- Thread starter
- #41
What a couple weeks. Road trip through southern Utah was amazing. Cargo cache worked perfectly to keep our basic emergency supplies, small cooler, inflator, 5-gal water jug, and (half-of) our camping "toolbox" secure during mild to moderate off-roading. This past week has been the often inescapable post-vacation scramble to catch up on "work" work.
Regarding the cargo cache, I've spent the past few days working to determine safe load ratings using online research, calculations, and FEA simulations. What I've found is that the aluminum structure is a bit more limiting than I hoped but still feel it's adequate for many people's uses, including mine.
Using the mfg. working load limit for the door latch (and a generous safety factor), the calcs show that the hatch door latch can contain 50 lbs of evenly distributed, un-secured items even in challenging off-road conditions. Probably pretty difficult to find 50lbs of things that fit in there. Regardless, securing heavy/hard items to the floor or walls of the cache would be the safest, quietest, and least abusive.
Total payload limit, inclusive of items secured on top and in the cache, varies depending on road conditions and driving style (based on g-loads). The load limits take material fatigue into consideration and assume evenly distributed cargo.
Load ratings, per side:
Comparing the payload ratings to other cargo solutions I've looked at or currently use (our Yakima SkyBox {max 62lbs; pavement/gravel} and the Yakima MOD drawers I had considered {max. ~100-125 lbs per side assuming stacked two high; mild/moderate OR}), it all seems reasonable.
I have considered the possibility of making a Heavy Duty version out of slightly thiner Mild Steel and Stainless instead of the 1/8" Aluminum, and it would bring the ratings up quite a bit. However, it would also raise the cost ~$130 due to the stainless. Or all powder coated mild steel, which would also cost ~$130 extra.
Regarding the cargo cache, I've spent the past few days working to determine safe load ratings using online research, calculations, and FEA simulations. What I've found is that the aluminum structure is a bit more limiting than I hoped but still feel it's adequate for many people's uses, including mine.
Using the mfg. working load limit for the door latch (and a generous safety factor), the calcs show that the hatch door latch can contain 50 lbs of evenly distributed, un-secured items even in challenging off-road conditions. Probably pretty difficult to find 50lbs of things that fit in there. Regardless, securing heavy/hard items to the floor or walls of the cache would be the safest, quietest, and least abusive.
Total payload limit, inclusive of items secured on top and in the cache, varies depending on road conditions and driving style (based on g-loads). The load limits take material fatigue into consideration and assume evenly distributed cargo.
Load ratings, per side:
- Pavement/Gravel/Mild off-road;
125 lbs130 lbs - Moderate; 90 lbs
- Difficult; 70 lbs
- Extra-Difficult; 55 lbs
- Severe;
35 lbs40 lbs (guessing little to no GX460's are at this level) - Extreme; N/A (Rock buggies, trophy trucks, etc.)
Comparing the payload ratings to other cargo solutions I've looked at or currently use (our Yakima SkyBox {max 62lbs; pavement/gravel} and the Yakima MOD drawers I had considered {max. ~100-125 lbs per side assuming stacked two high; mild/moderate OR}), it all seems reasonable.
I have considered the possibility of making a Heavy Duty version out of slightly thiner Mild Steel and Stainless instead of the 1/8" Aluminum, and it would bring the ratings up quite a bit. However, it would also raise the cost ~$130 due to the stainless. Or all powder coated mild steel, which would also cost ~$130 extra.
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