What Rooftop Tent Solution do You Recommend for My 2012 Honda Pilot?  

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Expert Reply:

I have a tent solution for you. I researched all of our available roof racks for mounting on a bare-roof 2012 Honda Pilot, and unfortunately all of our available roof racks have very limited weight capacity due to the clip/clamp-on style. For a roof top tent, it is strongly recommended to either mount crossbars on flush or raised factory rails. This is because the weight capacity of these attachment styles are higher and can accommodate a safe amount of static weight capacity needed to support a tent plus body weight.

For a creative solution that utilizes your factory 2-inch hitch, the safest bet is to use a trailer with crossbars like the Yakima Rack and Roll Trailer - 78" # Y08107. The crossbars on the trailer are adjustable from 4-48 inches wide in order to accommodate the clamps of a roof top tent. Also, this option completely eliminates the weight capacity issue on the available crossbar systems we have for your roof. In order to install the tail lights on the trailer, I recommend the 4-way harness # 118265 if your Pilot does not have one installed already.

In addition to the harness, you need a ball mount like the Curt Ball Mount for 2" Hitches - 1" Rise, 2" Drop - 8,000 lbs # C74WR along with the # EH68C-C. It is important to note that the ideal height to use the Rack and Roll trailer is 22 inches from the ground to the ball. In order to give you the height you need, I provided a product page that shows our available rise/drop hitches. I recommend measuring the height from the ground to your hitch receiver to make sure you confirm what height you have on your vehicle.

For the tent itself, I recommend the Thule Foothill - 2 Person - 400 lbs # TH37HJ. The Exploerer Ayer 2 accommodates 2 people up to 400 pounds and comes with a high-density foam mattress.

As with all towing applications, I recommend confirming with your owner's manual to make sure that your vehicle is rated to tow the weight of the trailer and a roof top tent.

expert reply by: Bob C

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