To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
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.
Hi everyone, it's Angeline here etrailer. And today we'll be taking a look at our Rhino-Rack Roof Rack System with the 49-inch long Vortex Aero Crossbars, and the Towers and Custom Fit Kit for naked roofs, right here on our 2015 Chevrolet Cruze. So do you have your cruise You know that your options for storage or after-market accessories might be a little limited. So honestly the easiest way is to get a roof rack on your vehicle if you wanna carry really cool items like rooftop boxes, kayaks, or even roof-mounted bike racks. So what we're gonna take a look at today is our Rhino-Rack Roof Rack system, which is gonna be one of the easier roof rack systems to install on naked roofs, and this specific one is going to be the ideal length. When I say ideal length, that's the recommended length from the manufacturer, in our case Rhino-Rack.
So for a sedan, you actually don't want too much overhang because as you enter into your car you don't wanna hit your head around or against the crossbars. But if you wanna carry more items, I actually installed a kit with longer crossbars, that's gonna be the 54-inch long kit. So speaking of overhang, let's take a look at that. And it's gonna be a little bit different depending on your front or your rear crossbars. But from the tower to right before the end cap, ours says 2 1/4 inches of overhang in our rear crossbar.
So if you have items that have clamps that go around the crossbar, you could possibly clamp them around here. Just note that if you wanna fully maximize your space, go ahead and use T-track marked accessories. Now another measurement is gonna be roof clearances, and that's actually gonna be two different numbers. So the first number is the height from the top of the roof to the bottom of the crossbar. So right here, it sits at about three inches.
So if you have, let's say, a roof box with a clamp that goes around, some of them have U-bolts and you're just threading bolts underneath your crossbars, you want a good amount of clearance. And three inches here is perfectly good for that clearance. Next measurement is gonna be the height added. So from the top of the roof to the top of the crossbar, ours sits at 4 1/2 inches. So this is gonna be where your accessories sit.
If you're carrying skis and snowboards, especially those with extra-large bindings, you wanna make sure that if you don't have enough height, you get accessories that add height. Here, actually, we would have pretty good clearance. Just be mindful of your antenna in the back. Since this is gonna be a naked roof rack, you actually don't have any option when it comes to where you can install your crossbars. You have to just follow specific measurements, so make sure to stay tuned for that process where I show you how to do that. But our crossbar spread is gonna be about 27 inches. So if you have accessories that require a specific crossbar spread, keep that measurement in mind. Also, note the way that this curves on our Cruze because of where it's installed. You're gonna have a little bit of a tilt forward on your front crossbar and pretty level on your rear crossbar. If that's gonna be a big issue for you, let's say you're carrying around kayaks, keep that in mind, try to get some with spacers to compensate for the angle. So this roof rack system does have a weight capacity of 110 pounds. But remember, when you are thinking about weight capacity, be mindful of your actual roof weight capacity. So add up the weight of your cargo, the weight of your accessory, the weight of your roof rack system, and make sure that does not exceed the Cruze's weight capacity. So these are gonna be the Vortex Aero Crossbars. And what that means is, if you remember, in the older days there used to be just round or square crossbars. When you we're going down the highway, they we're really noisy, really loud. And then Aero Bars we're invented to help reduce that wind drag and wind noise. So you could see here how it's tapered at the end. And then you also have the Vortex Strips on top to help guide that wind through. Speaking of Vortex Strips, when you turn that key and open up the end cap, you now have access to your T-channel. So you lift these strips up, and then you can Mount your T-track mounted accessories. I think this is the only con of the Rhino-Rack Roof Rack System because you do have to cut your Vortex Strips around your accessories. So my personal thoughts about this Rhino-Rack Roof Rack System is the 49-inch Long Bars are a pretty good fit for the Cruze. Where you still have a good amount of space but not too much where it's cumbersome. Now, if you do need more space, check out my video with the 54-inch long crossbars, which will be longer crossbars for more accessories. Now, in terms or comparing it with other brands though, the Rhino-Rack is what I consider the easiest one to install. Just because it's very simple. You just put your clamps, you put your hooks together. The downside for it being easy to install, though, is you don't have that much adjustability. So because of that, you do have this curve towards the front. If you wanna remedy that, maybe take a look at the Yakima Roof Rack for naked roofs instead, that's a little bit more complicated. but then that also adjusts the tilt, to adjust for the tilt of your vehicle. So you have your different pros and you have your different cons, but hopefully, this video helped guide you through that process. It isn't that difficult to put a roof rack system on your car. So I wanna make sure you get the best one. So installing your roof rack be can kind of tricky, especially once you have a naked roof like this. Now the good news is that the Rhino-Rack Roof Rack is probably the easiest one to install. So that's what this video is for. We'll go through that process, and I'll show you how to do this. We will start by installing our front crossbar because from there you can get the measurements for the rear crossbar. So first you need to set up your Fit Kit. So underneath your hooks, you're gonna have a number, and that helps you figure out what goes in the front, what goes in the back. So for the front crossbar, we want the hook that's 145, and that's gonna be paired with the pad that's gonna be M 416. So setting up our tower, we first use the footplate, and you're gonna want the Aero pointing out. And then on the footplate, you put the pad. So that Aero is also pointing out and fits onto the footplate. With both towers now set up, we're gonna put them onto our crossbars. And we don't need to put the hooks on just yet. That goes on once you have them on the roof. So this fits right into the track underneath your crossbar. And now we're gonna place this on our roof. So there really isn't a tapered portion of your crossbar. But what I like to do is just to get the Rhino-Rack logo facing the front. And then, make sure that this is carefully set on there with the rubber portion, keeping that padding. So you're gonna have a measurement for where you're gonna place to your crossbars, and it's gonna be 13 inches and 3/8 inches. So you're just gonna line that up with your Aero, measuring from the seam of your door, do that on both sides. Once you have that in place and don't forget to check for overhang too, that's when you tighten down your crossbars, if you have not already. So then here we have our hook, and this is gonna fit right around that door, and then you're gonna put that bolt through. You may have to hold it from the back, just to get threaded on the first time, lightly thread it. You're gonna then, continue tightening it down with the included Rhino-Rack tool. But this is very important, make sure to evenly tighten it on each side. What that means is I would tighten it down maybe 60%, 70% on this side and then I go on to the other side, continue tightening it there, go back and forth until they're fully tightened down. We have this torque tool. And what that means is that as we turn this, and you put weight on the end of that lever once it flattens out, that's how you know you have enough tension in that bolt. So if you've double-checked your measurements and you've installed it properly, then you can even slam your door on your hook, no problem at all. Now do the exact same thing for your rear crossbars. Once you double-check that all four towers are nice and secure, your hooks are tightened down to 4.5 Newton meters, then your final step is to put the end caps on. So there's gonna be an end cap for your crossbars that uses the Rhino-Rack blue tool. And there's the end cap for your towers. So ours just fits right in there, like a door with a hinge. You get your key, you lock it, and then that secures it. Just double-check that all of them are nice and good. And you're ready to load this up and hit the road because you're done with the install. And that was a look right here at our Rhino-Rack Roof Rack System, with the 49-inch long crossbars. Our Towers and Custom Fit Kit, for your 2015 Chevrolet Cruze. My name is Evangeline, and I hope you enjoyed the journey..
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (3536 Customer Reviews)
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.Indeed they were the wrong parts in the box marked demo on them.
The new parts came and I was able to
Put it on my car with no problem!!
Thank you for listening to me and helping me problem solve. It looks great on my car and I'm ready to load the kayaks now!!
Kalie is a gal that sent me some return labels so I'm going to put that on the box and send it back to you guys!
Works well even though the install was a bit difficult due to the design/curvature of the vehicle.
After owning for over a year and having them installed, they have not moved or shifted even with heavy abuse. (32' fiberglass extension ladder over 1000 miles)
The only issue that I've noticed is that the weather seal on the vehicle is beginning to wear which will reduce the water proofing over the coming years.
Perfect fit, I chose etrailer over the manufacturer because they have a better customer service record. Happy with the quality of the Rino rack. Sturdy and well made, lock included and a less expensive than the Thule rack I was considering. Instalation was a bit complicated but the instructions made it easy.
Shipping was super fast...I had the product within just a few days!
It was easy enough to assemble and the directions were pretty easy to follow. It did take longer than anticipated, but we also made a mistake in the measurements and had to repeat a step. I haven't had a chance to haul my kayaks yet, but the crossbars seem very durable and sturdy.
Great quality
It is very user friendly and gets the job done on our chevy cruze
Had for a year so far. Works and looks great.
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!
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.
That was a little more difficult than I had planned it being. But, overall it went smoothly because I followed a video of someone doing an install. I love it!! I already put on my kayak rack too!!
Amazing product! This rack is as good as Thule and Yakama, and is about $100+ cheaper. I have owned both, and love this rack. As good of quality or better, and great accessories as well.
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.
Ease of order, receipt, installation and excellent customer service is what I received in this order.
Thank you, e-trailer!
Takes a little while to assemble the rack bars.
The stickers are great I can mark the positions after measuring the distance between the bars.
One of the screws is underneath the bar; it is hard to reach to tighten the bars.
Finally, I got the roof rack installed and it looks good.
Buying this rack was a decision that I'm glad to report was spot on. It not only looks good on my Ford Maverick Hybrid but it has held up well and looks as good today as it did the day I bought it. It is also solid as a rock. The Rhino is also priced lower than other brands of similar quality.
Once installed the product is very sturdy and looks great. But the directions are hard to follow because of the separate components and would have been really tough without the video which was great. I have one problem, how can I eliminate the annoying wind sound when driving when nothing on the rack. I saw a video where wrapping a line around the crossbar can help. It has helped a lot but not completely. Is there another secret for this?
I've been using my Rhino-Rack primarily for hauling up to two kayaks. It has performed very. On the particular trip we are on now we went thru some pretty high winds blowing from the side of our rig and the kayak stayed secured. I would highly recommend this for anything you want to carry on top of your vehicle.
Easy assembly and installation. Pay careful attention to pad direction as shown in instruction sheet for the fit kit. One gripe: one end-cap refuses to lock (blue plastic key lock). Had to tape it on so I don’t lose it.
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.
Quality is ok. A lot of plastic. Only one star as it took 6 hours to put together. Awful instructions. Videos on line were too fast and did not show enough detail at critical points. Measurements are critical but they were off. Did anyone actually try this on a 2023 Rav4? Measuring strips were plastic. This caused the brackets to ride over them which caused the 1st incorrect fit. Once corrected both front and rear measurements for the bracket placement were still off by a few mm. (By the way, can't you use standard measure instead of metric?). This caused the rubber feet to not be in the correct position. (Too wide on the roof). In addition the rubber feet which are supposed to be designed to the car roof pitch at the correct position on the roof were off. This caused both racks to be slanted vs. parallel with the ground. Unless that is the design. But not noted anywhere in the instructions. Finally the "torque tool" stripped out of the cheap plastic holder after 2nd use. Making the lack of a correct torque worse as the bolts on the brackets which are an allen socket, have a pin in the middle of the socket. This means you can not use a normal allen wrench. We had to use the broken torque tool with a vise grip attached. Why would you have this set up? Just use an normal allen socket. In addition the tool with an accompanying vice grip pliers must be carried in the car in case you need to remove the racks. Also, the covers that lock to cover the bracket are a joke. I could snap them off with two fingers. What's the point? Another item, (Key), to carry in the car in case you have to remove the rack. If this rack is a joke it was an expensive one. Rino was a good product but I will not buy a product made by them again. Do not recommend.
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.
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