Can you carry a roof tent and a roof box together?

By the Overlanding.info team · Updated 21 October 2026 · Sources checked 21 October 2026

The short answer

Sometimes. Both sit on the same roof and bars, so the total load is what counts. Add the tent, the bars, the box and what's inside it, then compare that dynamic total with your car's roof limit and your rack's rating. Check bar type, length and spacing, and get both makers to confirm the combination before you fit it.

Add the whole load to the dynamic limit

Your car's roof load limit is in its manual. Thule describes it as the maximum weight the roof can safely support, and says to use the dynamic figure as your guide when you plan what to carry. Thule: how to pack safely with a roof box

Thule gives a sum for a box: roof load limit, minus the roof racks, minus the empty box, leaves the cargo you can carry. A roof tent on the same bars takes its weight from the same limit, so add its published weight to that sum. TentBox says the roof load limit of your vehicle must be adequate for the weight of its model. TentBox user guidelines

Your rack has a limit of its own. Thule says its roof racks have a maximum weight rating that must not be exceeded, and that the maximum weight of the system is set by the vehicle. Thule: car roof racks Use the lower of the figures you find.

Do not work out a static figure from the dynamic one. Dynamic is the driving limit. The static figure, which matters when you're asleep in the tent, has to come from your car maker or manual.

What goes in the box counts too, so plan it with packing your car for camping in mind.

Bars: type, length and spacing

Two bars is the usual set-up. TentBox recommends two good-quality bars, and says a third is optional if you plan to go off-roading. TentBox: roof bars for your car Its user guidelines say the bars need an adequate load limit for the model you're installing, and must be authorised for your vehicle. TentBox user guidelines

Bar type is a real limit. Thule says its WingBar Evo is compatible with rooftop tents and roof boxes, but its WingBar Edge is not compatible with rooftop tents. Thule describes the Edge as a solution for a bike rack or roof box. Thule: car roof racks A rack that suits your box may not suit your tent.

For spacing, TentBox lists 70 to 120 cm between cross bars for the Classic, and says a few centimetres either side of that range is acceptable. It says to place the tent as centrally as possible on the bars. TentBox: correct placement of roof bars

The tent and the box would sit one behind the other along the same bars. So the bars have to be long enough for both footprints and the gap between them. The TentBox pages checked do not give a bar length figure, and none of the pages checked say whether a roof box can share the bars with a tent. Ask both makers for their bar length and spacing figures, and check them against the bars you're buying.

Height and clearance

A box makes the car taller. Thule advises checking clearance for car parks and car washes with the box fitted. It also says to mount the box front-forward and parallel to the road. Thule: how to pack safely with a roof box

With a tent and a box both fitted, measure the car's height with everything in place and keep that figure where you'll see it. Check that the box lid still opens clear of the tent when the tent is open.

Loading and the law

The Highway Code rule on loading is short. Under rule 98 you "MUST NOT overload your vehicle or trailer", and you "MUST secure your load and it MUST NOT stick out dangerously". It also says heavy or sharp objects should be secured safely. Highway Code: rules 89 to 102 A box full of heavy kit adds to the same roof figure as the tent, so keep the total in mind every time you load up.

Questions to ask both makers

• Can this tent and this box share the same bars on my car, and what is the combined dynamic figure?
• What bar length and cross-bar spacing does each product need?
• Is this bar type approved for both products?
• If the roof can't take both, would you suggest a boot or tow-bar carrier instead? For the trade-offs, see roof box, roof tent or boot camping.

FAQs

Next: check your roof limit

Add up your car's roof figures with the roof load checker, then read will a roof tent fit my car? for the dynamic and static figures in more detail.

More in Roof bars and boxes