Hi,
I'm going up about 200 miles north this weekend to pick up a Sunfish sailboat that doesn't have a trailer so I'll need to car-top it if I want to get it home. It weighs about 140 lbs and I have a Yakima roof rack with rubber/plastic gunwale brackets. I'm pretty confident that the rack can take the weight, but will the roof be able to take the weight for a 3 hour car ride? Thanks for the help.

Alex

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1983 300D (parked for four years)
2012 VW Sportwagen TDI Manual
2001 Miata SE
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside

I would feel comfortable putting 140 lb on my roof, as long as the load is centered and evenly distributed on both roof rack bars. Rain gutters are a structural part of the car, and I've seen roof racks support several canoes or 1/2 dozen bikes without any problems. Just strap it down tightly. To make sure, strap one of your 140 lb friends to the roof and ask him if there is any flex while you are driving.

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Denis

1979 300TD 189,000 Miles, now running WVO with a home-made 2 tank conversion
1974 230 Gasser 189,000 Miles, For Sale
1961 VW Microbus 162,000 Miles
1961 Ford Fairlane 500, 53,900 original miles
1951 Oliver Super 55 Tractor
2002 Chocolate Lab

its a matter of physics. 140lbs centered on a pin will go right through the roof. 140lbs spread over 4 sq. ft. = only 35lbs sq. ft. It should be fine as long as the weight is spread out and even across the rack.

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Adam Lumsden
(83) 300D
Vice-President of the MBCA International Stars Section

I used to regularly sit on the roof of my car and play solitaire (nice big flat area) while waiting at friends' houses for them to come home (I have some horribly unreliable friends with regard to their being where they say they'll be! ). I weigh 220 pounds and the roof never complained.

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'81 300TD Wagon 355k (Miss Diesel)
'83 300SD 180k
'84 500SEL 190k (Parting it out)

Wouldn't it be what the car weight's? So it can roll over without collapsing.

They had one in the news by me that had an 18 wheeler fall on top of it (it got blown over), how much do they weigh?

as one who has abused these roof racks with whitewater kayaks, bike, raft frames, etc thru the years, I'd say go for it. The only caveat I'd recommend is bow and stern lines (with bits of towel under the lines to protect the paint) to keep it from wig wagging in crosswinds and adding crooked stresses. [technical engineering lingo] Heck, I'd go for 2 of 'em if they were tied down right. Hobie 18, on the other hand, could be tough...

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1983 300D- silver blue, tan leather, 205,000.
1975 Datsun 280Z. Stock, ready to restore.
1983 San Juan 23. Dry docked.

Make sure you drive very fast and swirve alot to test it out.

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'84 300CD Turbo 132k (Anthracite Grey) - WVO - My daily driver - Recently named coo-coo-coupe by my daughter.
'84 300D Turbo 240k (Anthracite Grey) - Garage Queen
'83 300D Turbo 220k (Orient Red) - WVO - Wifes daily driver

I'm not a certified mechanic, but I did stay at a HolidayInn Express last night.

Alex,
Yes you can support a sunfish on top of a set of "yak" racks.
I have done this successfully. WITH a sunfish. It was FREE from a couple down at the end of a sand road that would disappear at
high tide. They said that we could also have the trailer........It was a P.O.S......horrible steel that was rusted to s-it!....the bearings were also shot and it had flat tires.............My son and I loaded that b-tch onto the top of the Black Bomber and we hightailed it back to the north shore. After some $$$ on a new sail, my son was psyched with his "new" boat.
spo out