This is my first RTT and first set of crossbars. The width of yhry mounting hardware on the Smittybuilt Overland Gen 2 and the size of the towers on the Malone AirFlow 2 are incompatible on the Crosstrek’s raised rails. This means one side of the tent’s mounting hardware has to be “outside” the towers, which places the other set of mounting hardware towards the center of the crossbars and not near the opposite towers. I don’t actually mind this because I pushed the tent towards the side it folds out to, giving me some space to perhaps mount something on the passenger side of the crossbars. I’m just concerned about the crossbars potentially being damaged.
Also, how tight should I clamp down the crossbars? The manual doesn’t mention a torque spec. If I tighten them finger tight with firm pressure, the towers seem to bend the crossbars. Is this normal?