i'm sure there are many of us out there with this issue so i thought i would share my setup.
my garage entrance is only 7' high so i am not able to load my rooftop tent inside. i usually don't have help and need to load the tent myself. loading it was the easy part. unloading was a pain. i tried many different ideas last summer with a Gobi Rack on a 4th gen 4Runner. i really messed up the rack loading/unloading the tent. this summer i changed to the Lexus GX using the front runner rack with quick release tent mounts. i was determined to find a better option. one idea i toyed with i found here . i started going down this route but did not like any solution for attaching to the rack securely. all options i tried would have scratched up my rack pretty bad. plus raising up that platform, supporting all of that weight and still having to slide it on to the rack didn't appeal to me.
ultimately i settled on building a hoist to load it on/off. it is not cheap to build, it is worth it though for easy loading. all of the lumber and hardware was over $50. the hoist was $90
Building Supplies
2 - 10' long 4x4s.
1 - 8' long 4x4 for the horizontal beam
2 - 4' long 2x6's for the feet.
1 - 8' long 2x6 for the bottom support.
a few 2x4's angled for support.
2 - 4" joist hangers
electric hoist
*this can also be done cheaper using pulleys. i chose to use the hoist for effortless lifting.
small furniture cart i found at harbor freight for $8 and two caster wheels to roll it out in to my parking lot.
the reason for 10' high is my vehicle rack sits at 6'5". the tent closed is 18". the hoist at its minimum is about 22".
i can fit this inside my garage on its side, inside my garage the ceiling is 9' high. once im done loading tent ill roll it back in and stand it up on its side. this way it only takes up 4' from the side wall(width of the feet).
to secure the tent to the hoist i use a 2' long 2x6 i had laying around with an eye hook. i lay it flat across the ladder on the tent top. use ratchet straps to keep this in place. i clip the hook from the hoist to the eye hook. i originally tried tow ropes and lifting slings, these did not work due to stretching/flexing and finding the right length. i wasn't able to lift the tent high enough once the ropes started flexing.
i also have an eye hook at the top, i tie a rope to this to help me stand it up. i lift it up and support it on a 6' tall ladder. then grab the rope to pull it up from here standing it up. to take it down i just rock it back and forth and use my hands to walk it down on the 10' side post.
all of the lumber i purchased i failed to check before coming home. the 4x4s are very crooked making it hard to build it square. one side is really bad with the twisted post. it is strong and sturdy using these 4x4's so i wasn't too worried about going back for straighter lumber.
this is my setup. a CVT Mt Shasta Pioneer extended with matching awning. my dog will be 15 years old in a couple of days, but he still loves camping
hopefully some of you can find use out of this
