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Upgrading Roof Top Tent Side Straps

Updated: Nov 29, 2020


roof top tent strap repair upgrade

I had a couple of customers tell me that they were planning on adding more Hold Down Straps to their tent, I will call it "overstrapping". That isn't necessarily a bad idea, but I wanted to post my thoughts on things to examine and consider before doing that.

I am still running my Rezistent Gear 1' Hold Down Straps on my personal Tepui Ayer with no problems, the Cordura Webbing plus ITW Nexus snap buckles is vastly more secure than factory velcro straps. I keep some sheets and a couple of thermarests in addition to the factory mattress, and I don't have a rainfly on because I keep a Weathershield in the trailer most of the time.

The thing that moved me to keeping things minimal in there a few years ago (before I made my own straps) was that the zipper started pulling away from the outer cover. Having had a friend whose tent deployed driving down the road because his zipper pulled out, I definitely didn't want to have that happen. That is also why I would require people email me confirmation that they knew the Zipper and Billow Strap work together, and neither is designed to work singly to keep the tent closed, before I would make them custom Billow Straps.

The Hold Down Straps work similarly in unison with the hinges. So this is just my theory and I have never seen this happen, but my concern with "overstrapping" is that the forces that required the "overstrapping" could then be transferred to the hinge side and the bolts/screws holding the hinges to the platform could start pulling out of the frame. So like adding large tires to axles, then upgrading axleshafts, the weak point has to go somewhere and then usually becomes the ring and pinion.

So consider why you are wanting to add additional strapping points, is it for additional security, or because you want to keep a comforter and pillows?

For additional security I suggest simply moving up to the 1.5" strap in the original location, it allows additional webbing width for the screws to grab hold to, plus the additional reinforcement that is sewn at the bottom of all of the Rezistent Gear Hold Down Straps provides for both less stress on the screws and a secondary backing if one of the screws managed to fall out somewhere down the road. Remember the reinforcement sits outside of the frame plate, it is not intended for the screws to go through the reinforcement, you want the frame plate to sit as flat as possible against the frame and the screws to have as much amount of thread in the frame as possible.

If it is to keep extras in the tent, then just keep these things in mind and keep an eye on the hinge side. For me personally, an Action Packer successfully keeps our sleeping bags and pillows dry, even in a weather exposed trailer.

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