Recommended Roof Rack For A 2017 Subaru Forester To Mount A Thule Tepui Rooftop Tent

Question:

I have a 2017 Subaru Forester with raised stock rails. My car has a dynamic capacity of 170 lbs and a static capacity of 600 lbs. I was curious if the Malone Airflow2 50” roof racks would be a safe option for my Thule tepui kukenam explorer 3 tent only 2 people using the tent? The tent is 130lbs and the racks have a capacity of 165 lbs so it seems like the numbers add up. But I wanted to get a second opinion.

asked by: Jacob M

Expert Reply:

Hi Jacob,

The Malone AirFlow2 Roof Rack # MPG215 would work capacity-wise for holding your Thule Tepui rooftop tent, but I've seen the connection between the feet and crossbar on these wear quickly enough that I personally would not use this crossbar for a tent. Once that connection wears down the crossbar can slide side to side on the feet as the weight shifts when making turns and there's no way to fix it. These are good for smaller applications and limited use. If you plan on using the crossbars a lot or want to go tent camping multiple times a year then I recommend the following components:

Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero Crossbars # RRVA137B-2
Rhino-Rack SX Series Legs for Vortex Aero Crossbars # RRSX100

This obviously costs quite a bit more than a Malone roof rack but there's a substantial quality difference between the two. Lock cores # RRVA-LEC4 can be added to these crossbars as well to help lock them in place and prevent theft.

expert reply by: Kevin C

Jacob M.

3/25/2024

So I have found a deal on a rhino rack K-SX100VA126B and K-SX100VA137B. Are these compatible with my car and tent setup? Which length crossbars would you recommend?

Kevin C.

3/29/2024

@JacobM The K-SX100VA126B is for select 2008 - 2010 Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan models and the K-SX100VA137B is for select 1998 - 2007 Toyota Landcruiser models. Neither come with a long enough crossbar to fit your Forester. You would need the Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero Crossbars # RRVA137B-2 and Rhino-Rack SX Series Legs for Vortex Aero Crossbars # RRSX100.