Camp Water on a Roof Rack: Tanks and Shower Mounts

A roof-mounted water setup can carry a tank for storage, a pressurized tank for dispensing, or a separate arm that holds a shower bag. These are different jobs and mounting systems. Choose the water source and use first, then verify the rack interface and the full loaded setup for the specific vehicle.

Choose the setup that answers your need

Setup	Example and documented path	What to verify
Pressurized tank	Yakima RoadShower is listed in 4, 7, and 10 US gallon sizes. The product listing describes a welded-aluminum tank, two outlet ports, and a maximum pressure-relief setting of 55 psi.	Check the exact tank size, the manual’s crossbar spread and overhang limits, bar profile, attachment, and loaded roof capacity. The product page’s broad reference to most other racks is not a fit list.
Rack-mounted tank	Front Runner’s WTAN089 tank kit is a 20 L kit with a removable cradle, mounting hardware, and a specified Slimline II side-profile branch.	Confirm the rack generation and current fitment guide. The listed 4.77 kg kit weight excludes the water; the full loaded assembly still needs to fit the vehicle and rack limits.
Shower arm	Front Runner RRAC028 is a folding side-mounted arm for a shower bag or head. Its page lists a 25 kg accessory maximum and suggests up to 20 L suspended water; it excludes the Slimsport rack-kit range.	Confirm the exact Front Runner rack profile and generation, suspended load, mounting position, and storage procedure. Its accessory limit does not establish roof or vehicle capacity.

These examples are not interchangeable. A tank may occupy crossbar or platform space, while a side-mounted arm uses a rack profile and may place a suspended load away from the rack edge. Check whether the selected setup leaves room for other cargo and whether its use conflicts with doors, a tailgate, an awning, or another accessory.

Check the tank when it is full

Water capacity is not the same as installed mass. Count the tank or kit, mounting hardware, water, hoses, and any other roof equipment. Use a manufacturer-listed filled mass when it applies to the exact size; do not substitute a rack accessory’s limit for the vehicle roof allowance or the base rack rating. If the full assembly mass or an applicable limit is not documented, get that information before loading the roof.

Yakima lists filled masses of 53 lb for the RoadShower 4G, 84 lb for the 7G, and 120 lb for the 10G. Yakima’s 1036081C instructions call for a rack with a 100 lb or higher load limit for the 4G and 165 lb or higher for the 7G and 10G. These are product installation thresholds, not vehicle roof ratings or confirmation that a particular rack and vehicle can carry the complete setup. The manual gives a 24–50 in crossbar-spread range for the 4G/7G and 32–80 in for the 10G, plus a maximum 30 in fore/aft overhang from the crossbars. Measure the applicable dimensions on the installed bars rather than estimating from a roof or product photograph.

For the Front Runner 20 L tank, the listed 4.77 kg is the kit package weight, not a full-tank total. The WTAN089 fitting instructions describe rack-specific mounting branches and alignment steps. Follow the current fitment guide for the installed rack, then check the actual full assembly with the vehicle and rack documentation. Do not infer full-load approval from the tank volume or the product’s compatibility with a rack family.

Match the shower fitting to the rack

The RRAC028 shower arm attaches to the side profile of a Front Runner roof rack. The product page excludes the Slimsport rack-kit range and describes the arm’s 25 kg maximum and suggested suspended water load up to 20 L. These figures apply to the accessory; they are not permission to suspend that mass from every rack or vehicle. The RRAC028_REV_A00 fitting instructions describe the side-profile attachment and say to remove the arm from its mount and store it in the vehicle when the shower is not in use. Check the latest product guidance against the actual rack generation.

RoadShower’s installation instructions instead show a crossbar clamp path. They specify size-dependent crossbar spacing, a fore/aft overhang limit, bolt selection for bar thickness, and checking the mounted unit after installation and rough-road travel. Use the current manual for the exact tank and bar arrangement. Do not assume that a generic crossbar adapter or similar-looking profile is approved.

Before loading or using the system

1. Record the vehicle, market, installed rack model and generation, water product, mounting kit, and other roof equipment.
2. Match every mounting point to the current instructions for that exact product and rack branch.
3. Determine the complete loaded mass and compare it with the vehicle, rack, platform, and accessory requirements. Stop if the relevant limit or fit is unknown.
4. Check door, tailgate, and neighboring-equipment clearance with the setup installed; verify that hoses and fittings can be used without interfering with other equipment.
5. Inspect fasteners and attachment before use and at the intervals stated by the product instructions. Remove and store the RRAC028 arm when it is not being used, as its instructions direct.

Yakima’s RoadShower instructions say not to drink the stored water and to drain the unit in freezing conditions. Do not treat a water tank or its listing as a statement that the water is potable. Product pages and instructions here describe US-market examples; confirm current products, parts, and guidance for the market where the rack will be used.

For other platform-mounted camp and recovery accessories, see the overland add-on guide. The load, wind, and clearance guide covers checks that apply across roof-mounted accessories.