This topic came up in the thread about carrying kayaks and bikes. It's worth mentioning here in general. I'm a long time Coleman/Fleetwood owner, so my "facts" come only from their literature, but the limits are fairly universal for cable lift pop ups.
Fleetwoods have 2 capacity numbers - closed camper and with roof raised. In Fleetwood's case the raised number - 125 to 150 lbs - is close to maxed out if you have a roof top A/C. Remember the manufacturers normally post specs on a bare bones unit, so the capacity they show has to account for an A/C if you have one or plan to add on.
The closed capacity is often close to double the raised capacity so that means a closed camper with A/C is usually capable of 4 bikes or a couple of kayaks.
Also - roofs can be fragile beasts so the mounting system needs to avoid putting a lot of weight on a small surface. That's a good way to create punctures.
Finally - you still have to consider balance. The smaller the pop up, the easier it is accidentally shift the balance. Unweighting the tongue (less than 10% of the total weight) can create trailer sway.
We have used our camper tops in the past with success. It's certainly one benefit with the pop up since you don't have to climb up to get there. We've shifted to our tow vehicle roof top simply so we can transport bikes or canoe for a day without the camper.
Using a little common sense when mounting items on the roof will help to prevent many issues from happening. If you notice, most after market racks mount along the edges of the roof and not in the center. Using wide boards or supports will help to spread out the weight distribution. My Coleman has rack tracks but I also mount the crossbar feet near the front edge and directly over where the AC brace goes across the roof. Another thing to think about is something to protect the roof when loading and unloading the roof. There have been numerous incidents of bike forks or kickstands putting nice holes or dents in the roof. It's hard to take back one missed grip.
How much snow can a roof support? This pic also has my boat on the roof but you get the point. Snow weighs alot (someone chime in with a calculation). So how much weight is on the roof if I have a 10 foot box and 18 inches of snow?
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Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer. Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.
[quote author=luv2ridebikes link=topic=563.msg3590#msg3590 date=1297339873]
This topic came up in the thread about carrying kayaks and bikes. It's worth mentioning here in general. I'm a long time Coleman/Fleetwood owner, so my "facts" come only from their literature, but the limits are fairly universal for cable lift pop ups.
Fleetwoods have 2 capacity numbers - closed camper and with roof raised. In Fleetwood's case the raised number - 125 to 150 lbs - is close to maxed out if you have a roof top A/C. Remember the manufacturers normally post specs on a bare bones unit, so the capacity they show has to account for an A/C if you have one or plan to add on.
The closed capacity is often close to double the raised capacity so that means a closed camper with A/C is usually capable of 4 bikes or a couple of kayaks.
Also - roofs can be fragile beasts so the mounting system needs to avoid putting a lot of weight on a small surface. That's a good way to create punctures.
Finally - you still have to consider balance. The smaller the pop up, the easier it is accidentally shift the balance. Unweighting the tongue (less than 10% of the total weight) can create trailer sway.
We have used our camper tops in the past with success. It's certainly one benefit with the pop up since you don't have to climb up to get there. We've shifted to our tow vehicle roof top simply so we can transport bikes or canoe for a day without the camper.
#1 reason for Thule racks on the TV. I really miss the vehicles of the 80's and 90's. Rain gutters that could really handle a load :). Now with tracker kits that can't handle MOAB baskets nor heavier loads we really need to watch what goes on the roof of the TV. >:(
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