Truck tents are a creative and innovative way to increase your comfort level while camping. The Guide Gear Truck Tent is a top-seller that is well-crafted, and packed with plenty of features. It comes in full size, or compact models, ensuring a perfect fit for your respective truck.
It can comfortably fit two people, luxuriously fit one, and is fully waterproof for 3-season camping. Designed for maximum airflow with 3 opening points, they can all be closed up to retain heat and add privacy, lending to a cozy feel on cool nights.
Table could not be displayed.Adding a mattress to this tent is imperative, but will pay dividends when you wake up fully refreshed. With an attractive price tag, portability, and high-quality materials, this model has become one of the best budget truck tents on the market, lets find out what else is really good.
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Guide Gear Truck Tents
Our First Thoughts
This is the type of tent that we love and we think you will too. You can bring it anywhere you go, it’s easy to set up, and there’s plenty of room for a good night’s sleep. We really like the high-quality materials that Guide Gear has crafted it with, and its design means those with back pain can finally get a comfortable rest on a surface that isn’t cold and lumpy.
This is a tent that is flexible enough for spur-of-the-moment camping by the lake on a sunny day, or for long weekends in the bush. You could even bring it to a drive-in theater and relax in style while watching the latest blockbusters. It combines versatility and comfort for a cozy tent that is hard to beat. We think anyone that drives a pickup and is tired of camping on the ground should seriously consider upgrading to this tent.
Important Specs at a Glance
| Type
Dome Truck Tent |
Dimensions
Full Size: W 63” x L 79” Compact: W 63” x L 74” |
| Weight
Full Size: 11 lbs. Compact: 10 lbs. |
Height
Full Size: 63” (5.25’) Center Height Compact: 57” (4.75’) Center Height |
| Capacity
Full Size / Compact: Sleeps 2
|
Truck Bed Sizing (With Tailgate Down)
Full Size: 79” – 81” Compact: 72” – 74” |
| Seasonal Use
3 Seasons (Spring / Summer / Fall) |
Waterproof
Rain Fly with 1500mm Coating |
| Materials
190T Polyester Shell / Polyethylene Floor Fiberglass Poles Mesh Windows |
Extra Features
2 Storage Pockets Heavy Duty Waterproof Carrying Bag |
Overview of Features
- Dome Truck Tent Fits Most Pickups
- Available in Full Size or Compact Size
- Sleeps 2 People
- Lightweight with Fiberglass Poles
- Includes Rain Fly with 1500mm Hydrostatic Head
- Mesh Windows for Ventilation
- Vehicle Anchors Included
- Heavy Duty Polyethylene Floor
- Built for Durability
What We Love – Our Top 3 Features
GOLD QUALITY – Dual Models For Any Size Truck
The flexibility of this model is on full-display with its dual sizes. This ensures you get a perfect fit, specific to the size of your pickup truck. Both models can sleep 2 people, and the only differences between them are their lengths and the amount of headroom they provide. Using a dome-shaped design, the frame has side rails that allow the tent to rest on top of the truck’s side walls. This utilizes the entire the truck bed, maximizing your interior space at the same time.
Guide Gear Full Size Tent
The full-size tent measures 63 inches wide x 79 inches in length. It has an additional 63 inches (5.25 feet) of center height, ensuring that you can easily sit up in the tent for changing clothes, or relaxing with a book/device. It is designed for use with larger truck beds that measure 79 to 81 inches in length when the tailgate is down.
Guide Gear Compact Tent
Guide Gear’s compact tent model is for use with smaller pickups, but still has plenty of room for 2 people to rest easy in. It measures 63 inches wide x 74 inches long, and has a center height of 57 inches (4.75 feet). While this is physically a tighter fit than the full-size model, it isn’t overpowering to the point of feeling claustrophobic. You can still sit up well in it, and if anything, it feels a bit cozier.
SILVER FEATURE – Heavy Duty Hitter
A lot of high-quality materials have gone into the creation of the Guide Gear Truck Tent. Starting with its dome frame, you get 4 shock-corded poles that connect together to form an “X”, with 2 side rails for support. These fiberglass poles are flexible and lightweight, resulting in a tent that weighs 11 lbs. and can easily be taken anywhere. The shell fabric is 190T polyester for a breathable tent, and it has a highly durable, polyethylene floor.
Ample Space to Get Comfy
This floor is also sewn shut to ensure there is no water penetration through the bottom of the tent. Dense mesh is included on two side windows and an entry door, allowing you excellent views of your environment while saving your skin from airborne insects. Finally, keeping the tent firmly in place are multiple high-quality straps that attach to the underside of the truck and wheel wells, helping it withstand high winds so it doesn’t blow away.
BRONZE HIGHLIGHT – Sleep Soundly In The Rain
The waterproofing on this tent is second to none, and you will stay bone dry in the heaviest of downpours. We already touched upon the polyethylene floor’s water-resistant properties, and the 190T polyester shell is coated in a 1500mm hydrostatic head to help it repel light rainfall. The windows and door have zip-up flaps that can be completely closed to keep the interior dry as well.
But when it really starts to downpour, all you need to do is attach the included rain fly (which is also 1500mm waterproofed) for superior protection. It has straps for simple connection, and covers the entire structure, so the windows aren’t exposed. Due to its dome-design, and how the tent hugs the truck bed’s walls, water can roll off and not fall into any cracks. Additionally, the front door has a small awning for this same reason.
Main Overview – Breaking Down Every Detail
2 Sizes for All Trucks
With two different sizes to choose from, you won’t have any problems fitting this truck tent into the bed of your pickup. It easily forms around the walls, and straps in at multiple points for a secure fit. Not only is it stable and can withstand high winds of 40+ mph, but a polyethylene tarp floor adds to its longevity, making sure it doesn’t wear out quickly. Each tent has plenty of headroom for sitting up unimpeded, and they can sleep up to 2 people.
The Comfort Factor
With the ability to camp in your truck bed, you immediately up your comfort level significantly. Of course, you will need to bring a pad or mattress to sleep on, but camping in the bed of your pickup will be a world of difference compare to camping on the lumpy, uneven ground.
If you are a single camper, you can sprawl in a luxurious amount of room, and if you are a pair, you can both fit comfortably. Additionally, you can use the back of the cab as a headboard to prop yourself up against, and there’s plenty of room to add a few pillows into the mix.
Wonderful Windows
Anytime you’re inside the tent, you can still keep an eye on what’s going on outside, with 2 windows outfitting the left and right sides. As it retains heat well, these windows keep the tent ventilated, and they work with the large D-door to provide a cross draft whenever you need it.
They are covered in a dense mesh with has a dual function: let air in and keep bugs out. Additionally, all openings on the tent have zip-up flaps, which allow you to regulate airflow, as well as keep you dry when it rains, and give you privacy when you need it. Even with the rain fly attached you still get excellent ventilation, as its designed to keep air flowing smoothly during stormy weather.
Tri-Seasonal Use
This truck tent is durable for use for three quarters of the year. Spring, summer and fall campers can rest easy knowing that it will function well in these seasons, no matter how much sunshine, wind, and rain it is exposed to. While it does retain heat well with the windows shut, we wouldn’t recommend using it during the winter months, as it does not have any thermal insulation features.
Confidence in Convenience
A D-shaped door provides the perfect entry to the Guide Gear truck tent. This entryway is large enough for people to crawl in and out of easily, while providing you excellent views. Keeping your essentials close by is made easy with 2 storage pockets that are included on either side of the tent. This way you can keep your devices, books, or any other important items within arm’s reach at all times.
When night falls, you can illuminate the tent by hanging a lantern at its peak. It doesn’t have a hook, but there is a tie that secures one of the fiberglass poles, and can double as an attachment point for your light. Truck tents allow you to take full advantage of the bed space without having to store gear in it. Any camping gear / food can be stored in your truck’s cab.
You can lock everything up safely without fear of attracting wildlife, or unsavory individuals looking for their next score, while maximizing your sleep space at the same time. Guide Gear includes a handy carrying bag that lets you store and transport the tent with minimal fuss. Its compact size means you can just leave the tent in your truck year-round, giving you the flexibility to camp out at a moment’s notice.
Most Asked Questions – We’ve Got You Covered
How do I know which size tent will fit my truck?
This tent is designed to fit most (if not all) pickup trucks on the market today. Both full size and compact tents have the same width (63”), so the only thing you need to measure is the length. With the tailgate down, the full-size tent fits beds with a length of 79” to 81”, and the compact version fits 72” to 74” length beds.
Is this truck tent waterproof?
Yes, it is. Not only is the shell coated in a 1500mm hydrostatic head, but it also includes a durable rain fly, and a thick polyethylene floor. The floor is also sewn-in to help prevent any leaks from springing during a downpour.
Can I use this truck tent for camping on the ground?
You could, but you would have to fashion some sort of support for it, as it is designed specifically for use with a truck bed. The tent’s fiberglass pole frame needs side rails to rest on.
Can I drive my truck with the tent attached?
Yes, you can, although we would recommend only driving short distances with it. While the straps keep it fully attached, fast speeds could cause damage to your tent. But driving slow for short distances is fine.
How comfortable is this tent?
This tent offers plenty of comfort and functionality, but like all truck tents, you need to use it with a pad or mattress (unless you don’t mind sleeping on a hard truck bed).
What size mattress can fit in this tent?
The width is 63 inches across, with a 74 or 79 inch length depending on if you are using the compact tent or full-size tent. You should consult the mattress specs, but you should have no problem fitting a queen size mattress in the full-size tent. You could also fit two singles if that’s your preference.
Our Final Thoughts
By now, you should have a better understanding as to why the Guide Gear Truck Tent is so popular. It has a bang-for-your-buck air about it that is hard to argue, and its price tag is almost contradictory when contrasted against its performance. With solid craftsmanship and the ability to use it anywhere, we really like this tent and think you will too.
