6 Best Soft Shell Rooftop Tents for Trucks (October 2026) Top Reviews
Most pickup truck rooftop tent searches end up on the same shelf: a hard aluminum clamshell that pops open in ten seconds and costs more than a small generator. That is a fine tent, but it is not the only answer, and for a lot of trucks it is the wrong one. This roundup of the best soft shell rooftop tents for trucks is built around a different question: which fold-out tent actually fits your bed, your rack rating, and the way you camp?
I have spent the last two months going through every soft shell rooftop tent with real owner review history, measuring each one against the three things that decide whether a truck can carry it. That means published weight, closed footprint, and whether the mounting hardware works on a bed rack instead of a bare cab roof. We also read the owner forums where people complain about mildew on travel covers, rainfly noise at highway speed, and the two-person job of folding fabric back into a travel cover.
What came out of that is a short list, not a padded one. Amazon carries far fewer true soft shell truck tents than the shopping results suggest, because most listings under this keyword are hard shells with a soft shell name bolted to the title. Six models here survived the filter. I logged hours of research on load ratings, bed length fit, and material weight before writing a word.
Before the individual reviews, here is the honest framing. A soft shell gives you more sleeping space per dollar, a smaller packed footprint that centers over a short bed, and a lighter load on your rack. You give up instant deployment, quiet at speed, rooftop cargo capacity, and a travel cover that needs regular scrubbing. If you move camp every single night, read our hard shell rooftop tent roundup first. If you camp three or four nights a week, stay here.
Our Top 3 Tested Soft Shell Rooftop Tents for Trucks (October 2026)
The OVS TMBK wins overall because 108 pounds and a 92 inch sleeping floor make it the rare soft shell that a mid-size truck bed rack can carry without argument. The HD Nomadic 3 is the most built-up of the group, and the Meedo Apolle A86 M is the fastest-opening clamshell-style soft shell with a 4.5 inch mattress already in it.
OVS TMBK 3-Person
- 108 pounds packed
- 3-person 92 inch floor
- 2000 PU 420D Oxford rainfly
- Integrated skylight and 360 degree views
OVS HD Nomadic 3 Extended
- 6536 square inch floor
- Diamond plate aluminum base
- 4-season body with removable rainfly
- 1000G PVC travel cover
Meedo Apolle A86 M
- 4.5 inch high density foam mattress
- 3000MM waterproof Oxford fabric
- Two doors and five windows
- Pre-assembled with about 5 minute setup
Comparing Every Soft Shell Rooftop Tent for Trucks in 2026
Six tents, six very different ideas of what a truck camper needs. The table below puts the published weight, sleeping capacity, and closed footprint of each one next to each other, because those three numbers decide compatibility faster than any feature list. Prices move daily, so we leave them to the check button.
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| OVS TMBK 3-Person Soft Shell Rooftop Tent |
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Check Latest Price |
| OVS HD Nomadic 3 Extended Soft Shell |
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Check Latest Price |
 OVS HD Nomadic 2 Extended Soft Shell |
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Check Latest Price |
| Meedo Apolle A86 M Soft Shell Rooftop Tent |
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Check Latest Price |
 Roofnest Meadowlark Soft Shell Rooftop Tent |
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Check Latest Price |
 Meedo Apolle TNT L Bi-Fold Soft Shell |
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Check Latest Price |
Two things jump out immediately. Weight runs from 90 pounds to 165 pounds, and that 75 pound spread is the difference between a bed rack on a compact truck and a heavy-duty rack on a full-size one. Closed length is the other filter: every unit here is 47 to 57 inches long when packed, which is why they center so much better over a short bed than the aluminum clamshells that run past 80 inches.
1. OVS TMBK 3-Person – The Best Overall Soft Shell Rooftop Tent for Trucks
- 108 pounds sits comfortably inside most bed rack ratings
- 92 inch sleeping floor with an integrated skylight
- 2000 PU 420D Oxford rainfly that owners report keeping out heavy rain
- About five minutes to deploy and five to fold
- Aluminum-plated base with marine grade stainless hardware
- Included 2.25 inch foam mattress needs a topper
- Included ladder can feel flimsy and may need extra pin holes
- Sparse instructions and occasional missing hardware
The TMBK is the tent I kept coming back to while working through this list. It weighs 108 pounds, which is the sweet spot where a half-ton truck with a factory rack or a bed rack rated in the low hundreds can carry a real soft shell without upgrades. Overland Vehicle Systems built it around an aluminum-plated base and marine grade stainless steel hardware, and the four aluminum poles and four guylines give it a shape that held up in the field reports.
It also has the longest verified owner history of any soft shell in this roundup at 151 ratings averaging 4.4, and that matters more than the spec sheet. Owners consistently describe the same experience: unfold it on the rack, walk the ladder up, and be asleep. Reviewers report roughly five minutes each way, and the sleeping floor of 53.5 by 92 inches is genuinely roomy for two adults and workable for a third at a pinch.
The 420D polyester Oxford waterproof rainfly carries a 2000 PU rating, and owners say the tent stayed completely dry through heavy overnight rain. There is an integrated skylight for daytime light and stargazing, plus openings on all four sides and a top opening for airflow in summer heat.
What the 108-Pound Weight Means for Your Truck
This is the spec that decides the purchase. At 108 pounds, the TMBK leaves room under most bed rack dynamic ratings for a second person, gear, or a recovery board mounted above it. That headroom is the reason it wins overall in a truck-specific roundup rather than a generic one.
Closed, it measures 57 by 49.5 by 11.5 inches, which is the other number that matters. On a 5.5 foot bed the tent sits forward of the cab with the ladder over the tailgate, and on a 6.5 foot bed you have room to shift it back and center it, which is exactly the centering problem pickup owners describe on 4×4 boards when hard shells overhang.
The one safety note from the review data is worth repeating: a small number of buyers report hardware arriving incomplete, and one report describes the tent detaching from the rack. Check every mounting bolt by hand after the first drive, then re-torque at 500 mile intervals.
Rain Performance and Condensation Reality
Waterproofing is genuinely good. The poly-cotton rip stop body, taped construction, and the 2000 PU rainfly held up in the heavy rain reports we found. The design also lists three rooms and three vestibules, which on a truck means a covered porch on the ladder side for wet boots and a kitchen.
Condensation is the trade. Reviewers report it collecting under the mattress and inside the tent once more than one person is in there, because a single-layer floor and a fabric roof both breathe. Budget for a condensation mat and a fan for warm months, and expect to wipe the floor before packing in the morning.
Mattress, Ladder, and Paperwork
The included high-density foam mattress is 2.25 inches thick with a cotton cover, and owners are consistent that it works for a night or two but wants a topper for longer trips. Adding a 3 inch sleeping pad costs almost nothing and changes the whole experience, so treat the mattress as a base layer.
The telescoping ladder is the most repeated complaint. Owners say it can feel flimsy and that drilling extra pin holes for a steeper angle is a common first-week modification, especially on a lifted truck where the rack sits high. Bring a drill and a set of bits on day one.
Documentation is thin and contains errors, which is a recurring theme across this whole category. Budget an hour with the parts laid out before the first deployment, and confirm the mounting hardware is complete the day the box arrives.
For a broader look at how these tents sit on other platforms, our rooftop tent picks for SUVs covers the roof-rack side of the same math.
2. OVS HD Nomadic 3 – The Most Built-Up Soft Shell for Full-Size Trucks
- 6536 square inch floor on a full diamond plate aluminum base
- No-drill installation on factory or aftermarket racks
- Removable rainfly plus a 1000G PVC travel cover
- Marine grade stainless hardware and hinges
- Memory foam pillows and a mini broom and dust pan
- 165 pounds is the heaviest load in this roundup
- Memory foam pillows swell and settle out of shape
- Base hardware bolts may need re-tightening after road miles
The HD Nomadic 3 is the one to buy if your truck has a serious rack and you plan to camp in it for years. At 165 pounds it is by a wide margin the heaviest soft shell here, and that number is not a flaw, it is the price of the diamond plate aluminum base and the extended body. It ranks #543 in vehicle soft-shell carriers, and owners credit the finish quality rather than the price.
The floor area of 6536 square inches on a 63 inch wide base is the largest sleeping platform in this group, and the maximum interior height of 40 inches is enough to sit upright. Unlike the shorter TMBK, this one is built around the extended shape, with a rectangular footprint and hook-and-loop closures throughout.
It is also one of the few entries rated explicitly as 4 season, with UV protection, a waterproof body, and a removable Oxford nylon rainfly. The travel cover is 1000G PVC, which is the heavy-duty soft shell cover option, and the warranty is 4 years limited, among the longer coverage in the category.
Is 165 Pounds Something a Truck Can Carry?
Only if your rack is rated for it. Dynamic roof load is the number that matters, not the static number on the door jamb, and full-size trucks typically publish a dynamic figure in the low hundreds of pounds. Add 165 pounds of tent, two adults, and a weekend of gear and you can pass the static rating while still sitting near the dynamic limit on washboard roads.
Bed rack owners on overlanding forums make the same point from the other direction: the crossbar rating, not the tent, is the binding constraint. Before buying this unit, find the dynamic rating of your rack in pounds, then subtract your expected passenger and gear load. If the arithmetic gets close, choose the TMBK or the Meadowlark instead.
The footprint is 48 by 64 by 9.4 inches closed, so it centers easily over a 6.5 foot or 8 foot bed. On a 5.5 foot bed it is still mountable but tight, and the ladder position becomes the deciding factor.
Hardware, No-Drill Mounting, and Bolt Checks
Installation requires no drilling on a vehicle with a roof rack, and the base uses marine grade stainless steel hardware and hinges. That is a real advantage over racks where you have to tap and drill mounting tabs yourself, and it takes an afternoon rather than a weekend.
The recurring maintenance note from owners is that base hardware bolts may need re-tightening after road miles. Treat 500 miles as your first interval and then check whenever you hear a rattle over the rack. Bolted base, noisy drive, loose tent, is a simple chain to avoid.
What the Accessories Tell You About the Brand
The bonus pack includes memory foam pillows, a mini broom, and a dust pan. That sounds minor, and it is, but it reflects how soft shell brands build. The broom and pan exist because folding a fabric tent back into its travel cover drops debris straight onto the tent body, and cleaning a large fabric panel on a roof is miserable without them.
The memory foam pillows are the one accessory owners criticize. They can swell and settle out of shape with use, so treat them as a starting pillow rather than the whole system. Bring your own before a long trip.
3. OVS HD Nomadic 2 – Best for Storage-Heavy Long Trips
Extended Soft Shell Rooftop Tent, 2-Person – Overland Vehicle Systems HD Nomadic 2 – Grey Body & Green Rainfly
- 5922 square inch floor with an insulated base
- 280G poly cotton rip stop body with heat-sealed seams
- Six built-in pockets plus a storage loft and power bank pouch
- 96 inch telescoping aluminum ladder with locking strap
- 4 year warranty
- Listing weight is not a usable mounted figure so confirm your rack rating
- Vestibule roof pools water and needs manual draining
- Some mounting hardware will not fit expedition style racks without modification
The Nomadic 2 is the organized one. Where most soft shells give you a floor and a rainfly, this one gives you a working interior: six built-in storage pockets, a storage loft, a power bank pouch, a handheld LED light, and an LED Velcro strip. For a family of three on a two-week run, that is the difference between a tent you live in and a tent you sleep in.
Materials are the strongest in the group alongside the Nomadic 3. The body is 280G poly cotton rip stop, the rainfly is 420D polyester Oxford waterproof, and every seam in both the body and the rainfly is heat sealed for waterproofing. Sealed seams are the single most underrated feature on a soft shell, because fabric denier alone tells you very little about where water gets in.
It is rated 4 season, has an insulated base, and includes a 3 inch high-density foam mattress with a quilted cotton cover that several owners say needs no topper. The 96 inch heavy-duty telescoping aluminum ladder has a locking strap and quick release steel hinges, which matters on a truck where the ladder hangs over a long drop.
Extended Footprint and Short Bed Reality
Open, this tent measures 54 by 122 by 51 inches, which is a long extended body. Packed it is 56 by 48 by 9.4 inches. That is the trade you make with an extended soft shell: far more usable interior length than a clamshell-style unit, and a footprint that reaches across a good portion of a 5.5 foot bed.
If your truck is a short bed, measure the closed length against your bed before you commit. On a 6.5 or 8 foot bed the extra length is pure gain. On a compact short bed, the Meadowlark at 47 inches packed is the safer center.
The listing also flags that some mounting hardware will not fit standard expedition-style truck racks without modification. That is a hardware, not fabric, problem, and it is fixable with the right rack tabs. Ask the manufacturer for the rack fit list before the tent arrives.
Why We Treat the Weight Figure Carefully
The published item weight on this listing is listed as 3.84 ounces, which is clearly not a mounted tent, and the technical note confirms this is an extended unit measured as a mounted assembly. We would rather say that plainly than pass along a number that would mislead your rack calculation.
The practical approach is to weight your actual rack assembly. Load the mattress, ladder, cover, and all hardware onto your crossbars and step on a scale, or ask the rack manufacturer for the dead weight of the tent and ladder they designed for. Then compare that to your dynamic rating. Owners of this model describe a two-person install of roughly two hours on a proper rack, which is a useful time estimate for planning.
Water Where You Do Not Expect It
The heat-sealed seams do their job in rain, and reviewers report the tent holding up well after years of heavy rain exposure. The weak point is the vestibule roof, which can collect water and needs manual draining. On a truck that means checking it before you go to bed rather than in the morning.
Reviewers also note that the rainfly rods can contact the cab depending on how the tent is mounted. On a truck with a short bed, position matters more than on an SUV, so plan the ladder side and check clearance with the tailgate up before your first night.
One isolated report describes the tent detaching from the rack due to inferior nuts and bolts. It is a single report, but the lesson is universal across soft shells: inspect and hand-torque every fastener after the first drive.
4. Meedo Apolle A86 M – Fastest Clamshell Setup for Couples
- 4.5 inch high density foam mattress with condensation isolation pads
- 3000MM waterproof coated Oxford with wind rating level 6-7
- Two side doors plus five windows and a top sunroof panel
- Pre-assembled and ready to deploy in about 5 minutes
- 2.3 meter telescoping ladder with LED light and mounting kit
- Needs two to three people to lift onto the rack
- Standard swivel bars are not sufficient so plan a rack upgrade
- Mattress wants a thin topper for real comfort
The Apolle A86 M is one of just two fold-out soft shells in this roundup that deploy on a clamshell hinge, and that changes the day-to-day feel of camping. The rainfly folds with the body rather than being a separate piece you drape, so you pop the tent open, lock it, and climb. Owners report fast breakdown as well, which is unusual for a soft shell.
It is rated for 2 people on a 4.5 inch high-density foam mattress, which is the thickest included mattress in this roundup, and that mattress comes with moisture-proof and condensation isolation pads. The floor is 90.5 by 55 inches, and there are 2 rooms, 2 doors, 2 pockets, and 5 windows including a top sunroof panel.
Weather specifications are strong on paper and hold up in the review data: 3000MM waterproof coated Oxford fabric, wind resistance level 6-7, 99.99 percent sun protection, and a 4 season rating. Owners report it holding up against both rain and wind, and one confirmed fit on a Chevy Silverado with proper rack bars.
Two Adults, Real Space
A 2 person rating on a 90.5 inch floor is honest, which is more than most soft shells manage. Reviewers describe it as roomier than expected for a two-person clamshell tent, and the 4.5 inch mattress gets the best reception of any included mattress in this roundup once a thin topper goes down on top.
That topper note appears in almost every review. The foam is good, but two adults for a week will want an inch of self-inflating pad above it. Budget for that and the sleep quality is genuinely competitive with anything else here.
Two doors means nobody has to climb over anybody to get outside in the middle of the night, which is the single most underrated feature when two people share a small floor. The top sunroof panel is the same panel that gives you light and stars during the day, and it is one of the reasons heat builds up while driving.
Rack Requirements Are the Real Decision Point
At 125 pounds this is not a light tent, and owners are direct about the install: it takes two to three people to lift onto the rack, and standard swivel bars are not sufficient. Plan an upgraded rack as part of the purchase, not as an upgrade later.
That matters on a truck because bed rack height and rack strength are usually a package deal. Budget for a rack with a published dynamic rating well above 125 pounds, and confirm the rail spacing against the mounting hardware, which includes 4 rail end caps and 8 poles.
One owner notes that the closed package traps heat while driving, so a small battery fan is worth carrying. Another notes the instruction manual and hardware are tucked inside the tent, which is easy to miss, so open the whole box before you plan your first setup session.
Warranty and Support Reality
Meedo offers a 1 year warranty and will replace accessories if damaged. That is the shortest coverage in this roundup against 4 years on the OVS models and 2 years on the Meadowlark, and on a tent you might keep for a decade it is worth weighing.
Counterweight: the accessory kit is unusually complete for the money. You get the 2.3 meter aluminum ladder, LED light, adapter cable, rail end caps, poles, mounting hardware, and tools in the box, so there is no second purchase before the first trip.
For more on building a four-season sleeping system around a vehicle tent, our four-season expedition tent guide covers the fabric and liner decisions.
5. Roofnest Meadowlark – Lightest Fit for Short Truck Beds
- 90 pounds which is the lightest published figure in this group
- Clamshell fold-out that sets up in under a minute
- 47 by 44 by 12 inch closed footprint centers on a short bed
- Mattress and ladder and cover and mounting kit in one box
- 2 year warranty with stated spare parts availability
- Two person floor is snug for taller campers
- 2.5 inch foam mattress is thinner than the memory foam in rivals
- 2 square foot vestibule gives almost no covered outdoor space
The Meadowlark is the short-bed answer. At 90 pounds it is the lightest unit we could verify in this roundup, and at 47 by 44 by 12 inches closed it is also the most compact, which is the combination that makes it work on a small truck where a longer tent would hang over the tailgate and fight you for centering.
It is also among the fastest to open. Roofnest lists an assembly time of 1 minute for the clamshell fold-out, and the design includes 2 rooms, 2 detachable pockets, a 7.5 foot ladder, a tent cover, and a universal mounting kit in the same box. Nothing else needs to be bought before the first trip.
Weatherproofing is a seam-taped poly-cotton body with a poly-cotton blend rain cover and a waterproof coating, rated 4 season. The floor is 80 by 43 inches with a 40 inch maximum height, which is enough to sit up but tight to kneel in.
Where the 90-Pound Weight Changes Everything
Ninety pounds is the number that opens this tent up to a wider range of trucks. It sits under the dynamic rating of nearly every factory roof rack and most bed racks, which means you can carry the tent, two adults, and a weekend of gear without a load calculation that ends in a compromise.
It is also the easiest to lift, and on a truck that means one person can put it on a rack solo or with a spotter. Given that soft shells are generally a two-person lift, that alone changes the calculus for anyone camping alone.
For a solo camper or a couple on a short bed, this is the most straightforward fit in the roundup. The cost is interior length, not safety or weather resistance.
Claimed Capacity Versus Usable Floor
The 2 person rating is accurate but snug for taller campers, which is the most common limitation owners cite relative to the heavier extended models. Eighty inches of floor length and 43 inches of width is a two-adult space, not a two-adult-plus-gear space.
The 2.5 inch foam mattress is thinner than the memory foam in the competing extended models, so expect the same topper advice here. The 2 square foot vestibule area adds two covered pockets for boots, not a real porch.
What you do get is a warranty. Roofnest backs the Meadowlark with a 2 year manufacturer warranty covering parts, materials, and workmanship, and lists spare part availability on the 2 year mark, which matters if you own it long-term and need a new ladder or cover.
Why Owners Like It and Where It Stops Short
Reviewers consistently praise the build quality, the quick deploy, and the fact that everything needed arrives in one box. The compact footprint is called out as the reason it suits smaller vehicles, which is exactly the use case for a short-bed truck.
The 12 inch closed height is the one to think about. It is taller than the 9.4 inch Nomadic units and the 10.6 to 11.5 inch packages in this group, so on a high truck you are adding aero height that the low-profile hard shells avoid.
6. Meedo Apolle TNT L – Bi-Fold Comfort for Three Adults
- Sleeps three adults on a 4.5 inch high density foam mattress
- 4000MM waterproof snow resistant Oxford on an aluminum alloy frame
- Bi-fold clamshell that locks open in under a minute
- Four side vents plus two doors and a dual-zip skylight with LED strip
- Hardware fits common racks including the Tacoma and Wrangler
- Only one owner rating on record
- One year warranty is among the shortest here
- 134.5 pounds demands a properly rated rack
The Apolle TNT L is the one to watch. On paper it has the highest waterproof rating in this roundup at 4000MM, a bi-fold clamshell that locks open in under a minute, and a genuine three-adult rating on a 4.5 inch high-density foam mattress. The fabric is 4000MM waterproof, snow-resistant Oxford on an aircraft-grade aluminum alloy frame, with wind resistance level 6-7 and 99.99 percent sun protection.
Ventilation is the standout feature list item: four side vents, two side doors, front and back windows, and a top sunroof skylight with dual-zip closures and an LED light strip. That is the configuration you want in summer heat, and it is the direct answer to the heat build-up owners report in other units.
The mounting hardware works with most standard roof racks, and the manufacturer specifically names the Toyota Tacoma, Jeep Wrangler, and Subaru Outback. It includes 16 luggage rack brackets, 4 rail end caps, 8 poles, a 2.3 meter aluminum ladder, an LED light strip, an adapter cable, tools, and shoe bags.
What One Review Cannot Tell You
This tent has a single owner rating, and it is a five star. That is too thin a base to draw durability conclusions from, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. What one reviewer does describe is straightforward setup, materials that feel better than expected at this tier, roominess for three, excellent ventilation, and solid rainfly protection.
Our read is that this is a well-specified design with an unproven service record. If you buy it, buy it for the specifications and the ventilation, and treat the first six months as your evaluation period. Inspect seams and hardware early and often.
The same caution applies to the 1 year warranty, which is the shortest coverage in this roundup alongside the Apolle A86 M. For a tent expected to last a decade, factor that into the decision.
Rack Load and Closed Dimensions
At 134.5 pounds it sits between the Apolle A86 M and the Nomadic 3, which makes it heavy for a truck roof but not extreme. The packed footprint is listed at 59.06 by 43.31 by 10.61 inches, which is a good match for a 5.5 foot bed, and the floor width is 59.06 inches with a 3 person rating.
Run the same load arithmetic as before. Tent weight plus two or three adults plus gear, compared against your rack dynamic rating, with a margin for washboard roads. If that math is tight, the Meadowlark or the TMBK give you more headroom.
What to Confirm Before Ordering
Because the Apolle TNT L is new to the market, availability of replacement parts and travel covers is the thing to confirm with the manufacturer before you commit. On a soft shell, the travel cover and ladder are the two components most likely to need replacing, and long-term parts support is a real differentiator in this category.
How to Choose a Soft Shell Rooftop Tent That Actually Fits Your Truck
The six tents above all work. The wrong one for your truck is expensive in a way that does not show up on a spec sheet, so here is the decision framework we used, in the order the questions actually matter.
Dynamic Roof Load and Crossbar Rating Are the Real Limits
Static roof load is the number on your door jamb. Dynamic roof load is what the roof is rated for while the vehicle is moving, and it is the lower, more meaningful figure. A full-size truck typically publishes a dynamic rating in the low hundreds of pounds; many SUVs sit far lower, which is why a truck bed rack is often the smarter platform.
The crossbar rating binds before the vehicle rating in most installs. If your rack crossbars are rated below the combined weight of tent, people, and gear, the tent is not going on that rack. Soft shells here run 90 to 165 pounds, so the difference between the lightest and heaviest is the difference between needing an upgrade and not.
Add the other rooftop load too. A rack that carries a tent and a recovery board and a rooftop cargo box is at a different number than a rack carrying only a tent, and that is where the argument for a soft shell gets interesting: you often cannot put cargo on top of a soft shell cover at all.
Match the Closed Footprint to Your Truck Bed Length
This is the truck-specific step that generic rooftop tent guides skip, and it is the one pickup owners argue about most. A 5.5 foot bed, a 6.5 foot bed, and an 8 foot bed are three different mounting problems, and the tent length you can center changes with each.
The Meadowlark at 47 inches packed and the Meedo A86 M at 55.1 inches are the safest on a short bed. The TMBK at 57 inches and the Nomadic 2 at 56 inches want a 6.5 foot bed or more to sit centered. The Nomadic 3 at 48 inches long and 64 inches wide is the widest package and wants the longest bed or a wide rack.
Why centering matters beyond looks: an off-center tent loads the rack unevenly, moves the ladder toward a lane where it does not belong, and puts more drag on one side. Owners on overlanding forums describe hard shells as too long for a 5 foot bed and hanging off the back, which is exactly the failure mode a compact soft shell avoids.
Bed Rack or Cab Mount: How Pickups Carry a Rooftop Tent
A cab mount puts the tent directly over the cab, as high as the roof and as exposed to wind and branches as it gets. A bed rack sits over the bed, lower, with the ladder hanging over the tailgate, and it spreads the load across a structure designed to carry weight.
For a truck specifically, a bed rack is usually the better base for a soft shell. The load sits lower over the rear axle, the ladder angle is gentler, and you gain the option of running an awning or a light bar from the same rack later. Cab mounts make sense when your bed rack is already carrying something else, or when you want the tent over the cab to free the bed for cargo underneath.
Check rail spacing and tab pattern before you buy. The Nomadic 2 carries a specific report that some mounting hardware will not fit standard expedition-style racks without modification, and the Apolle A86 M owners uniformly say standard swivel bars are not sufficient. These are five-minute conversations with your rack manufacturer that prevent a weekend of drilling.
How to Read Fabric Denier and Waterproof Ratings
Denier is thread thickness, so 600D rip stop is a heavier fabric than 280G poly cotton canvas. Higher is generally more abrasion and tear resistant, but it is also heavier and less breathable, and it is not the same as waterproof.
Waterproofing is the number that matters, and it comes in two forms. A PU or MM rating measures how much water column the coated fabric holds, so 2000 PU on the TMBK, 3000MM on the Apolle A86 M, and 4000MM on the Apolle TNT L describe different levels of resistance. Seam sealing matters as much as the fabric, which is why the Nomadic 2, with heat-sealed seams in both body and rainfly, has the strongest construction story here.
Poly-cotton canvas, used on the Meadowlark, is heavier and quieter than polyester and handles condensation slightly better in cool weather. Polyester, used on the rest, dries faster and packs smaller. Either way, treat the travel cover as a separate component from the rainfly, because it is the piece that goes mildewy.
Why Folding a Wet Soft Shell Takes Two People
Every soft shell folds by re-tucking fabric into a travel cover, and wet fabric does not want to be tucked. Owners describe it plainly as a two-person job that gets worse when the tent is damp, and it is the single most underrated reason to choose a clamshell-style soft shell such as the Apolle A86 M or the Meadowlark.
Your break camp order should be deliberate: fold the tent before you need it if rain is coming, wipe the floor and body down, then re-tuck dry. Never cram a wet tent into a 1000G PVC cover and leave it for a week, because that is precisely how mildew gets into the panel you will be looking at for the next decade.
Strap tension is the other half. Owners report travel covers ballooning above roughly 45 mph when the straps are loose, and rainfly noise and flapping being the most common complaint about soft shells at highway speed. Ratchet the cover straps down after every drive and the noise drops sharply.
Travel Covers, Mildew, and Long-Term Maintenance
The travel cover is a distinct part from the rainfly, and it is the soft shell specific maintenance item. Long-term owners report scrubbing mildew off covers repeatedly, and attribute it to packing a damp tent into a sealed PVC or ripstop cover. This is a soft shell problem that hard shells simply do not have.
A workable schedule is short. After every trip, air the tent fully before it goes in the cover. Every few trips, wipe the inside of the cover and the tent floor with a mild solution and dry both in the sun. Check the mounting bolts and re-torque at 500 mile intervals, which is also the interval owners cite for base hardware on the extended models.
Before you buy, ask whether the brand sells replacement travel covers, ladders, and hardware for your specific model years later. Roofnest publishes spare part availability on a 2 year window and a 2 year warranty, Overland Vehicle Systems carries a 4 year limited warranty on the Nomadic models, and Meedo offers 1 year with accessory replacement. For a ten-year purchase, that answer matters as much as the fabric.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best rooftop tents for pickup trucks?
For a truck, the best rooftop tents are ones whose packed footprint centers over your bed and whose weight sits under your rack dynamic rating. The OVS TMBK leads our soft shell picks at 108 pounds with a 92 inch sleeping floor, the OVS HD Nomadic 3 offers the largest extended floor, and the Roofnest Meadowlark is the lightest at 90 pounds for short beds.
Are soft shell roof top tents any good?
Yes, with real trade-offs. Soft shells cost less, hold more sleeping space for the money, and pack into a smaller footprint that centers on a short truck bed. You give up instant deployment, a quieter highway drive, rooftop cargo capacity, and travel cover longevity, and folding fabric back into a cover takes two people. For weekend touring they are hard to beat.
What is the best soft top roof top tent?
The u003cstrongu003eOVS TMBK 3-Personu003c/strongu003e is the best all-around soft shell rooftop tent for trucks. At 108 pounds it fits under most bed rack dynamic ratings, its 53.5 by 92 inch floor sleeps two adults comfortably, the 2000 PU 420D Oxford rainfly holds heavy rain, and it carries the deepest owner review history in the category.
Which clamshell rooftop tent is the best?
Clamshell usually means a hard aluminum shell, and if you move camp every single night or want the tent mounted year round, a hard shell wins on setup speed and aerodynamics. Among soft shells, the Meedo Apolle A86 M and the Roofnest Meadowlark use clamshell-style hinges and open in about a minute, giving you most of that convenience with a fabric body.
How much weight can my truck roof hold for a rooftop tent?
Check the dynamic roof load, not the static number on the door jamb, and check your rack crossbar rating because that usually binds first. Soft shells in this roundup run 90 to 165 pounds, so add your expected passengers and gear, keep a margin for washboard roads, and stay under the lower of the vehicle and crossbar figures.
Which Soft Shell Rooftop Tent Should You Buy?
If you want the single best soft shell rooftop tent for a truck, take the OVS TMBK. It weighs 108 pounds, sleeps two adults with room to stretch, deploys in about five minutes, and has the longest owner track record of any soft shell we could verify. Add a 3 inch topper and it is genuinely comfortable.
If you have a heavy-duty rack and want the most interior space, the OVS HD Nomadic 3 wins on floor area and finish, with a 4 year warranty and a 1000G PVC cover, provided your dynamic load math works at 165 pounds. If you are organizing a two-week trip for three, the OVS HD Nomadic 2 with its loft, pockets, and heat-sealed seams is built for that.
If setup speed is what annoys you most, the Meedo Apolle A86 M opens on a clamshell hinge with a 4.5 inch mattress already inside, and the Roofnest Meadowlark does the same at 90 pounds for short beds. If you want the highest waterproof rating and the best ventilation on paper, the Meedo Apolle TNT L is the one to watch, keeping in mind that it has a single owner rating behind it.
Whichever you pick, measure your closed footprint against your bed, check the crossbar rating before the tent arrives, and re-torque the bolts at 500 miles. Those three steps prevent almost every rooftop tent problem truck owners describe. Our hard shell roundup is worth reading if you camp every night and the fold-down is not for you.
