Autohome Columbus XL Install Question

[Pappy]

Ordered today, but I do have one install question. How much overhang off the load bar can the tent have in the rear? Right now I'm looking at anyplace between 24" and 32". Is there a magic number that is too much?

 

[PIC4GOD]

You may want to contact Autohome for an answer especially from a warranty perspective. I only have about two inches of overhang on the sides and none on the front or rear. I would not feel comfortable with any more. There is no rigid structure in the fiberglass shell so personally I would not advise any overhang.

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[Pappy]

Thanks. The phone number on the website goes to a fax. The fax number also goes to a fax. Email doesn't seem to work either.

 

[erstwild]

I have a Columbus XL Small on a Jeep Patriot. There are several feet that overhang at the front (small end), and they (Autohome) said it would be fine "if you don't jump up and down on the overhang". I have never had a problem or warping.

 

[Pappy]

I have a Columbus XL Small on a Jeep Patriot. There are several feet that overhang at the front (small end), and they (Autohome) said it would be fine "if you don't jump up and down on the overhang". I have never had a problem or warping.

Thanks. My overhang would be at the rear/fat end. I suspect I'm going to be OK, but I would like to know if I can push the overhang off the back to 32".

 

[Pappy]

I decided not to take a chance and installed a pair of additional load bars. As far as I can tell the t-track on the bottom of the Columbus doesn't run full length, so the additional two bars will be supporting weight only. They will not be attached to the Columbus. I have some foam tubing to put under those two bars to keep the tent from bouncing on the bars. All hardware is Yakima 1A towers and round bars. Front two bars are attached to the cab gutters. Bar #3 is attached with a Yakima WideBody mount bolted through single wall fiberglass. Bar #4 is mounted with a Yakima WideBody bolted into 5 rivet nuts since the backside was double wall.

 

[Lemsteraak]

That should support the tent well. The Yakima towers have a very sharp edge on top where the alloy casting goes over the bar. Since you have a very wide tent, this will be in contact with the bottom of the tent. I used to file the edge so it had a softer contour. You can also put a piece of hard plastic or pipe insulation on top of the bars to "fair" them.

One thing I found, if the tent overhangs the roof on the sides a lot you can get a weird end plate air flow and it affected my gas mileage. With the narrower tents I never noticed a difference in fuel consumption. It if is a problem, you might want to tape a couple telltales on the outside edges and see what is happening. Might have to make a couple winglets ;-)

 

[Pappy]

Donedeal. Off to the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route I go. I did remove the very front load bar. It really wasn't doing anything.

 

[Pappy]

The Yakima towers have a very sharp edge on top where the alloy casting goes over the bar. Since you have a very wide tent, this will be in contact with the bottom of the tent. I used to file the edge so it had a softer contour. You can also put a piece of hard plastic or pipe insulation on top of the bars to "fair" them.

Well, I see what you are talking about on the Yakima towers. An engineer buddy didn't like the fact that the tent was sitting on top of those projections, then pinched down in the middle. I ended up using 1" PVC sch40. I had to slice the pipe lengthwise, then use a heat gun to get it to slip over the load bars. I also used a 1/8" spacer under the t-track to space it so I didn't pull the t-track out from the tent.