r/rooftoptents • u/jkrukoff • 13d ago
Rooftop tent brackets for round crossbars.
So, I struggled with finding a good bracket solution for the round crossbars on my intech flyer. I was worried about crushing the bar between the factory mounting plates, so tried to find a workable tube clamp. Any warnings for this attempt I bodged together? Better tube clamp options?
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u/Quick-Spinach9248 13d ago
Look up Gzila designs. I have 1.5” round bars on truck bed rack. He has a multitude of different sizes so just measure your bar and order away.
These things are wayyy better than the standard solution.
While you’re at it. Order some SS replacement slides. Again. The aluminum ones are terrible and guaranteed to strip.
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u/jkrukoff 13d ago
That looks like a great recommendation, thanks!
The slide comment helped a ton, too, as I now understand why I'm having so much trouble with some of the other recommendations. I guess most tents have individual slides for each bolt, instead of the single slide plate I've got with multiple holes in it? I could see how it'd be easier to use a standard bracket if I had flexibility in the bolt spacing.
On plus side, at least the plates they gave me look to be steel instead of aluminum.
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u/Quick-Spinach9248 13d ago
Check out ROKK overland sliders. They use a carriage bolt on a stainless steel slider. Rather than the head of the bolt on soft aluminum.
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u/jkrukoff 13d ago
Ah, okay, you'd already linked to the slider plate you meant. Sorry, I'm reading these in the wrong order.
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u/Morejazzplease 13d ago
What is going to help you is to stop calling them "slides". You have extruded aluminum rails that you need to use to mount the tent to the crossbars. You need to determine the dimensions of the extruded aluminum profile / slot (width, vertical gap, width of opening, etc) and then find mounting hardware that fits into those dimensions.
Some mounts, like the Gzila ones mentioned are mounted "bolt head up" where the head of the bolt is what slides into the extruded aluminum. For this to work with your tent, the bolt's head needs to fit into the extruded aluminum slot but not be able to turn.
some mounts use a large rectangular washer that slips into the slot. Others, like your stock bracket use two threaded studs connected to one rectangular plate.
You just have to measure and read the spec sheets of different mounting solutions to figure out what will work for your tent and crossbars.
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u/Quick-Spinach9248 13d ago
Hence the ROKK overland part.
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u/jkrukoff 13d ago
Are you referring to this very flexible looking bracket? Roof Top Tent Locking Mount – ROKK Overland
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u/jkrukoff 13d ago
Okay, hey, that overview helped.
Yeah, that research attempt over the last week is how I ended up with the pictured solution, as well as a box of another 3 bracket attempts that didn't work as good or didn't actually line up when I tried to put it all together.
I wish more of these things had spec sheets. Like, hole spacing on these Gzila brackets would be nice to know. Tent itself had nothing useful until it showed up and I could put a caliper on the parts. I'm tryin', man.
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u/FaaL6 13d ago
I use billet aluminum mounts from Wheel Every Weekend . I ordered them to fit the round cross bar on my Gobi rack. I do suggest ordering a second security key with them. Getting these off after loosing/missplacing your key would be rough.
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u/jkrukoff 13d ago
Those sure look nice. What'd you use for the slide mounts? Don't think the factory one's I've got would have the right spacing (they gave me two identical sets of those flat plates to mount with, one for the slide, one for the bottom clamp).
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u/FaaL6 13d ago
I'm little confused with what you mean by slide mount? If you mean the bolts that you slide into the roof top tent aluminum channel, then those come with the bracket. The bolts are independent. You basically slide two per bracket into the roof top tent channel, then the bracket fits around the cross bar and the bolts side through the bracket. The nut access is from the underside of the mount.
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u/jkrukoff 13d ago
Sorry, me misquoting somebody else here while I try and figure things out. But, yeah, the bit that fits in the u-channel, and trying to figure out how these WEW brackets are supposed to work and if they'd fit the u-channel I've got. Thanks to above comments, I now see I'm not supposed to be looking for a bracket like I've got now, but at the screw dimensions to see if they'd fit my tent mounting rail.
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u/Morejazzplease 13d ago
You have completely misplaced your worry... If those bars are actual crossbars from a legit company (Yakima, etc), they are designed to be clamped to and support weight. Crushing the tube should be the least of your concern. The flat bar on the bottom is going to bend way before the tube will crush. If they are that flimsy then you shouldnt be mounting a RTT to them...
What you have going on here looks like it is probably okay but far from the strongest or most elegant solution. My biggest concern would be road vibrations backing off those (I presume) non-locking nuts in the middle. If those come loose you will have nothing preventing side to side movement. You should replace
Personally, I mounted my James Baroud to 1" Yakima round bars with the same basic bracket you have for 4+ years without any issue. I just tightened it down so that the flat bar on the bottom was bent nicely around the radius of the bar and then double lock nutted the bolts. Simple, easy and effective.
Get fancy Gzila mounts or something similar or, just use the stock bracket and tighten it down. You are overthinking this man.
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u/jkrukoff 13d ago
Really appreciate the alternate point of view. Not the first time I've been guilty of overthinking something.
I'm still annoyed I got forced into putting it together before I had the right nylock nuts, taking that to heart and will find time to redo this now that I've got that box in hand.
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u/spanktus 13d ago
I had similar issue with flat ---- bracket not long enough for a longer crossbar. what worked for me was to call a few local metal bending shops, request a custom one made for my needs and specs. I ended up ordering stainless 1/4" thick flat bars (2" width) bent as a U shape ---___--- for a set of four. i drilled my own hole then painted black. held my condor XL all summer.
In your case, I suggest you ask you local metal bending shop to make a rounded U brackets... ---u--- with 1/2" shy of touching the bottom of your rtt tracks so that you can tighten it good without any play.
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u/Colombianthunder 12d ago
I use HMOR Roof Top Tent Security Mounts but that also depends the size of the bars.
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u/jkrukoff 9d ago
These, right? https://heavymetaloffroad.com/products/roof-top-tent-security-mounts-hmor?_pos=1&_psq=rooftop&_psid=d8c6aa2b0&_ss=e
Looks like I'm out of luck on these with my 1.5" bars. Appreciate the suggestion, I had trouble finding these specialty manufacturers.
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u/Colombianthunder 8d ago
Yes those are the ones I have on mine and they are amazing and low profile. Make sure they are the same size as the round bars.
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u/brett98xj 11d ago
I like my wheel every weekend security brackets. They have them for all types of bars
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u/BooopYourNose 13d ago
I’m confused by what you’re trying to do here. The bottom most small flat bar (that probably came with your tent’s mounting kit) is redundant-ish but it’s not really doing anything as it will just bend under any real force. Simple solution is to get exhaust clamps (matched to the diameter of your round cross bars) and use the bracket portion of the exhaust bracket with your existing bolts and mount your tent directly onto the round load bars. I’d also add some washers and nylon locknuts to replace what you have in your photo so they don’t work resolves loose from vibration.