Will a Roof Tent Work with my Vehicle/Car?

That's a very good question! The roof tent at TentBox can fit almost any vehicle including minivans and caravans and even a mini itself. All that is required is a set of roof bars – our vehicle checker shows which TentBox models will fit your car.

Roof bars can be purchased from many reputable car stores, and TentBox also sells roof bars directly, therefore, you shouldn't find it difficult to find bars that will suit your vehicle perfectly. However, even though our TentBox can sit atop your vehicle, that doesn't necessarily mean that a roof tent is suitable for your vehicle.

Even if you can find roof bars that can fit onto the roof of your vehicle, you need to think about the weight of the roof bars in addition to the TentBox on the roof of your vehicle. Our TentBox Cargo weighs 72kg, the TentBox Classic weighs 67kg, the TentBox Lite XL weighs 62kg, the TentBox Lite weighs 50kg and our TentBox GO weighs just 33kg. You need to make sure that the roof bars you've got installed can support the weight of the TentBox.

Furthermore, your car or vehicle roof needs to be able to sustain the roof bars in addition to the TentBox but don't worry about the weight of anything in the TentBox (we'll get to this point further on). You should always check with the manufacturer and model of your vehicle of the load capacity as this will vary from car to car, however, nearly all vehicles will be able to carry our TentBox!

What to Think About Before Getting a Roof Tent

What Speed Can I Drive at With my Roof Tent?

There are many benefits to having a roof tent on your vehicle, but you need to know your restrictions and whether it is suitable for your way of living. Your speed is restricted to 70mph/120kmph. The national speed limit for dual carriageways and motorways in the UK is 70mph, so your speed shouldn't exceed this, but we know that many of you like to push to 80mph on the motorway and if this sounds like you, then you will need to bear this in mind when a roof tent is fitted to your vehicle. It's a given, but you must always have your roof tent closed as you're driving and drive at the speed limit.

Can I Sleep in my Tent in Windy Weather?

Now, that's a good question; every TentBox is rated for wind speeds of up to 50mph/80kmph. In normal UK weather, you're highly unlikely to be experiencing these wind speeds as that's gale force 9, so you're quite safe to use your TentBox on a normal, breezy day. However, we recommend that you don't get into the habit of opening your TentBox in an open area on a particularly windy day.

What about the Weight in the TentBox?

Our roof tents are sturdy tents; they can hold a maximum of 300kg of weight! Seeing as most of our models sleep two people and a canine friend – and our Lite XL sleeps four adults – there's plenty of room left for all your goodies, so weight capacity shouldn't become an issue for many.

The weight of the people inside the roof tent wouldn't be an issue on the weight capacity of your vehicle, this is because vehicle load ratings are based on dynamic loads; this is the weight on the vehicle as it's moving. The TentBox should never be opened when the vehicle is moving and certainly shouldn't have anyone in it, therefore, the weight inside the TentBox is not an issue for the vehicle load capacity.

Even though the TentBox may be able to fit onto your vehicle, if you have a low, small vehicle, then the weight of the roof bars and the roof tent may affect the suspension, speed, acceleration, power and even the fuel that you are consuming when the vehicle is in use, therefore, you should be sure to check all of the above points before installing a TentBox.

What makes TentBox Special?

Car roof tents have been around for many years before cars were better equipped to handle the dimensions and weight of a rooftop tent. However, TentBox wanted to make the roof tent better suited to many different vehicles.

Our soft shell TentBoxes – the GO, Lite and Lite XL – are our lightest roof tents, with the GO weighing just 33kg! This makes them a perfect option for those of you with a smaller vehicle or for those of you that are worried about the weight on your vehicle affecting your driving.

Our hard shell TentBoxes – the Classic and Cargo – are also revolutionary roof tents; they feature a sleek design and a super-strong shell on the outside which completely protects them from any wind and rain when you're driving along and when you're camping!

TentBox has provided rooftop tents to many different vehicles; if you're unsure whether a roof tent will work with your vehicle, then simply ask and we'll do our best to help!

The roof tents at TentBox will work with most vehicles and can provide a vast array of benefits that will open a whole new world to you.