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Key Takeaways
- A truck topper tent turns your covered bed into a ground-level sleeping and hangout space by clipping fabric walls and a roof around a soft truck topper at the campsite.
- Sleeping under a Softopper is practical because of its double-pull zipper, which lets you open and close the rear window panel from outside or inside the bed for easy in-and-out access.
- The Softopper Camper Top Tent comes in two sizes only, Mid-size and Full-size, so you match the tent to your truck’s bed length rather than settling for a one-shape-fits-all cover.
- If you want a rooftop tent or awning instead, the Exo Truck Bed Rack adds tent bars and awning mounts so you install your own gear while keeping your soft truck top working.
A truck topper tent is one of the fastest ways to camp out of your pickup without buying a dedicated shelter or committing to a hard shell. If you already run a soft truck top, or you are shopping for one, a topper tent extension bolts a real campsite onto the gear you already own. Drop the tailgate, clip the tent around your Softopper, and you have a covered bed plus a shaded, walled-off space at the back of the truck in a few minutes.
What Is a Truck Topper Tent?
A truck topper tent is a fabric shelter that clips around a soft truck top and extends off the back of the bed, using your existing camper shell tent as the anchor point. Instead of pitching a separate ground tent, you use the covered bed as your sleeping platform and the tent as an enclosed, weather-resistant extension of it.
The Softopper version of this is the Softopper Camper Top Tent. It clips around your Softopper (not to a separate frame), so the soft truck top you drive with all year becomes the roof over your bed and the tent handles the rest.
That is the appeal of a topper tent: you are adding function to hardware you already use for everyday hauling, not buying a single-purpose camper. A Softopper tent setup like this keeps your rig ready for everyday work and weekend camping alike.
Can You Put a Tent on a Truck With a Topper?
Yes. A tailgate tent for a truck with a topper is designed to work with a soft truck top rather than around it. As long as your topper opens at the rear, you can extend a tent off the back of the bed and sleep under cover.
Here is the honest part most category pages skip. Sleeping under a topper is comfortable only if you can get in and out without wrestling the rear window every time. That is where the Softopper earns its spot.
Its double-pull zipper lets you open and close the rear window panel from outside or inside the bed, so you can seal up for the night and still unzip from your sleeping bag in the morning. Not every soft-top brand offers that, so treat easy inside and outside access as a Softopper advantage rather than something every topper tent delivers.
How a Tailgate Tent for a Truck With a Topper Attaches
Setup is quick once you have done it once. The Softopper Camper Top Tent installs with the tailgate down and packs back up in minutes. Here is the basic order of operations:
- Drop the tailgate flat to create the floor of your tent and the platform you will step through.
- Roll up the rear window on your Softopper so the back of the bed is open and clear.
- Slide the tent over the back of the Softopper, then use the custom tent poles to adjust the tent’s height and tension. Secure the tent to the truck bed using the attached bungee straps.
- Stake out the tent, tension the walls, and secure the awning poles so everything stands taut against wind.
For a visual walkthrough, watch our quick guide to installing the Softopper Camper Top Tent:
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Want the step-by-step in writing too? Our full walkthrough on installing the Camper Top Tent covers the details, and it lines up with how your Softopper itself goes on: most models clamp to the bed rails with no-drill C-clamps in about an hour, with no permanent modifications to the truck.
Choosing a Size: Mid-Size vs Full-Size
The Softopper Camper Top Tent comes in two sizes only, Mid-size and Full-size. There is no universal or third size. You pick based on your truck and bed length so the tent seats correctly around your soft truck top.
Size
Best-Fit Trucks
General Use
Mid-size
Mid-size and compact pickups such as the Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado, and Ford Ranger
A camper-top tent can be a practical option for trucks with shorter beds, allowing you to sleep with the tailgate down for additional legroom.
Full-size
Full-size pickups such as the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and Chevy Silverado
The larger bed provides more sleeping and gear space, making it easier to accommodate campers and equipment while using the truck’s available bed length.
If you are not sure which category your truck falls into, confirm your bed length first and match the tent to your fitment before ordering.
What's Included With the Softopper Camper Top Tent
The kit is built to set up and pack down fast, and every piece is there to make the tailgate campsite work. Here is what comes in the box:
- A beige roof to shed sun and weather over the bed and tent.
- Blue walls that enclose the space off the back of your truck.
- Bungee cords to help tension and secure the tent.
- A DAC camper top tent that includes custom-designed tent poles for compatibility with the Softopper.
- Custom Softopper awning poles sized for the setup.
- A recycled-material carrying case so the whole kit stores and travels in one bag.
Sleeping Under a Softopper: Comfort, Airflow, and Weather
Sleeping under a soft truck top is genuinely comfortable when you set it up right, and the Softopper’s double-pull zipper is what makes it practical. You can open and close the rear window panel from outside or inside the bed, so late-night trips out and early-morning starts do not turn into a fight with the fabric.
Airflow matters more than sealing. To move air on warm nights, swap in a mesh accessory panel in place of the front or rear window, or roll the sides up into Safari Mode for full open-air. Mesh panels are open by design, so they breathe without you having to prop anything.
In cold weather, prioritize airflow over a fully sealed bed to beat condensation. Unzipping a solid window panel just a crack keeps moisture from building up overnight.
Two comfort notes worth planning for. A topper covers the bed but does not insulate the bed floor, so bring an insulated sleeping pad to stay warm and cushioned against the metal. And if you are camping in bear country, store food and coolers securely, away from where you sleep, never inside the bed with you. A soft truck top is weather-resistant cover for the night, not a food locker.
Topper Tent vs Rooftop Tent: Which Is Right for You?
A topper tent and a rooftop tent solve the same problem from opposite directions. A topper tent keeps you at bed level and leans on gear you already own. A rooftop tent lifts you off the ground on a rack but adds weight, cost, and setup height. Here is a quick comparison:
Feature
Topper / Tailgate Tent
Rooftop Tent
Sleeping position
In the truck bed, at ground-accessible level
Elevated above the bed or cab on a rack
Added hardware
Works with your existing Softopper
Requires a rack to mount to |
Weight and packing
Light kit that packs into one carrying case
Heavier, permanently mounted while installed
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Best for
Fast tailgate campsites and full-bed use the rest of the time
Longer basecamp trips where you want to be off the ground
Important: Softopper does not sell rooftop tents or awnings. If a rooftop tent or awning is the direction you want, you add the Exo Truck Bed Rack, which gives you the mounting platform to install your own gear.
The Exo includes four rooftop tent mounting bars and two accessory panels, supports up to 1,000 lbs static load, and is built from 10, 12, and 14-gauge HRPO steel with a dual-layer finish of E-coat plus matte black powder coat. It bolts on with no drilling and no permanent modifications, mounts under the Softopper bed rails, and preserves your top’s snap, Safari Mode, and folding functions.
Build Your Tailgate Campsite
A truck topper tent is the low-commitment way to turn a covered bed into a real campsite, and it keeps your soft truck top doing everyday work the rest of the time. Start with the top that fits your truck, add the Camper Top Tent in the right size, and grow into the Exo rack when a rooftop tent or awning becomes the next step. Explore the full range of soft truck tops and camping gear to plan the setup that matches how you actually get out there.
Frequently Asked Questions About Topper Tents
Quick answers to the most common questions about running a tent with a truck topper or soft truck top.
A truck topper tent is a fabric shelter that works with a truck cap or soft truck top to turn your bed into a sleeping space. The Softopper Camper Top Tent clips around your Softopper with the tailgate down, extending covered, weather-resistant room past the tailgate so you can camp without a permanent build.
Yes. A tailgate-style tent is made for exactly this. With a Softopper installed, you drop the tailgate, roll up the rear window, and clip the Camper Top Tent around the top. Your covered bed becomes the sleeping area and the tent adds enclosed space over the open tailgate.
The Camper Top Tent comes in two sizes: Mid-size and Full-size. Choose Mid-size for smaller trucks like the Tacoma or Ranger, and Full-size for larger beds. Match the tent to your truck’s bed and tailgate so the tent clips cleanly around the Softopper and seals against the elements.
Each Camper Top Tent includes a beige roof, blue walls, bungee cords, a DAC tent, custom Softopper awning poles, and a recycled-material carrying case. It packs down into the case in minutes, so it stores easily in the bed or the cab and sets up again quickly at your next stop.
Yes, and the double-pull zipper is what makes it practical. You can open and close the rear window panel from outside or inside the bed, so you can seal up at night and vent in the morning without climbing out. For comfort, add an insulated sleeping pad, since the topper covers you but does not insulate the bed floor.
Softopper does not sell rooftop tents, but the Exo Truck Bed Rack does the mounting. It bolts on with no drilling, supports up to a 1,000 lb static load, and includes tent bars and awning mounts so you can install your own rooftop tent or awning while keeping the Softopper’s snap, Safari Mode, and folding functions.
Prioritize airflow. Swap in a mesh accessory panel in place of the front or rear window to keep bugs out while air moves, or roll the sides up into Safari Mode on warm nights. In cold weather, crack a solid window panel to beat condensation. In bear country, store food and coolers secured and away from where you sleep.
