Posted this on another site and didn't get much feedback, so thought I would ask the GNs.
I plan to add a canopy to my Colorado and had already bought an awning to fit on to the roofrack.
However . . . it has been pointed out that the flexing between the cab and canopy would probably make this a bad idea and eventually break the awning frame (which I had not thought about).
Am I doomed to go awning-less (given the problem of different roofracks on cab and canopy)?
Maybe a tarp, a couple of tent poles and some cable ties to hold the tarp on the roofrack is a possible solution?
Comments welcome,
Cheers, Tony
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If you don't stand behind our troops, please feel free to stand in front of them.
we had a canopy and roof bars fitted to our Navara twincab - there is a steel frame inside the canopy which supports the external bars. I have also seen an external frame that sits on the tub sides and is over a canopy supporting a tradies type roof rack - either system would preveny 'flex'. Hope this helps
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Jenny and Barry
2009 Roma Elegance / 2013 Colorado. Permanent travellers 2011-2015 now just travel for 4-6 mths
There is no problem adding a tack to the top of a twin cab ute. Just make up your mind where the best end is to fit it. Fit it on either the cab or the canopy, do not mount it on both.
If you are are carrying much of a load then fit it on the cab so the weight is between the axles. If you are carrying something long then fit it onto the canopy and cantilever the front bar over the cab.
Tony, in your case mount it on the canopy. construct a perimeter frame to carry the front bar over the cab. There will be no interaction from two capsules flexing against each other.
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
Definitly dont fit any thing that connects the canopy & the roof of the vehicle together.
You just have to drive over a speed hump at a angle & watch the movement between the two, its not just the twisting length wise also the distance between the cab & canopy is always changing, even going down the highway.
Have a look at a tradies wagon that has carry racks from the tray extended over the cab roof to the front bumper / bull bar. the ones that have been fixed in a solid mount all break. They need to sit in a mounting socket to allow movement.
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Be your self; there's no body better qualified ! "I came into this world with nothing , I still have most of it"
Peter definitely has got the best solution to the flexing problem. Have seen canoes and kayaks with stress fractures after been mounted on dual cabs and travel on gravel roads never gave much thought to the speed humps but sounds logical
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Pets are welcome but children must be leashed at all times
I used to carry a boat on a dual cab and I only mounted it on the canopy roof because of flexing which is normal. The front of the boat was about 30 mm from the cab roof. I went over a heavy dip at to high a speed and the front of the boat just marked the roof of the cab. The canopy supports were all steel so this didn't flex nor the boat. Carry heavy weights on either the cab or the canopy but not both. All vehicles flex.
Same applies to carring a boat on a foll rack, must be strapped on not clamped via a bolt arrangment . As all vehicles flex this is passed on through the boat & will crack it as well.
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Be your self; there's no body better qualified ! "I came into this world with nothing , I still have most of it"
