Subaru Forester Roof Top Tent Guide: What You Need To Know

“Maybe I’ll get a roof top tent one day.” Now, how on earth do you use a roof top tent with your Subaru Forester?

I’ve been in your shoes, and was clueless about which roof top tents we could get. What is the weight limit, and how do roof rack systems work?

Until one day, I saw an amazing deal that I knew I couldn’t pass up. We rolled up our sleeves, embraced this car stuff and dove deep into tons of forums for our research.

If you’re hoping to get a roof top tent for your Subaru Forester, this article will help you figure out what you need. From choosing a tent to installing roof racks, let’s make your roof top tent dreams come true.

This article uses affiliate links where I make a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our set up

I always love seeing other people’s exact set ups, so here’s ours.

Roof top tent: James Baroud Space

Yakima roof rack system: TimberLine Towers + 50″ CoreBar

Choose a roof top tent for your Subaru Forester

Can a Subaru Forester hold a roof top tent? Yes, absolutely! In fact, Subaru even uses them in their promotional videos to promote the outdoorsy lifestyle.

Best roof top tents for Subaru Forester

When you’re looking for a tent, think about how much space you want, its weight, and ease of use. I have another detailed article about the best roof top tents for SUV car camping here.

I find 140 lb or below to be the sweet spot for roof top tent weights on Subaru Foresters. More specifically, here are my top 3 picks:

James Baroud Space

Weight: 140 lb (Size M)

iKamper Skycamp 3.0 Mini

Weight: 120 lb

Thule Tepui Explorer Kukenam

Weight: 119 lb

Subaru Forester weight limits (dynamic vs static)

Naturally, the next question is – How much weight can a Subaru Forester roof hold?

This depends on the year your car was released as well as the trim. You can check this in your car’s manual. In our case, our 2023 Forester Sport has a dynamic load capacity of 176 lb and 700 lb for static. The total weight to consider would include the roof rack system, tent, and anything inside the tent.

If you plan to go off-roading on rugged terrain, account for about 30% reduction in the stated dynamic load capacity. The Subaru Forester Wilderness trim would be best for off-roading with a roof top tent as it has a higher dynamic and static load capacity – 220 lb and 800 lb respectively.

Dynamic load capacity: The maximum weight when you’re driving the car. It tends to be the limiting constraint, so most people would be looking at this number when choosing a roof top tent for smaller cars.

Static load capacity: The maximum weight when the car is not moving. This matters more if you’re planning to sleep 3 or more adults on your car with a bigger tent.

What happens if you exceed the weight limit of your car?

If you’re overloading the roof rack system, you risk unsteady handling, breaking, or turning. This is especially so you’re approaching bends or uneven off-road conditions.

When the top is too heavy, the center of gravity changes significantly and poses a safety risk to you and other drivers. In addition, your fuel economy will be tanking and tires probably need

What about insurance and warranty implications? I would expect that going over the given weight limit would be seen as “negligent”, and it could be hard to make any claims.

Soft shell vs hard shell tents

I’m a big fan of hard shell tents because they are easy to set up and super durable. Specifically, we chose the wedge-shaped tent because it opens up to give a lot of headroom on one side. However, hard shell tents can be more expensive and heavier compared to soft shell tents.

Here are a few styles of roof top tents:

• Fold out (hard or soft shell)
• Pop up (hard shell)
• Wedge or clamshell (hard shell)

The iKamper Skycamp 3.0 Mini somehow managed to make their hard shell tent weigh just 125 lb, making it the best investment for smaller cars. If you decide to get a soft shell tent, like the Thule Tepui Explorer Kukenam, you’ll just need to get used to the set-up process.

If you are the occasional weekend camper, the additional time taken to set up a soft shell tent compare wouldn’t be a big deal. It really matters if you’re car camping frequently, say every other weekend.

My advice – see if you can score a deal for a hard shell tent you love. Alternatively, try out a soft shell roof top tent at a lower cost first and see how you like it.

Do you need a special roof rack for a roof top tent?

Yes, you will need to have a roof rack, also known as cross bars, with its own dynamic weight limit that exceeds the roof top tent. That’s because although Subaru Foresters come with raised side rails, they’re not ready for roof top tents because of their configuration.

Although there’s no “special” roof rack, note that Subaru’s OEM cross bars might not be good choice as they typically have lower weight ratings. Most of them only have 150 lb of dynamic load capacity, compared to 165 lb with after-market alternatives.

Which roof racks are compatible with Subaru Forester?

Our roof rack system is from Yakima, and includes 2 components. Without any sale, retail price is $475 for the set.

Yakima TimberLine Towers + Yakima 50″ CoreBar

TimberLine Towers (4-pack)

This is what you’ll need to attach the cross bars to the side rails. The TimberLine Towers basically get strapped down with really strong rubber straps that are tightened by turning some screws. You can also purchase locks to prevent theft of your roof rack system.

50″ CoreBar (pair)

We chose CoreBar over Jetstream mostly because of the lower cost, and we did not need the T-track functionality.

The CoreBars have a dynamic weight limit of 165 lb, which is enough for our 140 lb roof top tent. We also chose the small CoreBar (50 inches) because our tent is just 55 inches wide.

I also couldn’t find a definitive answer about the best cross bar length, but another store suggested that the tent should have at most 2-inch overhang over the bars on each side.

In our case, the end caps on our bars extended it to about 52 inches. Since our tent has a 55-inch width, that means we have 1.5-inch overhang on each side. I’m not 100% sure about this though, so I’m still asking around.

Aug 2024 update: James Baroud replied my IG comment and suggested minimum 53.15 inches (135 cm) for their 55 inch wide tent.

Why we chose this

Overall, we chose this combination because we were in a rush to get our roof rack ready and found Yakima’s vehicle fit tool to be very easy to use. REI was having their anniversary sale then, so we managed to get 20% off. You can also get 15% off on Backcountry if you’re new, or when they run their sales.

Other brands: Thule and Rhino-Rack

Other reputable brands include Thule and Rhino-Rack who also have a vehicle fit tool to help you decide what you should get. Here are more suggestions for Subaru Forester based on my research, but I have not personally tested them:

• Thule: WingBar Evo
• Rhino-Rack: Vortex RX Black 2 Bar Roof Rack

Tips for installing your roof rack

Our Yakima roof rack system came with the appropriate tool and instructions we needed. In addition, we used a measuring tape to space everything out evenly. This video is also quite a useful visual guide.

How far apart should roof racks be for a roof top tent?

Most roof top tent companies recommend at least 30 inches of spacing between cross bars. We have ours at 30.5 inches.

Mount the roof top tent onto the car

I’m assuming you don’t have a cool contraption to help you lift the roof top tent onto the car yet, so I recommend asking 2 peopel for help. If you’re strong, probably having 1 other person to help would be enough.

After that, you’ll be estimating whether the tent is well balanced all around the car and on top of the roof rack. Take note of how much space you need to leave at the back to account for the rear gate opening and closing.

There are 4 roof top tent mounts to secure in total, which took a longer time than we expected. One very useful tip we received was to bring a ratchet to screw in the nuts.

Overall, this process is quite time-consuming and laborious but I guess we’ll get better at this over time.

Is a roof top tent practical?

If owning a roof top tent is your dream, here are some practical considerations to think through before you get one. After all, we’re willing to go the distance if it’s worth it right?

• More expensive than ground tents
• Need to pack up before using your car to go somewhere
• Tricky to go to the toilet at night
• Reduces fuel efficiency (supposedly by 13%)
• Difficult to store if you don’t have a big garage
• Taking the roof top tent on and off the car is troublesome

Conclusion – a roof top tent for your Subaru Forester is possible

With a roof top tent, you’ll be unlocking a whole new world of outdoor adventures. Think about your style of camping, and which type of tent might be best for you. Would you prefer a soft or hard shell; a pop up or wedge-shaped roof top tent?

I hope this guide has provided you with all the essential information on Subaru Forester weight limits, roof racks, and the equipment you need to get your car ready for a roof top tent. As you can see from my experience, it’s possible to transofrm your Subaru Forester into an adventure vehicle.

If you see any incorrect information, or have any extra detail you think I should include, do drop me a comment. You can also DM me on Instagram @wheresjanice.

Have fun with your new roof top tent!