I have been on many camping trips where sleeping on the ground was less than ideal due to terrain or weather conditions like heavy rain. When I came across the Napier Outdoors Sportz Truck Tent, I knew I had to check it out. Particularly now that I have young kids that want to go camping, I wanted to test the benefits of taking a clean, dry, and level campsite anywhere I want. Napier Outdoors offers a selection of Truck Tents that can be fitted for any size truck bed (full, mid, compact, crew, etc). For this review, I had my tent fitted for a Chevy Colorado Z-71 (Sportz Truck Tent 57 Series).
The Sportz Truck Tent is the only one on the market that features a full-floor design to aid with keeping the inside of your tent warm and dry. It comes in one color option – blue and grey. While dimensions vary depending on truck size, this tent is designed to sleep two adults. It weighs between 23-26 pounds depending on the dimensions of your tent and comes in a durable carrying bag that is expandable. The middle of the tent reaches a height of 5.7’ – 5.8’ and provides plenty of overhead space to move around. At six feet tall I couldn’t fully stand up, but my wife and kids were able to comfortably stand to get dressed and move around. Since the tent is several feet off the ground, I would recommend bringing a step ladder — or utilizing a cooler — for easier access to the tent. It isn’t required but is definitely helpful so you aren’t crawling in on your knees.
Setup was a breeze. I did a test set-up to make sure I had the hang of it before getting to the campsite with my family. Start to finish it took me about 20 minutes to have it fully set up on my first (demo) try — shown in the time-lapse video below.
The tent features three windows to allow for excellent ventilation, and one door that fits perfectly at the edge of the lowered tailgate. Each opening also features a storm flap (vent) with multiple zipper configurations to adapt to various temperature, wind, and sun conditions. My favorite feature is the rear access panel that allows access to the truck cab through the window. While camping it is nice to be able to reach items in the crew cab to save room inside the tent. While overall ventilation is excellent and the cab access is very convenient, if you feel the urge to run your AC through the tent it is dangerous to run your truck while being inside due to carbon monoxide. Do not do it. The included gear loft, gear pocket, and lantern holder are also great features that help to maximize storage space inside. Everything is functional and very well-made.
The tent comes with six shock-corded fiberglass tent poles for easy setup and take down, and two shock-corded fiberglass and four steel awning poles. Unlike other tents I have owned, these poles are going to be difficult to break due to the quality. They also come in a thick, padded bag to protect them when in transit. Tent material for the wall, roof, and rainfly is polyester taffeta. Window material is polyester mesh. And the floor is made from tough polyester oxford. The tent has a 1200mm PU waterproof coating, and the heavy duty rainfly fully covers the tent very well unlike many other vendor products that leave much of the tent exposed. An unintended feature that I personally appreciate is that the tent does not have the overwhelming “new” smell that most have.
It is designed to specifically be a three-season tent – spring, summer, fall – although if you did use it in cold weather it would still have the advantage of being off the ground. The Sportz tent line has an MSRP of $269.99 and comes with a 1-year warranty. The 57 Series is not as expensive as other tents on the market but still offers many of the same benefits in terms of features and quality. Napier also offers other truck tent lines as well as SUV and minivan compatible tents. I would recommend Napier Outdoors to anyone looking to expand their camping location options while also boosting comfort levels by getting off the ground.
Advertised features include:
• Exclusive fully enclosed floor; keeping you clean and dry from the elements
• Spacious interior with over 5.7’ of headroom
• Full rainfly and built-in storm flaps (windows and door) provide ultimate weather protection and privacy
• Large 4’x4’ awning provides shade and a protected spot for bulky gear
• Rear access panel allows you to access the truck’s interior
• Color-coded pole and sleeve assembly makes setup a breeze
• 3 large windows and 2 ceiling vents offer optimal ventilation
• Keep organized with an internal gear loft, gear pocket and a built-in lantern holder
• Expandable carrying bag for easy storage
Loadout Room readers can use promo code “loadoutroom25” to save 25% on purchases at the Napier Outdoors online store.
*All photos and video courtesy of the author