Don't know about Australia, but here the the US of A, the roof rack rating is listed in the owner's manual. I've owned Cherokees, Blazers, Suburbans, Land Cruisers, Expeditions, and Explorers from 1971 to today and all had the information listed in the owner's manual. I talked to an automotive engineer at a big off-road rally and he said the rating was NOT what the vehicle structure could hold before buckling. It was determined based on the relationship of the height of the vehicle on the OEM tire/wheel combination, the tread & wheelbase, and the center of gravity of the stock vehicle. A change of any one of these could change the roof rack rating. The main factor was the center of gravity. We got into the discussion because he noted that my brother's Suburban was, in his words, "A rolling death trap." He said the roof was dangerously overloaded and said we should move much of the gear onto the trailer and inside the truck.
It is listed in the manuals, basically no one opens them up tho. My stationwagon has a roof rating of 80kg across 2 bars, I have a basket, awning, lights and a spare uptop. I have about 25kg left, mainly only use the leftover space for a compressable dry bag to blankets and bulky light items in to free up the boot so I can see out the rear window xD
@@exogatorsadly not in the Suzuki jimny owners manual. The only place you’ll find a figure for the Jimny is in the assembly instructions for some after market accessories.
Another consideration is how this affects the vehicle tilt angle capability. Also, the more weight up top, the more danger of rollover in an on road collision avoidance situation when there is a lot of lateral weight transfer.
Spot on. 100kg about 2m off the ground on a roof rack will impact the roll stability more than 200kg 1m off the ground in the tub. This is actually the main consideration in manufacturers specifications.
@@Skfkf1393a I have seen many people do that. The issue seems to be that people like to take too much stuff with them. We get to camp and it looks like Cirque du Soleil.
This is your one of your best videos Ronnie. When I bought my wagon just after your mishap it saved me a lot of any potential hassles. I always had an understanding of the importance of weights and ratings however both of this videos really cut through the minefield. I’ve had plenty of work mates ask me about GVMs etc and refer back to your videos. One of the important things I tell them is that Car dealerships, accessories suppliers and fitters are there to take your money. It’s up to the owner to do their research to do the due diligence. Also if there driving along after I refer them to your videos it’s still their personal responsibility. I quote to them “now that I’ve told you if your rack disintegrates due to being overloaded and goes flying through a soccer mums car with her kids in it and causes a fatality expect to sit before a coronial inquest”. Being careless now becomes reckless. Thanks for the video
Great video! I used to work at Autobarn roughly 10yr years ago. We would pump out the rhino rack sales. I remember they had a bar rating and also car roof manufacturers load rating, in their guide book for some vehicles. I'm unsure if they give this specification now. Definitely great to highlight this issue, as most people wouldn't even consider roof loads.
On my roof racks is a basket a light bar, 4 maxtrax, a shower awning and a solar panel that's all I use it for, my roof top tent and awning on a tub rack and the rooftop tent is 55 kilograms I have tried to spread the load and keep it as light as possible
I’m surprised the data isn’t in the owner’s handbook. My Range Rover owner’s handbook specifies max roof load (including roof rack) of 100kg on-road and 50kg off-road.
That's what surprised me too. Can only speak for europe, but all of the 6 cars i owned (and apart from 1 all were normal passenger cars, so not even offroaders) all of them had that info in the owners manual. (just not the offroad rating for non offroaders)
Excellent Ronny! We changed the way we loaded up for camping when you pointed this out before. So important to be legal and safe. (Fellow West Aussies here :)
In my opinion and practice I load all my gear inside the body cargo area. Heavy stuff on bottom and pack to the roof with lighter gear going up. My 4x4 is a Jeep Wrangler 2 dr so...weight/space is at a premium.
Great to see you talking about this again. After your video & Tyler's video a few years back losing his rack on K'Gari I did some research for my Gen 3 Pajero. I could find nothing online, nothing in the owners manual, nothing in the workshop manual and asking in forums especially FB gave me nothing but BS. I contacted Mitsubishi & was told then Gen 3 & Gen 4 Pajero (2000 - most recent (Not Sport) had a Dynamic load rating of 100kg BUT.......... They also told me I should be reducing that by 30% on Unsealed Roads (Many people think Offroad is hard corrugations and difficult 4wding but this means any dirt road or beach). That gives the Gen 3 and Gen 4 Pajeros and Off Road rating of only 70kg which must include the weight of your roof rack system. Using the Side Rails that come on many of the Pajeros as well dramatically reduced that load, some are only capable of around 35kg yet I see people putting RTT's on them.
An excellent informative video. It’s frightening to see how overloaded the roof racks are on many vehicles using our local tracks (Victorian High Country). When I bought my 200 series in 2019 the Toyota dealer was very helpful and accurate with roof loads.
Thanks for shedding light on this matter. So hard to get the basic facts. Manufactures and salespeople of both racks and cars need to be consistently transparent and informed on this
Great piece for new to the 4wd scene. I had a Jimny and you are right, I had the rack, swag, awning, chairs etc and by god it was way to top heavy, great car but not practical for the loads I need to carry. Done a lot of research and picked a vehicle better suited to our style of camping\touring and now have an 2023 Outback. Now with a rear draw\cargo area layout to keep the weight down low and I am today about to sort the roof but this time Ive picked the lightest but strongest roof bars to only carry our swags etc so by my estimates I should be under the max 100KG load rating by a fair bit. Do your research and choose wisely is the best and safest advice we all need to consider before jumping on the popular dual cab train!
With the Jimny, you need to make sure you only carry what I need for each trip. If you are off-roading, leave your awning behind, if you are only camping, leave the MaxTrax behind. When I researched the Jimny roof load, I decided to prioritised a towbar and trailer. Unfortunately, I did not do enough research and settled for the OEM Towbar. I have since replaced it with something fit for purpose for a 4WD. Ronny, maybe you can investigate OEM and Aftermarket towbars next, especially wiring and current carrying capacity.
Great information in this video. If anyone needs a big weight capacity for your roof racks, just get a Jeep wrangler with a gobi rack, 300lb/111.97kg driving load limit, and 800lb/362.87kg static load. This is due to the way the rack is attached, it's mounted to the chassis in the rear and to the windshield frame bracket up front. Unfortunately the jeep The downside is you can't fold the windshield down with it installed, but its a beast of a rack setup. Jeep says the hardtop isn't made to support any additional loads. Most folks have come to the consensus that 100-150lb is doable. I definitely strap my 55lb canoe up there all the time but I'd not put anything heavier than that up there even with one of them aftermarket rack setups. I can't wait to get my Gobi rack, then I can get an awning, some maxx tracks and move a few other bits of kit out of the cargo area. Plus I can add a propane tank to the mix as well as get the hilift jack off the tailgate and add some trail lighting to all 4 sides and some camp lights as well. It looks like the FJ40 has a similar setup to the wrangler for a gobi rack. They dobhave some higher rated numbers on some of their other racks, like the Toyota 4runner for example, but those are roof mount style so I'd consider the advice presented in this video regardless of the ratings given. The wrangler and FJ40 are unique in that the rack isn't attached ti the roof at all, in dact with the wrangler you can use the rack with a hardtop, soft top or no top at all so that's prety cool.
You should add the outback wilderness trim which has a roof rating of 700lbs (317.5kg) the only limiting factor is whatever roof bars you buy, which most are at 220lbs/100kg
Great vid as usual Ronny. Very much enjoyed and found informative the vid in 2021 and this one also. As A tradie that has ran ford Utes for over 20 years as the main work vehicle (on road) I always fitted a fiber glass canopy. Racks were installed on the canopy. Was only rated for 75kg (Canopy) but that suited as I ran light bars and only used the racks for carrying ladders/steps. After starting to look for a replacement vehicle for the ute, Decided on a duel cab (nothing out in the market place at the moment). Either with tray and canopy, or tub and fibre glass canopy. Canopy's would be the only place for any racking, except maybe one bar on the cabin roof (for long load support but not structurally taking the weight and only lightly tired down on this bar). This is because of cab chassis design. Allows canopy to move independent of the cabin (not talked about much if at all). My preferred option ($$ Approx 5k for canopy, 1.5k for racking system and accessories): Fiber glass canopy e.g. ARB min-100kg Dynamic, 350kg Static. The canopy is reinforced. (loads depend on canopy model) Tray and canopy ($$ How deep is your pockets ?? 10k goes nowhere)- varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, racking type etc. Will achieve min 100kg dynamic load and 350kg static (if not more) but there is down side of suspension work needing to be done, GVM increase etc. To maintain a reasonable load carrying capacity, balance and smoothness of ride and legal requirements. I haven't checked out the offroad load ratings yet. That will be my next step or research when I am closer to purchases.
All important details that manufacturers need to make available to consumers. When I bought my Frontier (Navara) in 2015, after installing my topper, the topper dealer installed a sticker on the door jamb stating my vehicle capacity had been reduced by 325 lbs, the weight of the topper. I’d never seen that before.
I agree, I reckon they make it hard or don’t print it to waiver legal liability. I think at the end of the day the onus is always on the owner. Good on you for taking the time to doing the right thing. I feel safer driving on the road with travelers like yourself
This is why i bought a smallest/lightweight inno roof box i could find for my cx5. It only weights 20 pounds and i can still fill it up up to 60 pounds worth of camping gear in it. I see people carrying rooftop full of camping gears on lifted 4runners they look unstable af
Back in the 70-80’s any 4x4 roof rack was attached to the vehicle through roll bars bolted/welded to the frame rails. There for weigh was more secure then, nowadays due to current manufacturing practices vehicles are lighter from the bottom of the glass up.the lack of solid roll bars compound the problems.✌️🙂
Rather than 'frame rails' I think you mean roof racks were attached to the rain gutters. Also they often had more fixing/support points than we generally see today. I haven't seen a rack welded to a vehicle.
Thanks for a very clear explanation, I feel most vehicle manufacturers and accessory companies try to make it as hard as possible to get a hard fact to avoid costly payouts
100% Ronny, Far to often we see brands hiding the truth and leaving this sort of information out...That's why you should consider buying Tracklander Roof Racks, Australian based company that will give you all the information you need every time.
It might surprise you to discover that our Adventra has two distinct ratings. The roof racks themselves have a separate carrying capacity, distinct from the rear roof loading. On LX models (highest spec) there's a luggage carrier at the very back of the wagon equipped with its own aircraft-style tie-down points. For example, we can securely place a spare rear tire on this section, and the weight is considered separate from the roof rack's capacity since they are independently bolted to the roof and we arent riveted. Nut and bolts the whole way.
This is an excellent and much needed presentation that we should all take careful notice of. Other things to consider are the increased effects on dynamic stability on vehicles with modified suspensions increasing the overall height, the overall weight on the roof reducing the balance of the allowable load carrying capacity of the vehicle and the significant increase in fuel consumption that results from the wind resistance of bulky less than aerodynamic objects placed on the rack. While 4wd enthusiasts may be happy to pay the price for leaving their 4wd accessories and recovery equipment on show on their racks while driving around town the costs associated with disregard for legally enforceable weight limits has the potential to ruin lives.
For reference the rating for a Fortuner is only 50kg which is a major pain, I bought one during covid as I needed a car in a hurry and there were no troopies available. When it came to adding a roof rack finding the rating from the Toyota dealer wasn’t much use but thankfully my local Rhino rack dealer had access to a database from Rhino who had done the calculations given the accesory bars Toyota supply are a Rhino product.
Land Rover actually included the static and dynamic loads for the Defender in their promotional videos at the time of the launch. Whether anybody would choose the Defender for their overlanding vehicle or not is a different kettle of fish. Manufacturers should be made to include these figures in their handbooks supplied with the vehicle. After all, it all relates to road safety.
Late last year we took delivery of a Prado 150 with the factory bolt on roof racks We emailed Toyota and they indicated they no longer give roof rating for the Prado. Only a rating for the Toyota roof rack fitted with their bars to the rack that came with the car 75Kg. According to our dealer they used to give the Prado rating, but were unsure if it is still applicable and indicated if in an accident [or checked in say QLD] the 75Kg would probably apply. I have heard of a few people now pulled over in QLD and weight checked. Not towing either, just roof rack and vehicle loading.
Yep I had read in the provided info books it was 75kg max for the LC150, with the standard roof rails and Toyota roof bars. But Ronnie's team sourced it is 100kg?
@@dramadu998 Yes one of the roof rack companies I looked into indicated it used to be 100Kg, but since Toyota wont verify this now if you are pulled over and deemed over weight at 100kg Toyota wont back you up. Be nice to know what the weigh bridge people list the weight as. I am going to try and keep under the 75kg for now
This subject is one of my pet peeves. I read a lot of « The roof of your car is made to support 3 times the weight of your vehicle, you can put what you want on top ». This make me mad, even more when it comes from people that sales RTT.
@@Flash1857, they do. Doesn’t mean the vehicle is suitable for a roof rack. Sun roof are not all equal when it’s time to calculate the appropriate load, anchoring point either.
Spot on, Ronny! Weight high on a 4x4 is no good from all angles. So badly misunderstood. Keep weight low, keep gear organized, keep gear weight down for a better trip, for better vehicle performance, and better off-road performance and experience.
I had a roof rack on my jeep that sat on the steel bumper in the rear and the mounting point in the front pillars. I drove it off road for 2 weeks with 400kg on the roof rack. Loaded it like that several times snd never had a problem.
A better way to look at dynamic loads is as shock loads. Any velocity change creates a temporary change in force. Fixed load only accounts for static velocities. The leverage caused by how the load wants to shift dramatically increases the load on certain points even greater than the velocity change does by itself.
Tank 300 russian manual speaks: The maximum load capacity is 50 kg. With a sharp decrease in speed , the maximum load capacity is 35 kg. Useful information The load capacity of the rails includes the weight of the crossbars.
Centre of gravity is important. You see people with gear permanently on their roof. This stays there whether they have a load in the back or not. Why bother to remove it day to day. Have it there so we just add a go bag and we are camping. They have also added a lift (2, 3 or 4 inches) and wide tyres for the sand. Hit a patch of water or an oily patch of water and you have a problem. Traction is lost and if the lower momentum slows faster (like hitting a kerb or a dryer patch of road) the vehicle just wants to lay on its side and sleep.
When working out my roof rack situation I found that only front runner didn't have a different on road/off road rating.They just rate it for both which is good. Also when contacting places for install, they were all going to just rivet the rails on. None of them wanted to go through the effort to take the roof liner out. I ended up doing it myself, bolting it down properly.
Thanks for posting the list of dynamic loads at the end! I see my Prado 120 has 150kg, which is more than the 100kg I thought it had? What an awesome surprise. I'll continue to budget for 100kg though, to be safe.
Not sure if it helps my situation or not but I own a Jeep Rubicon with a soft top. Because of that I had to go with a Gobi rack which attaches 25% the way up the front windshield pillar and to the chassis in the rear, no weight on the roof (since I dont have one) Ive never experienced any problems with rack loads up to roughly 190 lbs / 86 kg. this does not include the weight of the rack which is easily over 100lbs / 45 kg. I have now changed all that for various reasons though. Vehicle handling, wind resistence, ease of loading, vehicle height are a few. I now have a trailer Ive modifyed to handle most of my gear + RTT.
Indeed, a factor not explored in any video I’ve seen yet is that installing bigger tires (tyres in Straya) must further reduce the dynamic roof load* rating.
That is why you build a solid canopy with load bearing roof overhang. My roof overhang can take my weight 100kg easily. The rest of the canopy can take the same as my bed.
Interesting, when I began planning 3 years ago for my set up, I did like you and searched the internet high and low, watched your videos and many others. I live in South Africa, so things might differ slightly here. I had chosen a Prado 150VX for its KDDS roll stability and rear air suspension for constant ride height etc. I contacted Toyota and searched for the roof load ratings. I did find load ratings , but for the Prado they are specific to the roof bar accessories. Toyota said the roof load rating would depend on the load rating of the Roof Rack fitted. The manufacturer clearly do not want to get involved in specifying an actual roof load rating as it would probably lead to liability problems. I also checked for the legal load rating for vehicle roof loads etc. and they revert to the manufacturers. Coming from an aeronautical, motor racing design and vehicle manufacturing background I know that the roof load capacity is more than twice the actual weight of the vehicle to prevent collapse when upside down etc. So I designed my set up with weight and weight distribution in mind. My complete set up including roof rack and all fittings and bedding etc. came in at 170kg. My set up is also bolted to the roof using the manufacturers mounting points, it is not pop-riveted. I had two roof rack failures (the Front Runner Sport rack for the Prado was not fit for purpose and ended getting paid out in full for all damages). I then fitted a welded Eeziawn K9 roof rack, which has been there for over 2 years. I did short trip testing before accepting it as complete and safe. I have since done over 100 000km with the set up all over Southern Africa on tar, gravel, offered and extreme 4x4. I do remove the roof top for the extreme 4x4 trips. I also ride the vehicle accordingly with the roof top on, ie. roll over and tip over angles etc. I also specify all my rooftop fitting on my insurance, as this is where the real problems occur when it comes to being paid out for accident damage or failure etc. One point you did not appear to mention, was Pick-Ups or Utes as you call them, the Roof top fitted to the canopies mounted to the load body also affect the dynamic handling of the vehicle the same as if it were mounted to the roof etc. PS, I see plenty vehicle manufacturers branded vehicles and 4x4 branded vehicles driving around and posting videos and marketing with massive roof top set ups that must weigh at least 200kg etc. But this is a very grey area. Hopefully this will lead to a great discussion with constructive input as to what needs to be done to : - make it easier for people to find vehicle roof load rating info etc. - keep the industry honest when selling or fitting vehicles with roof top set ups etc, - prevent vehicle owners falling fowl off insurance or traffic regulations etc. - reduce the number of incidents due to overloaded roof tops etc.
This has been very handy. I've got an MN Triton and can't find the roof rating, so all I have on my racks is the awning and a solar panel. I'll admit I've had way too much weight on the racks going of the rack manufacturers load rating, but only for a short, steady trip home to keep the dynamic load low. I also have a canopy that takes the bulk weight of the awning as it's a 270°. I will be fitting internal support bars in my canopy to take a RTT even though the canopy is rated to 100kg, but no mention if that's static or dynamic.
Cardogan did a video about this and called out FORD for images used their advertising as being overloaded on the roof of the Everest. Forced them to change. It was great. Also I agree with some comments your videos are slick but the over use of awful music and and stock images is turning some of us off. Great content otherwise mate I have learnt a lot from your channel.
This is common with a lot of advertising campaigns for Volume vehicle manufacturers. The problem is that marketing and salesman showing what a vehicle "can" do sell cars and engineers (and parts interpreters) telling the customer what the can't do does not sell cars. Meanwhile, aftermarket manufacturers don't get engineering data from the OEM and need to either do their own R&D (expensive) or just make some crap up (inexpensive).
@@SalvoDanlike Ford getting sued for their raptor advertisement because some blokes tried to jump their raptors like in the advert and ended up breaking stuff.
The 120 prado only has a 80kg rating, and 100kg with the triple factory load bars. Definitely doesn’t not have 150kg rating (that’s coming from the manual)!!
good information my Bronco apparently is only 50KG dynamic and 205KG static and I don't ever plan on a roof tent so I would only use it as a dynamic load which leaves me with very little... 😅
Still hard to find a static load or off road load. Overall depending on some vehicles it's still a pain to find ground clearance, wading depth and the clearance angles. Even the max climbing or roll over angle is only shown on a few manufacturer web pages. You can find most information in off road magazines. And some manufacturers even hide if there is a true diff locker, e locker or just a "we will eat up your breaks" locker or some fancy product terms where you even after reading the documentation the third time still question yourself if it actually has a low gear or not Or AWD over electric motors, but sell it as AWD and you see it in the fine print
And in general in europe it's in the owners manual. (at least of the 6 cars i owned) Where all the main technical information is: like the weight you can put on the towing hook, the dimensions, fuel capacity...
@@EricssonStaffan i think at 100 kph it gets almost irrelevant what the roofload does. ;-) But below 80 it's important that it stays put in a crash. (the crashtests are up to 65 kph iirc, at 100 you got almost no chance when hitting a wall straight on, and even less with oncomming traffic as the speeds add up. 2x100=200 kph)
Grate vid mate, I worked for a sa roof top tent manufacturer and there clients a often missed in regards to this area, go buy this rack and you can run out ten and awning and all will be ok, well it's not ok as I build up a fitout business on the sunny coast and ran it for 11 years before selling it and weight was always my number consideration when designing a system or canopy build. Most businesses in the industry will miss lead the client to get the sales, THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE!!!! PEOPLE please do your own research as company's will only tell you what they want you to here. This is why I had to move away from the mainstream industry.
very informative video no one is talking about thanks for the recommended ratings your vid can be a quick reference. I can only imagine those people who loaded so much stuff that is unnecessary and over the recommended ratings this video is an eye opener great job mate
It is my belief that the most dynamic load a vehicles roof will see is in the event of a roll over, under this scenario, the roof will be supporting the weight of the vehicle. I am sure the roof load rating is much more about how a roof top load will effect vehicle dynamics, especially during emergency maneuvers, and obviously a dynamic load on your roof will be far worse than a static load. It should also be noted that a roof top load has more leverage on suspension which potentially could lead to premature wear of those components.
Thank you for the information. I added the prinsu rack recently to top load the light weight bulk pieces that take space and not much weight. You present many facts in regard to static and dynamic loads. Much important. In fact, throwing gear across the field is poor hygiene for the rest of us to see as your rig rolls over many times in spectacular fashion, possibly killing the occupants. makes for a bad day. Our center of gravity and height profile is to be considered along the adventure. Wheel ON!
I'm not a 4wd driver, but as a new suv awd owner I worked this all out myself, for a rooftop tent last year. I assumed all the experienced 4wd drivers knew this.
Great video, informative, no ego and well explained! So much hidden behind the big numbers people are after. I wonder where it all sits in the insurance fine print!
Thank you so much! This is exactly what I've been trying to find out and no one has been able to give me a straight answer. The only question I have is does the year matter as well or should that series vehicle, no matter the year, be the same?
I own a dual cab ute and built myself a full size roofrack (2450mm×1230mm) that bolts onto a frame that itself bolts onto the edge of the ute tub so any weight i put onto the rack is supported by the tub. Ive had easily 150kg on the rack with no issues
Good to have the informative RD back. Simple, roof loading is dynamic (some manufacturers also give a static rating but not many). It is the MAXIMUM the roof should be subjected to so rack weight MUST be subjected from the load rating before any load is applied! Simple thing really is keep as much weight off the roof as possible. Most soft shell tents are about 68kg. So bars ar 7kg, you hit most 75kg vehicle limits. Don't think roof bars weigh nothing or don't add to the roof weight, they DO, you need to make sure ANYTHING added to the roof is accounted for whether that be hard or soft roof bars, rack or even an exoskeleton if it goes onto roof height on the vehicle, the dynamic load is a positional load not just physically what the actual roof can handle!! Land Rover put the data very clearly in the owner's manual, for a Defender before 98, it's 75kg (you might want to update your data too), EU law changed in 98, after this it's 150kg, the roof and body structure DID NOT CHANGE!!!! So, here's a question for you, I have a 2006 roof on my 97 110, what's the weight rating of it? Info in the 1999 on user manual below, pre 1998 the maximum load is set at 75Kg: • The MAXIMUM roof rack load is 150 kg. • A loaded roof rack can reduce the stability of the vehicle, particularly when cornering and encountering cross winds. • All loads should be evenly distributed, and secured within the periphery of the rack. • Always secure the load to the side rails, not just to the cross rails. • Driving off-road with a loaded roof rack is not recommended. If it is necessary to stow luggage on the roof rack while driving off-road, all loads MUST be removed before traversing side slopes. • Only fit roof racks that have been designed for your vehicle. If in doubt, consult your dealer.
Great vid and interesting comments. The roof load is also likely that with stock wheels and suspension for the typical dynamics rather than with a lift and the like. Weight distribution is another factor John Cadogan raised in his similar recent vid. He also pointed to the fact that many roads are gravel etc so is this off or on-road. I dunno. All a big can of worms and many racks are too big and heavy to caryy much at all! Thanks for making and the work you did.
Thank you sir. As someone who just purchased my first 4x4 (2003 prado 120 series) every bit of info you have on your page is helping me. This shit is daunting and im scurred to take her on the beach lol
i thought the 300 series can hold up to 150KG; thats whats on rhinorack's load rating page for their platform rack. can you cite the source for the 92KG figure please?
For the GWM Tank 500 and 300, as Chinese version manual stated, i believe it's maxi 50kg static, and "during rapid deceleration"(which in my understanding indicates dynamic load) is 35kg. As for the newer tank 400 and 700, the roof load is stated 75kg only, i believe it refers to static load
I can confirm the Land Rover manual for my 2009 Defender 110 station wagon says maximum roof load is 150kg. It doesn't distinguish between static and dynamic loads.
From the Chinese social media I found out people are claiming that the "official" dynamic load rating for Tank 300 is 50kg and the static load stating for Tank 500 is 300 kg.
Makes sense the Grenadier has factory ratings since the manufacturer offers an OEM roof rack. I've never put very much on the roof of cars but with looking at some of these number I've likely exceeded the rating a few times. A much needed resource.
Nice video man! Very interesting. I'd like to add something though. Static loads are calculated using 1g acceleration and dynamic loads use 3g (in general, this could be more depending on the risk of the component breaks). This is why we can see (in general again) a 3:1 ratio between static and dynamic loads.
The roof load rating for the Jimny is incorrect. the rating that you are referring to is the old gen3 aluminum roof rails, it clearly states it in the owners manual of a Gen3. Suzuki actually does not provide the roof load ratings of either the gen3 or gen4. however out of own experience the dynamic roof load is very little. a eezi awn or front runner rooftop tent is the lightest on the market. it definitely overloads the dynamic roof load. the standard suspension in either the gen3 or gen4 does not allow you to carry anything safely on the roof anyways. On my own gen3 I have done some upgrades to strengthen the roof, but it was to ensure the roof rack does not tear out of the roof due to metal fatigue as it has happened to a number of owners. The dynamic load rating is a real issue in the 4x4 community as a whole, and we all tend to overload the roof.
Making the complicated easy to understand. Doing a great job, thanks for the hard investigation. I’m sure it was frustrating! I’m a FJ cruiser owner and strangely happy to not see a number I’m shocked about! In denial maybe?? Good video 👍
I wonder what the roof load rating on my 68 Mustang is. I keep 2 spare tires, my hi lift jack, six lights, and an axe up there. When I take it on trips, I throw all my camping gear up there too.
as some one whos father was part of the MTAA motor trades associaltion australia and the national chairman twice my fatherwould adovocate for information like this to be made public ! I think this should be on the same type of placard as grose tounge wieght for towbar
It depends on how many bars and weight distribution over the entire roof’s lenght. Forces and static/dynamic impact can be calculated and depends on loads distribution vertically, means G height. It’s slightly complicated than shown, but controllable… Free liquids’ surfaces (half fuel/water tanks) have some negative effect on overall stability too 😊
I had an interesting case with Jeep Wrangler. For a long time i thought roof rack will be a pain in the a$$ (no real roof - softtop or hardshell „cover”). But some available systems has quite good load rating (rihno backbone, gobi, etc), having brackets attached directly to the frame/rear bulbars etc. From memory, could easily get around 100kg on the roof (120kg rated bracket minus 7,5kg for three cross bars for rihno rack backbone 4door jk)
I have a Rhino system on my JK & couldn't tell you a precise load rating given all the variables ....... BUT .... I am now conscious not to put more than a swag, maybe a jerry can & shovel up there (around 50kgs) . I think this is pretty safe but it would be great to know exactly.
@@misdamagoo213 i just typed in google „rihno rack jk backbone 3 bars manual”, first result is manual which has at the beginning rating for 3 bars (120 minus rack?) Try googling your exact setup (2dr/4dr, crossbars/roofrack) should have similar manual with load ratings. They had somewhere also different ratings for „on road” and „off road”,
If the roof rack manufacturers actually quoted the remaining usable load capacity of their products on specific vehicles… no one would bother buying the rack.
Just make sure you understand that OEM Roof Bars are about 5kgs. And in most cases arent at all offroad recommended unless using fixed point mounts eg. MQ/MR Triton, Landcruiser 200/Prados without rails.
He Ronnie i have a update for the list. The brick was missing !!! ;) all LWB G's (both W460, w461, w462(!) and w463) are rated for a roof load of 200kg. I myself have a w463, and the registration papers did not have any info about the roof load. But after contacting the Mercedes they confirmed that it straight out of the factory is rated for a roof load of 200kg, a trailer hitch load of 140kg and a trailer tow weight of 3500kg. All LWB versions of the G can be registered like this if the local land rules that allow.
Great video Ronny.. my rule of thumb is if you’re heading off road and you want to use the full capabilities of your vehicle then a roof rack is just about useless. Maybe a good spot for solar panels. Even muddy recovery boards on the roof will lift the centre of gravity of your vehicle to a point that will reduce off road performance and might over stress components. Roof top tents are great for touring, but in reality probably better left at home.
Dear Haytham, Thank you for your recent email received by the Toyota Guest Experience Centre on the 14 March 2022 regarding vehicle rood loading rating. We can advise that Toyota Motor Corporation Australia (TMCA) do not specify a load limit for the roofs of our vehicles. This is as we do not recommend loading the roof of our vehicles alone. Therefore, we are unable to provide a recommended roof load limit, however, a load limit could be advised for Toyota Genuine Roofs racks.
Man, when I think back to the sheer quantity of construction materials I hauled home, carefully secured to the roof of my 1982 Honda Accord, with moving blankets between the load and the roof, and with no ill effects. Granted, I wasn't driving it off road lol. Considering the fact that vehicle safety regulations require that roofs do not collapse in the event of a roll over, I'd say that the manufacturer's specifications for maximum roof loads are very, very conservative, and, dare I say, not realistic. Of course the method of securing the rack to the roof probably plays the biggest role in limiting the load capacity.
Accessory manufacturers who refuse to provide readily available ratings should be held liable when customers run into legal and insurance issues. RhinoRack include a calculator feature on their website, but it is upto the customer to provide their independently sourced roof load rating. ARB don't provide their info in any of their online literature and even their in-store staff don't have access to this info. Front Runner are actually recommending roof racks that weigh more than the dynamic load of some vehicles.
You mean Roof Platform NOT Roof Rack. Roof rails go along the roof front to rear. The manufacturer usually states the roof loading on top of these rails. On rails you attached roof racks (cross bars left/right on the vehicle) with or without a platform on top OR you attach a Platform directly to the rails. My Rhino Rack weighs 17kg. What you call roof bars is the roof racks. What you call roof rack is a roof platform.
Don't know about Australia, but here the the US of A, the roof rack rating is listed in the owner's manual. I've owned Cherokees, Blazers, Suburbans, Land Cruisers, Expeditions, and Explorers from 1971 to today and all had the information listed in the owner's manual. I talked to an automotive engineer at a big off-road rally and he said the rating was NOT what the vehicle structure could hold before buckling. It was determined based on the relationship of the height of the vehicle on the OEM tire/wheel combination, the tread & wheelbase, and the center of gravity of the stock vehicle. A change of any one of these could change the roof rack rating. The main factor was the center of gravity. We got into the discussion because he noted that my brother's Suburban was, in his words, "A rolling death trap." He said the roof was dangerously overloaded and said we should move much of the gear onto the trailer and inside the truck.
Fanboys typically don't read, so the manuals are a dead loss.
That makes all the sense in the world
Myself, I'm more interested in what the Roof Top Rating is on my MX Top/Cap. I'd probably never have anything over 100# on the Top/Cap
It is listed in the manuals, basically no one opens them up tho.
My stationwagon has a roof rating of 80kg across 2 bars, I have a basket, awning, lights and a spare uptop. I have about 25kg left, mainly only use the leftover space for a compressable dry bag to blankets and bulky light items in to free up the boot so I can see out the rear window xD
@@exogatorsadly not in the Suzuki jimny owners manual. The only place you’ll find a figure for the Jimny is in the assembly instructions for some after market accessories.
Another consideration is how this affects the vehicle tilt angle capability. Also, the more weight up top, the more danger of rollover in an on road collision avoidance situation when there is a lot of lateral weight transfer.
Spot on. 100kg about 2m off the ground on a roof rack will impact the roll stability more than 200kg 1m off the ground in the tub. This is actually the main consideration in manufacturers specifications.
Another consideration is wind drag and g force
Bought and installed a hardshell roof rack and took it off immediately after a trial run. Did not like how the car felt top heavy
@@Skfkf1393a I have seen many people do that. The issue seems to be that people like to take too much stuff with them. We get to camp and it looks like Cirque du Soleil.
@@DaveStorton Perfect. 😂🤡🎪
This is your one of your best videos Ronnie.
When I bought my wagon just after your mishap it saved me a lot of any potential hassles.
I always had an understanding of the importance of weights and ratings however both of this videos really cut through the minefield.
I’ve had plenty of work mates ask me about GVMs etc and refer back to your videos.
One of the important things I tell them is that Car dealerships, accessories suppliers and fitters are there to take your money.
It’s up to the owner to do their research to do the due diligence.
Also if there driving along after I refer them to your videos it’s still their personal responsibility.
I quote to them “now that I’ve told you if your rack disintegrates due to being overloaded and goes flying through a soccer mums car with her kids in it and causes a fatality expect to sit before a coronial inquest”.
Being careless now becomes reckless.
Thanks for the video
So glad you made this video! I would like to add the roof ratings for my vehicles:
- Honda CB500X: 0kg
- Kawasaki Concours14: 0kg
Technically your head is the roof rack, measure the dynamic load of your neck!
@@faisal3398 I have actually seen a nutter getting around with a roof rack on his Honda, the front rack bolts onto the mirrors, like I said a nut.
tank bag rating.. just don't....
Nice addition. I really appreciate this!
😂
Excellent video and a shame that the industry is not transparent about this. Thanks mate.
Great video!
I used to work at Autobarn roughly 10yr years ago. We would pump out the rhino rack sales. I remember they had a bar rating and also car roof manufacturers load rating, in their guide book for some vehicles. I'm unsure if they give this specification now.
Definitely great to highlight this issue, as most people wouldn't even consider roof loads.
On my roof racks is a basket a light bar, 4 maxtrax, a shower awning and a solar panel that's all I use it for, my roof top tent and awning on a tub rack and the rooftop tent is 55 kilograms I have tried to spread the load and keep it as light as possible
I’m surprised the data isn’t in the owner’s handbook. My Range Rover owner’s handbook specifies max roof load (including roof rack) of 100kg on-road and 50kg off-road.
The info was also in the owner’s manual of my previous model Range Rover as well.
That's what surprised me too.
Can only speak for europe, but all of the 6 cars i owned (and apart from 1 all were normal passenger cars, so not even offroaders) all of them had that info in the owners manual. (just not the offroad rating for non offroaders)
My Disco 3 manual has the rating too.
Excellent Ronny! We changed the way we loaded up for camping when you pointed this out before. So important to be legal and safe. (Fellow West Aussies here :)
In my opinion and practice I load all my gear inside the body cargo area. Heavy stuff on bottom and pack to the roof with lighter gear going up. My 4x4 is a Jeep Wrangler 2 dr so...weight/space is at a premium.
Great to see you talking about this again. After your video & Tyler's video a few years back losing his rack on K'Gari I did some research for my Gen 3 Pajero. I could find nothing online, nothing in the owners manual, nothing in the workshop manual and asking in forums especially FB gave me nothing but BS. I contacted Mitsubishi & was told then Gen 3 & Gen 4 Pajero (2000 - most recent (Not Sport) had a Dynamic load rating of 100kg BUT.......... They also told me I should be reducing that by 30% on Unsealed Roads (Many people think Offroad is hard corrugations and difficult 4wding but this means any dirt road or beach). That gives the Gen 3 and Gen 4 Pajeros and Off Road rating of only 70kg which must include the weight of your roof rack system. Using the Side Rails that come on many of the Pajeros as well dramatically reduced that load, some are only capable of around 35kg yet I see people putting RTT's on them.
An excellent informative video. It’s frightening to see how overloaded the roof racks are on many vehicles using our local tracks (Victorian High Country). When I bought my 200 series in 2019 the Toyota dealer was very helpful and accurate with roof loads.
Thanks for shedding light on this matter. So hard to get the basic facts. Manufactures and salespeople of both racks and cars need to be consistently transparent and informed on this
Great piece for new to the 4wd scene. I had a Jimny and you are right, I had the rack, swag, awning, chairs etc and by god it was way to top heavy, great car but not practical for the loads I need to carry. Done a lot of research and picked a vehicle better suited to our style of camping\touring and now have an 2023 Outback. Now with a rear draw\cargo area layout to keep the weight down low and I am today about to sort the roof but this time Ive picked the lightest but strongest roof bars to only carry our swags etc so by my estimates I should be under the max 100KG load rating by a fair bit. Do your research and choose wisely is the best and safest advice we all need to consider before jumping on the popular dual cab train!
With the Jimny, you need to make sure you only carry what I need for each trip.
If you are off-roading, leave your awning behind, if you are only camping, leave the MaxTrax behind.
When I researched the Jimny roof load, I decided to prioritised a towbar and trailer. Unfortunately, I did not do enough research and settled for the OEM Towbar. I have since replaced it with something fit for purpose for a 4WD.
Ronny, maybe you can investigate OEM and Aftermarket towbars next, especially wiring and current carrying capacity.
Great information in this video.
If anyone needs a big weight capacity for your roof racks, just get a Jeep wrangler with a gobi rack, 300lb/111.97kg driving load limit, and 800lb/362.87kg static load.
This is due to the way the rack is attached, it's mounted to the chassis in the rear and to the windshield frame bracket up front.
Unfortunately the jeep
The downside is you can't fold the windshield down with it installed, but its a beast of a rack setup.
Jeep says the hardtop isn't made to support any additional loads.
Most folks have come to the consensus that 100-150lb is doable.
I definitely strap my 55lb canoe up there all the time but I'd not put anything heavier than that up there even with one of them aftermarket rack setups. I can't wait to get my Gobi rack, then I can get an awning, some maxx tracks and move a few other bits of kit out of the cargo area. Plus I can add a propane tank to the mix as well as get the hilift jack off the tailgate and add some trail lighting to all 4 sides and some camp lights as well.
It looks like the FJ40 has a similar setup to the wrangler for a gobi rack. They dobhave some higher rated numbers on some of their other racks, like the Toyota 4runner for example, but those are roof mount style so I'd consider the advice presented in this video regardless of the ratings given. The wrangler and FJ40 are unique in that the rack isn't attached ti the roof at all, in dact with the wrangler you can use the rack with a hardtop, soft top or no top at all so that's prety cool.
You should add the outback wilderness trim which has a roof rating of 700lbs (317.5kg) the only limiting factor is whatever roof bars you buy, which most are at 220lbs/100kg
Great vid as usual Ronny. Very much enjoyed and found informative the vid in 2021 and this one also.
As A tradie that has ran ford Utes for over 20 years as the main work vehicle (on road) I always fitted a fiber glass canopy. Racks were installed on the canopy. Was only rated for 75kg (Canopy) but that suited as I ran light bars and only used the racks for carrying ladders/steps.
After starting to look for a replacement vehicle for the ute, Decided on a duel cab (nothing out in the market place at the moment).
Either with tray and canopy, or tub and fibre glass canopy. Canopy's would be the only place for any racking, except maybe one bar on the cabin roof (for long load support but not structurally taking the weight and only lightly tired down on this bar). This is because of cab chassis design. Allows canopy to move independent of the cabin (not talked about much if at all).
My preferred option ($$ Approx 5k for canopy, 1.5k for racking system and accessories):
Fiber glass canopy e.g. ARB min-100kg Dynamic, 350kg Static. The canopy is reinforced. (loads depend on canopy model)
Tray and canopy ($$ How deep is your pockets ?? 10k goes nowhere)-
varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, racking type etc. Will achieve min 100kg dynamic load and 350kg static (if not more) but there is down side of suspension work needing to be done, GVM increase etc. To maintain a reasonable load carrying capacity, balance and smoothness of ride and legal requirements.
I haven't checked out the offroad load ratings yet. That will be my next step or research when I am closer to purchases.
….😴
Very informative video, thanks for sharing. I wish the list included the LC100 series.
All important details that manufacturers need to make available to consumers. When I bought my Frontier (Navara) in 2015, after installing my topper, the topper dealer installed a sticker on the door jamb stating my vehicle capacity had been reduced by 325 lbs, the weight of the topper. I’d never seen that before.
I agree, I reckon they make it hard or don’t print it to waiver legal liability.
I think at the end of the day the onus is always on the owner. Good on you for taking the time to doing the right thing.
I feel safer driving on the road with travelers like yourself
This is why i bought a smallest/lightweight inno roof box i could find for my cx5. It only weights 20 pounds and i can still fill it up up to 60 pounds worth of camping gear in it. I see people carrying rooftop full of camping gears on lifted 4runners they look unstable af
Back in the 70-80’s any 4x4 roof rack was attached to the vehicle through roll bars bolted/welded to the frame rails. There for weigh was more secure then, nowadays due to current manufacturing practices vehicles are lighter from the bottom of the glass up.the lack of solid roll bars compound the problems.✌️🙂
Back when vehicles got made with quarter inch steel.
Rather than 'frame rails' I think you mean roof racks were attached to the rain gutters. Also they often had more fixing/support points than we generally see today. I haven't seen a rack welded to a vehicle.
Thanks for a very clear explanation, I feel most vehicle manufacturers and accessory companies try to make it as hard as possible to get a hard fact to avoid costly payouts
100% Ronny, Far to often we see brands hiding the truth and leaving this sort of information out...That's why you should consider buying Tracklander Roof Racks, Australian based company that will give you all the information you need every time.
It might surprise you to discover that our Adventra has two distinct ratings. The roof racks themselves have a separate carrying capacity, distinct from the rear roof loading. On LX models (highest spec) there's a luggage carrier at the very back of the wagon equipped with its own aircraft-style tie-down points. For example, we can securely place a spare rear tire on this section, and the weight is considered separate from the roof rack's capacity since they are independently bolted to the roof and we arent riveted. Nut and bolts the whole way.
This is an excellent and much needed presentation that we should all take careful notice of.
Other things to consider are the increased effects on dynamic stability on vehicles with modified suspensions increasing the overall height, the overall weight on the roof reducing the balance of the allowable load carrying capacity of the vehicle and the significant increase in fuel consumption that results from the wind resistance of bulky less than aerodynamic objects placed on the rack.
While 4wd enthusiasts may be happy to pay the price for leaving their 4wd accessories and recovery equipment on show on their racks while driving around town the costs associated with disregard for legally enforceable weight limits has the potential to ruin lives.
For reference the rating for a Fortuner is only 50kg which is a major pain, I bought one during covid as I needed a car in a hurry and there were no troopies available. When it came to adding a roof rack finding the rating from the Toyota dealer wasn’t much use but thankfully my local Rhino rack dealer had access to a database from Rhino who had done the calculations given the accesory bars Toyota supply are a Rhino product.
I had the exact same issue but I had to do the digging to find out the load rating for my Fortuner. Pain.
You're a bloody legend, from idea to research to execution
Is having sex in a roof top tent a static or dynamic load?
Depends of the performance of the couple.
That's a root rack😅
I’m glad you put this information together for customers. It’s critical.
Dynamic, has more to do with how much the extra weight high up affects stability…
So tyre size, lift and GVM upgrades would also affect everything 🤔
Land Rover actually included the static and dynamic loads for the Defender in their promotional videos at the time of the launch. Whether anybody would choose the Defender for their overlanding vehicle or not is a different kettle of fish. Manufacturers should be made to include these figures in their handbooks supplied with the vehicle. After all, it all relates to road safety.
Late last year we took delivery of a Prado 150 with the factory bolt on roof racks
We emailed Toyota and they indicated they no longer give roof rating for the Prado. Only a rating for the Toyota roof rack fitted with their bars to the rack that came with the car 75Kg.
According to our dealer they used to give the Prado rating, but were unsure if it is still applicable and indicated if in an accident [or checked in say QLD] the 75Kg would probably apply.
I have heard of a few people now pulled over in QLD and weight checked. Not towing either, just roof rack and vehicle loading.
Yep I had read in the provided info books it was 75kg max for the LC150, with the standard roof rails and Toyota roof bars. But Ronnie's team sourced it is 100kg?
@@dramadu998
Yes one of the roof rack companies I looked into indicated it used to be 100Kg, but since Toyota wont verify this now if you are pulled over and deemed over weight at 100kg Toyota wont back you up.
Be nice to know what the weigh bridge people list the weight as. I am going to try and keep under the 75kg for now
This subject is one of my pet peeves. I read a lot of « The roof of your car is made to support 3 times the weight of your vehicle, you can put what you want on top ». This make me mad, even more when it comes from people that sales RTT.
Agree, the roof need’s to support the vehicle upside down
@@Flash1857, they do. Doesn’t mean the vehicle is suitable for a roof rack. Sun roof are not all equal when it’s time to calculate the appropriate load, anchoring point either.
I did alot of research also and I have to roof bars with no awning on my Jimny. Just put table and gas bottle up there only
Spot on, Ronny! Weight high on a 4x4 is no good from all angles. So badly misunderstood. Keep weight low, keep gear organized, keep gear weight down for a better trip, for better vehicle performance, and better off-road performance and experience.
Dood! one of the best info going around TH-cam, you're my go-to man. Luv your show.
I had a roof rack on my jeep that sat on the steel bumper in the rear and the mounting point in the front pillars. I drove it off road for 2 weeks with 400kg on the roof rack.
Loaded it like that several times snd never had a problem.
A better way to look at dynamic loads is as shock loads. Any velocity change creates a temporary change in force. Fixed load only accounts for static velocities. The leverage caused by how the load wants to shift dramatically increases the load on certain points even greater than the velocity change does by itself.
Tank 300 russian manual speaks:
The maximum load capacity is 50 kg. With a sharp decrease in speed
, the maximum load capacity is 35 kg.
Useful information
The load capacity of the rails includes the weight
of the crossbars.
Centre of gravity is important. You see people with gear permanently on their roof. This stays there whether they have a load in the back or not. Why bother to remove it day to day. Have it there so we just add a go bag and we are camping. They have also added a lift (2, 3 or 4 inches) and wide tyres for the sand. Hit a patch of water or an oily patch of water and you have a problem. Traction is lost and if the lower momentum slows faster (like hitting a kerb or a dryer patch of road) the vehicle just wants to lay on its side and sleep.
Thank you for clarifying how it all works.
Are gutter mounted racks different in weight carrying capacity?
When working out my roof rack situation I found that only front runner didn't have a different on road/off road rating.They just rate it for both which is good. Also when contacting places for install, they were all going to just rivet the rails on. None of them wanted to go through the effort to take the roof liner out. I ended up doing it myself, bolting it down properly.
Thanks for posting the list of dynamic loads at the end! I see my Prado 120 has 150kg, which is more than the 100kg I thought it had? What an awesome surprise. I'll continue to budget for 100kg though, to be safe.
Not sure if it helps my situation or not but I own a Jeep Rubicon with a soft top. Because of that I had to go with a Gobi rack which attaches 25% the way up the front windshield pillar and to the chassis in the rear, no weight on the roof (since I dont have one) Ive never experienced any problems with rack loads up to roughly 190 lbs / 86 kg. this does not include the weight of the rack which is easily over 100lbs / 45 kg. I have now changed all that for various reasons though. Vehicle handling, wind resistence, ease of loading, vehicle height are a few. I now have a trailer Ive modifyed to handle most of my gear + RTT.
Indeed, a factor not explored in any video I’ve seen yet is that installing bigger tires (tyres in Straya) must further reduce the dynamic roof load* rating.
That is why you build a solid canopy with load bearing roof overhang. My roof overhang can take my weight 100kg easily. The rest of the canopy can take the same as my bed.
Interesting, when I began planning 3 years ago for my set up, I did like you and searched the internet high and low, watched your videos and many others. I live in South Africa, so things might differ slightly here. I had chosen a Prado 150VX for its KDDS roll stability and rear air suspension for constant ride height etc. I contacted Toyota and searched for the roof load ratings. I did find load ratings , but for the Prado they are specific to the roof bar accessories. Toyota said the roof load rating would depend on the load rating of the Roof Rack fitted. The manufacturer clearly do not want to get involved in specifying an actual roof load rating as it would probably lead to liability problems. I also checked for the legal load rating for vehicle roof loads etc. and they revert to the manufacturers. Coming from an aeronautical, motor racing design and vehicle manufacturing background I know that the roof load capacity is more than twice the actual weight of the vehicle to prevent collapse when upside down etc. So I designed my set up with weight and weight distribution in mind. My complete set up including roof rack and all fittings and bedding etc. came in at 170kg. My set up is also bolted to the roof using the manufacturers mounting points, it is not pop-riveted. I had two roof rack failures (the Front Runner Sport rack for the Prado was not fit for purpose and ended getting paid out in full for all damages). I then fitted a welded Eeziawn K9 roof rack, which has been there for over 2 years. I did short trip testing before accepting it as complete and safe. I have since done over 100 000km with the set up all over Southern Africa on tar, gravel, offered and extreme 4x4. I do remove the roof top for the extreme 4x4 trips. I also ride the vehicle accordingly with the roof top on, ie. roll over and tip over angles etc. I also specify all my rooftop fitting on my insurance, as this is where the real problems occur when it comes to being paid out for accident damage or failure etc. One point you did not appear to mention, was Pick-Ups or Utes as you call them, the Roof top fitted to the canopies mounted to the load body also affect the dynamic handling of the vehicle the same as if it were mounted to the roof etc. PS, I see plenty vehicle manufacturers branded vehicles and 4x4 branded vehicles driving around and posting videos and marketing with massive roof top set ups that must weigh at least 200kg etc. But this is a very grey area. Hopefully this will lead to a great discussion with constructive input as to what needs to be done to :
- make it easier for people to find vehicle roof load rating info etc.
- keep the industry honest when selling or fitting vehicles with roof top set ups etc,
- prevent vehicle owners falling fowl off insurance or traffic regulations etc.
- reduce the number of incidents due to overloaded roof tops etc.
Good video... too many people don't read the manual, or aren't aware that there is this load limit on top of the car.
This has been very handy.
I've got an MN Triton and can't find the roof rating, so all I have on my racks is the awning and a solar panel.
I'll admit I've had way too much weight on the racks going of the rack manufacturers load rating, but only for a short, steady trip home to keep the dynamic load low.
I also have a canopy that takes the bulk weight of the awning as it's a 270°.
I will be fitting internal support bars in my canopy to take a RTT even though the canopy is rated to 100kg, but no mention if that's static or dynamic.
Cardogan did a video about this and called out FORD for images used their advertising as being overloaded on the roof of the Everest. Forced them to change. It was great. Also I agree with some comments your videos are slick but the over use of awful music and and stock images is turning some of us off. Great content otherwise mate I have learnt a lot from your channel.
This is common with a lot of advertising campaigns for Volume vehicle manufacturers.
The problem is that marketing and salesman showing what a vehicle "can" do sell cars and engineers (and parts interpreters) telling the customer what the can't do does not sell cars.
Meanwhile, aftermarket manufacturers don't get engineering data from the OEM and need to either do their own R&D (expensive) or just make some crap up (inexpensive).
@@SalvoDanlike Ford getting sued for their raptor advertisement because some blokes tried to jump their raptors like in the advert and ended up breaking stuff.
@@j.e.honiball1327 ********Closed track and with a professional drivers
Good topic! Lots of misuse of roof racks (and bars!). Happy to have a 20 year old Defender 110 with 150 kg capacity!
The 120 prado only has a 80kg rating, and 100kg with the triple factory load bars. Definitely doesn’t not have 150kg rating (that’s coming from the manual)!!
Excellent video Ronny, looking forward to learn tons from your work! Thanks for the great effort!
good information my Bronco apparently is only 50KG dynamic and 205KG static and I don't ever plan on a roof tent so I would only use it as a dynamic load which leaves me with very little... 😅
In germany the roof load ratig is noted in the vehicle registration document you always have to carry with you. So you dont have to do any research.
Do you know if there is maybe a website with this information available? Would be very very helpful.
Still hard to find a static load or off road load.
Overall depending on some vehicles it's still a pain to find ground clearance, wading depth and the clearance angles. Even the max climbing or roll over angle is only shown on a few manufacturer web pages.
You can find most information in off road magazines.
And some manufacturers even hide if there is a true diff locker, e locker or just a "we will eat up your breaks" locker or some fancy product terms where you even after reading the documentation the third time still question yourself if it actually has a low gear or not
Or AWD over electric motors, but sell it as AWD and you see it in the fine print
And in general in europe it's in the owners manual. (at least of the 6 cars i owned) Where all the main technical information is: like the weight you can put on the towing hook, the dimensions, fuel capacity...
I guess another factor is crashing. If you hit a wall in 100km/h the roof load needs to stay attached to the car
@@EricssonStaffan i think at 100 kph it gets almost irrelevant what the roofload does. ;-) But below 80 it's important that it stays put in a crash. (the crashtests are up to 65 kph iirc, at 100 you got almost no chance when hitting a wall straight on, and even less with oncomming traffic as the speeds add up. 2x100=200 kph)
Grate vid mate, I worked for a sa roof top tent manufacturer and there clients a often missed in regards to this area, go buy this rack and you can run out ten and awning and all will be ok, well it's not ok as I build up a fitout business on the sunny coast and ran it for 11 years before selling it and weight was always my number consideration when designing a system or canopy build. Most businesses in the industry will miss lead the client to get the sales, THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE!!!! PEOPLE please do your own research as company's will only tell you what they want you to here.
This is why I had to move away from the mainstream industry.
Good video Ronny, this is why I have put my RTT on my canopy which has a roof load rating of 150kg and only small accessories on the roof its self.
very informative video no one is talking about thanks for the recommended ratings your vid can be a quick reference. I can only imagine those people who loaded so much stuff that is unnecessary and over the recommended ratings this video is an eye opener great job mate
You can add the MR Triton 2021 to your list with a roof load limit of 80 kg. Straight out of my Manual
It is my belief that the most dynamic load a vehicles roof will see is in the event of a roll over, under this scenario, the roof will be supporting the weight of the vehicle. I am sure the roof load rating is much more about how a roof top load will effect vehicle dynamics, especially during emergency maneuvers, and obviously a dynamic load on your roof will be far worse than a static load. It should also be noted that a roof top load has more leverage on suspension which potentially could lead to premature wear of those components.
Thank you for the information. I added the prinsu rack recently to top load the light weight bulk pieces that take space and not much weight. You present many facts in regard to static and dynamic loads. Much important. In fact, throwing gear across the field is poor hygiene for the rest of us to see as your rig rolls over many times in spectacular fashion, possibly killing the occupants. makes for a bad day. Our center of gravity and height profile is to be considered along the adventure. Wheel ON!
Thank you and your team for this information.
I'm not a 4wd driver, but as a new suv awd owner I worked this all out myself, for a rooftop tent last year. I assumed all the experienced 4wd drivers knew this.
I dunno, but the 'static' roof-top tent can get pretty 'Dynamic' at times. 😉😎
Great video, informative, no ego and well explained! So much hidden behind the big numbers people are after. I wonder where it all sits in the insurance fine print!
Thank you so much! This is exactly what I've been trying to find out and no one has been able to give me a straight answer.
The only question I have is does the year matter as well or should that series vehicle, no matter the year, be the same?
I own a dual cab ute and built myself a full size roofrack (2450mm×1230mm) that bolts onto a frame that itself bolts onto the edge of the ute tub so any weight i put onto the rack is supported by the tub. Ive had easily 150kg on the rack with no issues
Always giving out great info Ronny,
Your last vid was the reason I went and did tons of research to pick the current rack I have now and make it safe.
Good to have the informative RD back.
Simple, roof loading is dynamic (some manufacturers also give a static rating but not many). It is the MAXIMUM the roof should be subjected to so rack weight MUST be subjected from the load rating before any load is applied!
Simple thing really is keep as much weight off the roof as possible.
Most soft shell tents are about 68kg. So bars ar 7kg, you hit most 75kg vehicle limits. Don't think roof bars weigh nothing or don't add to the roof weight, they DO, you need to make sure ANYTHING added to the roof is accounted for whether that be hard or soft roof bars, rack or even an exoskeleton if it goes onto roof height on the vehicle, the dynamic load is a positional load not just physically what the actual roof can handle!!
Land Rover put the data very clearly in the owner's manual, for a Defender before 98, it's 75kg (you might want to update your data too), EU law changed in 98, after this it's 150kg, the roof and body structure DID NOT CHANGE!!!! So, here's a question for you, I have a 2006 roof on my 97 110, what's the weight rating of it?
Info in the 1999 on user manual below, pre 1998 the maximum load is set at 75Kg:
• The MAXIMUM roof rack load is
150 kg.
• A loaded roof rack can reduce the
stability of the vehicle, particularly
when cornering and encountering
cross winds.
• All loads should be evenly
distributed, and secured within the
periphery of the rack.
• Always secure the load to the side
rails, not just to the cross rails.
• Driving off-road with a loaded roof
rack is not recommended. If it is
necessary to stow luggage on the
roof rack while driving off-road, all
loads MUST be removed before
traversing side slopes.
• Only fit roof racks that have been
designed for your vehicle. If in
doubt, consult your dealer.
Great vid and interesting comments. The roof load is also likely that with stock wheels and suspension for the typical dynamics rather than with a lift and the like. Weight distribution is another factor John Cadogan raised in his similar recent vid. He also pointed to the fact that many roads are gravel etc so is this off or on-road. I dunno. All a big can of worms and many racks are too big and heavy to caryy much at all! Thanks for making and the work you did.
The ozroo tub rack is rated based on the dynamic load capacity of the tub.
Thank you sir. As someone who just purchased my first 4x4 (2003 prado 120 series) every bit of info you have on your page is helping me. This shit is daunting and im scurred to take her on the beach lol
Just drop your tire pressure and go on the beach. That year model prado is better than you expect.
i thought the 300 series can hold up to 150KG; thats whats on rhinorack's load rating page for their platform rack. can you cite the source for the 92KG figure please?
For the GWM Tank 500 and 300, as Chinese version manual stated, i believe it's maxi 50kg static, and "during rapid deceleration"(which in my understanding indicates dynamic load) is 35kg. As for the newer tank 400 and 700, the roof load is stated 75kg only, i believe it refers to static load
I can confirm the Land Rover manual for my 2009 Defender 110 station wagon says maximum roof load is 150kg. It doesn't distinguish between static and dynamic loads.
I wonder how many Toyota 300 buyers know they can only put 92kg on the roof.
From the Chinese social media I found out people are claiming that the "official" dynamic load rating for Tank 300 is 50kg and the static load stating for Tank 500 is 300 kg.
Perfectly timed for Aussie Arvos latest video
Makes sense the Grenadier has factory ratings since the manufacturer offers an OEM roof rack. I've never put very much on the roof of cars but with looking at some of these number I've likely exceeded the rating a few times.
A much needed resource.
Nice video man! Very interesting.
I'd like to add something though.
Static loads are calculated using 1g acceleration and dynamic loads use 3g (in general, this could be more depending on the risk of the component breaks).
This is why we can see (in general again) a 3:1 ratio between static and dynamic loads.
Yep, check out Tyler Thompson’s Roof rack fail and explanation from Rhino Rack
I learned almost everything about off-road vehicles from you. Thanks a lot.
The roof load rating for the Jimny is incorrect. the rating that you are referring to is the old gen3 aluminum roof rails, it clearly states it in the owners manual of a Gen3.
Suzuki actually does not provide the roof load ratings of either the gen3 or gen4. however out of own experience the dynamic roof load is very little. a eezi awn or front runner rooftop tent is the lightest on the market. it definitely overloads the dynamic roof load. the standard suspension in either the gen3 or gen4 does not allow you to carry anything safely on the roof anyways.
On my own gen3 I have done some upgrades to strengthen the roof, but it was to ensure the roof rack does not tear out of the roof due to metal fatigue as it has happened to a number of owners.
The dynamic load rating is a real issue in the 4x4 community as a whole, and we all tend to overload the roof.
Making the complicated easy to understand. Doing a great job, thanks for the hard investigation. I’m sure it was frustrating!
I’m a FJ cruiser owner and strangely happy to not see a number I’m shocked about! In denial maybe?? Good video 👍
I wonder what the roof load rating on my 68 Mustang is. I keep 2 spare tires, my hi lift jack, six lights, and an axe up there. When I take it on trips, I throw all my camping gear up there too.
If you put cross bars on your roof - OEM or aftermarket - they are part of the roof load so must be counted.
Yes, he should have used 5 kg for the combined weight of the mounts and crossbars instead of zero. Still a great video.
as some one whos father was part of the MTAA motor trades associaltion australia and the national chairman twice my fatherwould adovocate for information like this to be made public ! I think this should be on the same type of placard as grose tounge wieght for towbar
It depends on how many bars and weight distribution over the entire roof’s lenght. Forces and static/dynamic impact can be calculated and depends on loads distribution vertically, means G height. It’s slightly complicated than shown, but controllable…
Free liquids’ surfaces (half fuel/water tanks) have some negative effect on overall stability too 😊
I had an interesting case with Jeep Wrangler. For a long time i thought roof rack will be a pain in the a$$ (no real roof - softtop or hardshell „cover”). But some available systems has quite good load rating (rihno backbone, gobi, etc), having brackets attached directly to the frame/rear bulbars etc. From memory, could easily get around 100kg on the roof (120kg rated bracket minus 7,5kg for three cross bars for rihno rack backbone 4door jk)
I have a Rhino system on my JK & couldn't tell you a precise load rating given all the variables ....... BUT .... I am now conscious not to put more than a swag, maybe a jerry can & shovel up there (around 50kgs) . I think this is pretty safe but it would be great to know exactly.
@@misdamagoo213 i just typed in google „rihno rack jk backbone 3 bars manual”, first result is manual which has at the beginning rating for 3 bars (120 minus rack?) Try googling your exact setup (2dr/4dr, crossbars/roofrack) should have similar manual with load ratings. They had somewhere also different ratings for „on road” and „off road”,
If the roof rack manufacturers actually quoted the remaining usable load capacity of their products on specific vehicles… no one would bother buying the rack.
Just make sure you understand that OEM Roof Bars are about 5kgs. And in most cases arent at all offroad recommended unless using fixed point mounts eg. MQ/MR Triton, Landcruiser 200/Prados without rails.
He Ronnie i have a update for the list. The brick was missing !!! ;) all LWB G's (both W460, w461, w462(!) and w463) are rated for a roof load of 200kg. I myself have a w463, and the registration papers did not have any info about the roof load. But after contacting the Mercedes they confirmed that it straight out of the factory is rated for a roof load of 200kg, a trailer hitch load of 140kg and a trailer tow weight of 3500kg. All LWB versions of the G can be registered like this if the local land rules that allow.
Great video Ronny.. my rule of thumb is if you’re heading off road and you want to use the full capabilities of your vehicle then a roof rack is just about useless. Maybe a good spot for solar panels. Even muddy recovery boards on the roof will lift the centre of gravity of your vehicle to a point that will reduce off road performance and might over stress components. Roof top tents are great for touring, but in reality probably better left at home.
Add a roll cage, that should beef up your load carrying capacity.
Dear Haytham,
Thank you for your recent email received by the Toyota Guest Experience Centre on the 14 March 2022 regarding vehicle rood loading rating.
We can advise that Toyota Motor Corporation Australia (TMCA) do not specify a load limit for the roofs of our vehicles. This is as we do not recommend loading the roof of our vehicles alone. Therefore, we are unable to provide a recommended roof load limit, however, a load limit could be advised for Toyota Genuine Roofs racks.
I own a Colorado RC and I found the dynamic roof load rating in the user manual which is 100kg.
I thought Tyler Thompson pointed this out after his incident and you jumped in on it after the fact.
Man, when I think back to the sheer quantity of construction materials I hauled home, carefully secured to the roof of my 1982 Honda Accord, with moving blankets between the load and the roof, and with no ill effects. Granted, I wasn't driving it off road lol. Considering the fact that vehicle safety regulations require that roofs do not collapse in the event of a roll over, I'd say that the manufacturer's specifications for maximum roof loads are very, very conservative, and, dare I say, not realistic. Of course the method of securing the rack to the roof probably plays the biggest role in limiting the load capacity.
Thanks for the help, you always give us things we didn't think about ❤
best 4wd channel hands down , cheers Ronnie keep up the great work with your videos.
Accessory manufacturers who refuse to provide readily available ratings should be held liable when customers run into legal and insurance issues.
RhinoRack include a calculator feature on their website, but it is upto the customer to provide their independently sourced roof load rating. ARB don't provide their info in any of their online literature and even their in-store staff don't have access to this info.
Front Runner are actually recommending roof racks that weigh more than the dynamic load of some vehicles.
You mean Roof Platform NOT Roof Rack.
Roof rails go along the roof front to rear. The manufacturer usually states the roof loading on top of these rails.
On rails you attached roof racks (cross bars left/right on the vehicle) with or without a platform on top OR you attach a Platform directly to the rails.
My Rhino Rack weighs 17kg.
What you call roof bars is the roof racks. What you call roof rack is a roof platform.