Roof tent

Yes, precisely. Although very few people seem to use them for anything other than the things you've mentioned anyway, so it's a bit of a moot point!
Of course, it is possible to exceed the roof capacity in the same way that you can exceed the towing capacity or payload, and not suffer any direct consequences. The trouble is, that one day when things don't go to plan the owner then becomes culpable for their negligence and the price for that can be a hefty one! It's what is commonly known as "winging it". That's why I think it's important that people are aware of the facts. It's then up to individuals to make their own decisions based on that information. Obviously Front Runner have no interest in telling you that their £800 product is essentially no more than an ornament.

I have a pair of BMW (and others)cross bars bolted directly to the roof, they are perfect for the items that won't fit inside the car like pallets or sheep hurdles or kitchen worktops. They are rated at 50kg and probably still safe at 4 times that in much the same way that the roof underneath the feet is unlikely to buckle or the captive m6 bolts are likely to strip or shear at a similar weight. That doesn't mean I am comfortable putting anything like that kind of load on the roof. The risk out weighs the reward. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Hi all,

Thanks for all the extra info, it is indeed what I expected.
The great benefit of a roof tent is that you don't need a camping spot to set up your tent.
I was just wondering if there is a specific roof tent for the Jimny, if so, I would like to try this to see if this is a nice way to camp.
But it's now clear to me that this will not be the case.
So we just go camping in our normal tent.

Thanks for all your input!

There is this expensive option Inflatable RTT weight 25kg, not sure if you need a full rack to fit it or whether roof bars would do?

2500 euros? Yeah I'll have one for each day of the week! Oh no not that, I'd sooner stay in a country house hotel. It's the fact that they have enough of a market at that price that is more worrying.

Marloes van Oijen wrote: The great benefit of a roof tent is that you don't need a camping spot to set up your tent.

But you do need a parking spot, and camping in most places where you can park is not allowed, unless it's a campsite. If you're trying to be stealthy, having a tent on top of your car makes your intentions very obvious! I do lots of camping, both on campsites and wild camping, mostly on a motorcycle, and I never have any trouble finding places to pitch a small tent. I can't think of many wild spots that would have worked with a roof tent though. Often I will park up and then camp somewhere a short walk from the vehicle. Again, not an option with a roof tent. I have to say, I really don't get the obsession with them. They have this image of the being the ultimate freedom, yet as far as I can see the reality is that they are more of an inconvenience!