GEN 3 Roof Rack & RTT

[arb098]

I'm going to ask this one more time to confirm it before I royally screw up. If I install aftermarket crossbars (Yakima, Thule, Etc), will that be sufficient to carry and use a roof top tent as long as the bars meet the spec requirements? Last thing I want is for the whole rack system to pull out while I'm going down the road.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

I personally wouldn't do it but you might be okay and get by with it.

 

[SONICMASD]

Check your owner's manual or the roof rack on the Gen3 for a weight rating. The Gen 2 had a max load of 100lbs so unless Mitsu beefed up the rack on the Gen 3 I don't think it would work.

 

[coffeegoat]

I would be hesitant - I carry a fair bit of lumber on top of my Gen III, and on more than one occasion the rails have "shifted" when I strapped some stuff down. I would guess things are just loose, but it would make me nervous. I intend to pull the headliner eventually and replace the rails with some 8020 extruded aluminum and then build a complete roof rack out of the 8020 stuff. It'll end up being ~450 or so and entirely modular, but I don't currently have 450 sooo... it's on the back burner for right now.

If you want something cheap for the short term I threw some unistrut from home depot on on the rails as some short term crossbars, the standard beam clamps work great to attach it down.

 

[Inyo_man]

Below is a thread I posted a while back regarding the factory "roof rails".
If your rig has seen a solid amount of off highway use with weight on the top, I'd consider replacing them.

http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/113873-Gen-III-roof-rails-rack

 

[Sepstero]

Messaged arb098 but figured I'd add to the thread for general knowledge after I've finally updated my build thread.

I mounted a Freespirit RTT (~135 lbs) on 2 random brand aluminum crossbars attached to the roof rails of my 2003 Montero.

I slept two people up there (~290lbs) for 5 straight weeks with no issues, and have rattled the Montero through some of the Alpine Loop, Big Bend NP, and a variety of forest roads through ~19,000 miles over the last six months.

I have a third crossbar up there, but it only supports the RTT indirectly, via the extension 80/20 that I ran from the tent base to mount my ARB awning.

I definitely haven't done anything like the Rubicon with it, but from my experience I'd say a reasonably light RTT is totally fine.