Roof top Tents

[OkGo]

Thanks Pat. I took a look, but I am still unsure what will fit a Tentbox Lite XL given they say the bars need to be 90mm or less. I'm surprised at what a rabbit hole this has taken me down. I assumed it would be simpler!

Any details on why this size restriction? Maybe some details on the mounting itself ?

 

[Skydance]

Any details on why this size restriction? Maybe some details on the mounting itself ?

Because the mounting bracket for most RTT’s are usually a U clamp style and they are not wide enough to fit Rhino Rack bars because they are too beefy. You would then ditch the U clamps and use the T slot mount hardware which comes with the RTT and attach it to a mount which then attaches to the bars.

Some mounts sits the RTT flush to the bars. Some other mounts sit the RTT 2 to 3 inches above the bars which isn’t really aesthetically good and not good for centre of gravity. Some people also drill through the bars and fasten on the bottom side too.

 

[Pat]

Thanks Pat. I took a look, but I am still unsure what will fit a Tentbox Lite XL given they say the bars need to be 90mm or less. I'm surprised at what a rabbit hole this has taken me down. I assumed it would be simpler!

also in may case Autohome is suggesting that the bar are 90mm wide but mine are 110mm instead. However they just took other clamps. My advantage was that the Autohome did mount the tent at their fabrication plant and I could discuss upfront and on site some logical options.

 

[lucasoren]

Has anyone installed a roof top tent (tent box lite 2) on top of the Rhino roof rails?

I’m having difficulty finding fixings to attach my tent box to the Rhino cross bars because the width of the roof rails are too wide for the brackets included for the tent box.

Need some kind of tent box brackets for the T slots.

Does anyone have any suggestions on Can-Am Defender Max HD Soft Roof Top.

You can use T-slot adapter clamps or rail-mounted T-nuts to attach your Tent Box Lite 2 to Rhino roof rails. These fit into the T-slots of the rails and allow you to use the tent’s existing brackets. Alternatively, wide-base U-bolts or custom spacer plates can bridge the wider rails and provide a secure mounting point. Make sure any solution is rated for the tent’s weight and properly torqued to prevent shifting.

 

[4x4Brick #1561]

I couldn't get the official rhino rack tent rails in time for my first trip after I got my tent so I used the deeper 1-5/8 unistrut channel I picked up from Home Depot. Covered it with gorilla tape including the plastic end cap inserts. Then the u-brackets from the OEM tent were able to be clamped around the unistrut bar. Recessed under the tent so you really can't see them. Tent is raised off of the rack and I was worried that it would whistle or be extra noisy. No issues. I'm mean if there is a wind the Greeny is noisy inside for sure but it's not tents fault. Been on two big trips from Texas through to Wyoming and back and then to Palo Duro Canyon and got REALLY off camber and tilted and no problems. Probably one day will get the real bars next time I take the tent off. Mine's pretty heavy and requires extra hands to take on and off. Even at 1-5/8" I couldn't get some of the u-bolts tightened without the help of some skinnier arms. If I remember correctly I STILL had to drill a few holes in the wide part of the rhino rack slats so the u-bolts would would work. I