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Choosing your roof bars

  • 4 min reading time
Choisir ses barres de toit

Go Overland roof tents are designed to be installed on vehicles equipped with compatible roof cross bars, whether they are city cars, vans, 4x4s, utility vehicles, pick-ups, estate cars, etc.

Essential elements of your installation, the roof bars will allow you to securely attach your roof tent to your car. We will see together the essential weights to take into account in order to choose them.

What type of bars to choose and where to buy them?

First of all, it is crucial to distinguish between cross roof bars and longitudinal bars.

Longitudinal roof bars

These are the bars integrated into your vehicle, as standard. Longitudinal roof bars are not necessary for installing a roof tent. However, if you have them, it is necessary to check whether they are decorative or functional (the original ones are usually not). If they are purely decorative (solid or hollow), they do not allow the installation of a roof tent.

In the case of non-decorative longitudinal bars that are sufficiently strong, you can add clamp-on crossbars, which attach directly to the longitudinal bars, without requiring fixing feet.

Cross roof bars

This is the essential and necessary element for installing your roof tent. It is on these bars that the tent will be fixed. It is therefore essential to choose them carefully.

Depending on your vehicle, these bars can be attached:

  • On the longitudinal bars
  • On the roof anchor points (or rails)
  • In the gutters located on the roof of the vehicle

The choice of these bars must be made according to the model of your vehicle. To install a roof tent, two transverse roof bars are sufficient.

Which roof bar should I choose?

Go Overland tents are compatible with most roof bars, whether ultra-thin or very wide (up to 11 cm), round, square or flat. However, a few criteria must be respected to ensure optimal installation. The shape of your bars must be as simple as possible.

Our tent is compatible with all roof bars approved for a load greater than the weight of your tent.
The width allowing our fixing system to be fixed to your roof bars, otherwise known as the useful width, must be 70cm.
The distance between the roof and the top of the roof bar must be greater than 5cm to allow our fixings to fit.
The width of the roof bar tube must be less than 11cm
The spacing between the two roof bars should be approximately 70cm.

For panoramic or opening roofs, the bar fixings (transverse or longitudinal) must be placed on the metal bodywork, and not on the glass parts, so as not to damage the roof.

Can my poles and roof support the tent and its occupants?

Yes, even on a small vehicle. Your roof racks just need to be able to support the weight of the tent folded and empty.

It is essential to differentiate the load capacities between the vehicle roof, the roof bars and the tent itself:

  • The roof : although the bars are not fixed directly to the roof, they are fixed to the safety hoops, capable of supporting the weight of the vehicle in the event of a rollover.
  • Roof bars : when moving, they support the weight of the closed tent.
  • The roof tent : once stationary, the tent supports the weight of the occupants, according to the capacity indicated for each model.

Where can I buy my roof bars?

You can find suitable roof bars by entering your vehicle reference on various websites such as Oscaro, Avatacar, Mister-auto, AccessAuto 4×4, France Attelage, or in stores such as Norauto, Feu Vert, and at your car dealership.