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FWC roof load problem

Granby roof storage rocket Box

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#1 Intención

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Posted 14 December 2018 - 05:03 PM

Our '04 granby has Yakima rails mounted the length of the camper with 3 load bars. We have a rocket box on one side and two surf boards on the other and a 3 gallon rotopax fuel can. We have a deflated paddle board (~40lbs) and a couple other light weight things in the rocket box. Total weight is about 250lb We are 1 month into a 6 month trip in Mexico (25 out of 27 nights in the camper!) and noticed that our roof is bowing slightly. The canvas is sagging a bit and isn't really a problem but we don't want it to get worse. The plan is to take the paddle board off and move the load bars around a bit to redistribute the load. I'm wondering if anyone had any advice to combat the roof sag. I was thinking of trying to fix it with a 2x4 and our truck jack from the inside of the camper but I'm not sure about stressing the latches?
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#2 Tahoems

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Posted 14 December 2018 - 05:22 PM

The engineer in me would want the load points as far from the center of the roof as possible. The center would be the weakest point. Are you hoisting the roof with all that weight?

I can't say what would work best to take out the dip but your idea might be worth a shot. But the risk might be snapping the aluminum frame if it is already badly bent.

Enjoy the journey
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#3 DavidGraves

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Posted 14 December 2018 - 05:43 PM

Howdy

 

Put any thing you can inside the camper or truck....lash surfboards to the camper jacks

 

In my opinion you should consider not sleeping in the upper bunk with that much weight on roof.

 

Personally I would put off trying to straighten the roof while on your trip and instead just lighten the load.

 

Good luck.

 

David Graves


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#4 knoxswift

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Posted 14 December 2018 - 06:12 PM

I thought recommend max load was 150# by FWC? I agree with trying to lighten load while on your trip, re-enforce after return?


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#5 Wallowa

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Posted 14 December 2018 - 06:32 PM

Hmmm...it pertained to snow load...but i thought our '16 Hawk max roof load was 1,000 lbs [when up]...also off road with the load on the roof mostly in the center I would guess the bouncing will eventually deform the roof frame...


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#6 pvstoy

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Posted 14 December 2018 - 07:20 PM

Our '04 granby has Yakima rails mounted the length of the camper with 3 load bars. We have a rocket box on one side and two surf boards on the other and a 3 gallon rotopax fuel can. We have a deflated paddle board (~40lbs) and a couple other light weight things in the rocket box. Total weight is about 250lb We are 1 month into a 6 month trip in Mexico (25 out of 27 nights in the camper!) and noticed that our roof is bowing slightly. The canvas is sagging a bit and isn't really a problem but we don't want it to get worse. The plan is to take the paddle board off and move the load bars around a bit to redistribute the load. I'm wondering if anyone had any advice to combat the roof sag. I was thinking of trying to fix it with a 2x4 and our truck jack from the inside of the camper but I'm not sure about stressing the latches?

 

250 pounds on the roof and it is bowing, I think you found the reason why,  too much weight that is not spread out on the whole roof.  It is loaded more on the tracks more toward the center and causing the middle of the roof to sag.  Unlike snow load that would be spread across the whole roof.

 

Cure is to remove some of the weight, stash it inside or in the truck cab.  As you said redistribute the racks to change the loading points.  You must have a inside life like speaker crank to get the roof up?

 

And as mentioned with that much weight up there you should have something like a 2x4 to support the weight in the upper bunk while you sleep up there.  Something as a safety "IF" the front panel collapses while you are sleeping.

 

You are on a trip and I would not try to fix a roof bow until you rot home and had more tools and time if the fix went wrong.  

 

Reduce your weight and monitor the roof bowing,  And above all else have a great 6 months traveling.


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#7 Intención

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Posted 15 December 2018 - 02:24 AM

Ok. Thanks everyone. 250# is actually a lowball estimate of what we had up there, i wasn't including the weight of the load bars or our kids scooters. I was going off the 1,000 # snow load rating. Yes we were hoisting it with all the weight, quite difficult and it would surely ruin a night of sleep if anything failed (no speaker stand, just using a pillow for cushion). Time to get creative with storage! Tough though with twin 5 year olds and a dog in tow! Upon unloading the roof things seem fine, it was just flexing, not significantly bent. Maybe we will even figure out how to ditch the roof box and just have a surf board on each side (no corner jacks). Sure was nice to have everything out of the way but we are glad to address the issue before anything bad happened.
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#8 Advmoto18

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Posted 15 December 2018 - 02:33 PM

I don't think the FWC roof system is designed to carry much of a load on the exterior with the roof extended in the up position.  I would likely unload the gear from the roof before popping it.  I think you're asking for trouble if not injury by keeping that much weight on the roof with it popped up.

 

I suspect the snow rating you use (1000#, which I was not aware of) is based on covering the entire surface area of the roof equally.  

 

The weight of your gear is at specific points on the roof and not dispersed across the entire surface likely creating points of high loading.


Edited by Advmoto18, 15 December 2018 - 02:38 PM.

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#9 philos65

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Posted 15 December 2018 - 05:43 PM

roof frame1

 

Probably won't help now, but building a rack that distributes weight more equally seems smart.  I built this rack with the main connection points on the exterior, and then added L brackets to take some of the weight.  I haven't loaded it yet, but I'm thinking more equitable distribution and a good support system (not the folding panels) inside will enable carrying 200 lbs or so. 

roof frame2
roof frame3

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#10 longhorn1

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Posted 15 December 2018 - 06:47 PM


Hmmm...it pertained to snow load...but i thought our '16 Hawk max roof load was 1,000 lbs [when up]...also off road with the load on the roof mostly in the center I would guess the bouncing will eventually deform the roof frame...

Not sure where you got that information. Lucky if you can get the roof up with a couple of solar panels let alone 150-200 lbs.

Edited by longhorn1, 16 December 2018 - 12:10 AM.

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