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  5. How do you know if a rooftop tent fits your vehicle?
In a grassy misty field a vehicle is parked with a white Thule Approach rooftop tent and people sit with camp gear.

How do you know if a rooftop tent fits your vehicle?

We know how important it is to make sure that your rooftop tent is secure and safe. That’s why it is important that your tent fits your vehicle properly.

Luckily, we’ve tested our car top tents with many vehicles and all Thule roof racks to provide a guaranteed fit. Head over to the rooftop tent subcategory page, click “Select vehicle”, insert your specific vehicle model and your roof racks to see which roof tents fit your vehicle.

For your reference, the most important thing that determines vehicle compatibility is whether the rooftop tent weighs less that the max load capacity of your car, both when the car is moving and when it is parked. See below more details.

Dynamic weight capacity

The dynamic weight capacity is the weight your car can handle when driving. This is the maximum weight capacity specified by your vehicle’s brand car. It’s basically the weight capacity needed to hold your rooftop tent. 

An illustration that shows one arrow pointing down on a car on the street with a folded rooftop tent.

Static weight capacity

The static weight capacity, on the other hand, is the weight that your car can take when the car is parked, the tent is set up and the ladder is added. Since the ladder adds extra support, the static weight capacity is usually three times more than the dynamic weight capacity. This tells you the weight needed to hold the tent and the people sleeping inside.

An illustration of a car with an unfolded rooftop tent and three arrows pointing down.

Use our fit guide to simplify the process!

We do all the calculations so that you don’t have to. Just select your car brand, car model and manufacture year into our guide and we’ll suggest some of our rooftop tents that fit your car. 

Roof rack fit

You will want to buy an aftermarket roof rack since they have a higher weight capacity than most factory installed racks that come with your car.

Roof top tents fit on most Thule roof racks. Use the car selector on the rooftop tent subcategory page and select your Thule roof racks to get a guaranteed fit.

A man and woman sit in a roof top tent on Thule roof racks looking at each other.

Tested to the limit

At the Thule Test Center™ in Hillerstorp, Sweden, our rooftop tents go through many extremely rigorous tests before they are deemed worthy of the Thule logo. Below are just a few examples of the many tests conducted.

At the Thule Test Center, a person in a poncho lifts the flap on a Thule rooftop tent during a rain simulation.
Rain and wind tests

Our state-of-the-art rain chamber simulates torrential rain and our industrial-sized fan blows at high speeds to ensure that the tent can withstand the worst weather 
At the Thule Test Center, a man watches as a Thule rooftop tent is mounted on a shaker table simulating a vehicle roof.
Multi-axis shaker table

This test simulates a vehicle driving great distances with a car tent to ensure that the tent, car racks, and car roof all fit securely and stand the test of time 
At the Thule Test Center, a Thule rooftop tent rests on a testing table.
Climate cycle test

We place a tent in a climate cycle chamber and subject it to high and low humidity, as well as extreme winter and summer temperatures to ensure that it can handle any weather 
At the Thule Test Center, a man is using a tool to check something on a Thule rooftop tent.
City Crash test

We conduct multiple crash tests at different speeds and weights to ensure the rooftop tent will stay on your car at all costs

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