Nissan Navara
Installing a roof top tent onto the Nissan Navara:
The Nissan Navara Dual Cab ute offers 1250mm of Over cab roof space, and typically around 1650mm more space over the tub or tray/canopy for mounting a Roof top tent (Rtt).
Like all Dual Cab utes, The Nissan Narava has a history of chassis twist and handling issues with overloading in rear tray enhancing rear body roll (And chassi twist issues). This manifests in cracks in chassis, lifting front wheels, overspin (front axle), shearing and failure of Tray to chassis mounts and general poor handling - especially on corregation at speed.
Our reccommendation and R&D is to install any roof loads 'between the front and rear wheels' to balance the body roll loads on front and rear suspension evenly. This will minimise any twist, as well as keep the vehicles handling cababilites as good as possible.
Newer Designs in our Tough Touring Nissan Navara roof top tent racks have taken our racks out to a 1750mm Long footorint with exceptional strength. The racks place roof top tents 45mm above the cab roof and centre the load in the middle of the total available roof space above the articulating rear cab.
For Roof top tents longer than 2m - its best practice to bolt the tent up to our over cab roof rack, and then over hang the rear of the tent over the canopy - installing a foam or rubber 'stopper' bar to allow the canopy /rear flex of the vehicles movement to move unencumbered when driving - The Rear supporting rack bar is just there to prevent the tent 'flexing down' when your in it on the roof... (Tent is not bolted to the rear bar..) The Majority of hard shell RTT manufacturers stipulare maximum overhangs of 500mm.. If your going to go past this overhang at the rear - yes - You will need the rubberised supporting bar.
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Customers wishing to also install pole less wing awnings that cannot do so to the side of their roof top tent with awning to tent brackets need to install a seperate small canopy rack over the rear canopy to then install awning brackets too. This Rack can be the ideal platform to run a rubberised 'RTT support bar' - Foam or rubber.
Additionally - Pole less awnings front bracket needs to be a 'Front flexing bracket' to accommodate the Dual cabs articulationg front cab and rear tub. more on this here - 'Tough Touring Dual Cab roof racks'
Off Grid Power : and the Nissan Navara
Tough Touring Builds Slide in - Renewable Power Packs (PPP) to suit off grid power supply for 12 Volt Fridges, Lights, and Compressorts right up to mid range light agricultural power supplies for caravans / sheds and emergency household power... We've gone down the path of building the DC DC chargers, Solar Regulators and LifePo4 Batteries into removable cases for multi purpose use - and to allow rapid and hassle free installation. More on best practice in regard to dual battery systems for Dual Cab Utes is discussed in detail here -
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SOLAR Power to the Navara's on board Electrical Gear
If your going to run solar panels on the roof - We'd Reccommend looking at household 400w of solar panel which can be mounted on most Hard Shell RTT using our Solar panel mounting kits.
These Panels are almost 2m Long and 1.2m Wide... So there isn't much roof left for anything else. Why we reccommend the Household type over RV panels is discussed here in detail - 'Maximising Solar power'
What's the best rooftop tent for the Nissan Navara and Why?
For what its worth - our honest Opinion is that You can't beat the Bundutec Bundutop for comfort overall on the Nissan Navara. (With a set of cons to go with the Pro's - its still a fantastic option) However totally left field - if electric tents are not your thing and you also have a lot of gear to carry on the roof - Tuff Trek Mk3 offers a lower / slick looking RTT that also doubles as a roof rack... For total newbies - Those two are up there expensive - anything you can get second hand to make sure you actually like Roof top tent camping is a good idea. But buy well and you can sell well also! - more information on these tents and general help in the hunt for quality (Why and whats the difference?) discussed here
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Poleless Wing Awnings and the Nissan Navara - Ostrich wing releases a short awning for INSTALL ON NAVARA!
For Customers not wanting to install two roof racks and an additional front Flexing bracket for articulating Dual Cab Utes - Ostrich Wing has released a Purpose built lightweight Awning for Ford Ranger, Navara and Bt 50 dual cabs called the OSTRICH JUNIOR.. Its just 18kgs and 2.2m long, making it possible to fit up to a single Roof rack with mounting points down to just 1400mm spacing being ok - saving a lot of money...
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Consider the Whole Touring Build before you start -
When Fitting Hard Shell tents to the Nissan Navara please note awnings need to be fitted directly to the tent. Rather than the rack, as the vehicle's available fitting spaces (over the front cabin, and over the rear tub) are BOTH too short for a mount on either on their own...
This Means Fibreglass Tents or tents with bevelled sides or really thin tents are going to make awning to tent installations impossible...
Dual Cab Ute owners need to fit their tent to an Over Cab Roof rack preferably (Because its longer and puts the weight in the centre of the vehicle) - then support the overhanging rear using foam / rubber attached to a canopy rack or roof bar.
Full size awnings need to be fitted to the rear rack, then supported at the front by a flexing front bracket -
All this is 100% Necessary as all dual cabs need to 'articulate' between the cab and the tub - if you try to bolt anything across the articulation you will just snap the bolts and or destroy the tent.
