Compatibility
How do you know if a rooftop tent is compatible with your vehicle?
Choosing the right rooftop tent for your vehicle is essential to guarantee safety, comfort, and stability on every outdoor adventure. Before purchasing, make sure your car can properly support a hard-shell rooftop tent by checking a few key technical requirements.
1. Check your vehicle’s roof load capacity
The most important factor in determining rooftop tent compatibility is your vehicle’s roof load capacity — it must safely support the weight of the tent, both while driving and when parked.
Dynamic Load Capacity → Refers to the maximum weight your roof can carry in motion. It should be equal to or greater than the closed hard shell tent weight.
Static Load Capacity → This is the maximum weight the roof can hold when parked, usually around three times the dynamic value, allowing it to safely support the rooftop tent and its occupants.
You can find this information in your car’s manual or by contacting the manufacturer.
2. Check your roof rack compatibility
To install your Montaña Active rooftop tent, your vehicle must have strong crossbars with adequate load capacity.
Most factory-installed racks are not designed for the extra weight of a hard shell rooftop tent, so we recommend using heavy-duty crossbars built specifically for outdoor gear and high loads.
Normal roof
A bare vehicle roof without rails, rain gutters or fixed points, requiring additional crossbars to mount a roof top tent.
Fixed points
Roof with factory-installed mounting points for securing a roof top tent or compatible roof rack system.
Raised rail
Raised rails with space between the roof and the railing, allowing easy installation of crossbars for a roof top tent.
3. Make sure you have the right mounting system
Montaña Active rooftop tents are compatible with most standard crossbars, provided they meet the following criteria:
- Bars with rectangular, aerodynamic, or oval profiles
- Proper distance between bars to align with the tent’s mounting points (see product specs)
- Load capacity equal to or higher than the rooftop tent’s weight
We always recommend having your setup checked by a qualified mechanic.
If your vehicle meets these requirements, you’re ready to safely install your hard shell rooftop tent and start new outdoor adventures.
If you have any questions or need help verifying your setup, our team is ready to assist.
We’ll guide you through choosing the right mounting system and rooftop tent for your next adventure.
(Montaña Active assumes no civil or criminal liability.)
