Best Tailgate Tents (with or without sides)

For most cars, the tent can easily fit in the trunk with the back seat leaning forward. The legs are collapsible and the rafters folding up. We were able to haul a tent in both our Prius and Camry without issue.
One note is that for some tents, we needed to lower half of the back seat allowing the tent to go into the passenger cabin. This will take up one of the back seats which can sometimes be an issue for away games.

Yes, when you setup a tailgate or pop-up tent on a parking lot, you will want to have leg weights attach. All the tent legs will have a small foot, and the weights will rest on that. Some people use sandbags, but we really prefer the Quickshade weight plate. We’ve been recommending these for years with zero complaints. I like that they are more compact, and all the weight is directly on the leg itself.

Yes, these tents are great when you’re going to the beach too. We recommend tying the legs to the weights as the wind can sometimes catch under the shade and flip it upwards.

Yes, if you already have a tent without sides, you can add sides at any time. Here’s a link to our top pick for best tailgate tent side.

We recommend working with the manufacturer. If you purchased the tent through Amazon, you can go to your orders page to find the manufacturer and contact information for them. We’ve always been able to work with vendors on replacement parts.

We strongly prefer steel legs. Most of the cheap tents that you see will have hollow aluminum legs. These are far more likely to bend or break in the wind. Additionally, their lighter weight makes the tent more likely to flip. If you look at the product reviews for tents with aluminum legs, you’ll notice they have a huge percentage of 1 star reviews from all the people who had theirs flip and break.|We do recommend 1 aluminum frame awning because it has a heavy duty frame. It would be the best option if you need to carry the tent a distance from the car. I’d suggest using double leg weights though as the ones we recommend can stack for extra support. |Additionally, be cautious on a windy day as we find aluminum awnings to be less wind resistant than their steel counterparts.

Powder coated steel is a stainless steel that is covered with with a fine materially via electrostatic (Source). This makes it incredibly resistant to rust or chipping away. Powder coated steel can last in the elements for decades and is a great choice for awnings or gazebos. |For most tailgaters, this is a little overkill in my honest opinion. Unless you are a die hard fan that is going to create a custom shade for your tent, then you’re likely going to be just as happy with a regular stainless or galvanized steel frame.

Yes, all the tents come with a bag. You’ll want to check if the bag has wheels as some people prefer them so that the tent can be rolled from the car to the spot while others prefer no wheels because it adds weight and they are not that useful if you’re trying to roll through the sand at the beach.

Over the years, I’ve seen so many tents flip, and there is an easy solution. You can add weights to the base of the leg that will stop it from flipping. Our favorite tent leg weight set costs less than $20, and they are stack able so that on windy days you could even two or three sets to survive even the windiest game day.

We would love to hear your ideas. Feel free to send us a picture to twitter of your place for your next big tailgate party.

Absolutely! You can checkout our guide on best outdoor lighting, and we even have some solar options in case you don’t have access to electricity.

Leg weights are small plates that look like they are for barbells. They have a notch cut out that allows you to slide them onto the leg of the tent making it much harder to flip over. Some people simply use sandbags and tie them do the base of the leg. We prefer leg weights just for peace of mind.

Most tailgate tent bags do have wheels. You will need to check your individual model. Not everyone wants the wheels as they can require more room in the car when transporting, and the wheels don’t work well in the sand.

Nope, you can fit most pop-up tents in the back of a car. You may need a truck if you are getting the 10×20 ft tent, but as long as it’s less than 10×10 there shouldn’t be an issue with taking it in your car.

As above, an SUV would be great for tents larger than 10×10, but a car will be sufficient for most tents that we see.