Load Ratings and Safety

Safety is our number one priority here at Land Raxx and it’s vital that you understand the limitations of your vehicle’s carrying capacity to ensure you carry your load safely.

There are too many horror stories circulating the internet of 4WD enthusiasts losing their roof load due to not understanding the limitations of their gear. This is mainly due to a lack of awareness and education around the importance of this topic. Below you will find the information required to correctly determine the safe carrying capacity of your Land Raxx system.

You will have also received an installation manual upon the delivery of your Land Raxx system. Should you require a copy of this document, please reach out to info@landraxx.com with the details of your vehicle and the system ordered and our team will gladly send through a digital copy.

Please note that our warranty only covers Land Raxx products correctly installed as per our installation guides undertaken by the individual purchasers and/or our trusted network of fitters. We do not condone securing our roof platform systems in any other way other than what is specified in the official Land Raxx installation manuals.

The marginal increase in time, effort and cost required to secure your Land Raxx system in the correct way is absolutely outweighed by the overall safety and performance of our products.

LOAD RATINGS

So, how much can a Land Raxx System carry? Let us walk you through how to calculate the carrying capacity of your vehicle when fitted with a Land Raxx system.

If you still have questions after reading through the guide below, please send them through to info@landraxx.com and our team will be happy to assist.

IMPORTANT: It is up to the individual vehicle operator/owner to determine the exact carrying capacity of their vehicle based on the manufacturer’s recommendations.

OVERVIEW:

Built from high-grade aluminium and stainless steel, our products are designed and engineered to carry loads that far exceed the limitations of your vehicle’s carrying capacity. Ultimately, the overall load you can carry is determined by your vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations, which for several reasons, MUST NOT be exceeded.

These include things like personal safety, individual legal liability, insurance requirements, and warranty conditions. It is imperative you understand the limitations of your vehicle’s carrying capacity, as per the manufacturer’s recommendations, to ultimately protect yourself and others from injury or potentially fatal accidents.

There are three major factors to consider when calculating how much you can load on your vehicle:

• Vehicle Manufacturers Recommended Load Ratings
• Static & Dynamic Forces
• On-Road vs Off-Road

Please note that the below applies to roof racks mounted to the roof of your vehicle, as well as all alternative mounting options, including but not limited to the following:

• Ute / vehicle tub
• Ute / vehicle tray
• Ute / vehicle hard lid
• Vehicle canopy

Calculating Load Ratings

The load rating of your set-up needs to be viewed from a ‘weakest-link’ perspective which in 99% of cases, will be your vehicle’s roof.

1. Start by noting down the maximum load rating for your vehicle’s roof. The best point of call for your vehicle’s maximum load is your manufacturer’s handbook, or on the relevant manufacturer’s website.
2. Now you will need to calculate the total weight of your Land Raxx system, including all mounting hardware and any accessories.
3. Calculate the Maximum On-road Load. This is equal to your manufacturer’s recommended maximum load rating (from step 1) minus the total weight of your Land Raxx system (from step 2).

For example, If your vehicle’s roof load limit is 100kg, and your Land Raxx system, mounting gear and accessories weigh 30kg, the maximum you can carry on-road is 70kg.

Please note: All load ratings, whether your manufacturer’s or ours, assume that your load is spread evenly across the system. Where possible, aim to spread your load evenly when loading up your roof platform as disproportionately loading a specific point can cause vehicle instability and potentially damage the platform.

Static vs Dynamic Loads

In short, your vehicle’s static load refers to its capacity when the vehicle is stationary. Dynamic refers to when the vehicle is in motion. Always triple check the information provided by your vehicle’s manufacturer, but generally, the load ratings provided by manufacturers are dynamic load ratings. These tend to be lower than static load ratings.

As a general rule, the static load rating of your vehicle is the dynamic load rating multiplied by three.

We recommend you consult with your vehicle’s manufacturer to ensure this is the same for your vehicle.

So why is this important?

As we see more and more accessories hit the 4WD market, it’s becoming very difficult to determine the safest way to carry and use your equipment.

If you were to load a 50kg rooftop tent onto your vehicle, for example, you would be within your initial 70kg dynamic load restrictions.

Using our above example, if your vehicle’s dynamic load rating is 100kg, then we could assume your static load rating would be somewhere around 300kgs

3 x 100Kg = 300kg

Now minus your 30kg Land Raxx system and the 50kg roof tent to give you a static load limit of 220kg.

300kg – 30kg – 50kg = 220kg

It’s important to be aware of this when determining how many people will be sleeping in your roof tent along with allowing for sleeping bags and luggage.

SAFETY

Off-Road Use

It’s to be expected that with any adventure there will be some form of off-road driving, whether that be unsealed roads to 4WD trails. That’s why we only recommend fitting our range of roof platforms to your vehicle with heavy-duty stainless-steel fasteners, which bolt directly to your roof. This massively reduces the chance of losing your load while on rough terrain.

This means we can offer the same load rating recommendation for both on-road and off-road, which, will ultimately be determined by your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended load rating.

In saying that, there are still some important factors that must be considered when loading your vehicle for both on and off-road conditions. These include but are not limited to:

• Ensuring you keep the centre of gravity as low as possible by not stacking equipment too high.
• Evenly distributing your load across the roof platform to ensure no one point is overloaded.
• Adequately secure load with ratchet straps and other tie-down methods to ensure there is no movement in your load as this could introduce additional force while in transit.
• Common-sense! If you know you’re heading off into seriously rough terrain, consider lightening the load on your roof platform to minimise stress on the mounting hardware. This will ensure the longevity of your equipment and ultimately everybody’s safety.

Extreme 4WDing

It is important to remember the load ratings outlined above are assuming you are driving your vehicle in a safe manner. If you are a 4X4 enthusiast pushing the limits of your vehicle in extreme terrain and
dangerous situations, we highly recommend you remove your roof load prior to attempting these obstacles as this type of driving will void your warranty.

Please note: Extreme forms of Four-Wheel-Driving such as rock crawling, are not covered by Land Raxx’s warranty, regardless of fit type.

Determining your maximum load capacity is a critical factor in ensuring everyone’s safety when carrying your gear. Don’t use the ‘she’ll be right’ method as this is a sure way to potentially damage your vehicle and put yourself and others at risk of getting injured. Do the right thing and work out your maximum safe load capacity before hitting the road to ensure your gear is safely secured and still there when you get to camp.

If you have any questions about load ratings or how to safely use your Land Raxx products, please reach out to us at info@landraxx.com