Thread: Expedition rack load rating

That's correct. The total load rating is really the roof limit which is 75kg. Subtract the weight of the rack and you have your roof payload. All the racks will support more weight than the load limit, which is the limiting factor.

Now there is the manufacturer's limit, and the real limit. In the case of the Defender people place on the roof everything from sleeping bags to Japanese utes, despite it also being a paltry 75kg. So I think the real limit is more than 75kg for the D3, but don't go crying to Land Rover if your B and C pillars are cracked under the load.

54kg is quite a lot of weight for what should be carried up top. Our tent, sleeping stuff and camp chairs don't total that much and that's all we really need to carry up there, the light, bulky stuff. I don't carry a sixth rim, just a tyre and changing tools, and that saves a lot of weight too. I would not carry jerries on a rack, get a LR tank or carry water inside somewhere, lots of ways to do that.

Keep in mind when loading a vehicle the lower in the vehicle the heavier items are the more stable the vehicle will be under all conditions i.e. that nasty sideslope or around that gravel bend that tightens on the exit with a big ditch on the outside. As we approach our vehicles weight carrying limits we also have to be careful of the side to side and front to rear weight distribution given the siffering limits on each axle/hub.

I have the Rhino Alloy tray and one of the reasons i purchased this is because it was alloy and hence lighter therefore keeping the weight down that is up on the roof, hence allowing me to get more up there if i need to. Having said that the smaller steel wire basket i had previously was lighter!

The 75kg load limit is also the safe working limit i.e. the vehcile manufacturer has allowed for that weight whilst in motion i.e. heavy braking, acceleration, speed humps hit at speed, corrugated roads etc. In static conditions the roof will take more than the 75kg this ii how people get away with a two person tent with two people in it!

You don't want to go heavy on the roof anyway as this then changes the centre of gravity and affects the handling, not to mention roll over probability increasing at speed. Also you've got to be able to lug stuff up top easily too.
I'm amazed at how many overloaded/top heavy vehicles I saw recently in the Flinders Ranges (Prado's mostly!). Multiple tyres, jerry cans etc. Looked to me like they were compensating for lack of size elsewhere if you get what I mean!!