Member Since: 18 Mar 2005
Location: Germany
Posts: 38
First night: roof tent on the top of my D3
On friday last week I finished the project to fitt my roof tent on the top of my D3.
For many years I'm using the roof tent for short trips over the weekend as well as for holidays.
But, to fit the tent on the roof of a D3 is very difficult:
I didn't want to change the possition of the GPS antenna nor I wan't interested in fixing a second one.
To find a leddar to fix it on the back door of the D3 is also not very easy because till today LR is not able to sell a leddar. There could be found some on the G3 cars but they are prototypes only.
A a basis I took the big original expedition roof rack from LR.
It's a very big and very high rack. It's very noisy when you drive only 80 km per hour or more.
So I took away a lot of "spare" parts. The reling is very easy to screw away when you dismantle first the roof rack from a los of very thin and very loud plastic parts. Now I have a flat and very long roof rack. It's great because your are able to drive into garages without problems.
The noise while driving fast is much less then when you have the reling on.
But, when you drive more than 150 km per hour all the alumium parts will begin to sing very loud.
So I did fill up all alumium parts with PU foam. Now I can drive 180 km per hour without a noisy roof rack.
On this flat rack I fixed the roof tent and a ladder on the back door.
It's great to sleep on the top of 60,000 Euro .....
4th Jul 2005 9:06 am
Outrageous
Member Since: 10 Jan 2005
Location: New Hampshire, USA
Posts: 44
That tent looks great! It also seems to fit the top of the vehicle very nicely. Is the tent made by Autohome? ( http://www.zifer.it/file_gb/overland.html ) Could you post some closer photos showing the rack and how the tent attaches?
4th Jul 2005 1:58 pm
Locki
Member Since: 18 Mar 2005
Location: Germany
Posts: 38
Believe me: it doesnt look only great, to sleep in it is absolutely great!
It's a BEDUIN Explorer I tent, but I think it's more or less identic with the Overland tents. I've seen the Overland tents some weeks ago on a off-road show. The construction is nearly identic.
I will do some more photos in the next time (today it's not so good becaus it is raining craisy)
4th Jul 2005 2:15 pm
jumblemo
Member Since: 19 Jun 2005
Location: Sarf London
Posts: 102
Madness. I want one.D3 Bonatti Grey TDV6
1942 Crusader Mk III with 6lbr
4th Jul 2005 9:31 pm
simon
Member Since: 11 Jan 2005
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 18296
Be great for traffic in Piccadilly approaching Eros eh ?
-s
4th Jul 2005 11:15 pm
Outrageous
Member Since: 10 Jan 2005
Location: New Hampshire, USA
Posts: 44
Locki, I just saw the other photos you have in your gallery, and they confirm that you have a very nice set-up with that tent and rack. Did you have to cut or damage any of the roof rack to remove the top rail, or could you re-assemble it? Do you think a tent could be mounted to the rack to open to the side, as in this photo?
6th Jul 2005 3:16 am
Locki
Member Since: 18 Mar 2005
Location: Germany
Posts: 38
@ Outrageous
I didnt damage the rack "finaly" so I didnt cut parts away.
When you dismantle the rack from all the plastic parts you will find a lot of screws. With these screws the reling is fixed on the rack.
So it means: I'm every time able to "re-build" the original roof rack.
It was very important for me to have on one hand a roof rack for my roof tent and on the other hand to have a roof rack with reling for the winter. I have some sled dogs. So I need in winter a roof rack to transport my sled.
To mount the tent in an other direction, so that you can open it to the side of the car as in your photo it's absolutely no problem because the roof rack is all over flat.
I did it in that way because I dont like a separate ladder. I bought a alumium ladder - typicall used for motorhomes or caravans - changed some of the parts and fixed it on the back door of my D3. (It's very nice to drill holes in a 60 000 Eur car !!)
To open and to close the tent is in that way very easy and nothing is hanging over the car. I'm able to drive (b.e. to change the place some meters, not to drive hundereds of kilometers - would be funy on the highway with an open roof tent ) without changes.
6th Jul 2005 10:12 am
Outrageous
Member Since: 10 Jan 2005
Location: New Hampshire, USA
Posts: 44
Locki, thanks for your comments. I'm glad to hear that you can remove the railing from the rack and then reassemble it again. And be careful not to forget and drive off with the tent open--I almost did that once with the top open on a VW Westfalia camper van!
8th Jul 2005 4:16 am
Locki
Member Since: 18 Mar 2005
Location: Germany
Posts: 38
It's not a problem to remove the railing in that way that I'm able to fix it very fast again on the roof rack.
In the mean time I was able to make some photos.
On this photo you see the railing.
It is screwed at 6 ponts as you can see in the following photo. To find the screws you have to remove all the plastic parts.
At the front end the big plastic part is fixed with 7 alumium rivets.
I drilled the holes of the 7 rivets a bit bigger and brought in 7 screw rivets
After that I'm able to fix again the railing by 13 screws within a very short time.
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13th Jul 2005 6:56 pm
Outrageous
Member Since: 10 Jan 2005
Location: New Hampshire, USA
Posts: 44
Locki, thanks for the extra photos and documenting how you detatched the top railing. You are a brave pioneer, and you have a very nice result! I wasn't familiar with screw rivets, but these seem like a very elegant solution.
13th Jul 2005 7:39 pm
Coffeecup
Member Since: 15 Jul 2005
Location: Middleton, Manchester
Posts: 1084
Really useful Locki, thanks.
I like my roof rack, but it does get quite noisy at any speed - sort of a deep rhythmic thudding that gets quite oppresive after a while. I had considered just removing the smooth plastic front curved piece to see if that changed the noise. Any thoughts on whether that would make a difference or should I just opt for removing the whole railings? Coffeecup March 2005 TDV6 S - Tonga Green - Manual May 2008 TDV6 SE - Stornoway Grey - Auto Dec 2010 SDV6 XS - Galway Green - Auto
18th Jul 2005 10:28 pm
Locki
Member Since: 18 Mar 2005
Location: Germany
Posts: 38
fill up all the flat profiles with pu foam.
I have done it. After that it's less noisy than before.
19th Jul 2005 4:33 pm
Ron Dunbar
Member Since: 03 Aug 2005
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 22
Lots of good interesting information here.
Can you tell me where you got your ladders from?
Are they specially designed for Disco3?Ron Dunbar
Grey D4 TDV6 HSE
Skoda TDi Roomster Scout
3rd Aug 2005 8:00 pm
Coffeecup
Member Since: 15 Jul 2005
Location: Middleton, Manchester
Posts: 1084
In between the rain today I ventured up onto the Expedition Roof rack, and removed the Rails from all the way round. It wasn't too difficult, and should go back together as and when I need the side rails.
I shall now see, or rather hear, how much difference this makes to the wind noise when travelling at speed on the motorway. If it makes it worse I'll just put it all back together again.
I'm also hoping that there may be some improvement in the mpg - every little bit helps.
I'll let you know. Coffeecup March 2005 TDV6 S - Tonga Green - Manual May 2008 TDV6 SE - Stornoway Grey - Auto Dec 2010 SDV6 XS - Galway Green - Auto
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March 2005 TDV6 S - Tonga Green - Manual 
May 2008 TDV6 SE - Stornoway Grey - Auto 
