Can The Rhino-Rack Heavy-Duty Roof Rack for Camper Shells Y01-130B Carry A 100 lb Canoe?

Updated 07/16/2024 | Published 06/21/2024

Question:

Hello, I was looking at this roof rack Y01-130B for the camper shell on my 2000 GMC Sierra with a 6.5ft bed. I am looking for something to haul my 15.5 foot canoe. The canoe itself is just under 100lbs but Ive had it on other vehicle racks and when Im on the highway the wind can get underneath and it really puts some upward pressure on the racks which caused some bending and creaking. So Im looking to make sure this rack is gonna hold up no problem with those kinds of stresses. Thank you.

asked by: Andrew

Expert Reply:

Hello Andrew. The Rhino-Rack Heavy-Duty Roof Rack for Camper Shells # Y01-130B is definitely going to be adequate for carrying a 100lb kayak. The Rhino heavy duty crossbars are rated for a 220 lb dynamic load, so you will be well under capacity. Most camper shells are also rated for holding well over 100 lbs, but please do verify that your camper shell also meets this requirement. In this case the camper shell itself will be more of a limiting factor than the roof rack system. As long as the shell can handle it, the Rhino system can undoubtedly handle it.

expert reply by: Jesse M

Andrew

7/8/2024

Is this roof rack also strong enough to support the camper shell if it was used to lift the shell off the truck? The camper shell is a Leer. I have a winch cable lift system in my shop that I would like to use to lift the shell off my truck when I don't need it. So I'm just wondering if the rack is strong enough to hold the shell? I'm not sure how much the shell weighs but it's a 6.5' bed on my 2000 GMC Sierra.

Jesse M.

7/16/2024

@Andrew Hey Andrew. That is a great question, but the Rhino Rack roof rack cannot be used for this purpose. The racks are made for carrying weight and not made for lifting. Doing so would likely cause the rack to fail, or cause damage to the shell. Roof racks are simply not made for lifting. Your best bet for lifting the shell would be to get a few friends over and lift from each corner. It might be possible to install some eye bolts on top of the shell, but you will want to make sure and use a good strong backing behind the bolts to make sure they can take the weight. Otherwise your risk damaging your shell.