The Suzuki Jimny Jb74 Roof Load Limit - What You Should Know

@explorejimny & @herjimny

This is often the topic I see most discussed in forums and on social platforms. It's something we are all quite unhappy with (I'll get to that), but we're desperately seeking answers to what we can do about it, and what everyone else is doing.

Ever since I started looking into buying the Jimny, the roof load of 30kg was something that surprised me - and even more when I actually wrapped my head around what that actually meant. It's one of those things where people either accept it or move on, and I get it - it depends on your use, right?

The manufacturer (Suzuki) has set the roof loading maximum capacity to 30kg as they do not want to advertise a higher roof load and become liable if something happens - fair. But let me put this into perspective. This roof load is basically the Front Runner Roof rack (27kg) + 3 cartons of milk. However, don't let this get you down, or make it become the basis of your decision to scrap the Jimny owner dream off your list.

Let me tell you why.

1. You need to differentiate between everyday and off-road driving

I will start off by saying that I do not encourage anyone to drive with more than 30kg on their roof, but I am basing this on my own experience and what I do. The first thing I often say to people who ask me how I go about this is to know the difference between your everyday and occasional driving. You need to find out how you can stay within the roof limit on a daily but also know when you can allow yourself to load it up with a bit more for when you need it. I say this because I currently run with a roof rack of around 18kg, including some recovery boards, shower awning and awning on a daily. As a total, this would come to around 30kg if not slightly more. However, when I go camping, I always chuck the swag on top and my water tank, easily lifting this to 50-60kg.

However, what I do not encourage you to do is install a rooftop tent and not have the option to easily take it off after a trip, increasing your daily roof load limit to approx. 7-80kg, including the roof rack. What may the issues be with this you might ask? Let's get to the next point.

2. Don't waste your money on comprehensive insurance if you're not going to be covered anyways

The first point brings me to this, and that has to do with the insurance amount you're paying every month. It's a LOT of money! I want to emphasise this because I see so many people not only overloading their cars, but they spend a lot of money on expensive modifications without checking whether their insurance company will cover them should something happen. With the Jimny, it's easy to assume that you would be covered by your insurance if you would end up in an accident, but if you've overloaded your roof, you're in for a (bad) treat.

If you crash and you're significantly overloaded on your roof and way above the manufacturer's recommendation, I can pretty much guarantee you that the insurance company will look for a way out, this meaning that they will look into whether this has had an impact on the accident overall. As an example, there was a driver here in Queensland who crashed their ute with too much weight on the tow ball (they were towing a caravan) which contributed to the front of the vehicle being significantly pushed upwards, compromising breaking capacity in the front, which ultimately contributed to the car not being able to stop in time before crashing into another vehicle causing significant personal injuries. In this instance, the owner became liable for personal injuries, and the insurance would not cover it.

My point is that the same thing can happen with the Jimny if the suspension is too much under pressure, the centre of gravity is pushed further upwards due to the weight on top of your roof, and the vehicle's ability to stop in time. There are probably a couple of more reasons why overloading the roof is not a good idea, but I'm also not trying to say that you should never do it - I am just trying to emphasise the difference between everyday and occasional weekend driving. There is a time and place for everything.

If you're going to K'gari (Fraser Island) for a week and would like to chuck your rooftop tent on for the week, I don't see a problem with this (however the insurance point still stands). However, I do not recommend not taking it off and driving around with it every day, this being back and forth from work and so on. You're just putting yourself in harm's way unnecessarily - and paying someone's wage at the insurance company with no benefit to yourself.

So wrapping this up, I hope that I've been able to shed some light on the "famous 30kg roof load" situation without scaring you away from buying one. I've owned mine for 2+ years at the time of writing this, and I've never personally had a rooftop tent on, but I've definitely put some weight on top. The Jimny handles it well, and I don't really notice much of a difference from 30kg to 60kg, but keep in mind it is a smaller 4x4 and it's good to keep these things at the top of your mind when packing for your next trip.

If you have any further questions, feel welcome to leave a comment behind and I'll try and answer it to the best of my ability 🤗

- Malin | @explorejimny

Question: Have you had any issues with overloading your roof?