Member Since: 29 Aug 2008
Location: SW
Posts: 2390
Rooftent Mounting Options
At the moment I have an Expo rack fitted. But I will be buying a Howling Moon style tent this year. But I'm sure the tent won't fit safely/neatly to the current rack.
So what are my options? Ideally I'd have the tent fitted to the rear of the rack and some storage space at the front. Will the rear ladder still be compatible with a rooftent with regards to clearance when the rear door is open?HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE
They shall not grow old as those of us left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condem. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
No the tent you will have to bring it over the side you don't have to get rid oft he rack just remove the side bars and fix it to the rack there is not enuff clearance with the rack and ladder unless you keep the side bars and mount it up there Home of RLD Hidden winch mounts Spare wheel Locks Trailer Body Fabrication ray@rld-tech.co.uk D3/4 sump plates MY 14 sump plates and the Discovery Sport wheel protectors Discovery 5 wheel locks
more Helsport tents and other things for camping Law of Mechanical Repair:
"After your hands are coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee!"
Home of RLD Hidden winch mounts Spare wheel Locks Trailer Body Fabrication ray@rld-tech.co.uk D3/4 sump plates MY 14 sump plates and the Discovery Sport wheel protectors Discovery 5 wheel locks
more Helsport tents and other things for camping Law of Mechanical Repair:
"After your hands are coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee!"
14th Jun 2009 3:14 pm
MARKW
Member Since: 29 Aug 2008
Location: SW
Posts: 2390
Cheers Ray. I didn't think the sides of an expo would be strong enough to take a RTT.
I was just going to ask you for more detailed pics of your D3 with a RTT then realised they were all LRE D3's. So you prob wouldn't have better pics.
Has anyone else mounted a RTT to the rails of their rack?HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE
They shall not grow old as those of us left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condem. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
I do remember some one did but not to sure nowHome of RLD Hidden winch mounts Spare wheel Locks Trailer Body Fabrication ray@rld-tech.co.uk D3/4 sump plates MY 14 sump plates and the Discovery Sport wheel protectors Discovery 5 wheel locks
more Helsport tents and other things for camping Law of Mechanical Repair:
"After your hands are coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee!"
14th Jun 2009 3:32 pm
MARKW
Member Since: 29 Aug 2008
Location: SW
Posts: 2390
Right off to trawl through thousands of pics in the gallery now to find a pic of a RTT fitted to an expo, with or with out sides. HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE
They shall not grow old as those of us left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condem. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
to mount it over the back it would have to be high up to miss the tail doorHome of RLD Hidden winch mounts Spare wheel Locks Trailer Body Fabrication ray@rld-tech.co.uk D3/4 sump plates MY 14 sump plates and the Discovery Sport wheel protectors Discovery 5 wheel locks
more Helsport tents and other things for camping Law of Mechanical Repair:
"After your hands are coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee!"
14th Jun 2009 5:46 pm
MARKW
Member Since: 29 Aug 2008
Location: SW
Posts: 2390
So over the side is the only sensible option then. The next question is to mount on the rails or not. I see no reason to mount there. I have nothing that I could store in that small space.HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE
They shall not grow old as those of us left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condem. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
Higher CoG as well if you mount up there. Side rails come off without too much effort. Drill out the rivets and all the plastic covers come off, then an allen key to remove the metal uprights under the rails. Easy peasy I know it's not considered "kind" to say no these days, but no. Just no, ok? And if it's not ok, still no.
RTT's are quite common here (up, up and away from crawling nasties). I attached mine directly to the LR cross bars. The only needed mod was a bit wider metal straps as the LR cross bars are wider than most roof racks. It works well, but just be aware that the RTT will come close to the max allowable weight (and yes, it makes driving along a sloping beach very "interesting").Jim Dowell - D4 HSE TDi, 12,000 hydraulic winch & hidden winch mount, MTRs, TyreDog, Traxide 2 x aux battery system, fixed air compressor, Dolium roof rack, MitchHitch.
RIP 2005 D3 HSE V8 5 seater gold (stolen and torched)
15th Jun 2009 8:51 am
Discoeast
Member Since: 19 Feb 2008
Location: Boksburg
Posts: 800
MARKW, I base my reply on the following:
The common RTT size here is 1.2x1.2 or 1.4x1.4 meter folded,
and is used often. So both mounting options can be done and I'll
give my view of some of the issues to look for.
On top of rails:
1) The design is not up to heavy loads on top of the rails, thus there
will be some side to side movement between top rail and the rest of
rack. More so when you have people moving around inside the RTT
and the load increases on the rails. Not knowing how these rails are
fastened to the rack, I would not chance it.
2) There fore you require extra bracing to beef it up. And simple
angle mounting brackets to hold the RTT. And plenty room to get
to the tent retaining bolts and nuts, if needed to be removed. As
for the gap,you can all ways put the camping table there
3) It will increase the top clearance a bit more than the other mount
style.
Base mount with out side rails with deflector in place.
1) You will need to cut the rails off behind the front posts, just behind
where the deflector ends. I have measured a distance of 1.5 meters
from the post rear to the center of the rear top cross bar, so there
would be enough space to mount the RTT and clear the rear door
mounted ladder. You will have 4 x slats in this area to mount the
tent base to.
2)The flush mount may require the removal of the RR , depending
on where the mounting bolts are fitted, as you will need to drill the
bolt holes through the slats and space is limited to get at them. I
would steer away from trying to use the slots in the slats, using a
nut that would fit in it, putting a bolt through the tent floor, you
are limited by thread depth and may become loose with time.
3) More difficult to remove the RTT when not needed, unless a
smart, easy, mounting method can be found.
Hope this helps.D3 bullbar-spots-roof rack with spots-ladder-long range tank-swing out spare wheel carrier- upgraded tow bar-dash console-internal water tank-duel awnings-drawer system & T T.
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