Attention, self-drive travelers: When installing a rooftop tent on your vehicle, there are two key requirements for the roof rack.

When installing a rooftop tent, there are specific requirements for the vehicle’s roof rack, which can generally be divided into two types:

1. The vehicle is equipped with a detachable longitudinal rail.

II. The vehicle is already equipped with load-bearing crossbars.

1. The roof rack can support a load, with a dynamic capacity exceeding four times the tent’s own weight.

2. The optimal clearance between the roof rack and the vehicle roof is no more than 1.1 cm, with a thickness not exceeding 2.5 cm. If the thickness exceeds this limit, an extended screw must be used, and the gap between the roof and the rack should be greater than 3 cm.

3. Comes with an integrated longitudinal rail; no mounting points are provided for a roof rack. For standard roofs, a crossbar roof rack must be installed, and the crossbars included with the tent base will also need to be replaced with 1.38-meter-long ones.

If you’ve already installed a crossbar roof rack, please take note;

1) For self-assembled crossbars, the load-bearing capacity under dynamic conditions—such as those of Tole, Cool客, and Aidele—can generally exceed 75 kg.

2) The distance between the two horizontal bars is typically around 70–90 cm, and in most cases does not exceed 1.1 m; they are usually adjustable automatically.

3) The crossbar luggage rack shall be no thicker than 2.5 cm; if it exceeds 2.5 cm, a longer screw may be used, provided that the gap between the roof and the luggage rack is greater than 3 cm.

These are the two key requirements for installing a rooftop tent on a vehicle’s roof rack: when you’re on the road, there’s no such thing as a minor issue—safety comes first, and you must be clear about the load‑carrying capacity.