The Best Rooftop Tents For Your Toyota Tacoma


With so many choices out there, finding the right rooftop tent for your Toyota Tacoma can be a difficult task. You are likely looking for a tent that will not poorly affect your fuel economy, is comfortable to sleep in, and is easy to set up and take down.

If you live the avid outdoors lifestyle of most Tacoma owners, the Thule Foothill is a great option for you. Unlike most rooftop tents the Foothill only takes up half the width of the bed of your truck when closed. This allows for extra storage space that you would not have with a conventional RTT.

In this article, I will go over my 5 favorite rooftop tents for the Toyota Tacoma. The main focus will be tents that can mount over your bed without the need for a canopy or extending over the cab.


Tacoma RTT Comparison Chart:

WeightMattressSleeping AreaShellThickness When ClosedLighting
Thule Foothill122lbsnot specified83.86″L x 46.46″W x 40″HSoft9.45″N/A
GoFSR High Country 63″162lbs1.5″63″L X 98″W X 47″HSoft14″LED Interior
CVT Pioneer Series (Bachelor)98lbs3″ 48″L x 96″W x 44″H Soft15″N/A
iKamper Skycamp 3.0 Mini125lbs2.25″51″ L x 82″ W x 48″ HHard13.5″N/A
Front Runner Featherlite93lbs2.4″51″L x 96″W x 46″H Soft13″N/A

1. Thule Foothill

Detailed Specs:

Sleeping Capacity: 2 person
Dimensions Open: 83.86″ L x 46.46″ W x 40″ H
Dimensions Closed: 82.99″ L x 24.02″ W x 9.45″ H
Weight: 122lbs
Mattress: Not Specified
Base: Welded aluminum tube with insulation and aluminum cap sheet
Canopy: Breathable, water-resistant 600D polyester ripstop 1500WP
Mosquitoes Screen: Yes
Seasons: 4

Things to love:

As I mentioned above, the Thule Foothill is a fantastic option for anyone who does not want to forgo the use of their pickup bed completely. With most softshell or hardshell RTTs the footprint of the tent will cover the majority of the box of your truck bed. This means, you either need to have a tall bed rack so you can still fit items such as bikes under your tent, or you need an additional mounting point such as a bike rack attached to your hitch.

Because of the footprint of the Foothill, you are able to then add bike or kayak racks, storage bins, etc. to your bed rack as well. This will leave ample room in your truck bed for the rest of your camping gear, while also leaving your hitch receiver available.

Thule also offers lockable quick-release mounts so that you can easily remove the tent if you accidentally agreed to help a friend move.

Things not to love (as much):

I would say there are 2 main things that I would consider minor drawbacks to this tent.

Weight:

Coming in at 122lbs, this tent isn’t the heaviest available, but it’s also not the lightest. I would love it if they could shed another 20lbs off.

Size:

Most softshell tents double their footprint in order to accommodate the height of an adult. Thule went a different route and constructed a tent that doubles its width to accommodate the average shoulder-to-shoulder width of an adult.

This has 2 main drawbacks:

  • This is a true 2 person tent. Not ideal for a family or camper with dogs. Alternatively though, a family could have 2 of these tents side by side. One for the parents and one for the kids. This might actually be preferred by some people versus a 4 person tent.
  • Because it doubles in width and doesn’t become any longer, the tent is fixed at about 6.9 feet. This means that with a standard box Tacoma, you will have some overhang off the back.

Additional Accessories:


2. GoFSR High Country Series – 63″

Detailed Specs:

Sleeping Capacity: 3-4 person
Dimensions Open: 63″L X 98″W X 47″H 
Dimensions Closed: 68″L X 52″W X 14″H 
Weight: 162lbs
Mattress: 1.5″ High Density Foam
Base: 2″ EPE foam base.
Canopy: 3 Layers of 150D Poly-Oxford with 60g/M2 Poly-fil – with a rainfly rated at – 210D Rip-Stop Poly-Oxford with Silver Coating and 3,000mm Polyurethane Coating
Mosquitoes Screen: Yes
Seasons: 4

Things to love:

It is truly hard to know where to being with this tent, they have really thought about everything when it comes to the design. I think the most impressive part of the 63″ High Country Series is the fact that it is a true 4 season tent.

It has a 3,000mm rated rainfly to keep you dry on the wettest nights, and the main body of the tent is a tri-layer quilted design. This means not only will you be dry, but you will also be cozy on cold nights and cool on warm nights.

Another accessory that comes with this tent that I wish was standard on all tents – a USB-powered LED light strip. This means if you want to play games in your tent on a cold night, you no longer need to wear a headlamp or try and balance a lantern on the mattress.

Things not to love (as much):

I would say that the largest setback of this tent is simply the weight. An additional 40-60lbs on all the other tents on this list. However, I will give them credit for the fact that they got creative with the base of their tent to help keep the weight down as much as possible. This tent is also extremely durable, and sometimes with durability comes weight.

You will notice a theme over the next four tents and this one is no exception – it is thick when it’s closed. With this tent, I do give them a bit more leeway though because this is a sturdy tent that can take a beating.

Additional Accessories:


3. CVT Pionneer Series – Bachelor

Detailed Specs:

Sleeping Capacity: 2 person
Dimensions Open (Interior): 48″L x 96″W x 44″H
Dimensions Closed: 48″L x 48″W x 15″H
Weight: 98lbs
Mattress: 3″ High Density Foam
Base: not specified
Canopy: 280G poly-cotton Rip-stop
Mosquitoes Screen: Yes
Seasons: 4

Things to love:

The CVT Pioneer Series is made up of 4 different tents, with the Bachelor model being the smallest of the group. While the tent closes to a nice 4-foot by 4-foot package, it opens up to around 8 feet in width (or the length that you will be sleeping), while being only 98lbs! It might not be a shower, but it is certainly a grower. The weight of this tent is a huge win in my books.

With so many of us driving rigs with modified bumpers, recovery gear, and lighting equipment that add extra pounds to your vehicle, being able to have a tent that is probably about 20 or more pounds lighter than the average RTT is a major plus.

Also, the 3″ mattress is nothing to scoff at either. The majority of tents on the market have 2-2.5″ thick mattresses. When it comes to getting a good night’s rest while camping, every inch certainly does matter.

Things not to love (as much):

I would say the main drawback to the Bachelor is also one of its main selling points – the size. While it is 8 feet in length once opened, the width of the sleeping footprint remains at 46″. If you are sharing the tent with a second person, an animal or both the tent could become quite cozy rather quickly.

Fortunately though, if you like everything else about the tent they do offer 3 other sizes to fit your exact needs!

This tent is also the thickest on this list at 15″ when closed. Removing the ladder when packing up would help thin the tent out, but it would still be on the thick side.

Additional Accessories:


4. iKamper SkyCamp 3.0 Mini

Detailed Specs:

Sleeping Capacity: 2 person
Dimensions Open (Interior): 51″”L x 82 2/3″”W x 48″H
Dimensions Closed: 57.5″L x 55″W x 13.5″H
Weight: 125lbs
Mattress: 2.25″ 9 zone, insulated polyfoam
Base: insulating honeycomb aluminum panels
Canopy: Breathable, blackout, 300gsm poly-cotton canvas – Rainfly – Waterproof polyester 75D ripstop w/ eco-friendly (DWR) coating
Mosquitoes Screen: Yes
Seasons: 4

Things to love:

iKamper has done a fantastic job rising to the top of the rooftop tent market. Creating luxury high quality hardshell tents is their main objective. With the introduction of their mini 2.0 and now mini 3.0 tents they have managed to fit a tent that is feature rich in a small package.

While this tent isn’t the smallest on the list, it is certainly the smallest hardshell tent on the market. If you want to fit a hardshell tent on the box of your Tacoma without any overhang off the back or over the cab, this is the tent for you.

If you aren’t too worried about overhang and/or want to mount a tent on top of a canopy, and are wanting a hardshell, I recommend checking out my article about the top hardshell tents.

The Mini 3.0 is also fully insulated. From the shell to the floor, they made sure that this tent will keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Things not to love (as much):

I would say that there are really only two main drawbacks to the iKamper Skycamp 3.0 Mini.

The first being, it is expensive. There’s no other way to look at it. However, if you camp a lot, or camp in extreme conditions, then justifying the price may come a little easier. Also, like many things in life, you often get what you pay for. iKamper may come at a premium price, but they also offer a premium product.

The second real drawback to this tent in my opinion is the fact that it is 13.5″ thick when it is closed. Personally, I like to keep things as streamlined as possible for when I am doing longer road trips. Keeping the top of the tent in line or below the roofline of the cab is always a good goal.

With this in mind, a thicker tent means having a lower bed rack. A lower bed rack then means you can fit as many things under the tent, such as mountain bikes if you are the type of person that likes to hang your wheel over the tailgate.

Additional Accessories:


5. Front Runner Featherlite

Detailed Specs:

Sleeping Capacity: 2-3 person
Dimensions Open (Interior): 96″L x 51″W x 46″H
Dimensions Closed: 52.4″L x 48″W x 13″H
Weight: 93lbs
Mattress: 2.4″
Base: Aluminum sheeting and side rails with foam core
Canopy: Water-repellant 260g 600d poly/cotton ripstop
Mosquitoes Screen: Yes
Seasons: 3

Things to love:

When it comes to a basic rooftop tent, this is about as good as they get. Much like its weight, its price is also the lightest on the list. This makes a great tent for anyone who is looking to purchase their first rooftop tent or the person who maybe only gets out a couple of times a year to camp.

The weight along with the optional quick-release mounts means that this tent is easy to take off if you accidentally told a second friend that you would help them move.

Things not to love (as much):

This tent is very basic and barebones. This may be something some people love, and something that other people dislike. There is no insulation in the tent, no fancy lighting, and closes down to 13″ thick. For the price though, I find it hard to let those things bother me.

If you are an avid winter camper then this tent would not be the tent for you. However, if you only get out in the winter a couple of times, then I would recommend saving the approximate $2,500 extra the iKamper would cost you and invest in a couple of quality sleeping bags and a portable heat source.

Additional Accessories:


Do Rooftop Tents Use More Fuel?

The simple answer to, do rooftop tents use more fuel is, yes. The slightly more complicated answer is, depending on where your tent is mounted will determine how much extra drag your tent is causing while you are driving.

The extra weight of a rooftop tent is also a factor, but the location where you mount your tent will be the largest make or break on your fuel economy.

Where Should You Mount a Rooftop Tent on a Tacoma?

The first place I would recommend mounting your rooftop tent on your Tacoma is above the bed on a bed rack. This allows you the most customizable function.

Using a bed rack opens a world of possibilities. Such as mounting recovery gear on the side, and having your tent at a custom height above your truck bed. Personally, my tent is low enough that the top is only about 2 inches above my cab, but it is still high enough that I can reach into the box and grab things.

Mounting your tent onto the top of a canopy or the cab is also an option if you are wanting to leave your bed fully accessible or covered for dry storage. However, mounting a tent his high will cause the most amount of wind drag which will in turn reduce your fuel economy.

Having your tent mounted on top of a canopy or the cab of your truck will also mean that you will no longer fit into your garage at home or in parking garages.

Isaac

Isaac Wray is a professional photographer and outdoors enthusiasts based out of Vancouver, Canada.

Recent Posts