Hardtop Jeeps are a common roof top tent platform, but the load path runs through the hardtop rather than a factory rail, so the rack choice matters as much as the vehicle rating.
| Vehicle | Years | Roof | Dynamic roof load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeep Wrangler JL | 2018–2026 | Hardtop | 45.4 kg (100 lb)Includes the rack - subtract your bars before you size the tent.sourceManual text quoted consistently across several owner threads: load carried on the roof with a luggage rack must not exceed 100 lb (45 kg), INCLUDING the weight of the crossbars. Cited as the Roof Luggage Rack section, p.98 of the 2018 JL/JLU manual. Not read from the PDF. |
| Jeep Gladiator | 2020–2026 | Hardtop | Not published yetWe have not been able to confirm this one against the manufacturer. We will not print a number we cannot cite. |
1 of 2 entries here carry a figure we can cite. The rest are listed so you can see what we are still working through.
Finding your own figure takes about 30 seconds
- Open your owner's manual (the PDF on the manufacturer's site works) and search for "roof load" or "roof luggage".
- The number you want is the DYNAMIC limit - the one that applies while driving.
- Check your rack's own rating too. The lower of the two is your real limit.
- Subtract the rack weight. What is left is what the tent can weigh. Leave 10-20% spare.
The part that panics most people: your car is rated far lower than the tent plus two adults. That is fine. Dynamic load applies while driving. Once you are parked, the static limit applies, and it is three to five times higher. The people sleeping up there are not the constraint - the drive is.
Send us your year, model and roof type and we will confirm it against the manual and add it here.