Jimny for roof tent or small trailer

Hi folks,

sorry if this is the wrong section!

Basically I am looking to buy a small relatively reliable 4x4 to be mainly used for camping and short spins. Has to be small engined for tax and insurance. A few people have suggested a jimny to me so I've come here for advice. I'd love to stick a roof tent on whatever vehicle I eventually go for, or else I could bolt the roof tent to a small car trailer (with some larger tires than normal for better clearance).

I've been a passenger in a Jimny on the road a few times and they seem fun little things but I suspect sticking a hundred lbs plus tent on the roof would either be impossible or asking for trouble.

So I was thinking of a small trailer like one of the following with carry bars that I can attach the roof tent to:
www.leronitrailers.ie/trailers/domestic-trailers/saragos.html
www.leronitrailers.ie/trailers/domestic-trailers/florence.html

Any advice on how the jimny would get on pulling a small trailer like that? (particularly off road)Am I right in thinking that sticking a tent on the roof is a non runner?

Also, in general, would the Jimny be up to being trashed around a little? (I'll be using it for wild camping mostly)

I was thinking a 2007 or newer model.

Any help at all would be appreciated!

Drove round the top of Scotland for a total of 1090 miles with a wee 3x4 camping trailer plus the car being fully loaded with 3 guys and loads of pot noodles and it handled totally fine, if not better with the extra weight on the back. Unbraked I think the Jimny is good for towing up to 350kg? The now I've got a 8x4 braked trailer that it tows about no bother but no really using it for massive loads or anything.

Things to be wary of with such a lightweight trailer and a mounted tent are centre of gravity and overall mass. As has been mentioned the hand book for a Jimny gives the unbraked tow limit as 350kg but in the UK at least the legal maximum as set out in the construction and use regs is half the mass of the tow vehicle. Now given that the hand book also gives the braked tow limit as 450kg unless local regulations differ yet the vin plate stipulates a maximum of 1300kg this all puts the unbraked tow limit into the grayest of areas. How this translates outside the UK i don't know but look it up because it has a bearing on how much you can ballast a little trailer like in the link to accommodate having a 50 plus kg weight so high up. Also of importance are the reduced speed limits when towing making journey times longer. Further more towing anything with a Jimny will have a detrimental effect on the fuel consumption. I know this is all very dull and quite negative but I have and do keep looking at the idea of a roof tent or mounted trailer tent and honestly in Europe the necessity of such a thing is debatable at best, which is why I have so far kept with the simple ground tent. Nothing wrong with top tents but they are a compromise in so many ways.

Did the same trip with a 750kg caravan. No problems.

Thanks for the advice, yes it is debatable at best and if roof tent owners were honest there is no real necessity for one, particularly in Europe,.

However the convenience very much appeals! The camping I aim to do will be mainly around Ireland and will involve late in early out stops on what could often be private land. The speed of the roof, or in this case trailer attached, tent appeals. But I also plan to do some more regular camping too, so the speed, comfort and convenience is a plus.

I suppose I could just sleep in the car in the difficult places and set up a nice regular tent in the more secure ones I guess

I had not considered the ballast needed in the trailer and its resultant weight, very good point. I suppose I could strip the trailer down and almost attach the tent directly to the chassis of the trailer which would negate the need for ballast, but this is getting very elaborate and convoluted. I also have visions of destroying the little trailer when off road, beaching it etc and messing myself up on inclines.

Longer driving times, more fuel, I'll have to do some more thinking about this, or (gasp) look at something a bit bigger.