With so many options available today, choosing the right rack for your Roof Top Tent can be a daunting task. Watch this video before you begin researching the diverse world of roof racks.
this was so helpful. I could not for the life of me figure out how these 100 lb tents were being mounted on 165 max racks. explaining static vs dynamic rating was helpful. thank you!
Good stuff. Thanks. My current car (Ford Kuga (Escape to you in the USA)) has a reduced load rating (of 60kg) because of the glass panoramic sunroof up there already. 1st time I've had a car where the car is weaker than the bars. (I can still fit a 'soft' roof tent at 55kg + 5kg for the bars so still OK).
Thanks for the video guys. I have a Jeep JKU and I take my hardtop off for daily commuting, but I need a roof rack for a rooftop tent for overloading. What kind of rack would be best for my situation?
Hi Joshua! Thanks for the enquiry. There are so many options available in todays market that I have no doubt we can point you in the right direction with a recommendation. Luke heads up our sales department and he has extensive knowledge in this are. If you write him at info@treelineoutdoors.com or call him at #587.777.8186
First off, great video. I have been torn between what route I want to go when it comes to setting up my truck for a top tent and this cleared up some general questions for me. I do have one question still kicking around though. I am liking the idea of "over the bed racks" more and more and I have found many with options for either bolt-on or pinch bracket mounting. Should I steer clear of the pinch bracket? Are the along the same lines as the "door clamp" system mentioned in the video, resulting in a much lower static rating than a bolt-on or does that rule tend to apply just to those door clam systems? Thanks a ton!
DV, Thank you for commenting! You have a great question here. In years past we have seen racks grabbing the rain gutters of vehicle doors. The dynamic load rating was not very high due to the fact that there is not much to hold onto. This is the opposite for truck beds. Today you can easily find low end bed racks in the $300CAD range that have a dynamic load rating of 250Lbs. The ratio between dynamic and static is 1:3. So if a truck bed rack is rated at 250Lbs dynamic, the static load is 750Lbs! Find a bed rack that is rated to this spec. It will most likely be a bolt on.
Great video guys! I have a question, if I purchase a 2011 Nissan Xterra it states that it has a 150lb load on the factory rack. Does that mean that If I purchase a Smittybilt Gen 2 XL overlander tent I can attach it directly to the factory rack without purchasing new ones?
Hello! We are Treeline Outdoors. If you are having trouble getting an answer from Smitty Built then perhaps consider the option of switching to a higher quality brand. Assuming that their weights are correct (which I doubt), the GEN2 XL will mount to a 150lb rated rack. BUT...just by looking at the materials they use I believe their weights to be wrong and misleading. Our equivalent size tent, which should weigh less than theirs based on materials used, weighs 170Lbs!! Be careful my friend.
For more advice, read the fitting instruction PDFs of the rack system BEFORE you buy anything! Check out "Rhino 4X4 roof rack: Why I didn't buy one" by Auto Expert John Cadogan. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-V9w7xczHN6k.html
More on Rhino ... "Is your ROOF RACK a DISASTER waiting to happen?! Every 4wder needs to see this!" ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eMx232haRyo.html
Thule has a lot of money to spend on marketing so the consensus would be Yes. However, there are many rack companies out there using their marketing budgets on R&D thus building much stronger systems with a more modular design giving the user many more options for additional features. Shop around and consider what you'll be using the rack for. If you need some assistance please give us a call (403) 933.3200
