When it comes to camping, hauling, and off-road capability, it’s hard to match the Jeep Gladiator. From weekend camping trips to overland travels, the Jeep Gladiator has demonstrated its prowess.
While it’s not comfortable or quiet as its refined rivals, the truck is spacious and has a well-built interior. Basically, it’s equipped for those who are passionate about camping.
The question is can you mount a rooftop tent on your Jeep Gladiator? Well, the simple answer is yes, you can mount a rooftop tent on your Gladiator. In fact, there are two racks that we will be reviewing in this post.
Let’s jump in!
Table of Contents
The accessories you need to mount a rooftop tent on a Jeep Gladiator
The Gladiator is very well suited to experience a camping trip with the rooftop tent away from the streets and official campsites.
You only need a few parts to convert your vehicle so that you can also mount a roof tent. I would like to show you these parts in this article and describe them in detail.
You can easily buy all parts online and then assemble them yourself. When assembling the required parts, however, always make sure that all parts are correctly assembled and that all screws are tightened and secured with screw-locking varnish if possible.
1. Rhino-Rack Roof Rack
Outfit your Jeep Gladiator with Rhino-Rack Roof Rack. Sleek and aerodynamic, the roof rack can also fit the four-door hardtop Jeep Wrangler JK, and four-door hardtop Jeep Wrangler JL. Here are its features.
Key Features
Vortex Bars
The Rhino-Rack Roof Rack features flush-style Vortex bars. Cut to the exact width of your Jeep Gladiator roof, it’s stylish, quiet, and aerodynamic. As you already know, poorly designed roof racks affect your vehicle’s aerodynamic drag negatively.
This is because the frontal area of your Jeep Gladiator will increase the drag. However, this unit is aerodynamic. As such, you don’t have to worry about any negative drag. Not only that. It will add no extra weight to your Jeep and you’ll save on fuel.
Sturdy Build
Built with strong structural grade anodized aluminum, the rack can withstand the rooftop tent’s weight. It can also hold your weight. This is because the strong build ensures lasting durability and long life.
Not only that. The roof rack has an internal H shape which helps to provide exceptional bar strength. For a stylish look, the manufacturer finished the roof rack in black powder coating.
Strong Legs
Besides the internal H-shaped frame, the roof rack has strong legs. Made with glass-reinforced nylon, they provide excellent strength. They are also UV-treated to ensure lasting durability.
The legs also have theft deterrent hardware. Basically, you’ll need a special tool to loosen the rack. Now, you can rest easy that no one can steal your roof rack.
What We Liked
- Easy to mount
- Super strong
- Lightweight
- Made to fit
- Finished in black powder coating
What We Did Not Like
- None
2. TIOYAR Truck Bed Rack Rhino-Rack Roof Rack
Get the TIOYAR Truck Bed Rack for your next road trip. This ultra truck bed rack works and plays hard. With this unit, you get a whole world of new possibilities. Here are its features.
Key Features
Heavy Duty Construction
Made with heavy-duty aluminum alloy, the TIOYAR Truck Bed Rack is durable and super strong. In fact, it has a maximum on-road rating of 800 pounds and a maximum off-road rating of 500 pounds.
It’s reinforced with 4 adjustable bedside bars, and each side has two sidebars. This helps create the ultimate truck bed cargo once you add telescoping bars. As such, you can carry luggage such as rooftop tents kayaks, surfboards, snowboards, and much more for your next road trip.
Integrated Systems
The truck bed rack comes with several integrated features. You have integrated tie-down points that enable you to secure your loads. In fact, you can do so using bungees or ratchet straps.
Next, we have the integrated same key system locks. This feature helps to secure your rack system to the truck bed.
Bolt-on Installation
This model is easy to set up thanks to its simple bolt-on installation. The roof rack comes with a clamp mounting design which requires no modification or drilling. However, it does come with a premium stainless steel screws kit.
Thanks to its adjustable height feature, you can create custom setups for maximum versatility and utility. You have the option of adjusting the bed rack height from 18.7 inches to 23.5 inches. You can also adjust the sidebars from 31.1 inches to 59.8 inches.
What We Liked
- Durable
- Black powder coat finishing
- Heavy-duty aluminum construction
- Easy to install
- Adjustable for custom setups
What We Did Not Like
- None
What’s the Best Option?
The Rhino-Rack Roof Rack and TIOYAR Truck Bed Rack are both great options for people who love off-road trips and camping. However, if you have a car, SUV, and sometimes a pick-up truck, then you’re limited to the roof rack.
The truck bed rack is ideal for those with pickup trucks such as the Jeep Gladiator. While both give you the flexibility and freedom to load your luggage. With the truck bed rack, you can store your gear in the bed, under the rack, or even use the rack to mount your rooftop tent.
Some bed racks such as the TIOYAR Truck Bed Rack are adjustable. As such, you can select custom setups and then mount them to any sized truck bed.
Where Is the Difference?
The roof rack and bed rack have a couple of differences. At the top of the list is their functionality. Both racks are ideal for mounting rooftop tents. However, the bed rack places more weight towards the rear of your Jeep Gladiator, while the roof rack places the weight on the vehicle’s cabin.
If you mount your tent on a bed rack there is less wind resistance and noise unlike mounting on a roof rack. Another difference is height. Roof racks have a low profile to reduce the center of gravity and ensure stability. However, bed racks have a higher profile, but some are adjustable giving you the ability to choose the best setup for your Jeep Gladiator.
Do You Need a Special Rooftop Tent for the Jeep Gladiator?
The simple answer is no. This is because every rooftop tent comes with universal U-shaped mounting brackets. As such, you can mount the rooftop tents to mounting points on your roof rack or crossbars.
However, we do recommend a hard-shell tent over a soft-shell tent for your roof rack. Why you may ask. This is because a hard-shell rooftop tent creates less wind resistance and noise. The reason it’s able to do so is that the aerodynamic shape of the tent will cut through the air better than that of a soft shell tent.
Can the Rooftop Tent Also Be Driven Off-Road?
Rooftop tents are better alternatives to RVs, camper vans, and trailers. Not only are they affordable. But you can mount them on any vehicle and enjoy the same benefits of a mobile home.
Since they are usually mounted on a roof rack or bed rack, they can handle bumpy terrain. This makes them ideal for off-road adventures. However, you must be careful as your vehicle’s center of gravity will shift upwards making it unstable.
Please note, the maximum speed you can drive your vehicle with a roof tent attached is 75 MPH or 120 KPH. Any faster than this increases the risk of your roof tent detaching or becoming unstable due to a high level of wind resistance.
Final Words
There you have it. A comprehensive review of both the TIOYAR Truck Bed Rack and Rhino-Rack Roof Rack. Both racks complement each other. In fact, you can mount the roof rack and bed rack on your Jeep Gladiator. By doing so, you enjoy benefits such as flexibility, versatility, the ability to carry more luggage and add more accessories.
We highly recommend both the TIOYAR Truck Bed Rack and Rhino-Rack Roof Rack to Jeep Gladiator owners.
