RTT on factory rails

jca21

jca21

New member
Looking for some input from fellow 5th geners

i've been interested in roof top tents for a little while and came across this fantastic puppy.

Kukenam

looking at the FAQ section it seems like it ships with cross bars and they tie into the 4runners RAILS rather than OEM cross bars.

FAQ

thus, if my thinking is correct. the factory rails should be able to support the tent without any problems.


any thoughts?


if this works out i'll just need to figure out a way to mount an ARB awning to the factory rails and then i'm in business :D
 
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jca21 said:
Looking for some input from fellow 5th geners

i've been interested in roof top tents for a little while and came across this fantastic puppy.

Kukenam

looking at the FAQ section it seems like it ships with cross bars and they tie into the 4runners RAILS rather than OEM cross bars.

FAQ

thus, if my thinking is correct. the factory rails should be able to support the tent without any problems.


any thoughts?


if this works out i'll just need to figure out a way to mount an ARB awning to the factory rails and then i'm in business :D
Click to expand...

Never heard of this company before, but that's a great price for a RTT! It weighs 115lbs without you in it, so you'll probably be okay with it driving around. I'm not sure I would feel comfortable sleeping in the tent by myself (@180lbs) and especially not with another person on the factory roof rails...

I've got a BajaRack and when I took my factory rails off I was surprised at how lightweight they were. My gut tells me you'll be alright. But, would I do it? Nope. Looks like a great tent, though!
 
The factory rails may be light, but are a C channel design. It would take ALOT of weight to bend them. Remember also, they attach to the roof the same way as aftermarket roof racks (like my GOBI): 8 bolts through the roof.

I think it'll work!
 
limamike said:
Never heard of this company before, but that's a great price for a RTT! It weighs 115lbs without you in it, so you'll probably be okay with it driving around. I'm not sure I would feel comfortable sleeping in the tent by myself (@180lbs) and especially not with another person on the factory roof rails...

I've got a BajaRack and when I took my factory rails off I was surprised at how lightweight they were. My gut tells me you'll be alright. But, would I do it? Nope. Looks like a great tent, though!
Click to expand...

thanks for the reply. :thanks:




i figured it would work since the video on youtube shows it mounted to the stock rails on a previous gen rav4.


only reason i figured it'd work on the stock rails is because the Rocky Road adventure rack which is an insert for the factory rails, supports 300lbs.

essentially it'd be me, the girlfriend and some gear in the tent (maxing out at 250-300lbs).

i remember reading somewhere on the 5th gen forum that the dynamic weight limitations of the roof is 300lbs, the static weight would double at 600lbs. i could be wrong though.


also, the tent comes with its own rails and thus wouldnt be subject to the 136lbs limit of the factory cross bars.


hopefully an engineer or two chime in :thumb3:
 
Antman said:
The factory rails may be light, but are a C channel design. It would take ALOT of weight to bend them. Remember also, they attach to the roof the same way as aftermarket roof racks (like my GOBI): 8 bolts through the roof.

I think it'll work!
Click to expand...

if i get time off work this summer and funds are available i guess i'll be the first guinea pig to test this theory :zoom:
 
Since I don't own a 5th gen (I drive a 3rd gen) what is the factory rack made out of, especially the crossbars? The ends of the crossbars on the 3rd gens are plastic and can be prone to breaking when wheeling with weight (LoadWarrior and spare tire). I personally would not do it. I wouldn't want my RTT to fly off on the highway. I would get the right rack and do it right.
 
Gerdo said:
Since I don't own a 5th gen (I drive a 3rd gen) what is the factory rack made out of, especially the crossbars? The ends of the crossbars on the 3rd gens are plastic and can be prone to breaking when wheeling with weight (LoadWarrior and spare tire). I personally would not do it. I wouldn't want my RTT to fly off on the highway. I would get the right rack and do it right.
Click to expand...

crossbars are plastic on the 5ths.

the thing is this tent ships with its own cross bars made of metal and tie into the rails.

thus eliminating the cross bar problem.


hence why i'm so hopeful :hiding:
 
Antman said:
OOPS! Carry on!:fishing:
Click to expand...

i think in theory the tent will work.


just need to go ballz to teh wallz and buy one in the summer :uzi:


theres a truck shop about 2-3 hours drive so if i can try before i buy it'd definetly be a deal maker.:cowboy:
 
jca21 said:
i think in theory the tent will work.


just need to go ballz to teh wallz and buy one in the summer :uzi:


theres a truck shop about 2-3 hours drive so if i can try before i buy it'd definetly be a deal maker.:cowboy:
Click to expand...

I think you'll be alright. Antman is right, they're aluminum c-channel rails with a relatively high moment of inertia. I just wouldn't be comfortable with it as a long-term solution if it were up to me. Keep us updated, though!

Also, I was checking out their other tent, the Autana. Again, looks like a pretty decent product for a great price. If you head-up to that dealer near you please take some pictures of the stitching and material and report back!
 
limamike said:
I think you'll be alright. Antman is right, they're aluminum c-channel rails with a relatively high moment of inertia. I just wouldn't be comfortable with it as a long-term solution if it were up to me. Keep us updated, though!

Also, I was checking out their other tent, the Autana. Again, looks like a pretty decent product for a great price. If you head-up to that dealer near you please take some pictures of the stitching and material and report back!
Click to expand...

will do :D
 
My thoughts.....

I would only consider it IF you add a rack similar to the Rocky Road type, that will distribute and span the entire factory rails. I actually designed a rack that would be flat and set in between the stock roof rails. Remember, the OEM rails have a curve to them....just lay a straight edge up there on top of them, and you'll see what I mean.

But..and you know, there's always a but...

I think the real problem could arise when you you are rocking to and fro (and no, whippersnapper....get your mind out of the damn gutter) on the trail itself. To take 120+ lbs and throw it around, side to side, is a little different story than just driving down a smooth highway.


Anywho...that's my two cents..
 
Titanpat57 said:
My thoughts.....

I would only consider it IF you add a rack similar to the Rocky Road type, that will distribute and span the entire factory rails. I actually designed a rack that would be flat and set in between the stock roof rails. Remember, the OEM rails have a curve to them....just lay a straight edge up there on top of them, and you'll see what I mean.

But..and you know, there's always a but...

I think the real problem could arise when you you are rocking to and fro (and no, whippersnapper....get your mind out of the damn gutter) on the trail itself. To take 120+ lbs and throw it around, side to side, is a little different story than just driving down a smooth highway.


Anywho...that's my two cents..
Click to expand...

Pat,

definetly get what you're saying here. for me personally this tent would be used for highway and forest service roads.

i could see where it'd be a problem for others.

RiDE said:
That tent is really nice and they are in Santa Cruz. hmm...
Click to expand...

planning on beating me to the punch? :D
 
I think you should be fine as long as you get the new rails. The weak link in our racks is definitly the crossbars. Let us know if you figure out how to mount the ARB awning on the factory rails. I am thinking about doing the same thing. Might just order one and experiment a bit. That tent looks great. Too bad it would cost a fortune to get it to Canada.
 
rjmckay99 said:
I think you should be fine as long as you get the new rails. The weak link in our racks is definitly the crossbars. Let us know if you figure out how to mount the ARB awning on the factory rails. I am thinking about doing the same thing. Might just order one and experiment a bit. That tent looks great. Too bad it would cost a fortune to get it to Canada.
Click to expand...

north shore off road has them in stock and is the official canadian distributor :reddance:
 
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