rooftop tent on a boat trailer

Can You Mount A Rooftop Tent On A Boat Trailer?

If you are wondering whether it is possible to mount a rooftop tent on a boat trailer, you will find the detailed answer to the question here.

It is actually possible to mount a rooftop tent on a boat trailer! Many boat trailers can take a lot of weight. You can of course also mount a rooftop tent on a boat trailer. Many boat trailers, depending on the model, can carry a weight of 1000 to 2000 lbs.

The only thing you have to modify on your boat trailer to be able to mount a rooftop tent is that the trailer needs a mounting option for the rooftop tent. All rooftop tents are bolted to the underside of the vehicle or the vehicle’s roof cross bars. Since most trailers do not have such coss bars by default, you will need to add these cross bars or mounting points.

For example, there is the possibility that you make these assembly bars/frames with metal rods yourself and connect them firmly to the boat trailer. There is the possibility that these metal supports are welded on or connected with screws. But you should make sure that these connections are absolutely firmly connected to the trailer.

As you can see in this picture, the carrier frame was built from various metal rods and then attached to the trailer with bolts. The advantage of using screws for attachment is that you can remove the carrier frame at any time. If you connect the rooftop tent carrier frame to the trailer frame by welding, it is no longer so easy to remove the carrier.

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The removable rack has the advantage that you don’t always have to take the rooftop tent with you. If you bolt the rack/frame on, you can just take it off and store it in the garage.

In general, it doesn’t matter how big or small the trailer is. You should only make sure that the rooftop tent is mounted as centrally as possible on the trailer. In this way, the additional weight can be distributed well.

If you have mounted the rooftop tent on the boat trailer, you should definitely make sure that the center of gravity of the trailer has changed. Of course, the weight then shifts further upwards. This can negatively affect the handling of the trailer. So you should make sure that the rooftop tent is not mounted too high. You should also drive very carefully on the trailer when driving the rooftop tent for the first time. The trailer can tip over more quickly, especially in curves. Therefore, always drive very carefully and first familiarize yourself with the new driving characteristics.

Which rooftop tent model is suitable for mounting on a boat trailer?

There is no particular rooftop tent that is particularly good, or particularly bad, for mounting on a boat trailer.

It is only important that the rooftop tent is not wider than the trailer when folded. If you own a very small boat trailer, make sure that there are no large overhangs.

If your boat trailer is quite large, you can actually choose any rooftop tent.

What material should the mounting frame be made of?

It is important that the frame is very stable and can carry the weight of the rooftop tent. If you are traveling with the trailer and the mounted rooftop tent, very high loads can occur. It is therefore important that the mounting question is built stably.

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Steel or stainless steel is particularly suitable for this. Stainless steel has the advantage that it does not rust. So you don’t necessarily have to paint the mounting frame.

Aluminum is rather unsuitable. Aluminum can be too soft and may warp or break.

Are there ready-made rooftop tent trailer mounting frames to buy?

No, unfortunately, these frames for the trailer cannot be bought ready-made. So you have to make these frames yourself, or you can have such a frame made for you by a company that specializes in metal construction or metal constructions.

The advantage of having a frame made for you by a company is that the company can tell you exactly which material has to be used to ensure the necessary stability.

But if you have experience in the field of metal construction yourself, you can also make this frame yourself. If you want to weld the frame to the trailer, make sure that the trailer frame can be welded. If the trailer is made of aluminum, welding is very difficult and can usually only be done by professionals. It can therefore always be an advantage to find a bolt-on solution.