FWC roof load problem

[Intención]

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?

 

[Tahoems]

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

 

[DavidGraves]

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

 

[knoxswift]

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

 

[Wallowa]

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...

 

[pvstoy]

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.

 

[Intención]

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.

 

[Advmoto18]

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.

 

[philos65]

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.

 

[longhorn1]

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.

 

[Wallowa]

"Not sure where you got that information. Lucky if you can get the roof up with 150-200 lbs.":


===============================================================================
Ah, can't help it... you threw me a slow, inside pitch, so here goes...'getting it up is not the issue'....the advertised 1,000 lb roof load max is just that a load maximum; as I understand with the top in the up position...as discussed you need to remove the snow load before raising or lowering top; not just because with 1,000 lbs on the roof it would take the 'Hulk' to do it but that the fact that each end is lowered/raised independently of the other end and going up or down would tweak the panels and perhaps the roof structure...

Personally, even though we have the YakRak rails I only plan to load the roof with our FWC Zamp 160W panel...I have two sea kayaks that I would love to haul with us but that weight [about 110 lbs total] would be more than I could push into place and again would put a lot of torque load into the roof going up or down..not to mention that putting the kayaks on the roof, especially in a wind, would be a herculean task..

Lastly with all the discussion about about a roof load....it is my intent to keep as much mass [weight] centered and as low as possible with my Tundra/Hawk combo...not just for handling but for side loads and stress on the Hawk when off road...piling stuff "that I just can't live without' on the top of the Hawk just doesn't make sense to me.

I am not knocking anyone's choices but for example expecting to use our FWCs in sub-zero weather without serious compromises or carrying motorcycles, bikes, surf boards, skis, sea kayaks, 5 gallon fuel cans, high-lift jacks etc etc festooned all over the outside of the FWC seems to me to be way outside the design parameters or reasonable expectations for our campers...we are supposed to be lightweight, relatively self-contained, low profile and highly mobile for off road adventures....at least that is my take and I could be wrong..

Phil

 

[DavidGraves]

We recently delivered our Old Town wood/canvas canoe up to BC and I was really surprised how much harder it was to lift the roof with only about 75 lbs added.

Partly, it was harder because one is on ones' knees at the rear to start the lift.

Yuk, I would not want to do that on a trip.

David Graves

 

[Wallowa]

We recently delivered our Old Town wood/canvas canoe up to BC and I was really surprised how much harder it was to lift the roof with only about 75 lbs added.

Partly, it was harder because one is on ones' knees at the rear to start the lift.

Yuk, I would not want to do that on a trip.

David Graves

Curious David...which FWC? ['being on your knees'] Either you are very tall or the designs are radically different...on my knees I could not touch the rear of the roof when it was down...easy to move around with top down...have sat at side dinette for on-road meals without raising the top...

Old Town wood/canvas; 17 feet?...very cool.

 

[DavidGraves]

Hi Phil

On my knees inside the Hawk starting the rear roof lift.....OH NO ! Have I been doing it wrong ?

David Graves

 

[PaulT]

David,

Not for me to say you are doing it wrong, but one try on my knees convinced me to try another approach. YMMV.

For my front dinette Hawk, I sit on the rear passenger side bottom cabinet ledge to get it started up, then stand and finish the job. For the front, I sit on the water tank cover and passenger side seat to push. These allow me to avoid bending back for the task. Old back and old knees. Just bought a crank up speaker stand but haven't tried it as I have not found crutch tips for the top and bottom of the unit.

I'm sure that the floor layout makes a difference.
Paul

 

[DavidGraves]

Yes...we have a Hawk shell.

Nevertheless, I kneel in the aisle and push up on the rear roof and then rise with it till I can lock the panel back.

Seems to work.

David

 

[Wallowa]

Yes...we have a Hawk shell.

Nevertheless, I kneel in the aisle and push up on the rear roof and then rise with it till I can lock the panel back.

Seems to work.

David

Hey, if it works that is what counts!

 

[DavidGraves]

I have often thought that we need an image of a lifted FWC roof WITHOUT the flexible sides in place to illustrate just how fragile it all is relative to roof loading.

 

[PackRat]

I would remove all that excess weight and see how easy/difficult it is to raise/lower the roof is. If it is still really tough to get up either your method of lifting or damage to the Hawk has occurred or both. I would suggest it might be time to invest in a trailer to tow behind your truck for all the toys you have accumulated and will probably be happy to shift to the trailer that currently hog the floor space when you arrive at a destination to set up camp.

I know that our various mfgers of lifting campers have/can be outfitted with roof racks but you are basically putting two good sized people up on the roof and are then expecting it to raise/lower easily and not start to cave in the roof! BAD IDEA!

If a trailer isn't in your future, then putting "stuff" into the truck itself or hanging it on the outside of the bed will work.

Or....you just need to re-evaluate what all you want to carry if the trailer isn't feasible.

 

[Wallowa]

I have often thought that we need an image of a lifted FWC roof WITHOUT the flexible sides in place to illustrate just how fragile it all is relative to roof loading.

True that...I believe only the end panels are supporting the top, siding and any load on the top...I have no idea how those panels can hold it up; perhaps an engineer in our forum can explain it...then compound that with a 40-50 mph wind when top is up...add snow..yikes.