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Thread: Drilling into a plastic rooftop tent

  1. #1
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    Drilling into a plastic rooftop tent

    Hey folks,
    I have had a hard shell rooftop tent on my Disco for sometime now. I am thinking about running 12V power up into it for the month long touring trips i do.
    The tent is just a cheapy hard shell made out of plastic with aluminium frame supporting it on the inside.

    Does anyone have any ideas on drilling a hole in the plastic shell and then using a grommet etc - preventing future cracking of the plastic on corrugated roads etc? I actually got this tent replaced once before as after a trip across the Kimberley and down through the middle the first tent cracked up on the corners (but they changed the design in the replacement to prevent that).

    Any other ideas on how to run 12V into a rooftop tent with a design such as mine? There is no cable routing spots built into the canvas.

    Thanks!
    97 Disco 300Tdi, front & rear diff locked, hybrid turbo, full width intercooler, cranked front & rear arms,
    2” dobinson coils, terrafirma shocks, HD steering arms, diff guards, rocksliders, domin8r winch, tank guard

  2. #2
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    Drill a hole and use a cable gland, you answered the question already.
    MY08 TDV6 SE D3- permagrin ooh yeah
    2004 Jayco Freedom tin tent
    1998 Triumph Daytona T595
    1974 VW Kombi bus
    1958 Holden FC special sedan

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by loanrangie View Post
    Drill a hole and use a cable gland, you answered the question already.
    Never used a cable gland before. I was talking about standard rubber grommets.
    Cable glands look like they clamp the material they go through - which looks supportive like it may prevent cracking.
    Thanks for the idea.
    97 Disco 300Tdi, front & rear diff locked, hybrid turbo, full width intercooler, cranked front & rear arms,
    2” dobinson coils, terrafirma shocks, HD steering arms, diff guards, rocksliders, domin8r winch, tank guard

  4. #4
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    Use a hole saw rather than a drill and go softly. This will reduce the chance of forming little "starter" cracks around the edge of the hole.
    if you can get a de-burrer onto both sides of the hole, even better.

    Cheers Glen

  5. #5
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    I’d use a step drill.
    Fuji white RRS L494 AB

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Geedublya View Post
    I’d use a step drill.
    Yep step drill and cable gland. Mark the step drill with a paint pen on the size you want so you don't make the hole oversize. The cheap sets on ebay are perfect for this kind of work.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Geedublya View Post
    I’d use a step drill.
    Yep step drill and cable gland. Mark the step drill with a paint pen on the size you want so you don't make the hole oversize. The cheap sets on ebay are perfect for this kind of work.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fattima View Post
    Yep step drill and cable gland. Mark the step drill with a paint pen on the size you want so you don't make the hole oversize. The cheap sets on ebay are perfect for this kind of work.
    stack washers on the next size land of the step drill, spray some light oil onto the surface (or cutting fluid) and drill in when you hit the washers youve hit the hole size., if you leave a mil or so of the leading edge of the next land it will also deburr for you

    if you then clean and sand back the surface (both sides) and paste a little 2 part epoxy or sikaflex around the hole before you put the gland in it will give you a starter point to reinforce the gland once you have the cable in and do the clamp nuts up. slide on your cable support if youre going to use it and then epoxy or sikaflex it to the base you just set up.
    Dave

    "In a Landrover the other vehicle is your crumple zone."

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