Rooftop tents?

[bgiff]

Will the factory rack on a 2001 support a rooftop tent? The manufacturer specs say “Vehicle mounting cross bars must have a dynamic weight load of at least 165 lbs.”

I added 2 factory (junkyard) crossbars as a cheap reinforcement for a basket which seems more stable, but i just dont know if a 150lb tent system plus 2-300 lbs of people will be safe??

 

[S33k3r]

Check YouTube (I don't know, myself). There are a couple of people that have used Tahoes as overlander vehicles.

 

[BacDoc]

Remember it isn’t just the racks or the roof as the system is only as strong as the weakest link. Most supports for mounting the horizontal rack/basket to the roof are not as strong as the cross bars. Some racks like Thule and Yakima will spec the load for each component, the feet that attach to the roof, the bars and the components that attach to them.

 

[bgiff]

I wonder if the owner’s manual has roof rack capacity somewhere. GM engineere almost certainly spec’d a load capacity.

 

[BacDoc]

Another thing to consider is the roof top tent room. I used to do a lot of camping when I was younger but now I’m strictly doing air bnb or house rentals when I travel.

There are some awesome tents that pack up well and have way more room than a roof top version.

If you are a skinny vegan hippie who weighs about 130lbs and your wife/girlfriend is same you might be happy in a 6’x8’ space lol! If you’re normal size or larger you might want to check the size dimensions of roof top tent.

 

[Matthew Jeschke]

Maybe call a rooftop tent company and ask the question about roof rack load capacity on a Tahoe?

 

[DRLexpress]

Remember there are several different factory roof racks. My '06 Z71 has one that is not the same as most I see. Don't know if it is the Z71 package or has its own RPO.

 

[gooffeyguy]

I wonder if the owner’s manual has roof rack capacity somewhere. GM engineere almost certainly spec’d a load capacity.

The owners manual for my 2012 says 200lbs. Not sure if the manual for the 2001 has it listed, I don't remember.

 

[swathdiver]

I wonder if the owner’s manual has roof rack capacity somewhere. GM engineere almost certainly spec’d a load capacity.

From the 2001 Suburban owner's manual:

From the next page:

 

[Steamrash]

Will the factory rack on a 2001 support a rooftop tent? The manufacturer specs say “Vehicle mounting cross bars must have a dynamic weight load of at least 165 lbs.”

I added 2 factory (junkyard) crossbars as a cheap reinforcement for a basket which seems more stable, but i just dont know if a 150lb tent system plus 2-300 lbs of people will be safe??

That's a recipe for a dent on the roof. you should change it to an aftermarket one that's basically fully attached to the roof to evenly distribute the weight. anything above the factory weight limit (especially 500+ lbs!!!) is going to ruin your roof. THe rooftop tent is awesome and most likely my next upgrade, but i will not get it without an upgraded roof rack.

 

[Steamrash]

Remember there are several different factory roof racks. My '06 Z71 has one that is not the same as most I see. Don't know if it is the Z71 package or has its own RPO.

Still not enough for a rooftop tent. I have the same car and the rooftop has that roller at the back. it's nothing over 250lbs.

 

[Steamrash]

This is the video (or i think a subsequent one from the same user) where the guy puts the rooftop tent on the stock roofrack. Yes, you know what, it's the video after where they're sitting together on camp chairs discussing their built. they "skim" over the cons of having the rooftop tent and just mention how rarely they use it, but they do say "roof dent" and don't elaborate. I'd say they both regretted not setting up the tent on a sturdy aftermarket roofrack.

 

[bgiff]

I wonder if the owner’s manual has roof rack capacity somewhere. GM engineere almost certainly spec’d a load capacity.

To answer my own question, yea they do. It says 200lbs if anyone else wonders. Rooftop tent may not be a good idea for my weight.

 

[fuelcell]

Question is is the 200lbs dynamic weight or static?

 

[B-train]

I went down all these roads starting with the factory rack on a 2008 Denali - it no work! It bottomed out miserably with any weight on it. I then found a 2005 Z71 rack and mounted up - way sturdier than the cheesy Denali roof rails. However, the proximity of the bars to the roof made it almost impossible to mount anything to, and it would still sag down.

Que the problem solving hat and I ended up using (2) 2x4 boards that would span the width of the rails ON TOP. I still uses the cross bars as a location/locking mechanism, but the wood holds the weight without sagging. Painted them black to match the rails. Took it overlanding for thousands of miles without one issue.

It will raise your wind catcher up a bit, so I would advise making a wind deflector that you can mount to the tent frame and push out towards the front of the vehicle. I found an old snowboard works perfectly with a DIY frame of unistrut shaped with the right curve only a dad-bod can achieve by jumping in the middle of it to bend it.

All assembled it was fantastic and allowed 75 mph cruising without a huge sacrifice in mpg.

Hope this helps!

 

[Doubeleive]

you could probably design something sturdier but I wouldn't drive around with a heavy load on the roof that's just asking for it.
keep in mind the roof metal is pretty thin and the slide rails only have a couple bolts holding them on.
properly reinforcing it requires drilling and brackets and those need to be sealed so it wont leak when it rains.
and if you have any family at all obviously not everyone gets the roof tent.

 

[Eraschaub]

I mounted the openroad4wd best roof top tent on my 2002 Xterra using factory bars plus a couple of reinforcement brackets I fabbed. It’s held up great. Most rooftop tents are designed with conservative weight specs in mind, and OpenRoad’s tent is on the lighter end, which is perfect for older rigs.

 

[Nikolperry]

I've got a similar setup on my 2000, and I wouldn't trust those factory crossbars with a tent and people in it overnight. Even if they don’t fail, they flex a lot. Most of the best rooftop tents weigh 120–160 lbs dry, and two adults add way more than your rack was designed to handle. Look into some stronger aftermarket bars that meet or exceed that dynamic load rating. You'll want that peace of mind when you're cruising down the highway.