Alan Singer

Thanks Chris for your reply and input, I would be keen to see the datasheets you have for the crumple zones in the roof Any further info you can supply on the Thule kits rated at 75kg would be very useful - Thanks Chris Please also see my previous answer to Kully as some of it could be relevant to your information as well.

Thanks Chris for your reply and input, I would be keen to see the datasheets you have for the crumple zones in the roof Any further info you can supply on the Thule kits rated at 75kg would be very useful - Thanks Chris Please also see my previous answer to Kully as some of it could be relevant to your information as well.

Hello Kully, Thanks for the warm welcome and thanks for your input - Much appreciated. A few interesting realisations and comments from your input. Firstly, I have seen in all the documentation on roof-top tents that are over 40kg in weight that they are not suitable for mounting on ANY vehicle with CLAMP type mounts. This is because the clamp type mounts (mounts that are secured by a bracket that is attached to the car by way of pressure from a screw assembly of some sort), are not able to support loads of greater than 45kg due to the limitation of the clamp type mounts themselves. So whilst the Thule documentation is definitely useful, (and greatly apprecaited), it does not necessarily follow that the the dynamic load rating of the vehicle roof is only 45kgs. From what I can see, the 45kg load limit referred to in the brochure is related to the load rating of the specific set of roof racks. It also does not follow that the VEHICLE roof load rating is necessarily MORE than 45kg - the brochure is silent on the roof loading of the actual roof. But it does suggest that the vehicle roof loading is AT LEAST 45kg. 🙂 The second thing is that there has not been any roof racks made for the Alphard or Vellfire, that I have seen that are fitted with anything other than a clamp type fitting. And it is clear also that the Alphard and Vellfire were never built to accomodate roofracks of any type - no attachment points, no factory rails - NADA - Roof racks were not ever considered as options during the vehicle design phase. Having said that - a high end vehicle (an 8 seater ) one would have to think would have to have been designed to have a roof that was strong enough to withstand a severe "roll-over" which would mean a roof that is strong enough to withstand significant forces - but that is pure speculation. What I have done, based upon advice from a very well respected and long established roof rack fitter in Melbourne, is I had some roof rails attached to the roof of my Vellfire with a series of 10 rivets on each rail, complete with small squares of tar water-proofing treatment, around where the rivets were fitted And to the rails, I have fitted Rhino roof racks which have a 75kg loading. (Roof rack load rating - not vehicle roof load rating!) So what I understand is that IF I can confirm that the Vellfire roof load rating is 75kg or greater, I know that my roof racks are also capable of sustaining a 75kg total weight, and I can go ahead and safely put a 75kg weight on my roof. BUT, despite having set up roof racks that are capable of supporting a gross weight of 75kg, that, until I know for sure that the VEHICLE roof load rating is more than 45kg, I will refrain from loading my racks to a combined (racks and payload) weight of more than 45kg. What is also interesting from the Thule brochure is the fact that they highlight the effect of the airflow between the car and the load and caution that any speed over 80km will cause excessive forces on the roof rack system - forces that will exceed what is safe for a 45kg roof rack load limit.

Thanks Chris, yes, not a thing in Japan... With the roof loading and towing capability questions, what is definitely becoming clear is that the answers are anything but clear! Thanks for the suggestion to look at alternate export documents. Much appreciate your response Alan

Ok - Rant warning!! After no answers to this post, I am thinking perhaps I have put this question in the incorrect place in the forum? Have I said something in the post to upset other forum members? Or is it that i am the only bunny that has ever thought to look into putting a roof-top tent on a Vellfire? I must admit have done a lot of enquiry in the background to try to find this information. I even found a young Japanese lady who worked in an Australian car dealer that specialises in the importing of Vellfires and Alphards. She spent about 30 minutes on the Japanese equivalent of google and could not find anything on-line that related in any way to roof load ratings or addition of roof-top tents. Has anyone else on the forum ever even considered the idea of mounting a roof-top-tent (RTT)? Is it a stupid idea? Some would say yes due to the inherent issues with RTTs - climbing down a 2.2 m ladder in the middle of the night (possibly in rain) trying not to fall whilst making one's way to the facilities to answer the call of nature. I see there have been 45 views of the post so I would love any comments -- even if they are to say it is a stupid idea!! Since the young Japanese lady could not find anything online, I have decided to set up the Vellfire for sleeping in the cabin but I am still challenged by the intellectual frustration of not being able to get a number (the roof dynamic load rating) that one would have to think does exist and is known, at the very least in the Toyota design or testing departments. End of rant.

Good morning/Evening Fellow Vellfire/Alphard fans! I am hoping that someone else in the English speaking world has tried to explore the possibility of putting a rooftop tent on their Vellfire. I need to know what is the DYNAMIC ROOF LOAD rating for a 2008 Vellfire. I do not have a Vellfire owners manual in English, which would normally be the place one would look to find out the dynamic roof load rating I am thinking of putting a hardshell rooftop tent on the roof of our 2008 Vellfire. These tents can weigh anything between 65 kg and 99 kgs and even more. As I understand the concept of roof load rating, every vehicle has a specification of what the heaviest mass is that can be SAFELY attached to the roof whilst the car is in motion. i understand this is referred to as the DYNAMIC roof load limit. If the roof load rating is 100kg, it means the roof can support a total weight of 100kg and happily drive - corner and brake, with the roof and it's support being strong enough to withstand any damage from the momentum forces placed on the roof by extra weight (65kg to 90kg) which add significant additional stress to the supporting components of the roof during the cornering or braking of the vehicle. I think of the degree of the rigidity that the roof has relative to the body of the car. I am really hoping to be able to mount a 75Kg hardshell roof tent Is there anyone who has experience in mounting a roof top tent ? Or anyone with any knowledge that could assist such as a confirmed source to categorically state the Toyota official dynamic roof load rating?

I just did a round trip - all freeway driving mostly at 100km ph, with 20% of the trip @ 80kms per hour (For those who know Melbourne, I drove from Moorabbin to Mornington and back. And I got 100 kms for 9.33 litres of BP 98 Ultimate - and yes - My Vellfire is the 3.5 litre 6 cylinder. The Vellfire is an absolute DREAM to drive - effortless, heaps of acceleration when needed, smooth, quiet - quite extraordinary really. What is your experience with fuel consumption in a similar rig? What do you get with the 4 cylinder model? Any comparative info greatly appreciated, Alan

Thanks Rojie

In Australia, normal household power is 230 - 240 Volts and 10Amps but many camping sites and caravan parks provide connections for 240V - 15 amp power. Has anyone tried or succeeded in setting up their van for external power and house batteries - so 240 volt power sockets built into the van that can be powered by either 240 volt "shore power" or 240 volts supplied by house battery and inverter?

Thanks Lesz and Chris.ac - I am wondering if it is meant to have an AGM or GEL battery? (I didn't think Lithium would have been flavour of the month back in 2008. Its only a small space, does it specify the brand or model of battery that was intended for that spot? and was it just a storage spot in case it was needed to jump start the car or was it wired up to the alternator for charging and did it serve any other purpose other than back up? Any thoughts muchly appreciated!!

Can anyone enlighten me as to the likely purpose of this compartment that features in these photos?

Thanks Rojie - Much appreciated and enjoying the ride so far! Enjoyed and got value from a number of your posts (tow bars?)

Hello - Brand new Aussie Vellfire owner here! All help and wisdom greatly appreciated. Does anyone have a floor plan with dimensions of a 2008 Vellfire floor layout? I would greatly appreciate obtaining a copy if someone, far more talented than me, has measured and marked up a floor plan. I am thinking to put some drawers at the rear and I am wondering about the width of the narrowest space between the wheel arch plastic? It looks like about 98 cm to me? (Sorry for the metric - Happy to take imperial, as that is what I grew up with (Showing my age now!) I am planning to remove the third row of seats - Should I store them in case one day I want to sell the car at some distant time in the future...with the thought that perhaps the buyer would want the rear seats? or should I just go ahead with my modifications and accept that will be the future and forever state of the car going forward?