Understanding Weight Capacity
We get asked all the time - what's the weight capacity of BillieBars? Before we answer that question, lets define the two types of weight capacity.
- Static Load Capacity - This refers to when your truck is stationary. The static load will always being higher than the dynamic load, since there are no outside gravitational forces beyond gravity itself
- Dynamic Load Capacity - This refers to your truck when it is driving or underway. This number will always be lower than the static load capacity, due to the increase in gravitational forces from moving
In Layman's terms - your truck's bed rack can handle more weight when it's just sitting there.
We have 2 styles of bed racks. Our flagship 5" and 8" BillieBars, which do not require a tonneau cover, but are compatible with trifolds, rollups, and some retractable covers.
The brackets sit on the bed rail of your truck, which can cause stress on the bedside. For this reason, we don't go higher than 8", as the lower profile the bed rack, the lower dynamic force it imparts on the bedside.
We rate our 5" and 8" BillieBars to the following weight rating:
- Static Load Capacity - 800 lbs
- Dynamic Load Capacity - 400 lbs
If you're going to be running a RTT (Roof Top Tent), these 2 numbers are important since you'll be sleeping in your tent, meaning you'll increase the weight on the bars in a static position.
If you're going to be exceeding any of these numbers with what you're planning on mounting, you'll want to reach out to us about getting a 3rd crossbar, which will spread the load out and increase your ability to carry more weight.
We have another style bed rack where the base brackets mount in the t slots of a retractable tonneau cover. The most popular cover is the Retrax XR or Roll N' Lock XT (sold separately).
Since we are bolting into the t slot of the cover (runs along the bed rail), we defer to the cover's suggested weight rating.
We have 4 different height bed racks - 6", 11", 17" and 24". The rule of thumb here is the same as above, the lower you are, the lower the dynamic force will be. So if you went with the 6", the dynamic force on the cover will be a lot less than if you went with the 24".
The last 2 factors in all of this (we talked about weight, we talked about height) is speed and angle.
If you're going 50 MPH on an offroad trail that has a 10 deg pitch, your adding 2 elements that will increase the dynamic load. Picture your buddy going full throttle around a bend on a dusty road. If you don't have a bed rack strong enough to handle the loads - well, it wouldn't be pretty.
If you want to learn more about our bed racks, we have a dedicated page that walks you through the features and benefits, and even allows you to chose the right bed rack for your set up!
Have fun out there and be safe!
