I have a 2011 Chevy HHR with OEM roof rack rails installed (Pics attached). I tried installing cross bars but then noticed that there is some up and down play in the roof rails when I push down on the cross bar that is towards the front of the car, seems like a quarter inch or so. I would like to carry a RoofNest Sparrow Adventure roof top tent,130lb. I’m also going to purchase Yakima or Thule cross bars.

Is weight limit for my rack rails and future yakima/thule cross bars the only weight numbers I should be concerned with, or is it the weight limit of the 2011 HHR roof that should be my concern?

I’m struggling to find out definitively if my 2011 HHR can support the roofnest and fall within the limitations of both the static and dynamic weight limit. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.



Has anyone with a 2011 HHR carried a rooftop tent?

 

I don’t have cross rails or a tent, but the weight limitations are in the owners manual,

http://www.vadengmpp.com/owners-manu...vrolet-HHR.pdf

In case you didn’t get the paper version with your HHR

 

is that a stock roof rack? My memory says no.
If it is not there is no telling if it was installed on the crossmember. The "roof" is just sheet metal skin on a structural framework.

 

The rails appear to be OEM, cross bars look to be aftermarket.

 

Thanks for your thoughts here, I made an appt. with a Chevy Dealer for tomorrow so they can look at the raised roof rails and let me know if they are attached to the crossmember or just to the sheet metal.

 

Those would be to the sheet metal if installed at the dealership, way back when. Maybe through the roof braces if installed at the factory. If I remember correctly, the roof rack came in a box for the dealership to install.

 

Great info, thank you, I'm taking my HHR to a Chevy dealer tomorrow to check, but I think you're correct, they seem to have some give so are probably attached to the sheet metal. If so, I'm going to see if I can get them to attach them to the frame.

 

Look at the sticker on the inside of the passenger side glove box. If you see G63, then the roof rack was installed by the factory. Might save you a day at the dealer.