Factory Roof Rack Stability for Rooftop Tent

[UltTrail runner]

Hello,

I am considering a rooftop tent to be installed on the factory roof rack of my 05 LX. Some concerns I have on the stability of the factory rack. I had a cargo box attached to the roof rack previously for only one of my long trips, but the vibration of the rack and the cargo box was so intense that I had to slow down my speed and stop to retighten the hand hold black screws of the roof rack every hour or so. I am not sure if it was the weight of the cargo box was not heavy enough or the roof rack bars and screws need to be examined. Wondering if anyone have experienced the same or have any insight on this. Below is a link of the roof tent I am considering.

https://www.amazon.com/Explorer-Pro-Rooftop-Replaceable-Aluminum/dp/B0DPNFZTDD?tag=ihco-20

Thanks.

 

[AZMoonshadow]

We removed the OEM roof rack and installed an aftermarket one. The OEM one (per specs) couldn't handle the weight of the tent and two adult bodies. We've not had issues since. (2000 100 series)

 

[UltTrail runner]

We removed the OEM roof rack and installed an aftermarket one. The OEM one (per specs) couldn't handle the weight of the tent and two adult bodies. We've not had issues since. (2000 100 series)

I would try to keep the rig as factory as possible. Where do you refer to the specs or the load of factory rack? I tried to search from user manual but could not find it. Or if the cross bar is a weak point, could there be a way only replacing or add cross bar to increase weight capacity?

 

[hoser]

The OE rack itself is fine for occasional RTT use. It's the OE crossbars that are lacking. Some people replace the OE crossbars with 80/20 type extrusions but the RTT mounts can get pretty close to the roof and cause damage should it flex. I don't have any experience with these but it seems like a good, inexpensive solution. @nakman

wing brackets — Gamiviti

Add an extrusion cross bar over the top of the factory rail of your 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Lexus GX or LX, or any other OEM rail with the internal slot.

www.gamiviti.com

 

[UltTrail runner]

I found this shows 70KG is the limit. Still wondering if anyone have done it by just replacing the cross bars.

 

[AZMoonshadow]

I would try to keep the rig as factory as possible. Where do you refer to the specs or the load of factory rack? I tried to search from user manual but could not find it. Or if the cross bar is a weak point, could there be a way only replacing or add cross bar to increase weight capacity?

The numbers I used came from Toyota as "factory specs" but since there much to consider, I used it as a starting point.

For the 2000 Toyota Land Cruiser 100 Series (4.7L V8, 4WD), the factory roof rack is typically rated at 165 lbs dynamic and 600 lbs static.

This means:

• Dynamic load: 165 lbs — the maximum weight the rack can safely carry while in motion.
• Static load: 600 lbs — the maximum weight it can support when stationary.

These ratings apply to the OEM roof rack system, which is designed for the LC’s roof structure and load-bearing capacity.

The "roof rating" (how much weight the roof can hold to include the rack) is a whole other animal. I've not seen any printed specs for that from Toyota.

3 years ago, I purchased the rack from Victory and a 23Zero Walkabout 72 RTT. I also installed the Overland Pros 270-degree awning and light bar. It has worked flawlessly. It's heavy but solid. Also, nothing interferes with the Sunroof/Moonroof. I did create some custom aluminum brackets to hold the awning and raise it up slightly to clear the doors opening and closing.

 

[nakman]

The OE rack itself is fine for occasional RTT use. It's the OE crossbars that are lacking. Some people replace the OE crossbars with 80/20 type extrusions but the RTT mounts can get pretty close to the roof and cause damage should it flex. I don't have any experience with these but it seems like a good, inexpensive solution. @nakman

wing brackets — Gamiviti

Add an extrusion cross bar over the top of the factory rail of your 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Lexus GX or LX, or any other OEM rail with the internal slot.

www.gamiviti.com

Ha! I forgot about that pic, that's awesome... that's Jade... she's a good helper.

anyway one of the advantages of the cross bars & wing bracket option is that the cross bars lap over the top of the side rails, so they're up a little higher compared to those cross bars that just bolt between the rails. Which means it's easier to bolt up the tent, and really no risk of your hardware flexing down into the roof. It's pretty tough to deflect one of those 1020 extrusions more than 1/4" or so by standing on it. 80/20 even has a deflection calculator that you can play with.

but technically you're still constrained by the factory load rating, as you're still using those cast aluminum tower bases on the OEM rack rail. that said, plenty of people have put tents on their OEM rack and got away with it.

 

[GTV]

I found this shows 70KG is the limit. Still wondering if anyone have done it by just replacing the cross bars.
View attachment 4138691

So the tent you’re looking at is 79kg and the LC rack is rated at 70kg. You’ll probably be fine as I’m sure there’s some insurance engineered in there. Beefing it up with 80/20 wouldn’t hurt.

But… the LX rack is shorter, it might have an even lower rating. I would also be concerned how that RTT would fit (balance front to rear) on a shorter LX rack. If it’s cantilevered over the front too much it could cause a problem.

 

[UltTrail runner]

Thanks for all that replied. The factory roof rack cross bar have a maximum 32 inch spread with the an ability to adjust in the rack rail. If I install the roof tent as in the link, 83 inch length will result a 30 inch overhang (pass the front crossbar) and the end of RTT will be right pass the edge of the sunroof. I like the factory crossbar that is low enough so the tent won't take so much more height. The 80/20 seems like a solid option and the spread could be wider as few inches compared to the factory roof.

 

[jaewastooshort]

I switched to a Prinsu rack when I put on my RTT, but mine is about 230 lbs before people. The main difference for me was that my LX rack utilized two roof mounting points, front-middle, and rear, and the Prinsu rack is full length and mounts at three points per side at front, middle, and rear. If I remember correctly, there are four mounting points in total on the LC / LX roof...

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Couple of past threads.