Rhino Platform Roof Rack

[RedProw]

I have just been watching one of Tyler Thompson's YouTube videos about the issue he had with his Rhino roof rack coming off during his recent trip to Fraser. The video revolved around on road and off road weights limits imposed by Rhino on their pioneer platform systems.

I decided to have a look at the weights of my 2128 x 1426 Rhino platform rack with a backbone system and I am concerned with the results.

My Y62 Patrol, according too Nissan has a 100kg maximum weight load limit. This limit includes the weight of the rack and its contents.

According to Rhino's load calculator, when driving on a sealed road my total payload capacity for the configuration I have is 59kg. This is determined by Nissan's max load capacity of 100kg less the weight of the platform rack and backbone system of 41kg giving a maximum payload of 59kg.

The big issue is when I use Rhino's off road load capacity formula, using their suggested safety factor. This is determine by dividing the manufacturer load rating by 1.5, then subtracting the weight of the racks to obtain the off road cargo capacity.

In my case this works out to be: 100kg divided by 1.5 = 66kg, less the weight of the rack 41kg; cargo capacity is therefore only 25kg. My awning uses 20kg of that. So according to Rhino when I am offroad using my current configuration, I can only carry an additional 4kg on my pioneer rack before it is considered being over their weight threshold.

With the amount of gear I see packed on vehicle roof racks when heading off road, this has to be a significant issue. Interested to know how others interpret this.

[brianvicki]

I was looked at the same video this morning and it does raise concerns, especially with the weight and the stress of 4wding and corrugated roads.
Am looking at a flat rack for my 2014 grand Cherokee to hold 40 litres of fuel, awning and tracks, my starting weight for the GC is 68kgs....

[Moxley]

I was looked at the same video this morning and it does raise concerns, especially with the weight and the stress of 4wding and corrugated roads.
Am looking at a flat rack for my 2014 grand Cherokee to hold 40 litres of fuel, awning and tracks, my starting weight for the GC is 68kgs....

Given many people overload, and there aren’t many issues (as far as I know), I doubt this is a major risk.   Perhaps most cars are way over engineered, except the car in the video, which I think was a new model navara.


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[Bird]

depends who you listen to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjMSAAZMplU Love the sound!!

https://www.snowys.com.au/blog/ultimate-guide-4wd-roof-racks/

https://www.4wdingaustralia.com/4x4/roof-racks-are-you-overloaded/

https://www.club4x4.com.au/not-load-roof-rack-cautionary-tale/

[RedProw]

Given many people overload, and there aren’t many issues (as far as I know), I doubt this is a major risk.   Perhaps most cars are way over engineered, except the car in the video, which I think was a new model navara.


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I now know there are other roof rack manufacturers out there that do not differentiate the load carrying capacity of their racks, it is the same regardless of on road vs off road use. This should be one of the major considerations before handing over your hand earned $$.

[vern]

Redpow, pretty sure there was a failure lately on the y62 facebook pages of the rhino rack breaking

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[edz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMx232haRyo  The guys explanation

[Onion]

Ronny Dahl's follow up video (he stuffed up).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r32xd9z4SZ4

[NZMarkb]

Ronny Dahl's follow up video (he stuffed up).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r32xd9z4SZ4

He had to eat a bit of humble pie didn’t he
Maybe he’ll be a bit less opinionated in future

[manchu]

Interested to know how others interpret this.

I don't interpret it because I know I won't like the results.      I pack what I need,  be sensible and cross my fingers.   

I did consider it when putting a rhino platform on my Isuzu MUX though,   which led me to ditching the factory roof rails and going for the the rhino backbone,  which I understood gives the greatest load capacity*   (either 100 or 120kg ) of all options for platform on a MUX, and it also keeps the rack height as low as possible.   

* if completely ignoring the Isuzu ratings.    IIRC they're 60kg for MUX with rails fitted,  and 70kg without rails.    Interestingly I noticed the Holden Colorado (same car essentially) rate their roofs better than Isuzu for some reason.   

[plusnq]

Interesting isn’t it. I went and checked my rhino backbone and platform on the D4. It is bolted in along its length. Obviously different manufacturers offer different mounts or none at all.

[RedProw]

Interesting isn’t it. I went and checked my rhino backbone and platform on the D4. It is bolted in along its length. Obviously different manufacturers offer different mounts or none at all.

Trying to figure out the mounting of my Rhino backbone on the Y62, as it is also bolted. I am unsure if it is bolted into manufacturer installed nutserts, or an aftermarket option that was installed as part of the Rhino kit.

[plusnq]

Yes the D4 has captive nuts. The roof capacity is still a consideration.

[manchu]

Trying to figure out the mounting of my Rhino backbone on the Y62, as it is also bolted. I am unsure if it is bolted into manufacturer installed nutserts, or an aftermarket option that was installed as part of the Rhino kit.

On my Isuzu I removed the factory rails and the backbone pics up all the nutserts (or captive nuts)  used by the rails.   

On models without factory fitted rails the nutserts are still there but they're covered by the sheetmetal.    Install procedure is to measure back from a certain point,  mark out where the hidden nutserts should be then  drill through the roof to expose them.       Bloody glad I didn't have to do that.     

I'd be surprised in Rhino would go the next step and have installers fit nutserts or the like.    In cases with no bolting options then probably specify the clamp on type of feet to attach to the platform.   

[Bird]

mark out where the hidden nutserts should be then  drill through the roof to expose them.       \

wonder how many times has that ended in tears!!

[manchu]

wonder how many times has that ended in tears!!

Several I bet.    I explained the procedure to a bloke at Isuzu who I think had the task of fitting one to a new car.      He looked very worried.   

An  isuzu forum member once asked me to measure up my roof because they either didn't have the instructions or couldn't follow them.    I  politely declined because I was too scared I'd stuff up it up. 

[Steffo1]

In my opinion, if you need a heap of Shit on your roof, you're not packing properly or, got too much unnecessary stuff or, too small a vehicle for your needs (or wants).

[NZMarkb]

got too much unnecessary stuff or, too small a vehicle for your needs (or wants).

Right on the mark
My 200 has a 200kg manufactures limit for the roof racks
Get the right tool for the job 

[Clevohead]

Seen the same video last night, rivets in the roof was surprising, I am guessing a lot of these newer utes and wagons don't have threaded hard mount points in their roofs?

It's a real mine field I think, I am building an R50 Pathfinder up as our camp/tow rig and have fitted a roof cage/rack.

I picked up a 2nd hand Kings style unit from a mate, cleaned and painted it up. Wanting to keep the profile low I made my own mounts on the factory mount points, I accessed the the threaded plates by dropping the roof lining, just to make sure I knew what I was dealing with. I reckon I have over engineered the mounts bolted directly into the threaded plates the factory clip arrangement used to bolt to, so my rack is mounted to the car with 12 M8 bolts.

The primary reason for the rack is to carry the kids bulky awkward swags (2 off) and to have somewhere to mount the awning that the kids will use in camp. The kings Big Daddy swag (my boys) comes in at 17kg and is noticeably heavier than my daughters single swag so even if it was two big daddy's would only be 34kg.

So I reckon I should be pretty safe with the swags coming off at camp, and the majority of offroad work being unloaded.

[RedProw]

In my opinion, if you need a heap of Shit on your roof, you're not packing properly or, got too much unnecessary stuff or, too small a vehicle for your needs (or wants).

That is part of the problem, however when a roof rack is supposedly designed for off road vehicles, I believe the average punters expectation is that it would be fit for the task i.e. it could be loaded to the manufactures load limit specifications. The fact that there is such a large variance between on road and off road load carrying capacity for Rhino Racks shows there is an issue and that the racks are not fit for purpose.

Look at Rhino's marketing material, all their images show their racks loaded with typical items used when 4WDing, but I would suggest that using their safety factor of 1.5 all the vehicles displayed in their brochures would be carrying overweight loads on their racks when travelling off road.

[Bird]

In my opinion, if you need a heap of Shit on your roof, you're not packing properly or, got too much unnecessary stuff or, too small a vehicle for your needs (or wants).

agree.

[Clevohead]

That is part of the problem, however when a roof rack is supposedly designed for off road vehicles, I believe the average punters expectation is that it would be fit for the task i.e. it could be loaded to the manufactures load limit specifications. The fact that there is such a large variance between on road and off road load carrying capacity for Rhino Racks shows there is an issue and that the racks are not fit for purpose.

Look at Rhino's marketing material, all their images show their racks loaded with typical items used when 4WDing, but I would suggest that using their safety factor of 1.5 all the vehicles displayed in their brochures would be carrying overweight loads on their racks when travelling off road.

Just looking at a roof cage specs sheet after writing my post, and they are advertising "500kg Load rating" on their racks, so to the average Joe they think they buy one of these they are all set to carry half a tonne on their roof 

[Bird]

Just looking at a roof cage specs sheet after writing my post, and they are advertising "500kg Load rating" on their racks, so to the average Joe they think they buy one of these they are all set to carry half a tonne on their roof 

Thats for when they take the D9 camping.

[HKB Electronics]

For curiosity I had a look at the Rola site for my Prado, the only mention of carrying ability for their product was 25kg for one bar, Prado roof load max for my model is 100Kg so three times 25 equals 75kg assuming each bar can take 25kg, this the same as Rhino state for their product off road.

I would suspect any roof rack fitted to the factory mounting points would be similar, its not that the roof rack can't handle more its the factory mounting points that are the limitation or if riveted to the roof the thickness of the roof skin. Who is going to buy a roof rack that you can't easily fit to the existing factory points or rivet on? Can't see many removing the roof lining to install backing plates etc. I did fit a roof rail system to a KIA at one point, I had to purchase an air rivet gun to pop the rivets they were so bit, I doubt many would be prepared to by a rivet gun for one project.

In the failures shown in the videos the trays didn't break the securing method failed, in the one where the tray slid of the gutters it was attached to I wonder if it was not intentional as the tray was positioned to the very back 4WD. 

It really is common sense, if it looks like it is overloaded it no doubt it is, in the case where the roof rack weighs as much as the load carrying capacity then the manufacturer of the roof rack should point that out as they are basically selling you an item that is not fight for purpose. In my case I had an alloy tray which I replaced with a platform. The alloy tray was probably around 4 Kg, the platform is around 33kg that is quite a difference in weight. According to the handbook which states a 100Kg roof load I could put say 96kg on the tray but I wouldn't, it was only light weight alloy and plastic. Factory hand book by the way doesn't specify if the 100Kg is "off road" rating either. Tray was ok for max tracks, and some fire wood I throw up there. Awning and shovel, was attached to aero bars so all up around probably 20 - 30 kg max. I changed it to a Rhino tray backbone system about 12 months ago for a lower profile, weight went up by 33kg so with load around 60kg.

Interestingly the factory rails are only alloy, probably weigh similar to a cross bar, personally I wouldn't trust them for a 100kg. The Rhino system is much more rigid but still only attaches to the roof using the 6 M8 bolts each side from memory, so how much weight can you rely on 12 M8 bolts taking, I read somewhere that one M8 bolt can hold 2120kg, so that's 12x2120=25440kg static load. Obviously the roof isn't going to support that weight, the max roof load will be dependent on what the mounts can support, if your attaching to the existing roof mounts then it doesn't matter what brand of roof rack you buy the mounts will be the weak link.

[chester ver2.0]

Yep it is the reason in the first post that i got rid of my Rhino roof rack and just went back to a 2 bar system

Bought the rhino spare wheel platform for when remote trips happen as it weights all of 3kg and everything else i put up there just goes on the bars.

The biggest thing i noticed after removing it is how much quieter the ride is at freeway speeds