Hardshell rooftop tent - Practical question

[Carnut]

Hi all,

I am thinking of buying a hard shell rooftop tent for my Suzuki GV XL-7. The thing is, the standard roof rails have plastic feet which are probably not strong enough to carry the weight of a tent plus inhabitant(s). For that reason I am considering to remove the standard roof rails, and see if I can get a custom made solution using steel parts only.

The XL-7 will not be used as a daily driver, so the tent can remain on the vehicle. Basically, all I need is two cross bars to fit the tent onto, what I am not sure about is this. The studs used to secure the roof rails to the vehicle - which I will need to use for mounting the custom made cross bars - are 140 cm (55 inches) apart front to rear. I've seen many rooftop tents fixed onto no more than just 2 cross bars, but usually the longitudinal distance is less than that. The question is whether the frame of a rooftop tent is rigid enough to bridge that distance without bending too much.

Obviously, hard shell tents come in different qualities, but hopefully some of you can comment on this from their experience. I would be very interested to learn about your observations on this issue.


Thanks and regards,
Frans

 

[Sandpoint Steve]

Have you looked at this?
Grand vitara, XL7 Roof Rails, and roof top tent

with some welding you could add cross bars or mount some Yakima bars on there.
I would lean towards welding on cross bars to keep the tent as low as possible.

-Steve

 

[Rolando]

I can't speak about the plastic rails (but I would prefer metal too), but I have a Tuff Stuff Alpha 2 tent, and the instructions say: "Your vehicle MUST have a roof rack or cross bars installed in order to mount this tent. The cross bars MUST have a dynamic weight load of at least 165Lbs and MUST be at least 30” apart."

There is no information on the maximum distance, but when you think about the fact that half of the tent folds over and does not have support besides the ladder on the outside --and does not crumble into the abyss underneath :-) -- I would not worry about that.

 

[Road]

Hi all,

I am thinking of buying a hard shell rooftop tent for my Suzuki GV XL-7. The thing is, the standard roof rails have plastic feet which are probably not strong enough to carry the weight of a tent plus inhabitant(s). For that reason I am considering to remove the standard roof rails, and see if I can get a custom made solution using steel parts only.

The XL-7 will not be used as a daily driver, so the tent can remain on the vehicle. Basically, all I need is two cross bars to fit the tent onto, what I am not sure about is this. The studs used to secure the roof rails to the vehicle - which I will need to use for mounting the custom made cross bars - are 140 cm (55 inches) apart front to rear. I've seen many rooftop tents fixed onto no more than just 2 cross bars, but usually the longitudinal distance is less than that. The question is whether the frame of a rooftop tent is rigid enough to bridge that distance without bending too much.

Obviously, hard shell tents come in different qualities, but hopefully some of you can comment on this from their experience. I would be very interested to learn about your observations on this issue.


Thanks and regards,
Frans
View attachment 196248

.
This is a typical hardshell that pops straight up, and not unfolds to the side?

I would ask the vendor you're thinking about buying from, or two or three, to see what they suggest for their tents and your situation. Most vendors looking for a sale will bend over backwards to help you with advice for mounting it properly, both from a liability standpoint and from wanting the sale. Their advice/suggestions will be more experienced and based on a ton of installations than most here can offer.

That said, all outdoor gear vendors are slammed with orders and inquiries right now due to the increase in social distance type activities and that a lot of folks feel cooped up for the last year. Be patient in waiting for answers and advice.

.

 

[Carnut]

Have you looked at this?
Grand vitara, XL7 Roof Rails, and roof top tent

with some welding you could add cross bars or mount some Yakima bars on there.
I would lean towards welding on cross bars to keep the tent as low as possible.

-Steve

Thanks for the hint, that is an interesting option. The link refers to the successor to my model Grand Vitara, but I will ask Rocky Road if they have similar rails for the older model I own.

 

[Carnut]

I can't speak about the plastic rails (but I would prefer metal too), but I have a Tuff Stuff Alpha 2 tent, and the instructions say: "Your vehicle MUST have a roof rack or cross bars installed in order to mount this tent. The cross bars MUST have a dynamic weight load of at least 165Lbs and MUST be at least 30” apart."

There is no information on the maximum distance, but when you think about the fact that half of the tent folds over and does not have support besides the ladder on the outside --and does not crumble into the abyss underneath :-) -- I would not worry about that.

The tents I am looking at require cross bars as well.

 

[Carnut]

.
This is a typical hardshell that pops straight up, and not unfolds to the side?

I would ask the vendor you're thinking about buying from, or two or three, to see what they suggest for their tents and your situation. Most vendors looking for a sale will bend over backwards to help you with advice for mounting it properly, both from a liability standpoint and from wanting the sale. Their advice/suggestions will be more experienced and based on a ton of installations than most here can offer.

That said, all outdoor gear vendors are slammed with orders and inquiries right now due to the increase in social distance type activities and that a lot of folks feel cooped up for the last year. Be patient in waiting for answers and advice.

.

It’s a clamshell model which hinges at the front. I have been bothering the seller with quite a few questions already :-)

You’re right about the peak demand some vendors currently experience; I found an interesting alternative from a US based manufacturer, they are quoting lead times of around 9 months ...

 

[Rolando]

It’s a clamshell model which hinges at the front. I have been bothering the seller with quite a few questions already :-)

You’re right about the peak demand some vendors currently experience; I found an interesting alternative from a US based manufacturer, they are quoting lead times of around 9 months ...

I hear you. I bought mine as a Black Friday deal (incl. an awning room and a separate awning), and it was delivered in January. So I guess it is worth buying in the off-season.