Installation Guides

Before you start

Park on firm, level ground and apply the parking brake. Lay out the panels, brackets and hardware packs on a clean, protected surface. If any part is missing, damaged or does not align, stop and contact Ridgevale before drilling, cutting or modifying the canopy or vehicle.

Tools and materials

• Pozi or Phillips screwdriver, or a cordless driver with the correct bits
• Supplied waterproof seam tape, or the manufacturer-approved equivalent
• Supplied or manufacturer-approved automotive sealing compound for specified screw and rail joints
• Supplied waterproof bed rail sealing strip
• Lint free cloth and a suitable panel-safe cleaner for preparing sealing surfaces
• Suitable spanners or sockets for the supplied nuts and mounting fixings
• Three or four capable adults to lift and position the assembled canopy

Check the supplied components

• Canopy roof or body panel
• Left and right side doors
• Front and rear doors (gas struts and hinges pre-fitted)
• Aluminium mounting rails
• Rubber weatherproofing gaskets
• Screw, nut and washer packs, sorted by size; door hardware differs from rail hardware
• Waterproof adhesive strip
• Vehicle mounting brackets; fitment and drilling requirements vary by vehicle and bracket kit

Part A — Assemble the canopy body

Step 1 — Prepare and waterproof the panel seams

Clean and dry every mating surface before applying tape or sealant. Apply the supplied waterproof seam tape along each specified panel joint, including where a door frame meets the roof panel. Press it down continuously with no gaps, folds or stretched sections.

Step 2 — Seal the specified screws

Apply the supplied or manufacturer-approved sealing product to each screw that passes through the roof or rail. Use only the amount and method specified for the product; do not substitute a general purpose adhesive.

Step 3 — Fit the roof rails

Align the aluminium side rails with the roof panel. Insert the prepared screws from underneath and start each fixing by hand before tightening.

Step 4 — Fit the rail gasket

Fit the washered screws and seat the rubber gasket evenly in the rail channel before final tightening. Make sure the gasket is not twisted, stretched or trapped, and that it will seal evenly against the door frame.

Step 5 — Fit and tighten the nuts

Start every nut by hand, then tighten the fixings gradually in sequence so the rail remains aligned. Tighten evenly and securely without overtightening or distorting the rail. Use the manufacturer's torque value if one is supplied.

Part B — Fit the doors

Step 6 — Identify each door

The front, rear, left and right doors are not interchangeable. Identify and orient each door before fitting it.

Step 7 — Match the hardware

Select the hardware pack for the door being fitted. Door fixings differ from the rail fixings used in Part A, so keep the packs separate and do not force a mismatched fixing.

Step 8 — Fit the front and rear doors first

Fit the front and rear doors before the side doors. Start all fixings loosely, then align each hinge and latch before tightening.

Step 9 — Fit the side doors

Fit the left and right side doors using their matching screws and washers. Start all fixings loosely and confirm the doors are correctly oriented before alignment.

Step 10 — Seat every door gasket inward

On every door, make sure the gasket lip faces inward and is fully seated around the complete opening. An incorrectly oriented, twisted or trapped gasket can allow water to enter.

Step 11 — Align and tighten the doors

When every door is aligned and closes freely, tighten its fixings gradually and evenly without overtightening. Recheck hinge movement, latch engagement and every gasket before moving the canopy.

Part C — Prepare the truck bed

Step 12 — Position the assembled canopy

Place the assembled canopy beside the pickup on a protected, stable surface. Confirm the lift route is clear and all doors are closed and latched.

Step 13 — Clean the bed rail and apply the sealing strip

Clean and dry the top edge of the truck bed rail, removing dirt, wax and oil. Apply the supplied sealing strip continuously around the contact surface, with no gaps or overlaps unless the product instructions require them. Do not lower the canopy until the strip is correctly positioned.

Part D — Mount the canopy on the vehicle

Step 14 — Lift with help

Lift carefully with three or four capable adults. Agree the route and a lifting count before starting, keep fingers clear of the bed rail and lower the canopy slowly and evenly. Do not attempt the lift in strong winds or while the vehicle is on uneven ground.

Step 15 — Centre the canopy and check the fit

Lower the canopy centrally so it sits evenly on the sealing strip and has suitable clearance from the cab, tailgate and bed sides. Check that the supplied brackets align with the intended factory mounting points or clamping locations for this vehicle.

Part D — Secure the canopy

Step 16 — Fit the supplied mounting brackets

Use the brackets supplied for this canopy and vehicle combination. A no-drill installation is possible only where the brackets align with the approved factory mounting points or clamping locations. If they do not align, stop and contact Ridgevale. Do not drill or modify the vehicle or brackets without written fitment guidance.

Step 17 — Secure the mounting brackets

Start every bracket fixing by hand. Working diagonally around the canopy, tighten each bracket in stages so the canopy is pulled down evenly. Tighten securely without crushing the bed rail, distorting the canopy or displacing the sealing strip. Use the manufacturer's torque value if supplied.

Step 18 — Complete the mounting check

When all brackets are fitted, confirm that the canopy is centred, stable and evenly supported. Do not drive the vehicle until every check in Part E has been completed.

Part E — Final checks and aftercare

Complete every check before driving the vehicle.

• All canopy, rail and mounting bracket fixings are present and secure.
• The canopy is centred, stable and clear of the cab, tailgate and bed sides.
• Every door opens, closes and latches correctly; hinges and gas struts move smoothly.
• Every gasket is fully seated, faces the correct direction and has no visible gaps.
• The bed rail sealing strip is evenly compressed with no gaps or displaced sections.
• All packaging, protective film, loose tools and unused hardware have been removed.

Water ingress test

After any sealant has cured for the time stated by its manufacturer, test the canopy with a gentle, low-pressure water flow. Inspect all seams, doors, fixings and the bed rail from inside. Rectify any leak before loading the canopy. Do not use a pressure washer for this test or before the sealing products have cured.

After the first journey

Recheck the canopy position and all mounting brackets after 50 to 100 miles, and again after the first off-road journey. Continue to inspect the brackets, seals, hinges and latches as part of routine vehicle maintenance.

Installation support

If the supplied parts do not match the vehicle, or if any bracket or panel does not align, stop the installation and contact Ridgevale at info@ridgevale.co.uk before making any modification.

Before you start

Build the rack flat on the ground, then lift it onto the vehicle once it's complete. Leave bolts finger-tight until a step tells you to tighten them, so the frame can still be squared up.

Good practice

• Lay every part out and check it against the parts list before you start.
• Screws going into the plastic corners and clamps only need to be snug. Overtightening strips the plastic.

What's in the box

Lay everything out roughly in its final position. It makes each step quicker and shows straight away if anything is missing.

• Side rails (2): the two longest rails, with a channel along the outside
• Front and rear rails (2): shorter rails with a row of holes along the top
• Corner pieces (4): curved black corners with two spigots each
• Corner caps (4): flat, curved plates with two screw holes
• Crossbars (4): narrow channels with square holes along the top
• Slats (4): wide ribbed strips
• Side plates (2): perforated plates, deeper at one end
• L-brackets (1 set): black angle brackets that join the side plates to the crossbars, stamped L & R

Hardware

Sort the fixings into groups before you start.

• Cage nuts (steel clip holding a square nut), 20: clip into the crossbars to take the slat clamp bolts (Step 1)
• Black Phillips screws: rails to corners, and corner caps (Step 3)
• Black plastic slat clamps, 20: hold the slats down onto the crossbars (Step 5)
• Black button-head bolts, spring washers and flat washers: slat clamps (Step 5)
• T-track plates (small black serrated plates): sit in the crossbar channel and take the L-bracket bolts (Step 6)
• Stainless button-head bolts, spring washers, flat washers and flange nuts: L-brackets and side plates (Step 6)

Step 1 — Fit the cage nuts to the crossbars

Each crossbar takes 5 cage nuts, one in every square hole, so 20 in total.

1. Lay each crossbar with its T-track channel facing up.
2. Working from inside the channel, hook one clip of the cage nut under the edge of a square hole. Press the other side down until it clicks into place, so the nut sits inside the channel. A flat-blade screwdriver helps lever the last clip in.
3. Check every nut is seated flat and doesn't pull out.

Step 2 — Build the outer frame

The four rails and four corners push together to make the outer frame. Don't fit any screws yet.

1. Lay the rails out in a rectangle, top face up: side rails down the long sides, front and rear rails across the ends.
2. Slide a corner spigot into the end of each rail, with the domed, textured face of the corner on top.
3. Push each joint fully home so there's no gap between rail and corner. If it's tight, use the heel of your hand or a rubber mallet, never a steel hammer.
4. Check the small hole in each spigot lines up with the hole in the rail. These take screws in Step 3.

Step 3 — Square the frame and fix the corners

The corner screws and caps go on the underside, so this step is done with the frame upside down, before the crossbars go in.

1. With a helper, turn the frame over onto the dust sheet so the domed corner tops face down.
2. Square the frame by measuring both diagonals, corner to corner. Nudge it until the two measurements match to within about 3 mm.
3. At each corner, drive a black Phillips screw through each rail into the corner spigot, so two screws per corner.
4. Fit a corner cap over the open underside of each corner and fix it with two black screws.
5. Re-check the diagonals, then turn the frame back over.

Step 4 — Fit the crossbars at the roof fixing points

Each crossbar must sit over one pair of the Discovery's roof fixing points, which are about 58.5 cm apart front to back. The mounting feet can move forwards and backwards to take up small differences, so the spacing doesn't have to be exact.

1. Drop each crossbar into the inner channel of the side rails, so both ends rest on the rails' lower lip. The T-track channel faces down, towards the roof.
2. Slide the crossbars along the side rails until they're about 58.5 cm apart, centre to centre.
3. Measure down both side rails so each crossbar sits square across the frame.

Step 5 — Lay the slats and clamp them down

The 4 slats run front to back over the crossbars. A clamp at every cage nut holds them down: 5 per crossbar, 20 in total.

1. Lay the slats ribbed face up, with their ends against the front and rear rails.
2. Space the slats so every gap sits over a line of cage nuts, including the gaps next to the side rails.
3. Make up each clamp bolt: black button-head bolt, then spring washer, then flat washer.
4. Place a clamp across each gap so its edges overlap the slats on both sides. Pass the bolt through the clamp into the cage nut below.
5. Tighten all 20 bolts with the hex key, working from the centre outwards, until the slats can't move. Stop once snug, because the clamps are plastic.

Step 6 — Fit the side plates at the vehicle's mounting widths

The side plates bolt to the ends of the crossbars, on the underside of the rack, using L-brackets and T-track plates. The brackets slide along the crossbar channel, so each pair can be set to the Discovery's mounting width at that crossbar. The width tapers from 109.5 cm at the back to 127 cm at the front.

Width between mounting points

• Rear crossbar: 109.5 cm
• Second from rear: 113 cm
• Third from rear: 115 cm
• Front crossbar: 127 cm

1. With a helper, turn the rack over so the slats face down and the crossbar channels face up.
2. Fit a T-track plate into the channel at each end of every crossbar, 8 in total.
3. Each L-bracket is stamped L or R for the left or right side. Loosely bolt the four L brackets to the left side plate and the four R brackets to the right one, using the stainless fixings: button-head bolt, spring washer, flat washer, then the flange nut on the far side.
4. Stand each side plate along its side rail with the deep end (large holes) at the front. With the rack upside down, the left side plate is on your right when you face the front of the rack. Loosely bolt each bracket to its T-track plate with a stainless button-head bolt, spring washer and flat washer.
5. Slide the brackets along the crossbar channels until the width across the rack at each crossbar matches the widths above.
6. Keep the rack centred: at each crossbar, measure from each bracket to its nearest side rail and make both sides equal.
7. Tighten the bracket-to-crossbar bolts, then the bracket-to-side-plate bolts. Re-check all four widths.

Final checks and fitting

Run through these before the rack goes on the vehicle.

• All 20 slat clamp bolts are snug and no slat moves
• All 16 corner screws are in: 2 into the rails and 2 through the cap at each corner
• The width at each crossbar matches the widths in Step 6, and every bracket bolt is tight
• The diagonals still match to within about 3 mm
• No tools or loose fixings are left on the rack

Fitting to the vehicle

• Turn the rack back over, then lift it with two people, holding it by the side rails. Never slide it across the roof.
• Put it on with the deeper end of the side plates at the front, so each side plate lands on its roof fixing points. If a foot doesn't line up with its fixing point, slide it forwards or backwards rather than forcing it.
• Tighten the vehicle mounting fixings evenly, working side to side.

Aftercare

• Re-check every fixing after the first 50 miles, then at each service or before a long trip.
• Keep within your vehicle's maximum roof load, which is given in the owner's handbook.