Rooftop tents?

bgiff · Jul 5, 2024

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 · Jul 5, 2024

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

BacDoc · Jul 5, 2024

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 · Jul 5, 2024

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

BacDoc · Jul 5, 2024

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 · Jul 5, 2024

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

DRLexpress · Jul 6, 2024

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 · Jul 6, 2024

bgiff said:
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 · Jul 6, 2024

bgiff said:
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 · Jul 12, 2024

bgiff said:
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.

Rooftop tents?

bgiff

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S33k3r

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BacDoc

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bgiff

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BacDoc

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Matthew Jeschke

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