Roof tents are suitable for attaching to most roof racks and cars, but there are exceptions. Therefore, it is important that you check three things before you buy or rent a roof tent to ensure that your particular combination of car and roof rack works.
But first. There is conceptual confusion about what in Sweden are called rails and roof rails. We therefore start with a picture that shows what we mean by "roof rails" (also called cargo brackets and cargo holders) and "rails" (or railings in Swedish).
The confusion probably comes from the fact that what we call roof rails in Swedish is sometimes called roof rails (and sometimes roof racks) in English.
3 things to check to see if your roof rails and car fit our roof tents
1. That the weight of the roof tent + your roof rails does not exceed the maximum load for your roof rails or your car roof. Most roof racks have a maximum load of 75-100 kilos, which fits all our roof tents. The maximum load specified is dynamic, i.e. it applies to when you are driving. Stationary can withstand both your car and the roof rack significantly higher load, something you can read more about here .
2. That you have a sufficient length of "pure railing" on the load carriers, i.e. railing where there are no protruding plastic parts from the feet. How much clean railing you have depends both on the roof rails themselves and on which car you have.
To mount our soft-shell roof tents, you need at least 72 centimeters of clean railing.
To mount our hardshell tents in size S, you need at least 72 centimeters of clean railing.
To mount our hardshell tents in size L, you need at least 87 centimeters of clean railing.
The orange line in the picture above is what we mean by clean railing. Attach the roof rails to the car you intend to use and measure the distance on both the front and rear rails.
3. For the soft shell tents Åreskutan, Lillskutan and Åreskutan XL, a rule of thumb is that the roof tent should protrude approximately 30-40 centimeters both front and back from the roof rails. If you have our largest roof tent (Åreskutan four-man), the roof rails must be at least 100 cm apart.
For our hardshell tents, the rails must sit at least 80 centimeters from the edge.
Which models of roof rails are suitable for roof tents?
We recommend that you use the roof rails where the load carrier rests on the feet. In our opinion, the easiest version of the roof rails to mount a roof tent on is the roof rails with a square profile, as in the photo below.
What is the maximum width of the roof rails for mounting a roof tent?
This differs between different brands. Our roof tent Åreskutan can be mounted on roof rails that have a width of up to 10 centimeters.
Roof rails that are not suitable for mounting roof tents on
Roof racks where the load holder is not on top of the feet are not recommended for roof tents. This is because the center of gravity is wrong, which means that the load risks damaging the rails and roof. The low profile also makes it more difficult to access when you need to screw the roof tent.
As I said, we also do not recommend that you mount a roof tent on the roof rails that are attached to the car's door frame.
If you are unsure whether your roof rack is suitable for mounting a roof tent on, we recommend that you contact the supplier directly.
Roof tents and roof racks - some tips for a good load
1. Place the roof rails as far apart as possible and preferably so that they sit as close to the rail's connection points to the car body as possible.
2. Place the roof tent evenly over the roof bars, so that it sticks out the same amount front and back and has the same distance to the long sides of the car up on the roof.
3. Check that the roof tent is properly mounted on your roof racks by pressing firmly on your roof tent after installation, the roof tent should not be able to be lifted or moved on the roof rack.
4. If you want, you can mount your roof tent on 3 or 4 roof rails to spread the load.
Requirements for the car to mount a roof tent
You don't have to worry about your car not being able to handle the weight of you and your family on the roof. A car body, for example, is made to be able to support its own weight if it were to overturn. Here you can read more.
What sets the limitation is above all the maximum load that your car roof has , usually it is within the range of 65 - 100 kilos. The maximum load is there because the car's driving characteristics are affected by having a heavy load on the roof. The center of gravity will be different and it is therefore a safety issue.
The car roof's maximum load must accommodate the weight of the roof tent you want to mount + the roof rails.
To mount a roof tent on the roof racks, as we wrote earlier, you need a car that has either rails (railings) or that has fixed attachment points in the car roof for the roof racks.
We do not recommend that you install a roof tent on cars that have roof rails that are attached to the door frame of the car.
You should be able to attach the roof rails to the car approximately 70-120 centimeters apart. A rule of thumb is that the roof tent should not protrude more than 30-40 centimeters from the front and rear roof rails.
- Interested in buying a roof tent? Here you will find our roof tents
- Do you want to rent one of our roof tents?Here you will find roof tents we have for rent.
