Platform racks can be a great way to create a big, stable base for your Roofnest. Our tents are designed to mount to a two-crossbars roof rack, so mounting to a platform rack can require extra parts or additional steps. Because platform racks are low profile, there isn’t enough room to mount and tighten the hardware while the rack is on your vehicle. You may need to mount the Roofnest to your rack before mounting the rack to your vehicle (some racks allow you to remove just the slats or cross-members rather than the whole rack). Platform racks will either have their slats running left-to-right or front-to-back. Because Roofnests are designed to mount to crossbars, they can often be mounted to platforms with left-to-right slats without additional parts or steps. We’ll cover some of the main brands here but the concepts can be applied to any platform rack on the market. Ultimately, you’ll need to decide how you will mount your Roofnest, but our guidelines can help you come up with a plan for the type of roof rack you’re looking for. There is a Facebook group called the Roofnest Flock which has 5000+ users and is a good place to seek advice from other customers.

Rhino-Rack Pioneer Platform

There are two ways to mount your Roofnest to the Pioneer platform. One involves drilling holes into the slats (best if you want the lowest profile mounting solution) and the other involves using brackets from a 3rd party. The easiest way to install your tent is to use the Rhino Rack Reconn-Deck/Pioneer bracket kit. This will lift your tent your tent about 2.25” above the platform. However, we’ve found even these can require some modification depending on which specific size Pioneer platform you have. The other method is to drill your platform and mount the tent directly to it. If you choose to drill, it may be easiest to remove the platform from the vehicle given your workspace. Depending on spacing and your preferred fitment, you can either position one track between rungs on one side to use the stock mounting brackets and then drill only the alternate side OR you can drill and hard mount both sides. For drilling, first measure the center to center spacing on your mounting tracks. Determine where you want the tent to sit, then drill four holes using a straight-edge to keep alignment accurate along the rung. Insert the bolts and fasten from underneath. Tip 1 – Measure 5 times, drill once! Tip 2 – Add some rubber stripping between the tent tracks and platform to quiet down the setup.

Prinsu Rack or Backbone Rack

Because this rack has horizontal slats, you can mount your Roofnest directly to it with the included mounting hardware. Note: this rack has a lip on the outer edge of the frame so if you have a Sparrow (regular, XL, or EYE) you’ll need to use a spacer between the rack and tent so the Sparrow does not rest on this lip – we recommend this. It’s easiest to remove two slats from the rack, mount these to your Roofnest, then reattach the slats to the rack frame. Choose two slats that are at least 24” apart and take exact measurements of the spacing as assembled into the rack, you will need to keep this exact spacing when mounted to the bottom of the Roofnest. Place the Roofnest upside down onto something soft to protect the shell then attach the two slats to the bottom of the Roofnest at the exact spacing you measured using the Roofnest mounting hardware. Reattach the slats onto the rack frame.

Front Runner Slimline Platform Rack

Because this rack has horizontal slats, you can mount your Roofnest directly to it with the included mounting hardware. Please watch this video for some considerations and options when mounting to a Front Runner platform rack. It’s easiest to remove two slats from the rack, mount these to your Roofnest, then reattach the slats to the rack frame. Choose two slats that are at least 24” apart and take exact measurements of the spacing as assembled into the rack, you will need to keep this exact spacing when mounted to the bottom of the Roofnest. Place the Roofnest upside down onto something soft to protect the shell then attach the two slats to the bottom of the Roofnest at the exact spacing you measured using the Roofnest mounting hardware. Reattach the slats onto the rack frame. You can also use these brackets or these brackets instead of mounting directly to the Front Runner rack.

Gobi Roof Rack

Because this rack has horizontal slats, you can mount your Roofnest directly to it with the included mounting hardware. It’s easiest to remove two crossbars from the rack, mount these to your Roofnest, then reattach the crossbars to the rack frame. Place the Roofnest upside down onto something soft to protect the shell, then attach the two crossbars to the bottom of the Roofnest about 36-48” apart. Reattach the crossbars onto the rack frame. (Depending on the size of your forearms, you may be able to mount your Roofnest to the rack without removing the crossbars.)