Truck & SUV Tents

Roof Top Tent Types: Hard Shell vs. Soft Shell

A hard-shell roof top tent opens fast and packs down tight, while a soft-shell roof top tent unfolds into a roomier floor plan. If you move camp every night, setup speed matters most. If you stay put for a few days, extra space may matter more.

Here's how the tents in this category break down:

• Overland Vehicle Systems Mamba 3 clamshell and Mamba 2 side-load tents use aluminum shells, with a black shell and grey body on the Mamba 2
• OVS Bushveld hard-shell roof top tents come in 2-person and 4-person sizes
• OVS Nomadic soft-shell tents use double rip-stop nylon, a diamond-plate aluminum base and a high-density foam mattress
• Nomadic tents come in 2-, 3- and 4-person sizes, and the Nomadic 2 and 3 are listed as universal
• Thule offers the Approach Medium and Basin Wedge roof top tents
• Rugged Ridge also offers a roof top tent

Compare shell style, capacity and mounting hardware before you choose.

Truck Tents: Truck Bed Tent vs. Roof Top Tent

A truck bed tent is the simpler way to camp in your pickup, while a roof top tent keeps your bed free for gear. A bed tent sets up inside the open bed and uses the bed floor as your sleeping platform. You'll need a pad or air mattress, and you'll unload cargo before bedtime.

A roof top tent mounts on a roof rack or bed rack and carries its own mattress, like the foam pad in OVS Nomadic tents. That leaves the bed open for coolers, water and recovery gear, plus organizers from our truck bed and tailgate accessories lineup. You also sleep higher, away from mud and standing water.

If your bed has a cover, plan ahead. A bed tent needs the open bed, while some bed racks are designed to work with a cover, so check the rack's compatibility notes. Browse tonneau covers, and see how to install a tonneau cover if you're adding one.

Mounting Requirements: Roof Racks, Bed Racks and Load Ratings

Before you buy a roof top tent, confirm your rack can carry it on the road and while you sleep. Most racks have two ratings. The dynamic load rating covers weight while you're driving, and the static load rating covers weight while you're parked.

Check these points before you order:

• Make sure the rack's dynamic load rating exceeds the tent's listed weight
• Confirm the static rating covers the tent plus everyone sleeping in it
• Check your vehicle's roof limit in the owner's manual
• Measure your crossbar spread and match it to the tent's mounting hardware
• Use the mounting hardware filter to see which tents include it

Some tents list rack requirements up front. The OVS TMBK 3-person tent, for example, fits vehicles with a factory or aftermarket roof rack. If you need a rack first, shop cargo carriers and racks to match your tent. For more truck build planning, read our 2WD vs. 4WD truck accessories comparison.

Vehicle Awnings and Annexes for Camp Setup

A vehicle awning gives you shade and rain cover beside your rig, and an annex adds an enclosed room under a roof top tent. Most awnings mount to a roof rack with a bracket kit, so plan tent and awning placement together.

Options in this category include:

• Rhino-Rack Sunseeker roof rack awning with 43 sq ft of shade and an available zip extension
• OVS Nomadic 180 and Nomadic 270 awnings, with zip-in walls and bracket kits on select models
• Rough Country 270-degree roof-top awning for the driver side, plus a wall enclosure
• Body Armor 4x4 Sky Ridge awning
• ARB 4x4 awning canvas, awning bag, full legs and a quick-release awning bracket kit
• Thule Tepui Ayer 2 annex extension in 600-denier ripstop fabric and Thule Rain Blocker G2 side

A 270-degree awning wraps the side and rear of your vehicle for wider coverage. Walls and annexes turn that shade into a sheltered space for changing, cooking or storing gear.

How to Choose an SUV Tent or Roof Top Tent

Start with who's sleeping in it, then match materials, setup style and fit to how you camp. An SUV tent mounts to a roof rack the same way it does on a truck, so the same load checks apply.

Sleeping capacity comes first. A 2-person tent suits solo or couple trips, while 3- and 4-person sizes like the Nomadic 3 or Bushveld 4-person give a family more room. Materials come next, so look for rip-stop fabric, aluminum shells or bases and a foam mattress.

Setup style shapes your camp routine. Clamshell and side-load hard-shell tents open quickly, while soft-shell fold-outs take a few more steps. For fitment, use Add a Vehicle at the top of the page to confirm the tent and rack work with your truck, SUV or Jeep.

Building a Bronco for camping? Get ideas from our must-have Ford Bronco mods. Then browse more exterior accessories to finish your setup.