Hi,

i am receiving my Defender next week and I am only planning on putting a roof tent with 56 Kilos on top and then have the four of us sleep in there. So the question is should I use cross bars or a roof rack. The dynamic load is ok with both but when it comes to static load I have no idea if the bars are good enough as I need as we all together plus the tent come to around 300 kilos. Any thoughts?

 

300 kg is right at the maximum static load for the Defender's roof. I'd personally look for a tent design that has poles that will transfer some of that weight to the ground if possible.

 

Ignoring the defender roof load and addressing only your question:

Either a rack with 6+ mounting points/feet or a set of 3 cross bars so that your load is distributed among 3 bars/6 mounts.

 

If I were looking to put that much weight on my roof, I would absolutely be looking at a full rack with as many mounting points as possible. The paradox there is that the heavier the rack, the less headroom you have to put more tents, people, etc. up there. I see rooftop tents as something that works for two people but 4 is really pushing it.

 

Serious question, trying to learn. Why would you go to all this trouble, introduce all that weight at the highest point of the truck when driving, and risk bending/warping/cracking something when you have 700 pounds walking around on your roof, when a couple hundred USDollars will get you a perfectly great tent that goes on the ground? Not trying to be a smartass — I truly don’t understand why a person wouldn’t rule out a RTT for 4 people immediately. What is the draw that makes it worth the considerable expense, risk of damage, inconvenience of climbing up and down a ladder one at a time (especially for nighttime **** breaks), and degradation of cornering performance on-road? I’ve never been inside a RTT — is there some magic I’m not thinking of?

Again, I don’t mean to get anything started; just truly not understanding the draw.

 

There are a lot of benefits to getting up off the ground when camping from avoiding things like minor discomforts (like sleeping on wet or cold ground), to moderate issues like biting insects to the major like animals that could potentially cause you serious harm. My wife will pretty much refuse to camp on the ground now that she has experienced a rooftop tent. I just look at it as one vehicle is for two people and all their gear and comfort items and sleeping.

 

The LR cross bars come in pairs, are different lengths and only fit in the designated spots. If you're looking for 3 bars, you'll need to look for other brands

 

I used Thule Pro bars, they have higher load rating and you can add them as many as you want, 2, 3, 4.. easy to install, very sturdy and have additional T slots on bottom and backside for mounting lights etc.. < Thule Probar >

Other concern I had why I did not use LR own bars is the lift and force tent adds to your car at high speeds, you don't want that thing to tear off your roof when going over 80..

Having camped and slept in tents for several decades, moving to rooftop tent was definitely very good decision, we can now sleep in places where tenting is nigh impossible, it's absurdly fast to open and pack it (we have clamshell version) and we also keep our linen and blankets/pillows in the tent, very comfortable. You also get nice views from high up .
I moved kids to sleep downstairs, more privacy for everyone

 

@NoGaBiker - I'm kinda with you on this one. If someone wants to bling out their Defender and go Bieber it out - that's great with me. If someone is an off-road houligan - ditto. Same with RTT's. "You do you" is my motto. Me, I'm a 20th Century Curmudgeon with a bit of camping experience. I used to pride myself for a number of years. For a span of maybe a decade, I'd camp out at least a 100 days a year. It was my "thing". I might have a dozen tents: Taj Mahals; 1, 2, 3-person; hammock tents; yada yada. My FAVORITE is a Coleman I picked up for $25 after a camping jamboree. I have always said: take the rating of the tent, divide by 2 and that's how many people can fit in it. It's a 2 person tent that fits me and my cot perfectly. Long ago I went with a cot, folding side table, and a coffee can. With those three things I can camp anywhere, any time. I can set up in about 5 minutes. 10 if it's raining. I'm perfectly comfortable with the fact that someone with an RTT can beat me setting up camp. But not by much. We all make choices and compromises. Other's are proud how cool their RTT's look. I'm proud of the fact that I don't need an RTT. However, while I'm fascinated by them, I'd likely not get one at a 10th of the cost. I'm building out a trailer to help haul gear, but I'd do that whether I had an RTT or not. In fact, most of the folks with the military utility trailer I am rebuilding will eventually put an RTT on them. Not even tempted.

 

I hear ya. I come from the Ultralight backpacking camp -- haven't even used a tent since 2001. I have a 6 ounce Hexamid Pocket Tarp from Z-Packs for the rare occasions when it's actually raining at night, but otherwise it's mattress-bag-inflatable pillow and that's it. My wife doesn't camp, and my girl (now grown) is more burly about camping than I am, LOL. But damned if your setup doesn't sound awfully comfy. I'm just afraid it would play havoc with my 8-pound total pack weight.

That said, I can certainly see using a 4-man tent for camping with wifey and two little kids, if they were into that sort of thing. But I still would use a tent-in-a-bag thrown in back. Otherwise, I'd get a Sprinter and not even have to get up on the roof!