How to fit a roof tent

By the Overlanding.info team · Last checked 19 October 2026

This is an outline of the job, not a replacement for your tent's instructions. Every tent and set of roof bars fits differently, so follow the maker's manual for yours at every step.

Before you start

The Highway Code says you must not overload your vehicle, and you must secure your load so it doesn't stick out dangerously (rule 98). Your vehicle must also be legal and roadworthy before you set off (rule 97). With a roof tent, that means checking three things before you lift anything:

• Your car's roof load limit, from the handbook.
• Your roof bars' load rating, from the bar maker.
• The tent's published weight, from the tent maker.

Check the tent and bars against both limits. Will a roof tent fit my car? walks through the sums, and the roof load checker does them for you.

Check your bars suit the tent too. Thule, for example, says its mounting brackets fit its Approach and Basin tents directly, while some of its other tents need mounting rails as well. For the different ways bars attach to a car, see roof bar fitting types.

Tools and helpers

• At least one helper. TentBox says to lift its Lite onto the roof bars with at least one other person.
• The fixings that came with the tent. TentBox's Lite uses fixing plates, bolts and U-shaped clamps supplied with the tent. Thule's mounting brackets come as a set of four with a torque spanner.
• Anything else the manual lists. Check before you start rather than halfway through with the tent on the roof.

Steps

In outline, using TentBox's published guide for the Lite as an example:

1. Lift the tent onto the bars with your helper and centre it.
2. Line it up with the car. TentBox says to mount it parallel to the line of the road, not at an angle, to avoid extra lifting forces.
3. Fix it at every clamping point. On the Lite that's four points, each with a U-shaped clamp on two bolts either side of the roof bar.
4. Tighten every fixing to the maker's instructions.

Other tents use different fittings. Thule's brackets slot into rails on the tent, then twist and tighten, and lock.

Torque and checks

Use only the torque figure or method your tent maker gives. TentBox's Lite guide doesn't give a figure: it says the nuts must be adequately tightened. Thule's torque spanner clicks when a bracket is tight enough.

Once it's fitted, TentBox suggests giving the tent a hard shove in each direction, especially front to back, to check nothing moves, and confirming every clamp is secure.

If you're fitting a second-hand tent, check every fixing is there and matches the manual first: see buying a used roof tent.

After the first drive

TentBox says roof bars can loosen after the first significant load, so retighten them after the first night or similar, and keep checking them regularly. Follow your tent and bar makers' instructions on how often to check.

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