Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Kodiak Canvas Truck Bed Tent

Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2022

Size: 5.5 ft. up to 6.5 ft.Verified Purchase

So I bought this for hunting purposes. I was hesitant to buy the 7206 or 5’ to 6’.8” model because of all of the back and forth on the Q and A section of Amazon. I have a couple of trucks that have roughly the same size beds. 98 Chevy Silverado 1500, and a 2013 F-250. The Chevy has a 6’.7” bed and a lot people said theirs didn’t seem to fit very good. I gambled and went with the smaller tent as the manufacturer recommended, and the fitment was perfect. There is actually a little room to spare too. I believe this comes down to common sense. Take the time to set it up, get everything aligned, and understand the minor adjustments you may need to make to get everything “Symmetrical”. Glad I went with the recommended size, because the 8’ would have been too big.

Also, I paired this with a “Bunk O Bed” or bunk bed cots in the large size. Now keep in mind these are longer than a standard short bed and barely fit in a bed that is 6’.7” with the tailgate up, as they do extend past the gap when the tailgate is down, but they too work perfectly to house 2 people and still allow adequate space to move around in the bed.

I can’t wait to try this in the field as I just received it, set it up, sprayed with water (per manufacturers recommendation), and am waiting for it to do its thing. Will field test it soon and update any issues. I expect none.

Highly recommend if you are looking for a truck bed tent that easy to assemble, and made of what appears to be quality materials.

9 people found this helpful

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Aqualung

Perfect for my solo hunting/fishing trips.

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2014

Size: 5.5 ft. up to 6.5 ft.Verified Purchase

I have a 4 day solo vacation coming in a few weeks, at which point I will use the truck bed tent in an catual camping situation. So far, I have performed a few setup/takedown exercises. I found that, overall, the Kodiak is an excellent truck bed tent. It not only serves my purposes, but I strongly feel that canvas is the only way to go for this type of tenting/camping. Lightweight nylon/poly is just to 'sissy' for a truck bed tent.

I took my time during the first setup, so that I could learn the procedure and get the feel for what I am working with. Subsequent setups took about 15 to 20 minutes, which included tweaking the adjustment straps to make it look and feel perfect (probably a result of my OCD). I sprayed down the canvas, as instructed, and let it dry for most of a Saturday. Take down was about 5 minutes. I simply collapsed the tent, with the poles still attached, and disconnected them from the attachment rails. Using a few zip-ties to 'reef' the canvas, it ended up looking like a seven-foot-long curved banana. I plan to store it this way in my basement, so that I do not have to keep unbagging and setting up the tent from scratch. Moreover, I can simply put this 'banana' in my truck bed as it for travel to the campsite, and it will take about 5 minutes to set it up.

Another modification I did was to fabricate quick-clamping attachment mechanisms for the bed-side-top attachment rails. I could not use the C-clamps that came with the product, as I have a BakFlip bed cover for which its attachment rails sit flush with the bed-side-top, and about 2 inches inward from the bed-side-top rail. What I did was to use spring clamps. I attached two 3" zinc -plated "T" plates to each attachment rail (about 1/4 distance from each end), and to the "T" plate I attached one 'lip' of the spring clamp. This allows me to simply squeeze the spring clamps whan placing and adjusting the attachment rail - no need to screw/unscrew any C-clamps. The spring clamps are quite strong and serve the purpose well - they clamp to the BakFlip's attachment rails and hold very securely.

Also, for added protection from the elements and from tree sap and other debris, instead of applying a coat of silicone-based protectant, I opted to use a 9X12 tarp. I fabricated a support mechanism using lumber, PVC piping, and flag-pole brackets to create a sort of awning or canopy above the tent. I drive the rear wheels upon a baseplate of 2X12(24" long) pressure-treated and painted lumber, to which the attachment/adjustment (flag-pole) mechanism is attached. It's kind of neat-looking.

Anyway...I am getting a bit carried away with my review.

21 people found this helpful

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Joey Bryan

Quality and durable materials, practice setting up with, modifications to pole end inserts are a must for single person setup

Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2017

Size: 5.5 ft. up to 6.5 ft.Verified Purchase

Terrific tent. I did plenty of research and most of the reviews you read on this tent are spot-on. I camped out in AZ during a 100 degree weekend so the additional window screens were great to have for breeze pass through. So many people commented on the tent and just loved how it looked, and a couple people took pics of it because they wanted one. It's plenty roomy and I had a full size cot plus small night stand table and full size cooler with still room to manuever around. Another plus was not having to sweep out the tent since their is no bottom, just roll it up and pack it away. Very durable canvas and zippers give this thing quality on every stitch. Looking forward to having this for a long time.

Some Notes on my experience:
-I've got a short bed F150Crew, and though it's not an absolute perfect fit and requires a little snugging up of the material towards the cab side. If done before cinching down the straps you do end up getting a pretty tight seal still around all parts of the tent
-Also to confirm what many others said, practice installing this tent BEFORE you go on the trip. I first installed it three times with me and one other person; then put it up twice with just me. It took some fidgeting and can be frustrating if you don't go in order on the instructions.. but it CAN be done with just one person.
-To make the one person install better I did make a modification of my own. Also like everyone stated, the poles will absolutely not stay in the single pin and keep coming out as you try to put up the next pole. My solution (you can kind of see the zip tie trick on the last pic) was to drill about an 1/8" hole all the way through the pole, approximately 2" up from the bottom of each pole end (where it inserts into the pin). Once I got the pole end sitting on the pin I use a zip-tie through the newly drilled hole and the eyelet of the pin. This was a perfect solution and once I did that, the single person set up was very do-able. This step may not make sense to you until you see the product, but trust me that it works. I liked the PVC solution another user had but just wanted something simpler but I am going to try the PVC trick next time.
-Follow the guide that comes with the tent and you should have and be able to use this for a long time in even severe conditions.

I'm impressed with the Kodiak product and now looking into their cabin tents.

29 people found this helpful

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MS

it's good

Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2024

Size: 5.5 ft. up to 6.5 ft.Verified Purchase

Likes: It's canvas, poles are strong, zippers are strong, straps are very adjustable, fits will to my silverado, I can almost standup
Dislikes: Instructions aren't the best, there can be gaps between the tent and the tailgate opening, front awning is difficult to install.

This is actually a great tent, and it leaves the entire bed of the truck available to sleep in. It's very tall, so it makes it easy to move around in (dressing and undressing is so much easier than most tents I own).
Some suggestions for setup: Trial setup before going camping. Preferrably a nice sunny day instead of the middle of winter like I did. Install the pole support rails. Spread out the tent across and over the edges of the bed of the truck. LEAVE STRAPS AS LOOSE AS POSSIBLE! Install the pole for the awning over the cab of the truck before installing any other poles. Open tent door and install center pole first, then move on to the others. Tie the straps around the poles overhead. Gauge how the tent is lining up. The plastic tarp at the entrance of the tent should be just inside the entrance of the tailgate opening. Move the pole rails forward or back equally to line it up. Hook and tighten down straps on the outside equally and gradually. It gets easier with practice but a trail run is a must

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Andy T. Knote

I like it, I think I am going to enjoy it a lot- but it takes a little practice to set it up solo.

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2015

Size: 5.5 ft. up to 6.5 ft.Verified Purchase

First off- I'm putting this on a 2014 Dodge 1500 with the 6'4" box.
I have a 4 section folding bed cover, so I had to work out my own method of mounting the rails- in my case the rails are painted and permanently mounted.

Day 1 review, (additional review comments added at the bottom) the day it arrived the wife and I spent a bit of time putting it up. Initially it is not quite as easy as we'd imagined it would be, but with a few more practice runs and I can do it by myself.

After much fussing about, following the directions as closely as anyone would, we got it set up- along the way we realized a few things:

Tip #1 DONT bother with the straps (Step 2-3) until the bows are in. We did and they caused us more headache than they saved. Once the bows were in, we pulled the front bow towards the front and set the front straps. then the back straps. easy-peasy.

Tip #2: Run the front and rear awning bows through the sleeves (Step 3-2), but DON'T fit the ends through the grommets until the other bows are up. This wasn't obvious until later in the instructions (Step 3-7)... reminds me of the episode of MASH when Hawkeye and Trapper try to diffuse a bomb: First cut the green wire... after cutting the red wire.

Tip #3: (Steps 3) Set the forward most bow onto the pins and lean it on the cab. Unzip the door and roll it back and secure it. Slip the back end of the tent over the tailgate.Then pull the canvas forward over the bed and over the front-most bow. Now return to the open door and crawl in. Pop up the front bow and secure it with the internal straps. Once the front bow is up the other two are fairly painless.

Okay, quality seems outstanding. Design is good. I sure wish the height was maybe just 6 inches taller- and it seems that the canvas is big enough, but the bows aren't. I'm not quite 6 feet tall, the tent is not.

I also wish the front most wall sat a bit more vertical and closer to the rear window. I followed the instructions setting the rails at approximately 9 inches from the end of the bed- this seems to work... which also means it can't be adjusted to allow the front wall to sit closer to the back of the cab- just in case you were wondering.

It has a lamp hook in the center of the ceiling, Handy.

The lip of the tent door is low- flat with the tailgate really, so tailgate steps will probably work okay- but you wont be able to zip the bottom of the door.

The tent fits in the canvas bag (same material as the tent iteself), but just barely if you fold it in thirds lengthwise, then roll it up. The poles fit in a separate bag that is made of a very heavy fiber reinforced nylon bag. Probably a good call since the poles are steel, they would wear out the canvas bag. I think I'm okay that it is two bags, it could all fit in one big bag- but it would be a bit heavy.

Day 2 update:

I made 6 inch extensions out of 3/4 inch PVC and 3/4 inch oak dowel.
Cut the PVC to 10 inch lengths and the dowel to 6 inch lengths.
Drill a hole in the center of the end of the dowel for the bow pins.
Wet the dowels and coat them in Gorilla glue, then slide them into the PVC until the ends are flush.
There is a gap between the inside diameter of the PVC and the outside diameter of the dowel, Gorilla glue's foaming expanding nature will fill the gap and cement the dowels in place

The bows socket securely into the PVC and raise the ceiling height nicely.
For installation I fit the extensions onto the pins first, then set the bows into the extensions- I felt it was easier to set up using the extensions- the extensions are more Fisher Price sized- rather than trying to fiddle around getting that little pin into the hole at the end of the bow- all while fussing about under the canvas.

Now that I've set it up a few times- I can do it by myself, right around 10 minutes so don't let that first try beat you.

I've set mine up so that my folding bed cover works as a sleeping platform- Like I mentioned, I'm just under 6 feet, and I can lay crosswise on top of the bed cover. My wife and I can both fit- but she is small. We also have the option of setting up the tent with the bed cover completely closed (meaning the bed is covered) our queen-size air mattress and sleeping bag work fine this way, and all of our stuff can be under us.

195 people found this helpful

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Donald A Blackburn Jr

So far so good

Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2016

Size: 5.5 ft. up to 6.5 ft.Verified Purchase

When I saw this piece of kit I had to have it. I have a nice REI four season tent but it doesn't have much room and cannot accommodate my four dogs, much less than if it could they would destroy it.

Received the tent and studied the instructions as to how to set it up. Heed the advice with regard to doing a practice set up at home before you use it in the field.

I have a 2015 GMC Sierra with a 6'6" box. I placed the rails with the rear main support pole anchors at the 9" distance from the end of the truck bed. Had to snoop a bit for the awning sleeves on the tent but the poles were relatively easy to pass through.

Following the instructions I anchored the forwardmost main support pole and then the middle and the rear. The little velcro support pole loops are a bit difficult to put in place. A buckled cinch loop would be better.

Some trouble finding the grommets for the front and rear awning poles but once found, easy to place the poles. The straps are a bit difficult to figure out.

Following the directions and taking it one step at a time it took me an hour or so to figure it out. In the end there was too much slack at the tailgate end and too tight near the cab. Easily remedied by placing the mounting rails about 3" closer to the cab, this will vary depending on truck make/model.

Oh and I ran out of daylight and did about 1/2 of the setup using my headlamp. After the initial go around, setup time will be significantly reduced as I figure out the best placement of the mounting rails and strap confuguration.

And then- wow! Solid tent, high quality materials. I'm 6'4" and can stand up in it without too much hunching over, helpful for getting dressed and stuff. I also set up a cot, camp chair and a small camp table in the tent with headroom to spare.

Temperatures freezing over the weekend, tommorrow is the big test in Largo Canyon. What with sturdy canvas and four dogs, I should be quite toasty.

11 people found this helpful

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sadielenore

I was super excited to take this thing out of the box ...

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2014

Size: 5.5 ft. up to 6.5 ft.Verified Purchase

I was super excited to take this thing out of the box when it got delivered! I had to go to a local hardware store to get larger clamps though because I have a roll-up bed cover and the clamps that come with the tent were not going to fit over the railings for it. Easy fix. I followed the instructions (and advice of another reviewer) and did a test run of setting it up at my house. Definitely a good idea. I discovered how quickly and easily the tent is set up and because I had already done it the one time, it was even quicker and easier since I knew what I was doing when I took it camping at Denali National Park. It's very sturdy and can be set up by just one person, although when I took it camping, there were two of us. It is definitely good quality and I expect it to be around for a long time and plan to take it on many adventures. I also got quite a few compliments on it from other campers. I do agree with other reviewers that I may want to replace the velcro straps that hold the main support poles in place at some point, but they did fine so far. One thing that wasn't mentioned in the product specs or any reviews that I saw, was that there is a loop at the top center inside which is perfect for hanging a lantern. I think this is a very worthwhile purchase.

5 people found this helpful

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MANO

Great buy you won't be disappointed in purchase (even though it is a little bit more in price).

Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2014

Size: 5.5 ft. up to 6.5 ft.Verified Purchase

I can't express enough how cool this product is. I wanted to get something that would work for the back of my truck as a tent and I didn't think anything would be out there. Boy was I wrong. When browsing around I saw this product which was a tad more expensive then some of the more classic plastic like tents but I couldn't be happier. I haven't had a chance to use this product camping yet but I have set it up quite a few times for practice. Based on my initial tests the product is excellent. It fits really well over the box of the vehicle with the end closest to the cab having a flexible and adjustable end (probably for the numerous box sizes available on trucks), numerous tie downs and straps that allows for the product to stay secured onto the box (including 3 lightweight but durable steel poles for center support) and as far as I can tell is extremely durable and breathable. I would suggest this product to anyone looking for something that stands out as well as an inexpensive way to enjoy camping. When fully erect the tent allows for about 5 ft of clearance on the inside which comfortably allows for moveable room within the tent as well as the ability to place cots, storage, etc within the tent.

43 people found this helpful

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PokerFace

Camping light

Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2024

Size: 5.5 ft. up to 6.5 ft.Verified Purchase

Excellent heavy canvas/screen, strong zippers and added plastic tailgate cover. 10 minutes up and 5 minutes down. Can stand to dress slightly bent over. Leave my real mattress in truck bed. Roll my tonneau cover over top and don't look like an out if towner. Best camping rig I've ever had.

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DNFF

Lots of good features, but only 2.5 Stars for me on 2016 Ford F150 Super Crew (5.5' bed)

Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2017

Size: 5.5 ft. up to 6.5 ft.Verified Purchase

This review is for use on a 2016 Ford F150 Super Crew with 5.5' bed (same as 2015-2017 model). Your results and observations may be different.

There were so many good things about this tent that I liked, but the few things that I didn't like could not justify me keeping it, and for that, I can only give 2 stars (2.5, really). Here are my observations:

THE GOOD:

* The canvas is thick, heavy, and high quality. No issues with stitching.
* Zippers are larger and more heavy-duty than what you would find on nylon tents.
* Plenty of windows. I especially loved the vent atop the cab and the cab access window.
* Screens are really fine, so the smallest of bugs will not get through the screens.
* The front and rear awnings are great features.
* Plenty of space inside the tent because of the way the poles are designed. You basically get the width of your bed from the cab to tailgate.
* The strapping system was the BEST among the 3 truck tents that I tested.
- The entire end of the tailgate slips into a pocket
- There are 2 straps on both sides + 2 straps at the tailgate end.
- What is great about the side straps is that they spread the area of tension out so that it's not all at one point.
- You don't need to slip the tailgate straps between the tailgate and bed like other truck tents have you do.
- Straps overall felt solid/high quality.
* Setup was not as bad as other reviews made me believe. It took me 30 minutes after the sun had set, so I wasn't in complete darkness, but I didn't have as much daylight to work with. I spent about 10 minutes alone tightening the C-clamps to the bed rail. I'm sure that after a few attempts, the entire setup time would drop in half.
- Engaged the front-most straps on both sides before putting up the poles allowed for less of a tendency to collapse towards the tailgate.
- Velcroed the top of the first pole and allowed the pole to rest on the back of my head while putting up the next pole. Same for the final pole.
- Poles falling over seemed to be a common issue for installs, but that wasn't the case for me with the procedures I used above.
- For the F150, the ideal placement for the rail sits < 9 inches from the of the bed (see photo)
* Simple to take down. About 10 minutes for me, but removing the bed rails took at least 5 additional minutes.
* The canvas portion of the tent fits easily into the bag when it's all packed up.

THE NOT SO GOOD:

* I'm not a fan of the bed rail system for the poles.
* There are separate storage bags for the canvas tent and poles/rails.
* Tent is wrinkly - couldn't get it installed taught enough to smooth it all out, but that is just cosmetic.
* It got super hot inside! This canvas tent holds in the heat, but I can see how it would be great for colder weather camping.
* Very little ventilation, even with the amount and placement of windows. We put a small USB-powered fan up one of the side screens, and my girlfriend couldn't even feel it blowing from the other side. The smallest bugs won't be getting through the screen, but neither will air. Unfortunately, there are plenty of other areas for bugs to get in from...
* It's not fully enclosed, so there are several places for bugs to get inside the tent (i.e. the corners of the cab and tailgate + entire tailgate hinge).
* The fact that it isn't enclosed meant that we were just on the truck bed. Rainy trips would mean that we'd be on damp floors, dry trips would mean that we'd be setting up on grime from the road trip. Even after giving the bed a good sweeping, it still wasn't as clean as I would like.
* The end towards the cab were loose and open, and even after tucking them in from the outside, it wasn't a tight seal. Because the sides just lay flat against the side of the bed, things can drop out if you put them on the bed rail (cell phone, flashlight, etc.)... or like my girlfriend said, someone can just reach in to grab your stuff (less likely scenario).
* The velcro straps that hold the canvas to the poles are thin and don't have much grab. These are probably the least quality material used in the tent. They feel like they would wear out after a season or two.
* I noticed that 2 pins on 1 rail were bent. I'm not sure if I received it that way or if that occurred during setup/takedown because I didn't pay that much attention.

This tent was built for 5.5' - 6' bed, and I'm sure that is why it was so loose towards the cab for my truck. For me, being open to the truck bed and not being fully enclosed is what killed it for me. Such a great design otherwise, and it feels like it will last a very long time. If the manufacturer comes out with an enclosed unit, they would have a close-to-perfect tent, and I would consider owning one.

(Attached Photos)