT/1784606.uts?slotId=5

This is what I use in my trailer and love it..
This looks great. Would be even better if the leg portion could drop when in chair mode for traditional sitting.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
I use one if I trailer my bike to a central spot and cloverleaf multi-day rides from there. When doing so I usually stay at a KOA or similar so I can have a spot with electricity. Then I can have a box fan for warmer nights and an electric blanket for cooler nights (not to mention recharging cameras, phones etc...)

The KOA in Gunnison Colo is one of my fave spots to do just that.

I like it. Can't stand up but I can sit upright. Take a step stool for climbing over the tailgate.

If I need to drive to town, I just collapse the tent poles and throw my bike trailer spare tire on top to hold everything down. then back to camp and extend the poles again.

I don't use it if I stay in a different spot every night. Then I bike camp or hotel it. I've only used it as a 3 to 5+ day headquarters... so to speak.
 

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The built in truck step would work out pretty well for it. I'd like that option, but would require and upgrade. I just use step stool for now.

The tent I have look like the one Stephen pictured only mine is blue.
 
I also used HVAC tubing insulation to cover the tie-down straps. The straps were leaving dirty marks on my white paint that required waxing out. Problem solved, but added storage space bulk.

K-F_6RXL048118.jpg
 
Well after a lot of talk on this discussion and on the cheap camping thread I've decided my first camping foray needs to be with a traditional tent that I can use when I'm with the truck or on the bike.

If this is something I start to do more often then I still like the truck bed tent idea to have a stable dry floor regardless of terrain. So I'll mark this thread and return to it when the time comes.

Thanks for all the input.
 
I have a truck tent.... Very similar to the one your looking at. I bough it back on 02 or so. It's when they first came out.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...T.z_btnclk=YMAL-1191401&WT.z_pg_ref=prd715626

I have this one, but awning is a bit different on mine (older model). It does not puff up like that one and the poles go to the ground and are tied and staked for stability.

I spent a week in it at an event. It rained ever day. I was dry. The camp I was with had a large aluminum framed tent covered with a tarp. It was nice as the one I have has a awning that comes out and had two poles that support it for shade and keeping dry getting in and out. I used a bungee cord to hold that up the aluminum frame. Nice and try. I have also used this set up for over night races and such. I sometimes would rather have some AC and a shower, but also hate paying over 100 to sleep for a single night. I really raises the cost of a weekend of racing.

For regular camping I don't use the awning and its a little bit of a pain and I suspect is the reason for the resign like the one I linked.


  • A full size mattress will fit between the wheel wells nicely. Don't shell out for the expensive one that has the well cutouts.A single cot will work in the center. If you can find a cot that does not have a center support you could use one on each side, but they are costly
  • You will need a way to get in a out of the tail gate easy. I used a plastic double step stool, but saw a nice platform that I will be switching to soon. (also use this for loading and unloading the bikes)
  • It kinda sucks that you have to unload your whole truck bed to camp. Your truck is stuck there so if you need supplies you will have to break down the tent.
  • A good sleeping bag. The wind under the cold metal bead is cold.
    It's nice your off the ground, but the air mattress does not add a ton on insulation. I have a slumber jack mummy bag (I need a wedge so I can make the shoulders a little wider )
  • Its kind of hard to stand up as its not super tall and your standing on your air mattress. Easier to get dressed laying down then get out of the tent to put on socks and shoes
  • Easy to set up. Mine takes about 10 to 15 minutes if I don't rush. I ditched the bag it came in (to hard to fold up and pack. I store it in a large bin I purchased at Walmart. I laminated the instructions to the underside of the lid. It stores nicely under the tailgate when the tent is deployed.
  • Learn to pack efficiently for camping. Fitting the bike, motorcycle gear, and bins with supplies for camping is tight. I can fit two dirt bikes, gear, and camping stuff for a overnight stay, but things are stacked and tied down. If you push the bikes to the outside of the bed you have a lot of room between them for bins and gear bags.

The biggest downsides for me are the being stuck at camp (not a bad deal if you bike is street legal) and that you can't stand up easily inside the tent. I seem to remember seeing one that had a 6ft. height that easier to stand. They also had expensive cot that allowed for wheel well so you could stand in the center. That was a while back. I went with the one I did because it was way less.

These looked pretty interesting for two.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-XL-Outfitter-Bunk-Bed-by-Disc-O-Bed/2373451.uts?slotId=1

With room to stand in the center.

Also: The only issue I have with mine is one of the cinches broke (plastic type). I need to replace it, but its sewn in and I have not used the tent in a while. Need to pull it out and set up and get some fishing line to stitch a new one in. Good quality.



If anybody is looking to purchase that Disc-O-Bed set Costco has a sale on them. $70 off making them $250. The sale ends today, though.
 
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