Roof tents fit to mount on most roof racks and cars, but there are exceptions. Therefore, it is important that before you buy or rent a roof tent, you check a few things.
Here is our checklist with four points to check that your car and roof racks fit our roof tents:
1. That the weight of the roof tent you want to buy does not exceed the maximum load for your roof racks or your car roof.
Most roof racks have a maximum load of 75-100 kilos which fits all our roof tents. Within the maximum load, both the weight of the roof tent and the roof racks must fit.
The maximum load stated is dynamic, meaning it applies when you are driving. When stationary, both your car and roof racks can withstand significantly higher loads, something you can read more about here.
Different cars also have different allowed maximum roof loads. Check what applies for your specific car, for example in the user manual or on car.info.
2. That you have sufficient length of "clean rack" on the load holders
By clean rack we mean roof rack/load holders where no protruding plastic parts from the feet exist (see image below). How much clean rack you have depends both on the roof racks themselves and on which car you have.
To mount our roof tents you need at least 72 centimeters of clean rack.
The orange line in the image above shows what we mean by clean rack. Attach the roof racks to the car you intend to use and measure the distance on both the front and rear racks.
3. The placement of the roof racks on the car
To distribute the load of the roof tent and people in the best way, the roof racks should be placed with the following distances for the different roof tent sizes:
The models Åreskutan and Lillskutan:
- Two-person tent: At least 70 centimeters
- Three-person tent: At least 80 centimeters
- Four-person tent: At least 100 centimeters
- Åreskutan XL: At least 3 roof racks are recommended, if you use 2 they should be at least 120 centimeters apart.
For our hard shell tents
- All models and sizes: At least 70 centimeters.
4. That your car is large enough for the roof tent
The roof tent should not protrude in front and block the view when you drive, or at the back so that you cannot open the car's trunk.
Which models of roof racks fit for roof tents?
We recommend that you use roof racks where the load holder lies on the feet. The most convenient type of roof racks to mount a roof tent on, in our opinion, are roof racks with square profile, like in the photo below.
What is the maximum width of roof racks to mount a roof tent?
This varies between different brands. Our roof tent Åreskutan can be mounted on roof racks that have a width of up to 10 centimeters.
Roof racks that are not suitable for mounting roof tents
Roof racks where the load holder does not lie on top of the feet are not recommended for roof tents. This is because the center of gravity is misplaced which risks damaging the rails and car roof. A low profile also makes it harder to access when you need to screw the roof tent in place.
We do not recommend mounting a roof tent on roof racks that attach to the car's door frame. This is because there is a risk of damaging the car roof/paint.
If you are unsure whether your roof rack is suitable for mounting a roof tent, we recommend you contact the supplier directly.
How many roof racks do I need?
To mount a roof tent on your car you should have two roof racks, except for Åreskutan XL where we recommend three roof racks.
You can also mount our roof tents on roof baskets.
Roof tents and roof racks – some tips for good load distribution
1. Place the roof racks as far apart as possible and preferably so that they sit as close to the railing's connection points to the car body as possible.
2. Place the roof tent evenly over the roof racks, so that it protrudes equally front and back and has the same distance to the car's long sides on the roof.
3. Check that the roof tent is properly mounted on your roof racks by pressing firmly on your roof tent after mounting; the roof tent should not be able to be lifted or moved on the roof rack.
4. If you want, to spread the load, you can mount your roof tent on 3 or 4 roof racks, but it is not necessary.
Summary of requirements for the car to mount a roof tent
You do not need to worry that your car cannot handle the weight of you and your family on the roof. A car body is made to be able to carry its own weight if it were to roll over, .
• What limits mainly is the maximum load your car roof has, usually it is within the range 65 – 100 kilos. The maximum load exists because the car's driving characteristics are affected by having heavy load on the roof. The center of gravity changes 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 racks.
• Check that the roof tent you want does not protrude and block the view when you drive or protrude at the back so that you cannot open the trunk.
• To mount a roof tent on roof racks you should have a car that either has rails or fixed attachment points in the car roof for roof racks. We do not recommend mounting roof tents on cars that have roof racks attached to the door frame of the car.
• You should be able to attach the roof racks on the car at least 70 centimeters apart (see the section above for what applies for different sizes of roof tents).
