Rooftop Tents & Wind Drag

[OverlandYJ]

Hello Overlanders!

How do you manage wind when driving with a rooftop tent on highways? This goes mostly for soft shell RTT and not pop ups because of the hight difference. I have an OVS Nomadic 3 mounted to a Victory 4x4 roofrack. When driving down highways I notice myself “fighting” the wind as it wants to move my car slightly to the left or right. I have a wheel alignment so I know thats not an issue. Just looking for input or tips, thank you.

 

[Shakes355]

So some of it is the added drag, as you would expect. And the only real way to combat that particular problem is with some sort of deflector.

The other consideration is your higher center of gravity with it installed. It acts as leverage when you experience body roll; making it more pronounced. How much other weight do you load up with? (Gear, supplies, food, etc.)

Trucks experience similar issues with heavy payloads or slide in campers. It is remedied with a heavier springs and more aggressive shock absorbers. (Heavier sway bars are also used but not a good idea if you plan to travel off the beaten path)

Looking at your pic, I'd assume your springs are original? If that's the case, replacing your original springs and shocks is probably your first step. Both are wear items, remember; shocks are generally good for 100k.

If you have active suspension you can choose to simply delete it for traditional spring and shocks (normally cheaper anyway). And depending on your running weight, stepping up to a slightly stronger coil is probably in your best interest. (Check out OME)

 

[Billiebob]

speed is the biggest variable
if things feel sketchy, especially in a cross wind or meeting a semi, slow down

 

[RoarinRow]

Wondering if moving your RTT back a little might help at least for forward winds?