howie411 Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 So this is the first car I've ever had with a roof rack. Today I went over to Ikea and ended up buying a bookself. The box it came in measurd 80 inchs in length. I managed to get it in the SUV by basically laying it partly accross the front console arm rest in the middle. While pushing and pulling to get the box in the car I had a crossing thought of maybe I should use the roof rack. The problem was I had never used roof racks before and while they had free rope, I wasn't even sure how to tie it down. Then I also seemed to remember someone mentioned if you had the panoramic sunroof the amount of weight the racks can hold drops significantly. The box for the bookself weighted 86Lbs. Anyways just interested in peoples experiencing using the racks and the weight limit. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escapism Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 (edited) I have the Pano roof also. The manual says 100 lbs without roof and like 46 lbs with the roof. Well, when I went on vacation I used my hardtop clamshell cargo carrier up there and I had at least 100lbs up there. Maybe more. I think if the load is evenly distributed that goes a long way. And we all know the engineers build in a safety factor of at least 3. The rating in the manual has to account for worst case scenario like wind shear and stuff. So if I was bringing home plywood sheets from Home Depot 2 miles down the road on a calm day I might lay 3 sheets of 3/4 up there. Edited September 3, 2013 by Escapism Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transitman Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 I have read that it's not about roof strength, it's about making the vehicle top heavy with the added weight of the glass, creating a roll over risk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escapism Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 I have read that it's not about roof strength, it's about making the vehicle top heavy with the added weight of the glass, creating a roll over risk. Ah, makes even more sense. So basically don't do any stunt driving when carrying a load that high up. Makes you wonder how much weight it could take, I mean if your just going a couple clicks down the road from the hardware store. Of course when I went on vacation I had an additional 350 lbs down low(I didn't mention the very heavy trailer hitch mounted bike rack with 3 bikes) plus 3 other family members(not going to say the weight there,ha ha). I'm sure that helped offset the high load a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khyros Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I have a thule rack that I put on the factory roof rails - I wanted the extra clearance to the glass (and extra width). But I've had two bikes up there, and the rack, totaling around 80lbs. I've also had 10 pairs of race skis and two ski racks on the thule for probably ~300lbs without any real issue. MPGs suck with the dual ski rack though. The roof rails themselves don't seem to mind it at all. As far as the weight up high, drive smart and there really isn't any problem. Slow down for turns, and if there are high cross winds, slow down even your straight line driving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.