Roof Cargo Weight Limit? (A.R.E. Cap)

[scottytheoneandonly]

I have an A.R.E. Z series cap on my '07' F150. It's the 5.5' shortbed. I purchased the cap with an installed Yakima rack.

I'm researching some other roof top cargo options. When I contacted A.R.E. all they would tell me is what the weight limit is for the Yakima rack (160lbs), which I already knew. Not for the cap itself.

I'm trying to figure out how much weight I can safely load on top of my cap. Anybody have any idea....or experience with this cap?? I don't want to install a heavy duty cargo basket or box and not be able to load it up.

 

[mountainpete]

Big difference between moving load and stationary load. For moving, I would not go more then then the weight of the RTT - which in my case is around 150 or so (the side panels don't pack up top). There are too many torsional stresses and making an overland vehicle too top heavy is always a bad idea (lots of posts on that subject here). Stationary, I have seen a canopy hold 1000 lbs and not crack. If they are made well, it's like a boat hull - it takes a lot of break, but once you hit that point it's not pretty.

My canopy is a Range Rider and I would say that it is in the same class or possibly even lower then the ARE. It has a honeycomb top like the ARE does.

Considering people, tent and other stuff inside the tent, I am sure I have had over 600 lbs in tent, people and gear up there at times. No stress cracks in the shell.

Now that doesn't mean I totally trust it though. It works and it's actually quite stable. iI could am 95% confident that I could keep it like this and not have a problem. However, I do still have plans for a new rack that goes around the shell in the near future.

Pete

 

[mountainpete]

Just to add... that's using a Yakima rack and only two crossbars.

 

[scottytheoneandonly]

Just to add... that's using a Yakima rack and only two crossbars.

Nice RTT. One of the things I'm looking at is just that type of set up.

How's the Eezi-Awn hold up in wet conditions? My only reservation with this style of tent is that the rain fly doesn't cover the sidewalls (the way my current ground tent does.) I've spent a lot of wet days in the backcountry, saved only by a EZ up and a really well made rain fly.

 

[mountainpete]

Nice RTT. One of the things I'm looking at is just that type of set up.

How's the Eezi-Awn hold up in wet conditions? My only reservation with this style of tent is that the rain fly doesn't cover the sidewalls (the way my current ground tent does.) I've spent a lot of wet days in the backcountry, saved only by a EZ up and a really well made rain fly.

I haven't been in conditions with it where it was raining hard and straight for days and days. But I have been in it during thunderstorms where the rain came down hard and fast for a few hours (actually my first night in it was a thunderstorm). No issues whatsoever. I can see how some water might come in on some of the seams but I haven't had any issues personally.

There are a number of people who have sat out some really long rainstorms in their Eezi-Awn. Just search "RTT rain" in the search here and you will find a few good threads.

Pete