Thule roof rack on 320 boondock/outback edition

Cbusguy
Cbusguy Member Posts: 771
in Modifications & Upgrades
Looked through the owners manuals and could not locate any specs.....   Is there a load rating/weight limit anywhere?     They have removed the basket and spare tire and was thinking it would be slick to add a cargo carrier.    

Has anyone done it and what were the result?    I wonder how much it impacts the air flow over the trailer.
2009 GMC Canyon,   3.7 liter 
2020 320s Boondock lite, With Lots of mods

Comments

  • 4ncar
    4ncar Member Posts: 1,072
    If I recall Thule rates the rack for 100lbs, HOWEVER, NuCamp rates the rack to 75 Lbs due to the means by which they have attached it to the trailer.
    TV- '16 Chevy Colorado LT Crew Cab-DuraMax
    2018 320S Outback
  • Cbusguy
    Cbusguy Member Posts: 771
    edited March 2019
    disappointing if that is the case,   so the cargo basket and spare tire pretty much took up the load limit.

    guess I need to break out the scales and see if the gear I was thinking about storing in the carrier is light enough.   the smallest thule roof top carrier is 35 pounds by itself with a load capacity of 110 pounds.    

    I imagine that the load capacity if very dependent on how the rack is anchored to the vehicle.


    2009 GMC Canyon,   3.7 liter 
    2020 320s Boondock lite, With Lots of mods
  • morey000
    morey000 Member Posts: 162
    the Thule roof rack looks cool- but it's a very expensive way to mount the tire.  on the good side, it takes weight off the hitch, which may be useful for some TVs.  but, it's not like you could put a lot else on that rack once the tire is there.  
    Silver on Silver, 320S '19 Outback
  • pthomas745
    pthomas745 Administrator, Moderator Posts: 4,587
    edited January 2025
    The Outback rack carries many things for many owners.  The weight limits being discussed are for how much you can carry on an installed rack.  Lots of threads and photos.


    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
  • db_cooper
    db_cooper Member Posts: 749
    Have they switched to Thule on new models? Website still shows Yakima like our 2015.
    2015 Max S Outback | 2010 Xterra  -- Retired
    2022 Ford F350 Tremor |  2022 Cirrus 620



  • Verna
    Verna Member Posts: 6,876
    I had a Yakima rack and basket installed on my 320 at üCamp17 by Austin, nüCamp’s Service Manager. 
    Verna, Columbus, IN
    2021 T@B 320S  Boondock “The T@B”
    Towed by a white 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab, 3.5L V6 Ecoboost “The Truck”
  • Cbusguy
    Cbusguy Member Posts: 771
    potato potatoe,  yakima thule,   the roof rack.   

    Honestly it doesn't look that useful.  I have seen the pictures of the what I consider seriously overloaded campers.    

    maybe I am being too conservative.   but spare tires multiple bikes......If the load rating is truly 125 pounds,  add wind loading with the odd install angle/location.  Just not sure it is worth damaging the trailer.
    2009 GMC Canyon,   3.7 liter 
    2020 320s Boondock lite, With Lots of mods
  • Galoolie
    Galoolie Member Posts: 3
    I’m in the process of mounting a generic basket to carry folding chairs and a screen room. Note the the bottom cross bar is bolted through the roof. If you loosen it, the nuts are not captured so they will just spin. I was told access to the nuts is possible by removing the speakers. Kinda of a Mickey Mouse way to secure the bottom crossbar imho.
  • Bill_F
    Bill_F Member Posts: 40
    edited April 2021
    Reinforced bottom crossbar on Yakima rack. Doubled the number of basket attachment brackets to limit further flex on both unreinforced top bar and reinforced  lower bar.
  • AnOldUR
    AnOldUR Member Posts: 1,737
    Bill_F said:
    Doubled the number of basket attachment brackets ...
    The four points of attachment to the flexible rail is a weakness in this system. It eliminates any advantage of having ten rail to frame connections on each side. But I’m not sure if adding four more brackets would be possible because of the curvature of the roof.
    Stockton, New Jersey
    2020 nuCamp T@B 320S * Jeep Wrangler
    60,865 camping miles through the end of 2025

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