Last Spring, we took a look at the Napier truck bed tent. The general consensus was that while there were a few gripes we had regarding features that could probably be improved, in general, it was a very practical and well-made tent that provided nice sleeping space high up off the wet ground. With hunting season upon us (or nearly upon us, depending on your game of choice), we thought it might be nice to look at truck camping again.
The Camp-Right Truck Bed Tent
There are a few pickup truck tents available on the market that are worthy of investigating should you be tempted to transform your Tundra into a full-on recreational vehicle. One of which, the Camp-Right full-size Long (and Short) Bed Truck Tent, is an interesting competitor to the Napier model.
Like the Napier, the Camp-Right (available at LakelandGear.com and AutoAnything.com) uses the full length of your truck bed plus the lowered tailgate in order to expand the amount of interior room that is available to you. A full-sized adult can stand up inside each of the tents, which makes them much more useful than simply sleeping under a standard truck cap.
The Camp-Right even features glow-in-the-dark zippers for easier access in the middle of the night. It uses nylon buckles and special straps to protect your trucks paint, and it also comes with an extra large bag so you can basically just fold it up and go without trying to squeeze it into a tiny carrying case at the end of your trip.
Setting up the Camp-Right tent is easy enough, but where's the floor?
The Camp-Right differs from the Napier tent in a few important ways. Strangely, it doesn’t actually provide a floor – the bottom of the tent is completely open. CampRight claims that this is so you can just set up the tent overtop of whatever you have currently riding in the truck bed – ostensibly coolers and luggage for a camping trip – but it seems an odd omission, particularly since it means dealing with the usually dirty steel floor of the cargo area. You’ll have to bring a blanket or a tarp to keep your air mattress and other belongings from getting filthy.
The Camp-Right also doesn’t offer the awning that is available with the Napier tent, meaning that the area directly behind the tailgate is completely exposed to the elements. Both tents can be “sealed up”, but the awning is nice because it gives you a sheltered place to setup a camp chair.
There are two features that make the Camp-Right tent more appealing than the Napier. The first is a roof vent that functions as a sort of “skylight,” providing natural illumination by day and a view of the stars by night. The second addresses one of the single biggest complaints about the Napier tent – the inability to reach through a truck’s sliding rear window into the passenger compartment. CampRight’s tent provides a special sleeve that allows occupants to do just that, which for many truck-campers is a crucial feature that puts the tent head and shoulders above the Napier.
Unlike the Napier tent, with the Camp-Right you can access your truck's cab.
Does the window access balance out the lack of floor and missing awning? This might seem like a simplistic way to evaluate the two tents, but with both priced at around $200.000, it would seem as though that question will be the determining factor between those campers who opt for the Napier or those who choose the Camp-Right.
Own either of these tents or want to see some user reviews? Review the Camp-Right or Review the Napier
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I’ve always wondered about these bed-style tents scraping up the sides of your truck with the fabric or poles,etc. Anybody have any issues with these type of tents scratching the paint or with high winds the fabric/poles moving around scratching stuff up? With the way the paint on these Tundras are, it would not take much brushing up against to take the paint right off.