Can I fit a roof tent to my car?

Most likely, yes! The rule of thumb is if you can fit roof bars or a roof rack to your car then you can mount a roof tent to your vehicle. Check your vehicle’s roof or roof bar’s maximum weight limit and the weight of the roof tent. But most vehicle roofs will hold a roof tent plus a couple of adults with ease. 

Read on to find more about roof loads and the difference between dynamic and static weight.

Roof bars on the roof of a car in the UK.

Where can I get roof bars?

You can pick up roof bars or a roof rack for your vehicle from various places. The most well-known reseller in the UK is Halfords and they offer a service to fit them as well.

Another option is a great online company that offers lots of options for any vehicle – The Roof Box Company. They have an easy look-up tool for your vehicle which lists all the options for your car.

How does a roof tent fix to my vehicle?

What is vehicle roof weight limits?

You may be worried about the effects of adding people inside a roof tent has on your vehicle’s roof. But be assured that our roof tents work within your vehicle’s safety margins.

Key things to remember… The roof tent doesn’t attach or touch the vehicle’s roof directly. The roof tent bolts onto the roof bars which are fixed to the steel frame of your vehicle rather than the flat roof. 

Refer to your car’s manual to find the maximum load limit for your vehicle. However, this weight will probably refer to the dynamic weight capacity, as opposed to the static weight capacity.

The underside of a rooftop tent that is attached to a roof rack.
Close up of some scales with the pointer nearing 500kg.

Dynamic & static roof loads

What is a dynamic load? A dynamic load refers to a moving weight limit on your car’s roof and a static load refers to a vehicle’s stationary weight limit. 

By design, a vehicle’s roof can actually take much heavier static loads than it can dynamic loads. Vehicles are designed with very strong roof frames/arches to prevent injury in the event of an accident where the vehicle rolls onto its roof.

When a vehicle is moving, turning, accelerating and braking, lateral forces are created on the top of your vehicle, and can make it unstable when driving.

Vehicle roof strength

A stationary vehicle, will only have to deal with a downward force, applied directly into the steel frame or arches of the vehicle. Vehicle roofs are strong enough to shield passengers from an accident and prevent distortion from bumpy surfaces or the impact of objects at speed.

In short, your vehicle’s roof is more than capable of taking the weight of a roof tent and two or three adults when stationary.

Need help fitting your roof tent?

Check out our handy step-by-step roof tent install guide. We also provide a roof tent fitting service at our workshop in Hampshire, UK. To find out more and availability, please contact us.

Roof tent FAQs

You’ve got questions, we got the answers. If you can’t find the specific answer you’re looking for then contact us at support@tentandtrail.co.uk and we will be happy to talk through any questions you may have.

Yes. As long as you can fit roof bars or a roof rack to your car, then a roof tent can be mounted to your car. You will need to check in your vehicle’s handbook to make sure your vehicle’s roof is capable of carrying 50kg+ of dynamic weight.

See our can I fit a roof tent to my car page for more information.

All our roof tents come equipped with a full vehicle fitting kits (bolts, brackets, even tools) and detailed instructions. All our fixing are made from premium stainless steel 304 grade metal. This is to prevent from weather corrosion/rust and added strength.

See our helpful fitting my roof tent guide page.

Yes. All roof top tents come with 100% waterproof heavy duty 420D Polyester Oxford canvas. The canvas used for the roof tents is UV and mould resistant, making your tent cooler and longer lasting in any kind of weather. 

The 420D Polyester Oxford canvas has a hydrostatic head rating of 2500mm. This means the material can withstand 2500mm of water across a day before water will start to penetrate.

Our free delivery service is available to the vast majority of UK customers. However, certain UK postcodes do not qualify for our free delivery service and customers in these areas may be required to pay a supplementary delivery fee.

Our current free shipping exclusion zones include postcodes in the following areas (and which are subject to updates from time-to-time): Channel Islands, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly, Scottish Highlands & Islands.

If your postcode falls within one of the free delivery exclusion zone(s), please email support@tentandtrail.co.uk confirming your full address details and we will be in touch with a quote for delivery. We can also arrange delivery all over Europe – please contact us for a quotation.

When gaining access to your property vehicle access restrictions may apply which could mean additional cost or delivery failure. If you are concerned this may apply to you, then please be sure to email us before you complete your order at checkout.

See our delivery and returns page for more information.

All of your products, roof tents and awnings have a 2-year warranty, for any manufacturing defects that might occur, (these are very unlikely). Just contact us at support@tentandtrail.com for any issue and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Please see our product warranty page for more details.

We’ve got you covered.

We know that accidents can happen but there’s no need to worry that your roof tent is ruined. We hold a number of spares for all our products, ranging from travel covers to window rods and brackets/fixings to help keep you on the road.

Simply get in contact with us with what you require and we will be in touch. 

Ready to pick your roof tent?

Roof tents will fit any vehicle not just a 4×4.