Platform racks may offer a trickier installation than a normal crossbar set-up. Our recommendation if you don't already have a platform rack is to save some money and get normal crossbars. There are no strength or performance benefits of having the tent on a platform rack instead of crossbars.

That being said, they do look very cool! If you decide to go that route, some platform racks are more suited to a tent install than others. Remember, the tent mounts on crossbars. This means a few things:

• If the platform rack has slats running lengthwise instead of horizontally, you will likely have to drill the rack or make other modifications to it to work.
• If the crossbars of the rack are in-set, in other words, they are lower than the outer frame of the rack, to the point where the tent would be perched up on the outer rail, you will need some sort of gasket or higher crossbars in order for the installation to work.

We have put together a platform rack mounting guide that goes over specific platform racks and mounting in more detail. Check it out below!