I have a 2010 toyota corolla 4 dr. and would like to put on a roof rack and carry on top a 60 lb. tent that is 5 feet long and 9 in. sq. , and a louvered wooden door that is 15 lb. and measures 18 in. wide and 6.5 ft. long, plus load the inside of the car with a total load weight that is around 600 lbs.
I realize this is within the limits of the weight load of 825 lbs. for this car. But even with this in mind, is this weight on the car potentially harmful for the car or shorten the life of the car? I would be hauling this about a 10 times a year for a maximum distance of 500 miles round trip.
That short distance…it won’t be harmful one bit.
Now maybe if you drove with the extra weight 500 miles a week…then it would start to matter.
Thanks MikeInNH, I’d really rather use my corolla than my only other choice, a gas guzzling ford truck. This is helpful.
Make sure you secure the door well. Many people underestimate how much force is on large flat objects at highway speeds.
“Make sure you secure the door well. Many people underestimate how much force is on large flat objects at highway speeds.”
And you probably want to go at most the speed limit; maybe less. The door can act like a sail and lift off the roof rack. Overspec the tiedowns. Twine can break and you will lose your load.
Thanks for all the great advice so far. I do not have a roof rack yet. I am looking at the Yakima Q Towers system. It’s maximum weight is 125 lbs. Any advice or suggestions about the type of rack I should use?
Make sure you include passengers in your total weight. For safety sake, it’s good to keep your speed way down when carrying this weight and a door. It would be a lot safer to carry a door flat on a trailer then on the roof. Be sure to include front to back ties like a canoe for it and not just side to side if door goes on top. Use polyester line that does not stretch for the door, not nylon which does. Learn how to tie a trucker’s hitch to secure it. I really can’t think of anything more worrisome at highway speeds.
I would just use the truck and erase any doubt of running afoul any structual limit of the car. Trucks are for hauling stuff…you have stuff.
The 600 lbs. would be the total weight of everything I would have including me and all my stuff. The owners manual states the total load for towing with the corolla is 1500 lbs. Would it be safer to do this since I only have about 500 lbs. to tow? or is this more troubling than putting weight directly on the vehicle.? I have read some posts about towing with a toyota corolla and it sounds pretty bad. The truck is looking better.
The weight is not going to be a big problem. The tent on the roof will raise the enter of gravity of the car a bit, which you might be able to notice as less handling on corners. The other issue is the tent will really kill the aerodynamic profile of the the car. You’ll get less mpg, and more wind noise and the motor will have to work harder to move the car along. Best way to reduce strain on the car is to keep speeds on the interstate moderate, like about 60 mph. If you like to zoom along at 80 mph this would not be recommended when you have the load on top of your Corolla.
I’m with FoDaddy on this one. As long as you have the truck, you might as well use it. That’s what it’s for.
I have no doubt that the Corolla can handle this weight.
Hey! I think i have it!!! I have down-sized everything so now I can fit the tent and the bifold louvered door inside the car, total weight plus me, (I’m little), just a few lbs. over 500. I put it all in evenly distributed. I am so proud i did it. I still plan to drive within the speed limit and of course easy on braking and driving in general. I love my corolla and want it to love me. How does that sound to all the pro-truckers? Did I miss anything? And do you think I could add a few monster zucchini from my garden?