Rooftop tent mounting on factory crossbars

[meatwad]

Hi all,

 

I’ve heard some conflicting information in regard to mounting RTTs to our factory crossbars. I have a 99.5 LE with the normal roof tracks and crossbars. I’m wondering if this will work with a 134lb RTT (even just to transport it 10 mins home after purchasing). 
 

I’ve heard some people have claimed to regularly carry 200+ dynamic lbs up there and others are vehemently against anything over 100. I’m too stubborn to pay $1000 CAD for a Thule or Yakima system so I’m seeking other options. I’ve also heard of people adding a second set of factory crossbars to better distribute the weight. 
 

Does anyone have any personal experience running high weight on the factory bars? Thank you!!

Edited September 29, 2023 by meatwad

[tobin_r50]

I would love to know the answer for this as well, and whether or not the face lift SE rack could hold one as well. I have been seriously considering modifying an SE rack to put on to my 2001 r50, because I feel like it could be reinforced to hold an RTT, but that's just my hypothesis.

[meatwad]

3 hours ago, tobin_r50 said:

I would love to know the answer for this as well, and whether or not the face lift SE rack could hold one as well. I have been seriously considering modifying an SE rack to put on to my 2001 r50, because I feel like it could be reinforced to hold an RTT, but that's just my hypothesis.

I’m sure that would be doable as the rails on the SE rack seem to distribute the load a lot better than the track/feet system on ours. If I had access to an SE rack I’d probably go that route. The other option I’m looking at is going custom fab on some mounts and crossbars and praying they’ll hold

[meatwad]

Update: 

 

I successfully brought home the RTT using the stock crossbars. It is worth not that it was a lightweight hardshell RTT weighing 134 lbs. This probably helped distribute the weight a bit better than a soft-shell and put less stress on the bars due to better aerodynamics. Whether a soft-shell would have had any actual issues in transport is anyone’s guess. I got it up to 115 km/h on the highway and sustained 100+ for most of the 1 hour drive home. I also sat in the tent once I got home and there was zero perceived sketchiness. 
 

All that said, I am not going to continue using the pair of stock crossbars. In a pinch it’s nice to know that they will likely be okay, but for any hard wheeling or longterm use I can imagine some issues arising. I’ll either be acquiring a second set of factory bars or having some custom mounts + bars fabbed up using this video as a guide: 

 

[Slartibartfast]

Those look simple enough to build, and pretty solid, too.

[zadrozny91]

On 9/28/2023 at 10:28 PM, meatwad said:

Hi all,

 

I’ve heard some conflicting information in regard to mounting RTTs to our factory crossbars. I have a 99.5 LE with the normal roof tracks and crossbars. I’m wondering if this will work with a 134lb RTT (even just to transport it 10 mins home after purchasing). 
 

I’ve heard some people have claimed to regularly carry 200+ dynamic lbs up there and others are vehemently against anything over 100. I’m too stubborn to pay $1000 CAD for a Thule or Yakima system so I’m seeking other options. I’ve also heard of people adding a second set of factory crossbars to better distribute the weight. 
 

Does anyone have any personal experience running high weight on the factory bars? Thank you!!

 

On 9/29/2023 at 7:15 AM, tobin_r50 said:

I would love to know the answer for this as well, and whether or not the face lift SE rack could hold one as well. I have been seriously considering modifying an SE rack to put on to my 2001 r50, because I feel like it could be reinforced to hold an RTT, but that's just my hypothesis.

 

It so happens that I make custom rack for R50s and a bunch of people have had roof top tents mounted to them, myself included. Mine is 150lbs and I've had it year round for over 2 years with no issues.
I have one more racks for sale, to be shipped before Mid-December. PM or email me for details!