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Roof Rack Dynamic vs. Static Load

10514 Views 6 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  Tsparks83
Hi there,


2017 Platinum edition PHEV Pacifica owner looking for some additional information on the factory roof rack cross bars, specifically around load weight.


We are considering the purchase of a roof top tent for a cross-country trip we are taking this summer. The tent we are evaluating is 135lbs when stowed, but obviously when you unpack the tent and put 3 people in it to sleep, we are going to be above 150lbs. The website that I've been looking at for these types of things talks about dynamic (when the vehicle is in motion) vs. static load (when the vehicle is parked) and that most racks are rated 10x the dynamic load (eg. 150lbs would be 1500lbs static load)



The owners manual states that the factory bars support up to a 150lb load that is evenly distributed across the rack. Does anyone know if this is the dynamic load? Anyone know what the actual static load is?
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A bar that will support 150lbs on a car traveling down the road, will support many times that weight in absence of any acceleration. Yes, it will be fine. I have seen plenty of RTT's on factory roof racks without issue. The longitudinal rails will hold thousands of pounds, the limiting factor is the relative strength of the cross bars and how much they flex while you are up there. They may bounce a bit if you get rowdy in the tent but they wont break.
Auto manufacturers restrictions about weight on the roof is more centered around center of gravity and rollover concerns than it is around the strength of the roof rails and cross bars.
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Hi there,


2017 Platinum edition PHEV Pacifica owner looking for some additional information on the factory roof rack cross bars, specifically around load weight.


We are considering the purchase of a roof top tent for a cross-country trip we are taking this summer. The tent we are evaluating is 135lbs when stowed, but obviously when you unpack the tent and put 3 people in it to sleep, we are going to be above 150lbs. The website that I've been looking at for these types of things talks about dynamic (when the vehicle is in motion) vs. static load (when the vehicle is parked) and that most racks are rated 10x the dynamic load (eg. 150lbs would be 1500lbs static load)



The owners manual states that the factory bars support up to a 150lb load that is evenly distributed across the rack. Does anyone know if this is the dynamic load? Anyone know what the actual static load is?
Can you tell me which roof tent you ended up buying? I am in the same predicament. I have a 2020 pacifica. The weight of the tent we are looking at is 145 lbs. Mostly concerned with dimensions as well. Did you en up buying other crossbars or ised the factory ones? Help please!
roofnest.com
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I just installed the OEM roof racks on my LX. I am singularly unimpressed with the strength of the bar supports. This guy has a modification that looks many times stronger. cross bars for roof rack
Can you tell me which roof tent you ended up buying? I am in the same predicament. I have a 2020 pacifica. The weight of the tent we are looking at is 145 lbs. Mostly concerned with dimensions as well. Did you en up buying other crossbars or ised the factory ones? Help please!
Hello! Did you ever find out the answer to this? We have been looking at RTTs too. We have a 2020 Pacifica with the stow and go factory crossbars and are concerned about them holding the weight of people in the tent. Cannot find any other after Market bars to fit either. 😔
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