 | Home > Camping, Caravanning and Holidays > Roof top tent question |
 
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| spudfan Member Since: 10 Sep 2007 Location: Co Donegal Posts: 4703  
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My daughter was thinking of getting a rooftop tent for her 300 tdi 90. She saw one advertised where the seller says that it sits directly onto the roof of the 90. I told her that the roof of the 90 would not bear this and a roof rack with a base would be needed under the tent. Am I correct?
Could someone recommend a decent set up for someone on a budget! This is what she saw. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/rooftop-tent...R-p-313004 1982 88" 2.25 diesel 1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali 2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu 2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai |
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8th Aug 2021 5:57pm |
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the roof bars were fine just didn’t look so cool.| spudfan Member Since: 10 Sep 2007 Location: Co Donegal Posts: 4703
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I presume you use a wooden base on the bars to sit the tent on? 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali 2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu 2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai |
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8th Aug 2021 6:07pm |
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| Sulisuli Member Since: 30 Oct 2016 Location: South west Posts: 4795  
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No in fairness it was a hard shell tent. Looking at the link you posted surely the metal roof would end up dented? 2015 HT XS 90
2008 SVX 90 2000 XS TD5 90 |
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8th Aug 2021 6:09pm |
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| spudfan Member Since: 10 Sep 2007 Location: Co Donegal Posts: 4703
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Yes that is my impression. The Land Rover roof is not designed for this thus the need for a separate base on bars for the tent 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali 2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu 2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai |
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8th Aug 2021 6:13pm |
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| spudfan Member Since: 10 Sep 2007 Location: Co Donegal Posts: 4703
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Would these be O.K. to support a roof top tent on a board?
https://www.paddockspares.com/defender-198...unner.html 1982 88" 2.25 diesel 1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali 2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu 2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai |
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8th Aug 2021 6:17pm |
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| Dinnu Member Since: 24 Dec 2019 Location: Lija Posts: 3421  
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Would not have been a problem on early 90s roofs with external ribs. 3 ribs on the flat portion, vs 1 on the smooth roofs.
Tent has an inflatable base to spread the load. I used to load my external ribbed roof quite substantially, never a problem.  1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing
2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black |
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8th Aug 2021 6:22pm |
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| Smyles_ Member Since: 25 Aug 2018 Location: Copenhagen Posts: 517 
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I'm willing to bet it would be just fine for one person, two - maybe. It only weighs 23.6 kg and it appears to apply the loads uniformly along the outer edges and not in the centre based off this image:
 Click image to enlarge I'm more interested in how exactly it'd be secured to the roof. In the video it shows eye bolts being screwed into the existing roof rail mounts and lashed to those. Also suspect you'd need a bigger ladder. Stuart
Cummins 130 Build Thread 58 130 Double Cab HCPU - Cairns Blue 04 110 Double Cab - Black (gone) 07 Audi RS4 Avant - Silver |
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8th Aug 2021 6:23pm |
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| spudfan Member Since: 10 Sep 2007 Location: Co Donegal Posts: 4703
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Thanks...keep the info coming
 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali 2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu 2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai |
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8th Aug 2021 6:27pm |
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| Smyles_ Member Since: 25 Aug 2018 Location: Copenhagen Posts: 517
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I did a quick little calc to put things into perspective for my simple mind, and the roof of a 90 would likely see a load of around ~110 kg from 10 - 15 cm of fresh snow. Based off this and the fact that a snow load is applied across the entirety of the roof, I'd imagine that the tent in question with one person and with loads applied along the outer extremities where it's considerably stiffer, your daughter and her Defenders roof would be just fine
Stuart
Cummins 130 Build Thread 58 130 Double Cab HCPU - Cairns Blue 04 110 Double Cab - Black (gone) 07 Audi RS4 Avant - Silver |
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8th Aug 2021 6:45pm |
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| spudfan Member Since: 10 Sep 2007 Location: Co Donegal Posts: 4703
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What if there were two in the tent?
 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali 2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu 2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai |
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8th Aug 2021 6:49pm |
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| donmacn Member Since: 06 Nov 2017 Location: Nth Scotland Posts: 1845 
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For some reason the video and pics won't open for me on this device (old ipad).
Most 'proper' or Exped roof tents do need to fit onto a roof rack or roof bars like the ones you'd linked to on the Paddocks site - but there would be significantly cheaper options available than those Front Runner ones. As Sulisuli has said, standard Thule bars would do. The problem is that 'proper' roof tents are quite expensive for ad hoc/occasional use, and heavy too. Getting a 50-65kg tent onto a Defender roof bar is a challenge in itself. If the Quecha/Decathlon tent is the thing, and it fits to eye bolts, then I'd look to getting some sort of gutter clamps to fit the eye bolts too. I wouldn't be keen on drilling biggish holes in my roof gutter. It's prone enough to leaking as it is! I'd imagine it wouldn't be kind to the paintwork? Surely road grit or whatever would get between the tent and the roof and cause wear? What would happen if the air mattress sprung a leak? Another option I've heard of (if she really wants to camp 'up high') is to get roof bars/rack with some sort of decking and use a smaller 'ground tent' on it. Sobriety required...
I think roof tents have a 'buzz' about them right now, but it is worth thinking about some of the pros and cons and if they really work for your requirements. For example, if you use a roof tent, find a nice spot and get pitched and then find you need a pint of milk (...or beer!... or anything else important ) then it's a hassle to strip down and get moving again. What about getting somewhere nice, deciding you'd like to stay a couple of days, but would like to tour around? Donald 1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong (The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html ) 2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8 in the past.. RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi 1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box 1993 Discovery 300Tdi not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper... |
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8th Aug 2021 7:04pm |
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| Smyles_ Member Since: 25 Aug 2018 Location: Copenhagen Posts: 517
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Well, if she has her "friend" round for a nights stay, going off the average weight of a female and male in the UK, you're looking at around 178 kg including tent. I don't currently have a defender on my drive to go measure the flat portion of the roof but I'd be keen to know how close to the roofs edges it would sit. The further out the better but, not so far out that if there were any movements or wind for that matter it'd slip off and suddenly become a ground tent...
I'm also now contemplating the sloped frontal section of the roof. Again, I have no dimensions to go off, but another thing to check would be if the tents outer base would be in full contact with the roof. I suspect it wouldn't... 
A cheap solution that comes to mind if there is concern about weight/stability and mounting would be some cheap roof bars and 2 screwed thick planks of wood to go under the length of the tents outer base. That way you know it will be fine and further not have to worry about dynamic loading whilst driving, only static since the tent is removed for transit. You could also put some rail along the edge to make certain it doesn't slip off. Stuart
Cummins 130 Build Thread 58 130 Double Cab HCPU - Cairns Blue 04 110 Double Cab - Black (gone) 07 Audi RS4 Avant - Silver |
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8th Aug 2021 7:14pm |
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| spudfan Member Since: 10 Sep 2007 Location: Co Donegal Posts: 4703
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When my daughter mentioned this first I did suggest a basic pop up tent, mounted on a rigid base on roof bars. It would be only for occasional use so nothing fancy would be required. 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali 2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu 2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai |
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8th Aug 2021 7:21pm |
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| Smyles_ Member Since: 25 Aug 2018 Location: Copenhagen Posts: 517
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Ah yes, but that wouldn't look very good on Instagram, now would it?
 Stuart
Cummins 130 Build Thread 58 130 Double Cab HCPU - Cairns Blue 04 110 Double Cab - Black (gone) 07 Audi RS4 Avant - Silver |
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8th Aug 2021 7:26pm |
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