Rooftop Tent Options For A 2003 Honda Element With Yakima Round Bar Roof Rack

Question:

Id like to put the Thule Tepui Explorer Autana 3 Rooftop tent with annex to 2003 Honda Element. I currently have Yakima Roof rack see photos. Im not sure of the Yakima model. Im wondering if theres a rack attachments that I can install that will allow me to move the distance between the round poles to fit the requirements for this tent. The distance currently is only 28.5inch and the tent requires 33.5inch minimum. OR do I need to get a Thule rack system? If so, which one will allow me to put this tent on my Element? Thank you.

asked by: April

Expert Reply:

Your 2003 Honda Element uses what we call "fixed mounting points" for the roof rack towers. Meaning there is not any way to change the distance between the crossbars. Even if you go with a different brand, they are going to be fixed at 28.5". So there would be no way to accommodate the Thule Tepui # TH8001ASK05.

You could potentially use a rooftop tent like the Yakima Skyrise HD # Y07436, which will fit a crossbar spread between 26" and 40-1/2". There is an annex available # Y07421 if you would like to add that on. To be able to use the SkyRise on your vehicle, your roof rack must have a weight capacity of 165 lbs. So your Yakima Round Bar setup will have sufficient weight capacity to hold the tent.

The roof of your vehicle must also be rated to hold 165 lbs or more. You may want to check your owners manual and/or with a Honda dealership to verify that the roof can hold that kind of weight. This is often the limiting factor for most roof tent setups. A lot of vehicle roofs are not strong enough to hold a tent plus one or two people. Generally we only recommend using tents on a truck bed ladder rack setup or on vehicles with a reinforced roof structure. So you would be installing and using this at your own risk.

expert reply by: Jesse M