Roof Rack Capacity

[khyros]

So awhile back there was a topic regarding the 2013 roof rack capacity, seeing as the owners manual states it at 45lbs w/ the pana roof and 100lbs w/o the roof. Which was really dissappointing. I decided to completely ignore that and put what I wanted up there anyways because this is an "SUV" and it should be able to support my sporting needs. I've previously had 2 sets of 6 ski racks, loading with 10 pairs of racing skis (approx 25lbs each), putting about ~250-300lbs on the roof without an issue. But that really doesn't look that impressive since everything is close to the roof and doesn't really put a wind load on the vehicle.

 

But this past week, I finally picked up my kayaks (2 of them) and took them along with my 2 bikes (well, one set for me one for the lady) on a 2000 mile adventure. The boats weigh in at an advertised 71lbs dry, and the bikes are just under 30lbs each, along with about a 20lbs rack for all of that, and then the bow/stern straps put an additional vertical load on the roof rack, so once again figure close to 300lbs static load.

 

I know I was originally a bit concerned about doing this since I really hadn't seen or heard of anyone else loading their escape up like this, but it made the trip just fine. Heck when ratcheting down the back straps, the Thule cross bar was the only thing that budged at all. And as for the dynamic loads go, I drove through some 45mph twisty turny roads that had to be taken quite a bit slower due to the turns, but it was fine on the highway up to 73mph (didn't bother going faster, I'm sure it could handle it though). There were a few times where it got quite windy and I had to slow down to ~60, but I'm pretty sure that's more of the fact that there was a giant flat piece of plastic on the top of my roof than anything else.

 

For those of you who care, I got about 21mpg going 60mph and 17mpg going 73mph... I normally get ~25mpg going 73.

 

Edited July 14, 2014 by khyros

[rscalzo]

I'd think the issue isn't static weight but the loads put on the ranks under load from viration and wind while driving. I nebver looked at those racks as anything other than decrotive. Maybe with something streamlining like a cargo container but looking at the loaded items, the wind is going to put some serious loads on the mounts.

 

Although I'd probably forget the hight and drive under a loow overhang first.

[Escapism]

You folks are totally missing the point. It's not a question of the strength of the racks or roof. It's the rollover factor that is the main concern. With a Pano roof the weight is the glass. You can load 300 lbs on that puppy, but if you do a maneuver just the right way you could be in real trouble. I load up plywood and stuff from Home Depot, going way over the limit. But it's only 1.5 miles from my house.

 

I like all the sports stuff on the roof racks, looks good

[khyros]

I'm well aware that it's the dynamic loads that are the more important factor. And thus the fact that there's a very small "published" capacity of 45lbs. Sadly, the lawyers have made this country a place where if the company doesn't specifically tell you not to do it, it's their fault that you didn't use common sense when you broke it. Obviously while driving with any high CG load, you need to reduce speeds through all turns as the vehicle is much more likely to roll. That's not a concern to me though because that's something I can control and manage and if I roll it because I took a turn too sharp/quick, that's my own fault.

However, if the racks bend/buckle/warp under the load, either static or dynamic, then I have a problem because that's a design limitation that I'm exceeding, and there's nothing I can do about that. So, once again, the vehicle itself can support 300lbs static, plus the dynamic loads applied to having 2 12' kayaks up top vertically stacked. But as a driver, you have to be aware and prepared to drive the vehicle differently (including slowing down for winds, even if you're just going straight) since it will respond differently, and all of the electronic crutches such as ESC are probably not designed to handle a CG this high, so you probably want to make sure you don't activate any of them.

 

 

P.S. - The pana roof was great for keeping an eye on everything to make sure everything was behaving properly.

Edited July 16, 2014 by khyros