240 estate roof rack weight limit

[pbeardmore]

I have seen people sitting on the top of boarded roof racks on Land rovers etc, would a 240 take 13 stone bloke and a deck chair or asking too much (for airshows etc, not the M25!)

[leftfootleashed]

IIRC the Haynes manual specifies a max roof load of 100 kg. Assuming that's conservative you'd probably be OK, particularly if you use a rack with more than 4 mounting points to spread the load out.

(A while ago I was half-seriously considering mounting bars to the gutters to hang a hammock alongside the car. I decided that because the weight was off the side, the moment was a bit high for the thin guttering. Probably would have been OK, I just didn't get round to it.)

[volvo always]

I had 10x sheets of 1200x2500 sheets of plasterboard on my 240 roofrack when I lived in France. The sheets were 13mm thick.

The builders merchant used a forklift and we loaded each one on. They were most impressed with my roof rack (galerie) and said it was "très fort" Very strong. This was fitted to a 740.
They thought it weighed 250-300kg but who knows. The suspension was right down and the mud flaps would scrape on the ground while turning during the 7 mile drive home!

James

[Antz]

I used to sit down the seafront on the roof of my old 240 estate, coffee in hand quite regularly....without a roof rack but then I do only weigh 65kg

[john h]

You'll be fine if the weight is supported on the gutters by the pillars




John

[Suterman]

i seem to remember reading somewhere that the 6 point roofrack was rated to 180kg

[john h]

The roof-rack limit is more to do with dynamic issues... handling and stability issues (raising the CoG) and inertia of the load in the event of a crash, rather than risk of the static weight loading damaging the car.

For use when parked at an air show or whatever, I am sure it will be strong enough.

John

[Clifford Pope]

I often stand on mine when I want to reach things high on the shelves in the barn where I keep the car.

I've driven with a telegraph pole on the roof (horizontal !).

[tannachyallen]

....depends on the rack.....

If you are talking about the 8ft steel job with 8 fixing points, then no problem in supporting the weight of several people.

The Volvo OEM aluminium one on the other hand......well I wouldn't on my car.

Ansel Adams the American photographer always used to get his station wagons kitted out with a platform rack.

Cheers,

Dave A

[yragyrag90]

Originally Posted by Clifford Pope

I've driven with a telegraph pole on the roof (horizontal !).

That's fantastic.

To be honest, I've never really even thought of this.
I always just hop up and do what I need to do before hopping back down again.
I've tied 2 bikes and 2 canoes on and driven around the country and hopped on and off at regular stops.

Me and a friend rode on top while a third mate drove us around a campsite.
We only weigh 70-80kg each, so not too bad.

I have often thought you could make a 4 bed tourer if you added a tarp/canvas on top with a mattress in the back and the roof rack boarded with a mattress on top of that too... Wonder if that's been done?