Roof Top Tent on a Cayman?

I’m sure most of us have seen the 911 with a rooftop tent. But has anyone done it with a Cayman ? Is it even possible? I believe the dynamic (i.e. while in motion) weight limit of the roof rack is around 165 lbs. But the static limit for any vehicle is usually higher. Just curious if anyone’s looked into this. A Google search didn’t really turn up anything useful.

Not a problem...i use "right sized" Yakima Aero Bars on my BC 987.2 . I have a bike "holder" & a metal "Basket". There are a couple tent options I've already considered.

Roof Top tent on a Cayman ? This is because sleeping at ground level is out of the question? lol

I've got the Yakima CoreBars fitted with the FrontLoader for my bike, and it works well for that. I just wasn't sure whether the car would support an RTT. I think I'd just put a simple Tepui on it, though a Roofnest would be my real preference. Please let me know what you go with.

Did you ever purchase anything? I’m also going to pull the trigger on this! Please let us know

I would highly recommend the Porsche roof rack, rather than the Yakima one. This is due to the attachment bolts with the Porsche rack. Its a two step process and really works well. There is an inner mount that fits into the Cayman roof with a locking bolt. Then the towers fit over that mount to provide a very stable cross member.

A bit off topic, but what kind of suspension are you running on your car? That angle looks absolutely beautiful!

Anyone figure out the max weight? I just purchased the Roof Transport System (OEM) now looking for a roof top tent.

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Well, I use mine almost daily to transport my bikes. While the bikes do not weight much, maybe 14 lbs without the front wheel, I have been at 115 mph with the bike on the roof. This shows the stupidity of the driver, but still the 4 bolts hold the forged aluminium support blocks into roof ruts securely. That is the key to this system as the aluminium side elevators attach to these blocks very securely. So your application should be work as well. Just knowing that the wind torque on your box is different than the frontal area of my road bike.

My owner's manual ( 987.1 ) states a maximum of 132 lbs for the roof rack, so unless you're a small person you would most likely be over the limit. I'm sure they build some cushion into that number, but still...

advertisement is that this sport rack is rated at 165 lbs. for the 996. which has the same aluminum blocks and support as the 987. I have seen on P9 a flat attachment that had a set of 4 race wheel/ tires attached to the top of this rack on a 987. Maybe 132 lbs will work on the HWY and more when you are parked. I pretty sure you will not bend the roof with the way the car is built. The rack base is very stable. Even with the smallish bolts that holds to 4 forged alu blocks to the roof. The same with the four bolts holding the towers to the blocks. If you are camping with an overhang sideways over the door, there is plenty of engineering and support to hold you as you exit the tent and climb down via the latter. You can google the 996 roof sport rack showing the tent and its setup on top. Not sure how fast I would push the speed with the tent on top when put away.

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@996roadtrip in an interview he stated the roof can hold up to 600 pounds not moving, So I guess will see.

Ill keep everyone posted and well hopefully it doesn't cave in on me.

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Keep us posted as another great application for our unique cars.

Great to see this thread coming back to life. I'm actually very interested in copying 996roadtrip's setup on my '07 987 as I'm going on a 3000 mile road trip this coming April. Has any info been revealed about the SkyRise (Yakima's roof rails for the 987) and the SkyLoft being a good choice for this whole roof-tenting escapade? I'm a small guy (~120lbs, full-interior weight reduction ftw ) and my partner is also not too heavy, but we still plan to get the medium size SkyLoft (~600lbs capacity). Do y'all think the 987's roof can take it?

I think I am actually going to go with the Smittybilt Gen 2 roof tent it’s grey in color and it’s only about 1200 new. I’m a big boy I’m weighing in About 245 lbs so I’ll see how it goes lol 😂

If that ladder is a support element, that would definitely help spread the load out so the weight is not all borne by the car.

the the 130-160lb limit is when the car is in motion with the tent all folded up, it would be much higher while the car is stationary. @996roadtrip has even taken his car on track with rooftop tent with no problems so it should be fine at speeds. I've been really interested in a rooftop tent as well ever since finding his instagram, excited to see your final chocie.

Yes, the ladder is a support element - that is a good thought.

You will have to actually see the engineering of the mono aluminium blocks that fit exactly into the roof rack bed like a key (see lower photo of the mono block). This bed is made so the blocks take any forward or side thrust, not the bolt. The bolts job is to keep the block tightly in place. Then the rack towers fit snugly over the top of the mono block, again minimizing any forward or aft motion. It is impossible that Yakima base actually fits into the slots that Porsche developed and secured in the roof to support the roof rack. That is what makes the difference between the Porsche roof rack and the Yakima one. After looking closely at the tent mounting brackets, I am sure they will fit the Porsche cross bars. Take a look at the Yakima Roof Tent attached to the 911 in post #14. That roof tent support base is a Porsche one as you will not see any cross bar sticking out the side of the support towers, under the tent, rather a slight roll of the upper tower into the crossbar. As we all know, only the 987's and 911 's have this unique flap door attachment points . And the roof cross bars has a locking key at the end of the cross bars which covers the attachment bolts from the towers to the monoblock support base. (covered by a rubber flap on the top of the tower). You can see the safety strap on the rear cross bar going inside the rear window, just in case. I would highly recommend you use a strap like below to secure your load (tent), as you would be at fault if it came off and hit another car. You may smash your rear window, but your load will still be attached to your car. No gutter attachment or suction cups to worry about, just Porsche roof engineering.

Thanks for all the info! I'm changing my plans and budgeting for the OEM roof transport system instead of the Yakima system. Could you elaborate more on how that strap works and where/what it's attached to? It's hard to see what is attached to what using that strap in the image.

The strap is a knotted strap tied to the cross and the knotted end is threaded between the door frame and the top of the rear door. You thread the strap with the knot inside the car, then close the rear door. You may have a couple of inches of free strap/knot inside your car. May drive you nuts if it bounces around in the center of your rear mirror view .

Gotcha. Will try to do something about that as I'm sure I won't be able to deal with that for 3000 miles straight. Might just tape it to the headliner out of the way.

Not sure about your suspension setup now, but I would suggest you think about increasing your spring rate/shocks, swaybar and track width to handle the extra 130-150 lbs over your head. Ohlin R&T coilovers are great (ride height adjustable, shock rebound/compression adjustable, spring rate much higher than OEM) and Tarett GT makes great sway bars. In other words, beef up the spring rate to reflect your load and shock/swaybars to help control the springs and weight transfer. Not sure about the other baggage you will be taking, but with cloths, bedding, stove, chair, lantern, food, drink, cooler and the tent, most likely an additional 400 lbs. Going around tight corners with a lot of weight overhead creates a lot of weight shift. So figure out what ride height is your minimum with you and your cargo, I would think about a R suspension ride height. Then have your installer give you the correct weighted ride height (R value) with you in the car, accessories and tent on top. Then use 12 mm f and 18 mm rear wheel spacers to push out your track. This will give more leverage to help reduce weight transfer around corners. The Ohlins will absorb the additional torque from the wider stance through their DFV rebound/compression valve/knob. Also check out your equipment, water pump, shift cables, and engine acc belt. Get some audiobooks/Podcasts loaded for those long hauls. Have fun.

Currently using OEM 2.7 987.1 Cayman suspension. How much am I looking at for the suspension then? We're having a chaser SUV and 3 other cars on this trip so weight outside of the tent, 2 duffle bags, sleeping bags and water will be minimal in the car. Had AOS replaced, will be doing oil change/brake fluid flush + pads for sure the week before the trip. I was planning on replacing the OEM shift cables sometime this year with the Numeric kit as well. Trip is in April, so looking like I have a little bit of leeway time to get this all in order if needed.

I would buy an OEM water pump and serpentine belt to take with you. Getting these parts in the middle of nowhere can be difficult. Also, the water pump replacement instruction is on P9. I would copy it and wrap it around the OEM water pump, so you can tell the repair shop how to change the pump without draining all the fluid and save that fluid. Tuck both of these parts in some cubby like the two behind each seat over the rear shock towers. Porsche cooling fluid is expensive and it's formulated for the seals in that pump. Its pink in color, just in case you will need a half gallon more. Mix denatured water rather than some other brand to fill up the system. You may score by getting the R springs used or new and using your old shocks. Make sure all the rubber is good putting it back together. So, higher spring rate, then the wheel spacers to widen your track.

Where can I find these? I'm actually not sure what "r-springs" are - are they springs from the Cayman R or an aftermarket part? Water pump and belt sounds like a good idea; FCP Euro sells the coolant as well so I'll probably pick some up.

Part #9873335311MKT Product Details The Cayman R is one of the best handling vehicles to ever leave the doors of the Porsche factory. Engineered from the outset with ultimate lateral acceleration in mind, the Cayman R makes the impossible seem achievable. Approximately 23mm lower than a standard Cayman S, Cayman R springs will add a little spice to an already nice handling car.

These springs will reward you in more ways than just a lower, slightly stiffer ride. Your cornering will be crisper, reducing body roll, and you will have more control over your load overhead. After the trip, your car will sit lower, look more sporty, especially if you add the wheel spacers to increase your track. There was another 987.1 base that added these springs about 9 months ago and posted on P9. He really thought they improved his car a lot. If you can do the work to place these springs and an alignment, you will really add better driveability to your ride.

Thanks for your input. I've driven (hard) a Cayman R and can definitely attest to the handling characteristics. I think on the budget this might be a more suitable option than getting a full Ohlins suspension , but I DO plan to track the car a few years down the line and want to invest in that at some point. Will be doing the math on the R vs Ohlins setup.