To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
Thank you! Your comment has been submitted successfully. You should be able to view your question/comment here within a few days.
Error submitting comment. Please try again momentarily.
This custom fit kit lets you mount 4 Rhino-Rack 2500 legs to your vehicle with a naked roof. Clamps mount to legs with bolts. Includes 4 clamps and 4 pads.
Features:
Specs:
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hey everyone, it's Evangeline here at etrailer and today we're taking a look at our Rhino-Rack roof rack system here on our 2021 Volkswagen Jetta. This system has the 49 inch long vortex aero crossbars, the towers for naked roofs and the custom fit kit for your Volkswagen Jetta. You can get longer crossbars of up to 54 inches if you want more overhang, but the downside to too much overhang is you're more likely to hit your head against the crossbar getting into the car. So that is something to consider. This is a very good balance between the two where you still have crossbar length but you don't have too much. So if you wanna carry around some fun accessories on your Jetta, maybe you wanna carry around some kayaks or a roof box.
The first thing you're gonna need is a roof rack system. So the Rhino-Rack System and there's a bunch that are custom fit for your car from different brands, but this one in particular is gonna be the best if you want something that's easy to install but still a custom fit for your car. So we'll talk about those features and we'll see if it is the right fit for you. With that in mind, you do have a little bit of overhang here. So measuring from the tower to right before the end cap, there's 2" of overhang.
For some accessories you can mount them around the bar or to fully maximize it, you can use the T track mounted accessories. Now with this, you do have to think about when you put cargo on your accessories, will it clear your roof So the first measurement is the height from the top of the roof to the bottom of the crossbar. I have it at 2 and 3/4". So that means if you have clamps that go around, some of them have wing nuts and U bolts, 2 3/4" on the lower side, but still pretty good. The next measurement is the height your cargo sits at.
So here we have it at about top of the roof to top of crossbar, 3 3/4" or a little bit above that. So that means if you're carrying around items, let's say skis, oh, especially skis with extra tall bindings, you wanna make sure that your cargo does not hit your roof. And if you do not have enough clearance, that's when you can start taking a look at accessories that give you that clearance. So here we have our locking end cap. This requires a special Rhino-Rack tool in order to open but once it's open, you now have access to your T track.
So those are the accessories that slide in through the top and then be secured. You do have the vortex strips up top. Now the pros to the vortex strips is if you put anything directly on your crossbars it helps cushion them. The downside is you have to take them off for your accessories and you could tend to lose them or cut up too much. So this uses a custom fit kit that is designed to fit around the contours of your vehicle. So that involves a rubber pad that sits on top and then a hook that goes into your door. So here with our hook, it does take up a little bit of extra space, but if you do it right, you'll be able to slam the door without having to worry about it. So this kit has everything you need to install it onto your Jetta. Double check and please use the etrailer fit guide to make sure you have the right fit for you just because of those three parts, which is gonna be the fit kit, the towers and the crossbars. Now, some other things you might wanna add on though is go ahead and grab your tape measure if you have a soft tape measure, even better. And finally, if you do wanna get the metal lock cores to replace the classic ones, you can find them sold separately here at etrailer. Now let's take a look at that process. So this is gonna be a really simple process actually compared to the others just because the hooks are all the same number and as are the pads. So the first thing we're gonna do is we are going to attach our tower to our crossbar. So with that metal plate loose, we're just gonna slide that into the bottom of our crossbar, bringing our tower in. Then you're gonna have this measuring strip. So this pops into the bottom of your crossbar. There's numbers on it, so cut to the appropriate number and that's where you're gonna line up your tower. So I did not leave our strip in here because of demonstration purposes, but make sure that that's there and it's lined up with the right number and then tighten it down. Next, you have these foot plates with arrows on them and then you have the pad with an arrow on them. So both of them are gonna be facing out. So just put them together where they're both facing the correct direction. Double check where those arrows are facing and then pop them onto your tower. And then you're going to have a measurement where you would put your tower. We do have included stickers so that you could just mark your spot but once you know where you're gonna put your crossbar, then just gently place them onto your roof. Since you have the rubber bottoms, you can move this around a little bit. Once you've double checked that your crossbar's in the right spot, you're then going to secure your hook. So see how it has it not right back there You're gonna have an included bolt and then you're gonna have your hook. What I do is I just line the hook up to where it needs to go. So it's flush in the sill and that's when I tighten it down. So I try to tighten it down evenly, so like halfway on this side, 75% on that side, and just go back and forth. That way you don't pull the whole system to one side and that it's even. So your wrench actually has a little bit of a torque setting. So to prevent over tightening, just put your pressure on the end of the wrench. If this flattens out, you know you have enough pressure in that bolt and that's when you stop turning it. Your final step is to pop everything right in. So you have your locking door and then you have your end caps for your crossbars as well. Just double check that everything is secure, all your end caps are in place and locked. And once they are, that's it for the install. You are now ready to hit the road. And that right there was a look at the Rhino-Rack roof rack system for your 2021 Volkswagen Jetta..
Customer Satisfaction Score:
92% were satisfied with this product
8% of customers were not satisfied
Ratings & Reviews
This kit I ordered worked very well when I mounted my Rhino Roof Rack to my truck. It's as close as a perfect fit as you can get! I feel it's secure enough that it will go no where and my rods are safe and secure in my truck!
Rhino Vortex roof rack (w/attachments). Once instructions have been read through then installation was pretty straightforward. Quite pleased with this rack! Fit, design, wind noise reduction all better than expected. etrailer came through as a first rate provider-nothing but good words for them.
Great fit kit for our 2013 Prius C. It took us several hours to figure out how to install because apparently we both didn’t read the instructions as good as we thought. My recommendation is READ the instructions first, don’t try to figure it out like we did. Once we thoroughly read the instructions the installation had no issues. We did watch a YouTube video so when we finally found the measurements we were only off an inch. We are happy to be able to have more room on our cross country road this July. The racks are quality and the fit kit easy. The cost is a little high for what you get but that’s on rhino rack not etrailer. We are very happy with our purchase. I will adjust my review later on if anything changes.
carry my old town pdl 120 kayak on my 2014 Ram 3500 Crew cab dually. Heavy kayak. I'm a full time rider and sometimes travel hundreds of miles before stopping. Never had an issue. Front rack had a lot of wind noise but I wrapped paracord around it...problem solved. Worth the money!
The boxes were delivered quickly and promptly (earlier than expected). The instructions were easy to follow. I just needed the space to lay everything out and to match the numbers to the correct items. My only issue was that the specs for my 2016 Nissan Versa Note SV asked for 144mm for the front, but in fact, it needed to be 148mm. The rear asked for 142mm, but it needed to be 144.5mm. Once I figured that out, the rest was straight forward. The crossbars are super sturdy and the rubberized top is a nice add to keep things from slipping. Thank you!
I plan on installing a V-boat rack on the car rack. I can't wait to transport canoes!
I needed roof racks on my 2023 Silverado to accommodate the shape of my canoe. I had Yakima racks on the camper shell but the canoe was hitting the top of my truck. My Rhino racks showed up yesterday evening and I’m ready to go this morning!
Installed this and 65" Vortex Areo crossbars on a 2015 RAM 5500 chassis cab/crew cab. It is listed to fit 1500 to 3500 RAM's and neither Rhino-Rack or etrailer would confirm it would fit the 5500. My research suggested there was not much, if any difference, between the 3500 and 5500 crew cab, so ordered it any way. Installation was relatively easy, fit seemed to be good and have made multiple 200-300 mile trips with a 75lb kayak. Good price, great customer service and fast delivery through etrailer.
Very happy with etrailer.com and the amount of information I found before I made my selection. I went with the Rhino Rack for my 2016 Corolla. I watched the videos, read the instructions and within just a couple hours, my rack was attached, my canoe was loaded and I was out taking a test drive. 2 issues with the instructions. I didn't realize that there were two different size hooks...I did not see it mentioned in either the video or the written instructions. I got it right, but it was purely by chance. The other issue was the rubber pads which were, again, not mentioned. I installed them wrong the first time, but it didn't take me long to see my mistake. Happy with the stability and looks of the rack, and the help I received from Robert during the ordering process.
This was a great purchase. I originally ordered roof crossbars from somewhere else and immediately returned them. They were a universal fit and were not secure at all when they were tightened down. They were from a third seller on Amazon. I found these on etrailer and I am glad that I made the purchase. I did not want to spend the money at first that these cost, but am glad that I did. The install was easy and the crossbars are very secure and hold up well with the cargo basket installed. They were well worth the money. Can't wait to try them out when we go camping. Thank you etrailer.
Rhino-Rack Vortex 2500 with legs, pads and accessories. Arrived quickly. A 70 year old man assembled and installed in about an hour and a half on a humid 90 degree day. These products appear to be of excellent quality and seem to be more than adequate for carrying a 15 foot fiberglass canoe on our 2011 Buick Lacrosse. Rack offers good flexibility for adding accessories. The wife says the aero shape is way cool!
Fits perfectly on my 2007 Audi A3.
People at etrailer.com were very helpful, nice and professional.
Thank you carol and george for getting me back on the trail again.
Will definitely be my to go place for all my roof rack, bike rack and other accessories.
Thank you again
etrailer.com's videos and additional customer support made the purchase of a Rhino Rack system from them for our 2010 Malibu a no brainer. The rack fit the car perfectly, and with the videos and clear instructions that came with the kit, I got it installed on the car with only one misstep. The instructions came the the measurements in centimeters and inches. I didn't have a metric tape measure, and ended up messing up converting fractions to decimal.
My Daughter is going to college 500 miles away and is moving into an unfurnished apartment and needed to pick up some small furniture that wouldn't fit in her Malibu. She purchased several items from Facebook Marketplace and was able to transport a twin bed and mattress, a medium sized desk and some dining room chairs (in several trips) with no problems.
The only thing I can think of to improve the installation would be to have the Inches measurements in decimal or to include an inexpensive metric tape.
The Rhino Rack products are top notch and more reasonably priced that "T" or "Y" brands. (I think some accessories may be interchangeable.) I've had both "T" and "Y" racks but I'm now totally sold on the Rhino brand.
Photo attached of four Rhino,Aero bars, towers and ARB awning mounted on my '18 Colorado and Alu-Cab canopy.
My ARB awning fits fine. And the crossbars come in real handy for our canoes and some pairs panel fencing we transported last summer.
As for the staff at etrailer? Well, I'd say they take fantastic care of their customers. Knowledgeable, helpful and they followup, as well.
Etrailer also has amazing HELP videos as well. I bent the crank handle on my trailer tongue jack, which messed up the "internals". I thought Ikd be shelling out for a new Jack, for sure.
Nope. etrailer had a repair kit available (apparently, I'm not the only destroyer of tongue jacks) at a very affordable price and they have an online video to instruct one in the replacement of the innards.
I don't bother with the other accessory or parts sources anymore. I just call these guys and ask what they have. Never have been disappointed, and they enjoy helping.
Rhino rack 2500 with euro bars. Aero crossbars not needed because rack is easily removable when not in use.
13 ft 85 lb fishing kayak 2010 Toyota Matrix. Car has slanting roof and variable thickness roofline. See photo. OEM rack position would make front of kayak point up in the air causing dangerous lift.
Rhino rack provides different length clamps for the slanting/tapering thickness roofline - rack is positioned for level load.
Etrailer excellent website with detailed photos allows easy comparison. Prices and selections better than manufacturer's and other websites.
Customer service is also excellent, they promptly responded to calls/emails even on weekends and made extra effort to get out-of-stock items delivered much faster than expected.
We had the challenge of how to carry 2 kayaks this summer in addition to hauling a 30 foot gooseneck horse trailer. We have F450 crew cab with custom truck bed. We hoped to use the "head ache" bar on the truck bed to support the rear sets of Swagman Rincon supports and purchased a single Rhino Vortex bar for the forward sets on top of the cab. We have 10.5 and 12 foot kayaks and this looks to be an excellent solution. The kayaks are clear of the gooseneck trailer even in a "jackknife" position. Please note the truck bed is extra long therefore there is plenty of room forward the nose of the trailer. We have not hauled yet but will convey any issues if there are any. eTrailer tech support was excellent. Product shipped as projected. Installation took approximatly 3 hours.
I bought the roof rack to carry kayaks back and forth from Pennsylvania to Florida. The rack is solid and performs that task very well. My plan was to take the rack off and on but I decided to just leave it on. I do notice some wind noise since I've added the rack but it does not distract me and I would say that it is not excessive but it is noticeable.
I did have problems during the installation. I mounted the racks on a Ford 250 super duty. And the instructions were very clear as to where the feet that's support the rack where to be installed. Plastic strips are cut and the feet that support the rack on the roof push up to the cut plastic strips and that is what determines placement. I read the instructions several times and had seen an installation on another truck owned by a friend of mine. When I pushed the feet to the proper position I could not attached the clamps from the rack feet to the rain gutter on the truck which holds the whole assembly on the roof. They were too short. I spoke to Etrailer and a consensus was that I had cut the strips correctly. Etrailer's input of course was over the phone and they could not actually see or measure anything that I did. Nevertheless, in order to install the rack I had to move the feet on each side a bit closer to the rain gutter on the truck. I did not think that this would make any difference and based on the performance I have not noticed any problems. I would have given this product and excellent rating if I did not have to deal with the little problem that I had with the fit. As I said I have not taken it off the roof and I reach up and check it now and then and it's as solid as the day I put it on.
This review covers the Rhino Rack 2500 Vortex Aero crossbars and associated parts (DK284, RRRLKVA, RRVA137S-2) for a naked roof installation on a 2018 Honda CR-V.
Very solid racks. We just took our first trip using them and the didn't budge. As recommended, a few days after installing, I tightened the bolts a bit. I'm not sure they needed it--just a little insurance.
The installation process was clear, but fairly detailed. It would be easy to miss a step, so take your time. Also, I tried a couple shortcuts in the order when installing on the car, but had to back track. So, go in the order they give you.
The racks easily supported our filled "pod" and a couple surfboards, strapped side-by-side. Sorry, no photos of the rack loaded. One thing to watch out for is that our old Thule pod almost didn't fit because of the thickness of the racks. I had to loosen the bolts almost entirely.
Of note: I feel that although I followed the measurements to the millimeter, the fit on our 2018 Honda CR-V wasn't exact. Where the pads sit on the roof of the car didn't align perfectly. I could have adjusted this by just re-trimming the rubber pads that go in the channels, but it's not a big deal, so I just left it.
Finally, I do have one concern. The angle of final installation doesn't really protect the racks from theft very well. The plastic plate that locks over the screw would allow someone with the proper tool to get up under it and loosen the bolts. That being said, someone so inclined could also just break the little plastic door or drill a hole in it to access the bolt. So, I guess it's just a deterrent anyway.
Overall, I'm very happy with the racks and etrailer.com! Despite shipping delays due to Covid-19, they were able to get the racks to me in time for an upcoming trip. I did choose to expedite shipping, but the cost was very reasonable.
Solid all around and easy to mount. This was a good choice for my needs.
Hi George from etrailer,
The rack is awesome! Strong, firm hold and nice looking. When doing surveys, I put my ladders on the rack.
I highly recommend this etrailer.
I'm very happy that Rhino Rack builds roof racks to accommodate a large variety of vehicles. Trying to fit a rack to my 22-year-old Chevy pickup with a naked roof was a challenge. Fortunately, the people at etrailer are extremely knowledgeable and were able to get a direct fit. The rack fits awesome and will help in an upcoming road trip. Thanks Alex and etrailer team.
Fits well. Using RhinoRack system for ladders. Residential Light Construction. I made my own air deflector.lol
I couldn't find a rack to fit my car anywhere, I have been looking for years and just found Rhino rack on the Internet a few weeks ago.
The Rhino rack for my Toyota Camry is perfect! Easy to assemble, good quality parts, fits really well. Can't wait to get my canoe out on a lake thanks finally to this rack!!
Arrived quickly and ordering was super easy. I’ve purchased from this site and it’s always great
These look great, and the quality is great, however they arrived with the wrong instructions (arrived for Nissan frontier) and when I tried to call etrailer no one would answer. I looked online to find them and I only found one measurement for Jetta's 2011 and newer. I have a 2020 jetta and the measurements were not right at all. The protective part that goes against the car does not fit the top perfectly I had to adjust to make them fit.Took way longer than it should have to install.
Do you have a question about this Accessories and Part?
Info for this part was:
At etrailer we provide the best information available about the products we sell. We take the quality of our information seriously so that you can get the right part the first time. Let us know if anything is missing or if you have any questions.
Jon G.
10/23/2020
The DK Fit Kit DK424 that you received actually does fit a Nissan Frontier as well which is why you were seeing those instructions. If you check out the installation instructions linked on this product page you can see that it has the mounting dimensions for both a Nissan Frontier and your 2020 Volkswagen Jetta.