Durable nylon legs with built-in locks let you mount Sportz crossbars to your vehicle's factory flush side rails. Integrated handles tighten legs to rails for easy installation. Pair with 2 crossbars to create a complete roof rack.
Features:
Specs:
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hi guys, Adam with etrailer.com. Today we're going to be taking a look at the Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero bars on our 2018 Buick Encore. So these bars are going to measure 49 inches in length, which is going to leave you a lot of room for all those accessories. We do carry a bunch of T-track accessories on etrailer.com. So go up there and check it out. You can grab kayak carriers, you can put a cargo basket up there, you can throw all your bikes up there.
Literally endless amounts of possibilities for this roof rack system. So go on etrailer.com and check them out. So these are going to have a better aerodynamic shape to them compared to your square and round bars. You're going to have a lot of wind noise going down the road. With this style, Aero bar from Rhino-Rack, it's going to cut down on that vehicle noise that you get whenever you're going at high speeds down the highway.So, we are going to be able to put any T-track accessory along with your clamp-on accessories.
And what those do is it basically wraps around the whole bar to fasten whatever you may be putting on there. But, in regards to the T-track accessory, what you want to do is you can take this cap off and then you're going to be able to pull this out and slide in your accessories. You will have to trim this up a little bit, just so you can get the T-track in there and keep all that water out as well. So, that is something you can do there.Another thing you can purchase here at etrailer.com is going to be these end caps. You can grab locking cores for them.
This one does lock, but you can get a keyed lock to give you a little bit more added protection. So, these are going to be aluminum with a black powder coated finish to resist against rust and corrosion. If you do want to just grab the silver version of these roof bars, it does match this car a little bit better than the black bars. So that's something you want to do You guys go on etrailer.com and purchase that style as well. So the Rhino-Rack SRB foot pack for these rails is going to think of your car when you're installing them.
So, you will have protection for your rails, just so there's no scratches or abrasions. You can take this off just by lifting this up, twisting it counterclockwise and then that's going to loosen it up. And you're not going to have any marks, so no one's going to know that you had any rails on there prior.So as far as how much height did I add to my vehicle, on the Encore from the top of our existing bars, we are adding about three and a half inches to the top of our new bars. And in regards to how much space we have in between our roof and the bottom of our bars, it's going to come down to about three inches from the roof to the very bottom of our bars. We don't have a sunroof on this car in particular, but even if we did, I don't think we'll have any issues there.So one thing I would add to this system would be the Pioneer SX rack that goes on top of these existing bars. It would be a really cool accessory because you can strap that to these bars. And it does have its own T-track on top of this Pioneer rack. It is very cool. And you can, on top of that, put plenty of different attachments on that as well. It is going to be 60 inches long by 49 inches wide. So it's got to fit pretty well. So now that I've gone over some of those features with you guys, let's just go ahead and get them installed.So I already went ahead and assembled this side of our foot pack for our rails. We're going ahead and do the other side. You're going to get a key with your kit to take off these caps. Once you have that done, we're going to put this on. And what you got to do is, you push this down and then there are two little pieces in there underneath this bumper. And by pushing up on that, it's going to allow it to slide into this track. So once you have all that done, make sure this is facing out and she should just slide right in. And we can put our cap back on and lock it into place.So I do have our front bars already installed. And as you can see, we don't have a whole lot of bar lengths. So what I'm going to do is max out our width and go all the way to the front and all the way to the back. Now that we have all these assembled, we can go ahead and set it down into place. Once we get her to the right spot, what we're going to want to do is make sure that this gap on each side is even, and then we can go ahead and tighten them down. So, to tighten these down, what we've got to do is lift this up like so. Now we can start twisting that, which is going to bring in this bar and clamp down on your rails. Once we get it nice and tight, we can go ahead and put this back down and we will be able to lock these on the top of our Encore to just give you a little bit more peace of mind, just making sure that these bars won't go anywhere.So, one thing I did notice is we don't really have this front bar too far forward because of our factory rails here. So, if you're going to have a rooftop cargo basket on top of this, it might overhang a little bit, which you will have a little bit of contact with your antenna. But, what we found is that you can actually just twist this off and remove it. It will affect your radio quality a little bit, but it's better than damaging this antenna. And that just about does it for a look at the Rhino-Rack roof rack system on our 2018 Buick Encore.
Ratings & Reviews
Installed the bars on my 2017 VW Tiguan, happy with the Purchase from etrailer. I had one screw that was stripped out during installation and etrailer was able to get a replacement sent out.
Thanks!
Not my first purchase from etrailer, and it won’t be my last. The research and purchase experiences are second to none.
The racks are just as expected from Rhino Rack. They got here quick, installed in 10-15 minutes, and look great. They easily support my RTT and myself after a big dinner. Excellent quality.
Although, my sticker was messed up! So there. That’s the one con.
I have a 2015 Hyundai Sport with the Ultimate Package. I ordered the Rhino-Rack SRB Leg and black Aero Crossbars. The rack was received within 4 to 5 days which is acceptable. The install was quite simple and the rack looks great against the silver car color.
Made really nice. Instructions were easy to follow. At first I read all of the reviews for this model of rack. The only complaint was the whistle you get after the install. I experienced the exact same thing, however I did use the the "cross under bar strip" after my initial test. Took it back out, and there is no wind noise at all. This rack is awesome, and well worth the price.
Just got the roof racks in the mail yesterday. Super easy to install and it looks great on our Santa Fe! Can't wait to get the kayaks on top.
Also, this is the first time I've bought from etrailer and I will be recommending them to everyone. Customer service was amazing. Thank you!
I am very pleased with the etrailer.com. Easy to navigate website and expedited shipping for no extra cost. I ordered and received my product in about a week, which is very reasonable for being across the country.
The product arrived in tact and with no damage. Easy to put the rack bars on my jeep. I've included pictures of the completed result. We plan on buying the attachments that will mount our bikes and when we do we will be doing so from etrailer.
I just installed these onto my 2016 XC90 Inscription. Haven't yet gone for a road trip yet, but they seem solid.
I was concerned that the low profile design wouldn't allow clearance for the sunroof to open, but there is plenty of clearance even with my Thule cargo box mounted with the claw grips.
Installation was pretty straightforward, and adjusting was very simple. They might even be simple enough to install and remove that I keep them in the garage and only install when needed.
I'll definitely update if anything bad happens, but based on what I've seen I don't expect any issues.
The parts were simple to install. The foam padding did drop out as I manipulated the parts, so being aware of its placement during installation was important.
The neat, clean appearance of the items provides a nice look for my 2012 Kia Sorento.
Fits perfectly. Installation requires focus. Getting that Aero crossbar mounted just right was a little bit tricky because of the metal cam engaging the slot. Once I wrapped my brain around how that was supposed to work, they went on super solid. If you don't get the metal cam in place - it will make it nearly impossible to get this mounted correctly to the flush mounted rail. Read the Q&A - its covered extremely well in there. I do like the lock and key but they are not the best quality. I think if someone wants to take it they could do so with little effort. So far, I'm quite happy overall.
Just what I was looking for for my 2021 MB Metris Cargo Van with Raised Rails, for hauling a 14-foot SUP. I wanted as low profile as possible and the Rhino Rack SX Series Legs and Aero Crossbars looked best. Relatively easy to set up.
Easy to install. The pins on the legs clamp perfectly into the fixed points on the car's flush rails. This is a nice low profile set up. The top of the crossbar is about 4" above the roof glass and does not interfere with opening the sunroof. This is a very sturdy setup for our Thule Motion XT XL. etrailer shipped extremely fast. Very pleased with my purchase.
Attaching the bars to these feet was simple, but I did need to read the instructions carefully. Once the bars were attached, mounting everything to the car was quick and easy. I love the built-in, locking handles that tighten the feet down. My previous rack required a separate tool to tighten the feet to the roof rails; this system is much easier to use. I’ve been using the roof rack for about a year now and it has held up very well.
Its been one year since I installed the Rhino Rack crossbars and I have absolutely no issues. The main use is to carry my Kayaks on my 2013 Subaru Impreza utilizing Yakima JayLow kayak carriers. The only caveat is to be sure to properly cut and install the plastic channel inserts (underside) or you will experience an annoying whistling sound. If you're looking for high quality crossbars, I highly recommend these.
I drive an older Audi A6 wagon. This Rhino-Rack product was very easy to install and nice and snug and perfect from day one. It's been a year now and the rack still looks great, no rust anywhere, no looseness anywhere - just a good, solid roof rack. The cross bars have an aero shape and therefore wind noise on the highway is not bad at all. And I like the rubbery strips running along the top of each bar, it's just enough cushion to offer some protection to whatever you're carrying and also those same rubber strips are just grippy enough to keep whatever you're hauling from sliding around as you tie it down. I recommend this rack, I'd buy the same one again. I even put the Rhino-Rack decal in the window. ;)
The instructions is missing the detail about pushing the adjustable leg (the one that grabs the inside of the rail) up toward the top of the leg before sliding the whole leg into the bar’s end. Once you get the idea, it was extremely easy to install. This set up seems to be a universal fit, not specific vehicle. The adjustable plate looks short and only contact about 1/2 in on the inside wall of the flush rail (see pic). I understand that once the whole assembly of 2 legs and the bar is in place it’s rigid and the outside grip on the rail is more important. But I think Rhino-rack could easily make that single part a vehicle specific (longer for the Telluride) to add more security, or at least for the look. I’d like to hear opinions on this from Rhino-rack or etrailer.
This is the product that was recommended on etrailer as a fit for my BMW X-5, but when doing a search on the SKU I ordered, there’s a message that the product is not a fit. But actually it seemed to fit fine. I think it looks great. I’m concerned it moves a bit on the rail although I have it as tight as I can get it. Hopefully it will be fine. Furthermore, the directions that come with the product really suck. Not that it’s hard to attach, I used the video on the website to get an overview. I was disappointed that the top rubber insert was inside the bar and that information was not made obvious. I learned that by watching another video on YouTube after I ordered them from Rhino. Nonetheless, I’m happy with the purchase. It looks great on my X5 and was more reasonably priced versus the Thule.
Package, both items appeared used, but in good condition. The legs were not in the factory box, but just a eTrailer box. The instructions were hard to follow, even with a little help from YouTube. Just about to test drive to check the noise level. Time will tell, there is soft rubber on the legs and it may be wise to remove these when not in use, especially during Florida summers.
By far the best price/ value in a quality rack for the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, and etrailer has the best price on the internet. Have a look at the Thule, but I can't imagine that anyone with common sense would choose the Thule over the Rhino rack system. The Thule has far less carrying capacity and costs a lot more.
The Rhino Rack has the highest load carrying capacity among it's competition and is designed to work specifically with the mounting system that is factory stock- i.e., the factory rails on the roof have a 3 position mounting hole system that locates the Rhino rack and also greatly adds to the strength and stability.
I would add that when assembling and mounting them, pay very close attention to two things:
1. As shown in step #1 in the printed instructions, there is a cam that has to be inserted *inside* the cross bar, not under it. It takes some effort and attention to position it properly and ensure that the the cam does go up inside the bar when the foot is slid onto the bar, but you have to, the legs will not clamp to the cross bar if it is not.
2. As shown in step #3, the small pin on the metal plate of the leg has to go firmly and completely into one of the 3 holes on the factory roof rail. When I first did it, it was in a little, but not seated firmly, so the rack was not attached securely to the car, even though it was tightened down all the way. Glad that I looked closely and re-did it correctly. You have to wiggle the plate and pin until you feel it pop into that hole, then hold it there with one hand as you tighten down the lever to secure it with the other. When correctly fastened, the Rhino Rack has no play or looseness- it is attached very firmly.
Also, I have the panoramic sun roof on my Santa Fe, I can confirm that you can open and close the sunroof without any problems with the rack mounted- there is plenty of clearance.
That may change depending on which accessory you attach to the rack. This is a 2015 Santa Fe Sport.
I am doing a renovation on a house I bought recently so I haul a lot of lumber etc from the hardware store. I was concerned when I replaced my Cherokee with the Santa Fe, that I would not be able to carry lumber and sheet goods, but with the Rhino Rack, I can carry everything that I need on top, securely. Seems easy to get on and off, once you installed it the first time and established the position of the legs on the bars. I'll put it on when needed to carry something, then keep it safe and out of the hot sun in the garage when not in use. Probably a good idea to take a label maker and add small tags on each bar in a hidden place to indicate which bar goes front and rear- also left and right for each, so you can re-install with minimal confusion.
Using Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero Crossbars, Using Rhino Kayak holders. Also use a Rhino bicycle rear receiver mount. Love Rhino products.....strong, well engineered, low noise, and every part is quality... mounts, straps, etc. Photo is departure picture from last years trip to Big Bend, Texas. We probably put a couple thousand miles on these pieces of Rhino equipment on all types of roads at both Big Bend Park and Big Bend State Park... You really cannot go wrong buying Rhino products. Everything they make is well designed and will not disappoint.
Easy to install. Easy to remove.
EXCELLENT PRODUCT! Would definitely by again!
The rack went together easily and locked into place
With strength. Looks sporty on my daughters Encore. She plans on using for her paddle board.
Product is as good as advertised. It fits perfect, looks very nice. Great communication from the team at etrailer keeping me informed on the shipping timeline.
Thank you
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