2012 Ram Cargo Van Owner's Manual

ROOF LUGGAGE RACK — IF EQUIPPED
The crossbars on your vehicle are delivered stowed
within the roof rack side rails. If adding cargo, deploy the
crossbars. Distribute cargo weight evenly on the roof rack
crossbars, to maximum of 150 lbs (68 kg). The roof rack
does not increase the total load carrying capacity of the
vehicle. Be sure the total load of cargo inside the vehicle
plus that on the external rack does not exceed the
maximum vehicle load capacity.The crossbars and side rails are designed to carry weight
on vehicles equipped with a luggage rack. The load must
not exceed 150 lbs (68 kg), and should be uniformly
distributed over the luggage rack crossbars.
Crossbar Stowed In Side Rail
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 271

NOTE:
•Crossbars are error-proofed and cannot be deployed or
stowed in the incorrect positions.
•To help control wind noise, stow the crossbars in the
side rails when they are not in use.
Deploying the Crossbars
To deploy the crossbars, completely loosen the thumb
screws at both ends of the crossbar and lift the crossbar
from its stowed position in the side rail. Repeat with
crossbar on the opposite side.
CAUTION!
Use care when removing and handling the crossbars
to prevent damage to the vehicle.
Loosening Crossbars
272 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Bend the crossbar supports at each end, taking care to
keep hand clear of pivoting joint. Slide the thumb screw
down.Then, position the crossbars across the roof.
Stowed Position
Deployed Position
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 273

NOTE:The crossbars are identical and can be placed in
any two of the three deploy positions.
Make sure the directional arrows on the crossbars align
with the directional arrows on the side rails. Set the
crossbars into the deployed positions. Once the crossbars are set into position, tighten the
thumb screws completely.
Deploy Positions – Choose Two Of Three
Crossbar To Side Rail Installation
274 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Stowing the Crossbars
Reverse the procedure to stow the crossbars, again,
taking care to keep hand clear of pivoting joint. Crossbars
are identical and can be stowed in either rail nest. Once
the crossbars are stowed, tighten the thumb screws
completely.NOTE:
Load should always be secured to crossbars
first, with rail tie down loops used as additional securing
points if needed. Tie loops are intended as supplemen-
tary tie down points only. Do not use ratcheting mecha-
nisms with the tie loops.
Tightening Crossbar
Rail Tie Loops
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 275

CAUTION!
•Check deployed crossbars frequently and re-
tighten thumb screws as necessary.
•To avoid damage to the roof rack and vehicle, do
not exceed the maximum roof rack load capacity of
150 lbs (68 kg). Always distribute heavy loads as
evenly as possible and secure the load appropri-
ately.
•To prevent damage to the roof of your vehicle, DO
NOT carry any loads on the roof rack without the
crossbars deployed.
•The load should be secured and placed on top of
the crossbars, not directly on the roof. If it is
necessary to place the load on the roof, place a
blanket or other protective layer between the load
and the roof surface.(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•Long loads which extend over the windshield,
such as wood panels or surfboards, or loads with
large frontal area should be secured to both the
front and rear of the vehicle.
•Travel at reduced speeds and turn corners care-
fully when carrying large or heavy loads on the
roof rack. Wind forces, due to natural causes or
nearby truck traffic, can add sudden upward lift to
a load. This is especially true on large flat loads
and may result in damage to the cargo or your
vehicle.
276 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Cargo must be securely tied before driving your
vehicle. Improperly secured loads can fly off the
vehicle, particularly at high speeds, resulting in per-
sonal injury or property damage. Follow the Roof
Rack Cautions when carrying cargo on your roof
rack.
SUN SCREENS — IF EQUIPPED
Sun screens are available for second and third row
seating windows. The screens store in the sill trim panels,
and the tops of the windows are equipped with hooks
that the sun screens attach to when pulled out.Gently pull up on the tab to raise the sun screen.
Continue pulling the sun screen until the tab is near the
top of the window.
Sun Screen Retracted
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 277

Once the screen is completely to the top of the window,
extend the top bar of the sun screen over the two hooks
attached to the top of the window.To lower the sun screen, gently lift the tab upward to
disengage the hooks, and feed the screen back into the
base sill.
Sun Screen Extended
278 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE