Croos bars or topper rack for tent?
Posted by Ivaner305@reddit | overlanding | View on Reddit | 10 comments
Hey everyone, Im doing a road trip soon and i ended up snagging this ARE aluminum topper for a great price. I wanted to see how i can put a tent on top. I know I would have to drill of course. What cross bars or topper rack would anyone recommend for me to install?
MeSkeptikal@reddit
I am not super familiar with ARE stuff but I used to work as an installer for a competitive brand. I would check either with ARE directly or a local retailer to make sure that cap can handle a tent.
Those tents are heavy and put a lot of strain on roof racks and their supporting structures when you turn, corner, go down a bumpy road, etc. when we sold the fibreglass ones we would always recommend one of the medium weight fibreglass models at a minimum for just this reason.
My point being you might end up wearing out that cap in a hurry or worse, losing the whole shebang while you’re driving. Especially if it’s a riveted construction instead of a welded one.
Ivaner305@reddit (OP)
The structure instead is welded it seems like the door hinges are riveted but the structure is definitely welded. Nonetheless I am going to ask A R E to get a better idea
FooFighter325@reddit
You’re gonna look like Jeremy’s Citroen DIY RV with a RTT on top of that.
KhalDrogon556@reddit
With your bed canopy that tall I'd just do a roof tent over the cab and call it a day if you want to go that route.
Here's a thread where someone mounted the tent over the cab for bikes to fit in the bed still, looks like it would be a good solution for not making a giant air brake out of the raised canopy and tent combo.
https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/forum/threads/cab-roof-tent-prinsu-rack-released-for-maverick.43362/
h3lium-balloon@reddit
I'd also recommend something like a Gazelle for more casual trips. It's big and easy to setup and relatively sturdy (not as good as some others in really bad weather). The only downside is that it's heavy and long when broken down (like 65in), but it should fit diagonally in your maverick bed no problem, especially with the topper.
RTT are good for some applications (long off-road trips where you're moving every morning and might not have suitable ground tent sites everyday), look cool, and get you off the ground, but unless you absolutely need those things you're probably better served with a good ground tent.
LucinaRage@reddit
Man I don’t have an answer to your question, but I think you should consider a nice overlanding tent like a Gazelle or something. That thing is already way above your cab, and sticking an RTT on it is gonna cause more problems than it’s worth.
Just two cents from a stranger.
Ivaner305@reddit (OP)
Sorry not much experience in this. Problems being like body roll? Im not planning to do crazy trails im in a ford maverick as you can see just light camping lol
LucinaRage@reddit
Drag and noise while you’re driving will kill your gas mileage as well as drive you nuts, depending on how it’s set up. An RTT mounted up so high will also make wind extra uncomfortable if you encounter windy days. You’ll also really notice if you park somewhere that isn’t quite level. And I would think climbing in and out of it won’t be the greatest either.
Certainly nothing that can’t be overcome, but RTTs are expensive and not simply “a better tent.” In my opinion, and given what little I know about your plans here, I think a nice tent will both suit your trip better and save you some cash.
Ivaner305@reddit (OP)
This is a hybrid so thankfully mpg will be in the 35-38 range even after the roof top tent but i agree with you about the height. If i cant find a good deal on a roof top tent then ill go the normal tent route i know with the height it will probably be a pain to set it up there lol. Wind noise is also another thing that would be annoying i don’t know how bad it would be though
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