I recently purchased a DAC truck canopy tent for my full size truck.
In setting up my truck, I had considered a few things:
-I have a LEER canopy and a fairly tall truck so a RTT would be very difficult for me to handle by myself. The LEER is only rated 260 pounds so that's another issue.
-I considered a raised platform with an IKEA futon mattress and under-platform pull-outs. I would prefer an extended height canopy for this setup, the standard height canopy would create a "coffin" feel with a raised height platform.
-My truck bed is only 67", and I'm 71"...I actually fit fine when I tested it because I don't sleep fully extended, BUT I couldn't find an air mattress this short to have tailgate closed unless a chose an Airbedz truck mattress. Those are nice but get iffy reviews and are very tall, back to a raised height platform, then I'd prefer to have actual raised platform for storage anyways.
So, I settled on truck canopy tent and installed a cargo basket on my LEER as I decided gear can go on top of truck and in backseats of my very roomy crew cab I can forego the raised platform idea (which I still think is best) and the RTT wasn't my favorite idea on my rig.
Review:
First I have to remove my cargo basket cross-bar clamps to allow tent to go under basket:
Lift up cargo basket and slide tent under assembly, on my setup there is no risk of tearing tent, no sharp edges as the basket has a nylon bumper:
The bag the tent comes in:
Initial layout:
All straps landed and canopy door lifted to hold tent back up (tent has no poles):
I've chosen to use Harbor Freight camo moving blanket topped with a reflective blanket then topped with a second HF camo blanket (BTW wash those HF blankets they stink) as a liner for my air mattress, hopefully this setup reduces heat loss:
Inside looking out of finished setup:
Outside looking in of finished setup:
Final thoughts:
My truck, like many FS trucks has a "rake" where the rear end sits higher than the front. This means, on level ground, rain water will want to go towards the front of the truck. I need to keep this in mind when setting up my truck. I should always make sure the truck is in a "nose down" attitude. If the truck is "nose up" I would guess rain water will run towards back of truck, under tent and onto the tailgate area. I will make sure to sleep with feet towards low end.
According to product reviews, the DAC tent is very waterproof.
So far, I dig it. It took me less than 10 minutes to be completely done. I would only need to add my trusty air mattress at this point. I now have 85" of bed length on my shortbed FS truck (Nissan Titan BTW)
The tent is under $190.
In setting up my truck, I had considered a few things:
-I have a LEER canopy and a fairly tall truck so a RTT would be very difficult for me to handle by myself. The LEER is only rated 260 pounds so that's another issue.
-I considered a raised platform with an IKEA futon mattress and under-platform pull-outs. I would prefer an extended height canopy for this setup, the standard height canopy would create a "coffin" feel with a raised height platform.
-My truck bed is only 67", and I'm 71"...I actually fit fine when I tested it because I don't sleep fully extended, BUT I couldn't find an air mattress this short to have tailgate closed unless a chose an Airbedz truck mattress. Those are nice but get iffy reviews and are very tall, back to a raised height platform, then I'd prefer to have actual raised platform for storage anyways.
So, I settled on truck canopy tent and installed a cargo basket on my LEER as I decided gear can go on top of truck and in backseats of my very roomy crew cab I can forego the raised platform idea (which I still think is best) and the RTT wasn't my favorite idea on my rig.
Review:
First I have to remove my cargo basket cross-bar clamps to allow tent to go under basket:
Lift up cargo basket and slide tent under assembly, on my setup there is no risk of tearing tent, no sharp edges as the basket has a nylon bumper:
The bag the tent comes in:
Initial layout:
All straps landed and canopy door lifted to hold tent back up (tent has no poles):
I've chosen to use Harbor Freight camo moving blanket topped with a reflective blanket then topped with a second HF camo blanket (BTW wash those HF blankets they stink) as a liner for my air mattress, hopefully this setup reduces heat loss:
Inside looking out of finished setup:
Outside looking in of finished setup:
Final thoughts:
My truck, like many FS trucks has a "rake" where the rear end sits higher than the front. This means, on level ground, rain water will want to go towards the front of the truck. I need to keep this in mind when setting up my truck. I should always make sure the truck is in a "nose down" attitude. If the truck is "nose up" I would guess rain water will run towards back of truck, under tent and onto the tailgate area. I will make sure to sleep with feet towards low end.
According to product reviews, the DAC tent is very waterproof.
So far, I dig it. It took me less than 10 minutes to be completely done. I would only need to add my trusty air mattress at this point. I now have 85" of bed length on my shortbed FS truck (Nissan Titan BTW)
The tent is under $190.
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