Roof Load Ratings Explained

When calculating how much you can carry on your roof there are few factors you need to consider, namely:

• Load ratings of each component that make up your roof carrying system:
• Vehicle roof load rating
• Roof rack/platform/tray load rating
• Static vs Dynamic load ratings
• On Road vs Off Road load ratings

This guide will help you understand how much you can carry on your roof so you can be on your way to your next adventure with Rola!

Roof Load Ratings

The amount you can carry on your roof is the lowest of:

• Your vehicles roof load rating (this can be found in the vehicle owner’s manual)
• The load rating of your roof racks, tray or platform (this can be found in the instructions or on our website).

For example, if your roof load rating is 100kg, and your roof rack system is rated to 80kg, the amount you can carry on your roof is 80kg.

It’s important to remember that this 80kg includes the weight of the roof racks, so if your roof racks weigh 15kg, you can carry a maximum of 65kg on your roof racks.

Keep in mind a few important points:

• Always include the weight of your roof racks or platform in the calculations.
• Always distribute loads evenly across roof racks or your platform.
• Always ensure your loads are properly secured and check them regularly.

If you are using an accessory carrier, e.g. a bike carrier this will have it’s own weight limit, make sure you are aware of this and do not overload.

Static vs Dynamic Load Ratings

The 80kg calculated above will give you the carrying capacity when driving on a sealed road, which is known as the Dynamic load rating.

When stationary, this rating can be multiplied by a factor of 3* to give you the static load rating, this is especially relevant for rooftop tents which you can climb into when static, but not (for a few reasons really) when driving (dynamic).

In this case then the static load rating is 80kg x 3 = 240kg.

*always verify the 3x multiple for your specific vehicle in the owner’s manual.

On Road vs Off Road Load Ratings

Depending on your roof rack or platform set up, there may be an offroad rating reduction that needs to be applied when not on a sealed road.

The tables below will help you understand if there is an off-road reduction for your specific product.

Keep in mind that in this case offroad refers to non-sealed gazetted public roads only: private roads, non-gazetted roads and tracks and 4wd parks are specifically excluded for all Rola products warranty.

Product Load Rating Table

Off-Road Load Rating Reduction