Summary
How roof bars work
You can get roof bars for almost any vehicle, even if there are no obvious fixing points or raised side rails.
We stock a wide range of roof bars for hundreds of vehicles - click here to check if we stock bars for your car.
Roof bars run across your vehicle from side to side and they generally come in pairs. For a TentBox, you will need two roof bars.
They way they attach to your vehicle depends on your roof type. Your vehicle will have one of the following roof types.
Open Rails
Very obvious raised rails along the length of your car roof. They're "open" rails if there is a gap between the rail and your roof.
Closed Rails
A different type of raised rails that run along the length of your car roof. They're "closed" rails if there is no gap between the rail and your roof. These are also often referred to as "flush" rails.
Plain Roof
No obvious fixing points. The bars clamp to the frame of your car, sometimes slotting into small holes under your door.
Fixed Points
Clear fixing points, often hidden behind a plastic covering in a channel that runs along the length of your roof. The bars will attach to these directly.
Guttered
A gutter system that runs along the top of your roof. Not very common, these are often featured on old school Land Rovers and similar style vehicles. The bars will clamp onto the gutter.
Need help understanding roof load limits? If you would like to know more about roof load limits, check out our roof load limit guide.
We also recommend going for aero-bars where possible; due to their shape they are a lot stronger than the square bars.
Where can you buy roof bars
We stock a wide range of roof bars for hundreds of vehicles - click here to check if we stock bars for your car.
Need help with roof bars?
Remember, we have a dedicated team of product specialists who are roof tent and roof bar experts, so please contact us if you need help with any of this. We would be more than happy to send you a link to a set of roof bars that will work with your car.
Installing roof bars
Your roof bars will come with an installation manual and you should follow this closely. Often there are also really helpful videos online, but do remember to always double-check with the written instructions.
It is relatively straightforward to install roof bars, but if you need help, you can always ask a local mechanic to install them for you.
We can not stress enough the importance of installing them correctly and making sure they are securely tightened.
How does a TentBox attach to roof bars
Once you're roof bars are installed to your vehicle, you simply place the TentBox centrally on top and then use the simple fixing clamps provided to clamp it in place. All in all there are 4 clamping points and just 8 nuts to tighten. Remember to closely follow the instructions that come with your TentBox when it comes to installing it.
Do you need more than two roof bars for a roof tent
No, two roof bars is what we recommend as long as they are good quality bars. Some people do like to use a third bar, particularly if they plan to go off roading, and expect to be hitting steep sideways angles, but for everyday road users to is more than adequate.
Need help with roof bars?
Always feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions relating to roof bars. Our team of product specialists are experts at this and love to provide advice.
If you let us know your vehicle details, we can send you a link to some compatible roof bars for your setup.