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Equipping the Overland Vehicle Vehicle accessories - Making your home away from home comfortable, safe and reliable.
Photo by George Guille, It's going to be a long 300km... Bolivian Amazon

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Photo by George Guille
It's going to be a long 300km...
Bolivian Amazon



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  #1  
Old 10 Jul 2008
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Roof rack maximum load
Hello - We own a Toyota LandCruiser BJ70 which is in good condition, we have a locally made robust Roof Rack on it.
What is the maximum load on a Toyota LandCruiser? Can we put 200 kg on it? We will leave soon for a mainly tarmac trip of 7000 km.

Are there any European roof-top-luggage-carrying-regulations we have to take in consideration?
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  #2  
Old 10 Jul 2008
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Perhaps let people know what you will be carrying down below - extra fuel, water, booze, feather pillows etc as you need to obtain a balance as well as a maximum else a corner taken slightly too fast will be less than optimal

100kgs would be my guess at a maximum safe weight including the roofrack. You probably need to avoid looking badly overloaded so nobody stops you to weigh you ;-)
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  #3  
Old 10 Jul 2008
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I'd have thought that 200kgs might be pushing the friendship a bit, mainly stability of the vehicle.

General rule with roofrack loading has always been as light as possible, keep the heavy stuff low in the vehicle.

200kgs is a lot - its two adult males plus a bit.

Roofracks are easy to steal from.

Does the roofrack have full length gutter mounts or are they individual legs?
If full length gutter mounts then 200kgs should be ok as far as the ability of the vehicle structure to cope, individual legs may cause some problems for the gutters evenually cracking - when? who knows, its always at the most inconvenient time.
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  #4  
Old 10 Jul 2008
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Max Load?
Agree with most of the above - imho, 100 kgs would be about the max.

Try to get full length gutter fixings for the rack

And make sure your suspension is up to the job
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  #5  
Old 11 Jul 2008
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watch your back
detnol,

i concur with others who warn that excessive weight overstresses your vehicle and reduces its stability and therefore performance both on and off-road. so cut down on the weight, and keep the heaviest stuff along the centreline where possible. liquids up there are a particularly bad idea, and i reckon 200kg is way too much.


anyhow, another important consideration when putting heavy stuff up high is this: how do you get it up and down? lift it, of course. just don't underestimate how much lifting a 20kg jerry can to head level can stress your body. you have only got one back.

cheers,
andy.
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  #6  
Old 11 Jul 2008
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Often carry as much as 200kgs on the roof (hey we live in Africa!) so your problem is not unique, however I do have a large (2.1 x 1.2m) platform supported by 4 roof bars to put it on.

As long as you're mainly on tar then you'll be OK. Sounds like you'll be a bit like us: totally stuffed interior plus 3 pax requires extensive use of the roofrack: spare wheels 4 x 20l jerry cans, trunks of misc kit etc.
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Last edited by Bundubasher; 28 Sep 2008 at 14:57.
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  #7  
Old 11 Jul 2008
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Hello Thanks for all your helpful replies!!

Perhaps let people know what you will be carrying down below

Two persons, two dogs, camping gear, 40 l water, (dog) food, clothes...

Does the roofrack have full length gutter mounts or are they individual legs?

It looks like this

I think it has what you call legs....



Often carry as much as 200kgs on the roof (hey we live in Africa!) so your problem is not unique, however I do have a large (2.1 x 1.2m) platform supported by 4 roof bars to put it on.

We too live in Africa, actually leaving the continent after ten years, would love to take some stuff with me. Inside car rather full with two adults and two dogs!

anyhow, another important consideration when putting heavy stuff up high is this: how do you get it up and down?

I agree however would not like to have 2 x 20l fuel IN the car! We will put stuff on it what we hopefully dont need during the trip: 40l fuel, extra spare tire, 2 boxes with Africa souvenirs ....
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Old 11 Jul 2008
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Is that a Landcruiser II? Looks good...

I admit we do rather overload the roof but like you it is usually when we are moving house/country. We were living in Zim but working in Kenya and when it came time to move it was simpler to sell off all the big stuff and then pack the car until it was overweight and bulging and then pack everything else on the roof.

It does help to have HD shocks and springs, and at the end of the day, to know your vehicle. After we packed the first time I drove a couple of K's up the road before pulling into a friends' backpackers' lodge and off loading some things off the roof and arranging them to be sent by some freight forwarders. The vehicle just "felt" too heavy - but that just comes from experience of driving your own vehicle.

The pic above was on the way home after 3 years and this was on the up:
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Last edited by Bundubasher; 28 Sep 2008 at 14:57.
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  #9  
Old 11 Jul 2008
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Needs must
Hi Detnol

As Enzo pointed out, sometimes needs must and you just have to make do, however, I think that 200kg on that roof rack will end up tearing the roof gutters. You should look into having more supports made or bettter still, have the feet made the length of the gutter to spread the load.
Hope this made sense
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  #10  
Old 11 Jul 2008
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It is really nice how you all react on my question.
I appreciate the hint of having more supports, will check the market this weekend! Otherwise we will get something localy made to get the weight of the rack on the whole gutter.
We got new leaf springs (back) and shocks (around).

I loved the photos from Bundubasher! Thats a nice way to move!

This is how we moved last time:

Our neighbours helped to load it It was a rented truck, broke down every 100 kms - took three days to get from Burkina Faso to Mali (1000 km).

This time we will not take so much stuf!

Is that a Landcruiser II?
Yes it is - an Orange one!
Suits with our nationality

Map of our next trip:
Terra Nostra - de plannen
Homepage: detnol - Home
Last edited by detnol; 11 Jul 2008 at 20:39.
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  #11  
Old 12 Jul 2008
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The newer Land Cruisers, 120 series, D4d, will chug all day with 625kg in the cabin.
I think if I was going to carry 200kg up top, then I would just slow down a bit.
400kg inside, and 200 up top.
The 120 series have roof rails, so I would expect perhaps 4 to 5 roof bars, with a sturdy plywood base, would sufice.
The Land Cruisers will carry a surprising load.
Just don't go too fast, and give yourself time to anticipate the road ahead.
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  #12  
Old 12 Jul 2008
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Africa - last bastion of freedom from EU 'Norms'
Detnol,
like Bundu and myself you have access to cheap workmanship and African improvisation - what you could do is get someone to extend the roof rack the full length of the car and then drop down support legs to the front bumper! You would I reckon have to mount the legs on rubber vibration absorbers (perhaps old body mounts) to avoid the problem of the rubber damped body/roofrack connected to the chassis mounted bumber or front chassis resulting in serious cracks, but it would be possible! I have seen a few vehicles like this - e.g. utility company landrovers with roofracks the length of the vehicle.
G
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  #13  
Old 12 Jul 2008
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Yep a couple more mounting points would help spread the load and then extending forward with some diagonal braces to the base of the windscreen might give you more space to play with. As Gil says, I wouldn't bolt to the bumper due to the flexing of the body though.
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