Roof load calculator: will a rooftop tent fit your car?
How do you quickly work out whether a roof tent fits your car? That's what we built the free roof load check below for. Enter the make, model and year of your car (or have it filled in automatically from your Dutch registration) and we look up the maximum roof load according to the manufacturer in our table of over 300 car models. You then see straight away whether your roof tent combination fits.
To be honest: car manufacturers only publish the roof load in the owner's manual, there is no official central database. Our table is compiled from owner's manuals, manufacturer data and type-approval data per model and generation, but your version may differ (panoramic roof, high roof, convertible, V8). The result is therefore an indication without guarantee. If your car is not in our table, we simply say so: then you check your owner's manual and enter the value yourself. For classic cars (built before 1990) the check deliberately gives no result.
Free roof load check
Step 1: enter your car
Do you know the exact roof load of your car? Enter it and we'll use that instead of our table.
With a panoramic roof, the roof load is often lower than standard, or not permitted.
Step 2: choose your roof tent and roof bars
The roof load shown comes from our table of manufacturer data per model and generation and is given without guarantee: your version may differ and no rights can be derived from it. We calculate with the weight of the tent without the ladder (it lies in the car while driving) plus 7 kg for an average set of roof bars; if your set weighs more, adjust the number. If your car is not in the table, we don't guess but tell you what to look up in your manual. For cars built before 1990 we give no result. Always check your car's owner's manual and the specifications of your roof bars. Registration data via RDW Open Data (Dutch registrations only). In doubt? Call us: +31 6 28075883.
How does the calculation work?
The rule is simple: weight of roof tent + weight of roof bars ≤ dynamic roof load of your car. The people sleeping in it don't count, they fall under the much higher static roof load, because the car is stationary then.
The check looks up your car in our table of over 300 models and generations. It lists per model the maximum roof load as the manufacturer states it in the owner's manual, the price list or the type approval. Where sources differ, we use the lowest value. If you already know the exact roof load of your car, enter it: then we calculate with that.
What counts. The weight of the tent without the ladder, because the ladder lies in the car while driving, plus the weight of your roof bars. By default we use 7 kg for a set of aluminium bars; if your set weighs more, enter that instead. You get green as soon as tent plus bars stay within your car's roof load. Bedding and items left in the closed tent officially count too, so keep that light.
Is your car not in the table? Then we don't give an estimate. We used to calculate with typical values per vehicle class, but experience shows that goes wrong too often: a Suzuki Jimny may only carry 30 kg, a Honda Jazz 35 kg, a Toyota Hilux just 50 kg, while a VW Transporter with three bars takes 150 kg. An average says little. Instead, we tell you exactly how much roof load you need and where to find it in your manual.
Why the roof load differs so much per car
While researching the manufacturer values, a few things stood out that you might not expect:
- Small cars and many crossovers are under 60 kg. Toyota Aygo and Yaris, VW up!, Ford Fiesta and Puma, Mazda 2, Fiat 500 and Panda: all 50 to 55 kg. No hardshell roof tent fits those.
- A rugged look means nothing. The Suzuki Jimny may carry 30 kg, the Jeep Wrangler with hardtop 45 kg, the Ford Bronco 50 kg and the Jeep Grand Cherokee 68 kg. The Toyota Hilux is at 50 kg according to type approval (Toyota NL states 75 kg, we use the lowest).
- Pickup? Then the tent goes on the load bed. On a pickup (Hilux, Ranger, Navara, D-Max, Amarok) we always mount the roof tent on a canopy (hardtop) or on a bed rack, never on the cab roof. The cab's roof load therefore doesn't matter. Read how that works or ask us about the options.
- Electric cars are a story of their own. VW ID.3 and ID.5, the Cupra Born, the Renault Zoe and the BMW i3 allow no roof load at all, the Nissan Leaf 35 kg. The ID.4, ID.7 and Skoda Enyaq are at 75 kg.
- Vans and big 4x4s are the safe choice. VW Transporter, Mercedes Vito, Ford Transit Custom and the Stellantis vans (Expert, Jumpy, Vivaro, Proace) reach 100 to 170 kg. Land Cruiser, Defender 110, Range Rover, G-Class and Grenadier sit at 100 to 150 kg.
- It can flip per generation. The Mercedes A-Class went from 100 to 75 kg, the Kia Niro too, the new Audi Q5 even to 50 kg. That's why we ask for your model year.
- Panoramic roof, high roof, pop-up roof and convertible often reduce the roof load considerably or rule out roof bars. A VW California or Mercedes Marco Polo with pop-up roof, for example, may only carry 50 kg.
Weight table: our roof tents
| Model | Weight | + bars (7 kg) | Minimum roof load needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCM Dune (2 pers.) | 60.5 kg | 67.5 kg | 68 kg |
| LCM Oasis (2 to 3 pers.) | 66 kg | 73 kg | 73 kg |
| LCM Savannah (2 to 3 pers.) | 74 kg | 81 kg | 81 kg |
Classic cars: why we don't give a number
If you enter a year before 1990, the check deliberately gives no result. That's not unwillingness but honesty: there is hardly any usable data for classics, and the construction is different. The gutters and rain strips of a Beetle or an old Land Rover were designed for a couple of suitcases, not for a hardshell roof tent of 60 to 74 kilos plus roof bars.
Does that mean a roof tent on a classic is never possible? No. With a light softshell tent and a properly fitted gutter rack you see it regularly, especially at shows. But that is a different product from our hardshells and it requires custom work. Feel free to call or message us: +31 6 28075883. We'd rather say honestly that something doesn't fit than have you stranded on the motorway with it.
Where do I find the exact roof load of my car?
- Owner's manual: search for “roof load”, “roof rack load” or “maximum roof weight” (usually under “driving with luggage” or in the weights table)
- Manufacturer's website: the manual is often available as a PDF by make + year, and older price lists often list the roof load in the technical data
- Your dealer: one phone call with your vehicle details and you have the answer
Note: if your car has a panoramic or glass roof, the roof load may be lower than standard. And also check the maximum load of your roof bars themselves.
Does it fit? Then we'll take care of the rest
If you collect the roof tent, we help with fitting and, as an extra service, use stronger, better-quality bolts than the ones in the package. You arrange suitable roof bars yourself, but with the result of this check we advise you exactly which ones you need. Feel free to send us a screenshot of your result via the contact page or message us: +31 6 28075883.
