What can your roof actually take?
The rating people quote is usually the rack's. The one that binds is nearly always the vehicle's, and it's often far lower than anyone expects — a heavy platform can eat most of it before the tent goes on.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above comes off your vehicle, not a database. We don't look up specs by model, because a figure that's close but wrong is worse than no figure — it's the difference between legal and not.
- The compliance plate — usually inside the driver's door jamb, sometimes under the bonnet. GVM and often GCM are here.
- A weighbridge — the only honest source for what your vehicle actually weighs now. Public weighbridges are cheap and most tips and grain depots have one. Brochure kerb weights are for a brand new vehicle with no accessories and often no fuel.
- The owner's manual — roof ratings live here, and rarely anywhere else.
If a number isn't published, ask the dealer or a certifier rather than guessing. Nothing on this page is engineering advice, and being under every limit isn't the same as being safe or roadworthy — load distribution, tyre ratings and how it's secured all matter too.