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
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.
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
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)
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
after a year of dealer enquiries and bs online you’ve sorted it in one video Ronny - our upcoming Simpson trip just got better / safer with this info mate. brilliant.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Great work Ronnie, when I got my BT50 in 2008, I didn't bother trying to find out about roof ratings because I thought it would be too hard to find. I only ever put roof racks on the canopy with their internal frame (now I have an alloy canopy).
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
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.
I found similar things back in 2008. It all started with wanting to add another row of fitted seats. What a learning curve. I got the information from a qualified ADR engineer in Newcastle, that certified the installations of such add ons, and only if its was done exactly to his requirements or above specifications and materials. eg in floor anchor points specific bolts with nylocks min dia XX floorplate min of x.xx thick and min of XX.XX x XX.XX mm square coated to avoid corrosion and future problems of bolting to different alloys or metals together. So when I heard about racks previously using pot rivets that should only be used on backyard tin sheds I thought WTF. Some one is in for a legal shit storm. I xxxx out the specified information as I did purchsed that for compliance.
Used to work for a big independent 4wd parts supplier / installer in wa and we have been saying this for years. Even before the whole rhino rack saga. It doesn’t matter how much your roof rack can handle when your vehicle roof can not handle that capacity. The first point of failure will be your vehicles roof, not your rack.
This is probably why higher quality roof racks are integrated into cages, so the weight is on a lower part of the frame, and on a stronger structure. I know my personal pickup, a 3m steel tube was enough to buckle the unibody, but the rack I'm putting on it will float about a handspan above the cab roof.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Car manufacturers are hiding the obvious and blame anyone who has problems later because of unknowingly overload their roof racks. There should be a push from authorities that for all cars should have this information MUST be provided for the customer.
I’ve just bought the Rugged Ridge Sherpa bar system for my Jeep Wrangler. Have you found a good way to secure front runners to bars rather than a tray - without the bars being really close to each other? I need the bars far apart as I ll be strapping a portable gazebo and a 6 man tent up there for camping.
Wow well done for putting this together. Question:150kg’s for a 120 Prado. Does this include the roof racks attached to the roof rails (I was of the understanding that using the roof rails decreased load- I don’t know where I read this.
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.
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.
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.
How does the roof rack rating relate to actual roof loads during a rollover. will a jimny roof just crumple during roll overs since it has such a low roof rack rating?
Does anyone know what the rating for an FJ cruiser would be? It seems like there is a lot of conflicting answers to what it should be when searching online.
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.
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.
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
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.
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?
Mention roof rails are lighter than a roof rack; however, in an off-road situation very dangerous with only 2 attachments on each side of the vehicle for the 2 roof rails. Roof rails even installed very securely into the standard holes in the roof supplied by the auto manufacturer, the roof rails can’t handle much weight with all the Torque forces in off-roading. Even with a roof rack you need at least 3 strong attachment points on each side, including the 2 holes supplied by the auto manufacturer to go off-roading safely with any significant weight on the roof rack.
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.
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 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?
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.
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
Absolutely - Dynamic vs static loading is important, otherwise a RTT could never sleep anyone... Now for load bearing canopies / dog-boxes... Just because the box can take the load, doesn't change a whole lot - on the dynamic front.
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.
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
hay what about truck caps? i got a 2003 dodge 2500, with a fibre glass topper on the back, im wanting to stick the rooftop tent on the topper, people have taken van rails and mounting on them. is this a nono?
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.
2024 Subaru Forester's dynamic load limit is 80kg. I just checked my manual. The advertised 360kg is only for the Wilderness Edition and only the static rating
Thanks for the head-up. But it is extremely difficult to find the dynamic/static roof payload for my 2002 Lexus LX470. It’s not in the instruction manual and online. Is there a source where to find this information?
The smart money is on 2 x roof bars (Rhino Vortex have the same rating as their HD square profile bars too) and a softtop roof tent say 45kg.for most utes. Rhino down rate for offroad so take that into account. Some vehicle manufacturers do not down rate their roof rating for offroad but Rhino do down rate. Cheers
Good Video and I feel your pain trying to get the information, it took me weeks to get the numbers for my 2004 LR Discovery II. It is about 75 KG dynamic, with gutter mount roof bars, as far as I could find out. With 3 roof bars, a small RTT and awning I am just under.
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.
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)!!
There is roofload rating where the loading 8s on existing support bars on the roof proper and not in the guttering or the old padded or suction cup mounted roof racks. There should also be a guttering mounted rating as they vary greatly.
Also how many mounting points to distribute the load. And are the manufactures rating at a single point in the center of the roof?? or around the perimeter?? Dynamic loads are like bending a piece of metal back and forth until it tears. so there is a lot more stress forces while moving. I wonder what the rating on older trucks would be like, such as a 40, 60, 70, or 80seriers cruiser with their smaller roof/window pillars. or would they be higher because they are distributing around the drip rail, that most new cars do not even have anymore. I love a lot of the rain forest challenge trucks. as most use an exo skeletal bar system. which distributes the load thru the frame all around the truck. Great video. a lot to think about. Thanks for taking us down the rabbit hole with you on this one.
HI Ronny, was surprised to see the Prado 120 was shown to have a roof weight limit of 150kg. Do you list anywhere where that was referenced? Also what do the colours for the limit indicate? Thanks..
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.
I'm curious as to why some of the racks have an off road rating and others dont. Is it simply that the other racks dont report or havent measured their racks capability off road?
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!
😂
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.
Excellent video and a shame that the industry is not transparent about this. Thanks mate.
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
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.
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
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)
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.
I’m glad you put this information together for customers. It’s critical.
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.
Very informative video, thanks for sharing. I wish the list included the LC100 series.
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.
….😴
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.
No I don't think that's true. In the owners manual of my Fortuner in Australia, it says you can put up to 75kg in the luggage carrier on the roof.
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.
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
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
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
after a year of dealer enquiries and bs online you’ve sorted it in one video Ronny - our upcoming Simpson trip just got better / safer with this info mate.
brilliant.
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
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.
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.
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.
Excellent video.. too much effort you have gone through to make this information available to us .. much appreciated.
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.
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.
Great work Ronnie, when I got my BT50 in 2008, I didn't bother trying to find out about roof ratings because I thought it would be too hard to find. I only ever put roof racks on the canopy with their internal frame (now I have an alloy canopy).
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
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.
I found similar things back in 2008. It all started with wanting to add another row of fitted seats. What a learning curve.
I got the information from a qualified ADR engineer in Newcastle, that certified the installations of such add ons, and only if its was done exactly to his requirements or above specifications and materials. eg in floor anchor points specific bolts with nylocks min dia XX floorplate min of x.xx thick and min of XX.XX x XX.XX mm square coated to avoid corrosion and future problems of bolting to different alloys or metals together.
So when I heard about racks previously using pot rivets that should only be used on backyard tin sheds I thought WTF. Some one is in for a legal shit storm.
I xxxx out the specified information as I did purchsed that for compliance.
You're a bloody legend, from idea to research to execution
Used to work for a big independent 4wd parts supplier / installer in wa and we have been saying this for years. Even before the whole rhino rack saga. It doesn’t matter how much your roof rack can handle when your vehicle roof can not handle that capacity. The first point of failure will be your vehicles roof, not your rack.
Dood! one of the best info going around TH-cam, you're my go-to man. Luv your show.
This is probably why higher quality roof racks are integrated into cages, so the weight is on a lower part of the frame, and on a stronger structure.
I know my personal pickup, a 3m steel tube was enough to buckle the unibody, but the rack I'm putting on it will float about a handspan above the cab roof.
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 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
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.
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.
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.
Thank you for clarifying how it all works.
Are gutter mounted racks different in weight carrying capacity?
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Good topic! Lots of misuse of roof racks (and bars!). Happy to have a 20 year old Defender 110 with 150 kg capacity!
Excellent video Ronny, looking forward to learn tons from your work! Thanks for the great effort!
I learned almost everything about off-road vehicles from you. Thanks a lot.
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 🤔
Car manufacturers are hiding the obvious and blame anyone who has problems later because of unknowingly overload their roof racks. There should be a push from authorities that for all cars should have this information MUST be provided for the customer.
I have a Jimny so the OEM roof bar is excluded from the 30kg? that's a bit off. What about Front Runner roof bars?
I’ve just bought the Rugged Ridge Sherpa bar system for my Jeep Wrangler.
Have you found a good way to secure front runners to bars rather than a tray - without the bars being really close to each other?
I need the bars far apart as I ll be strapping a portable gazebo and a 6 man tent up there for camping.
Wow well done for putting this together. Question:150kg’s for a 120 Prado. Does this include the roof racks attached to the roof rails (I was of the understanding that using the roof rails decreased load- I don’t know where I read this.
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.
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.
you think that rooftop tent weighs a lot, wait till i get my wife up there.
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.
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
How does the roof rack rating relate to actual roof loads during a rollover. will a jimny roof just crumple during roll overs since it has such a low roof rack rating?
Does anyone know what the rating for an FJ cruiser would be? It seems like there is a lot of conflicting answers to what it should be when searching online.
Great video!!!!! Finally somebody pours clear water into the cup
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.
Perfectly timed for Aussie Arvos latest video
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.
Thanks for the help, you always give us things we didn't think about ❤
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
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.
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?
Mention roof rails are lighter than a roof rack; however, in an off-road situation very dangerous with only 2 attachments on each side of the vehicle for the 2 roof rails. Roof rails even installed very securely into the standard holes in the roof supplied by the auto manufacturer, the roof rails can’t handle much weight with all the Torque forces in off-roading.
Even with a roof rack you need at least 3 strong attachment points on each side, including the 2 holes supplied by the auto manufacturer to go off-roading safely with any significant weight on the roof rack.
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.
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 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?
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.
how would i work out the roof load capacity for a Def 110 97 TDI300 fitted with Safety devices L242 roof carrier system ?
Excellent video Ronny, I have had this argument with so many people & now (thanks to you ) I can just share this video 👌
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
Absolutely - Dynamic vs static loading is important, otherwise a RTT could never sleep anyone...
Now for load bearing canopies / dog-boxes... Just because the box can take the load, doesn't change a whole lot - on the dynamic front.
For my discovery 4 the manual states on road 75 kgs and off road limit is 50kg regardless of type of roof rack.
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.
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
hay what about truck caps? i got a 2003 dodge 2500, with a fibre glass topper on the back, im wanting to stick the rooftop tent on the topper, people have taken van rails and mounting on them. is this a nono?
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.
2024 Subaru Forester's dynamic load limit is 80kg. I just checked my manual. The advertised 360kg is only for the Wilderness Edition and only the static rating
Thanks for the head-up. But it is extremely difficult to find the dynamic/static roof payload for my 2002 Lexus LX470. It’s not in the instruction manual and online. Is there a source where to find this information?
The smart money is on 2 x roof bars (Rhino Vortex have the same rating as their HD square profile bars too) and a softtop roof tent say 45kg.for most utes. Rhino down rate for offroad so take that into account. Some vehicle manufacturers do not down rate their roof rating for offroad but Rhino do down rate. Cheers
Good Video and I feel your pain trying to get the information, it took me weeks to get the numbers for my 2004 LR Discovery II. It is about 75 KG dynamic, with gutter mount roof bars, as far as I could find out. With 3 roof bars, a small RTT and awning I am just under.
Does the roof rating defer from the side rail on which the roof racks are mounted on
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.
best 4wd channel hands down , cheers Ronnie keep up the great work with your videos.
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)!!
There is roofload rating where the loading 8s on existing support bars on the roof proper and not in the guttering or the old padded or suction cup mounted roof racks.
There should also be a guttering mounted rating as they vary greatly.
Also how many mounting points to distribute the load. And are the manufactures rating at a single point in the center of the roof?? or around the perimeter?? Dynamic loads are like bending a piece of metal back and forth until it tears. so there is a lot more stress forces while moving. I wonder what the rating on older trucks would be like, such as a 40, 60, 70, or 80seriers cruiser with their smaller roof/window pillars. or would they be higher because they are distributing around the drip rail, that most new cars do not even have anymore. I love a lot of the rain forest challenge trucks. as most use an exo skeletal bar system. which distributes the load thru the frame all around the truck. Great video. a lot to think about. Thanks for taking us down the rabbit hole with you on this one.
HI Ronny, was surprised to see the Prado 120 was shown to have a roof weight limit of 150kg. Do you list anywhere where that was referenced? Also what do the colours for the limit indicate? Thanks..
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.
Love this man, biggest contributor to society!
Have also heard an internal roof shelf also takes away from the load weight as it is adding weight to the roof too, any thoughts on this?
I'm curious as to why some of the racks have an off road rating and others dont. Is it simply that the other racks dont report or havent measured their racks capability off road?