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When you’re loading up for a day on the water or a weekend of camping, strength and stability matter most. The Rhino-Rack Heavy Duty system is built from aluminum and rated for 220 lbs, giving you the peace of mind to haul kayaks, canoes, or cargo boxes with confidence. The square bar design adds rigidity under load so your gear stays secure mile after mile.
Getting long or heavy items onto the roof doesn’t have to be a struggle. The included T-Load hitch support works with the crossbar to create a stable loading platform. It helps balance and distribute weight, making it easier to lift and position bulky gear like paddleboards or ladders without awkward maneuvering.
Once your setup is in place, everything stays put. The top channels on the square bars accept Rhino-Rack Heavy Duty accessories such as ladder rollers, load stops, and eyebolts. Rubber strips line the channels to cushion your gear and add slip resistance. Lockable cover plates on the legs secure the system to your roof so your investment stays protected when you’re not around.
The custom fit kit anchors the rack solidly to your naked roof for a precise fit that feels built-in. Each component is backed by a strong warranty—limited lifetime on the crossbars and 5-year limited coverage on the T-Load hitch support, legs, and fit kit—so you can count on it for season after season of hauling adventure gear or work equipment.
Alternate Instructions
Ratings & Reviews
Using this on a 2021 Honda Passport. The rack works as shown on videos although it will take some getting used to using it with a Hobie Outback Kayak. Assembly was pretty easy; to me, the video was much better than the instructions. A lock does come with it, but had differing opinions whether it did or didn’t so I ordered a lock that I’ll be returning.
The hitch pin for this uses a threaded bolt and the assembly does rattle a bit when installed.
The unit is much more stable than expected. No rocking or swaying even with a side wind. The canoe is easy to load, I come in from the drivers side, set one end of the canoe in between the uprights and then move over to the truck and set the other end on the bar across the extended cab and then just lift it over. Of course the 5th wheel is not in this picture but that is why we load over the front.
Would be a great improvement to have predrilled holes for height adjustment like many bike racks have. Also an attachment to let it double as a bike rack when not being used with a kayak would make it a special product
Use this rack to carry lumber. I adjusted it to the same height as my two built in roof racks so that the weight of long boards is evenly distributed. Have carried up to 20 foot long boards and stacks of 4X8 plywood 3 inches thick. Very happy with this rack.
Product shopped immediately, arrived as scheduled.
Had installed and kayak on top of car within two hours of opening box. Very simple. I am 67, still go to gym a lot, but my joints ache and back is feeling the years, so this makes loading of my 85 lb kayak now very easy. Worked smooth first time, though practicing the balance while unloading and rocking the bar back is important.
I previously used a Yakima Bar Extender, (pic attached) which was fine for my previous lighter kayak. But I did scratch the side of my car many times with the Yakima system when unloading, and nearly dropped the heavier yak several times because the Yakima bar sagged under the extra weight of the newer yak. I just got a new Subaru and dearly wanted to avoid any scratches. This Rhino Rack seems perfect option, kayak is always under control, and is very secure.
I purchased the T Load support bar system for my 2013 Ford F-150 FX4. My kayak is a Seda Glider, weighing 42 Lbs and 19ft long. I’m so glad I opted for the T Loader, as my long kayak would be next to impossible to load onto the cab roof racks without the T Loader. With the T Loader, I can completely load my
kayak while standing behind the truck with no stress or strain. I’m 68 years old and about 6’ tall. I honestly don’t think I could load my long kayak without the T Loader!
My complete Rhino Rack system was not cheap, but it is very strong and stable on the road at 70MPH. This system enables me to take my kayak anywhere I want to go, safely and without hassle.
Honestly was excited about this. Loading the kayak was easy. Unloading not so much. Unfortunately the kayak ended up smashing my back window. Would skip and get one of the side loading load assists from another vendor.
Bought this for a 2015 Jeep Cherokee to load a Hobie Passport and it works great. I was hesitant about carrying the kayak with just the two cross bars. This third wing helps to load and secure the kayak.
Loading - I spread the goal posts wide enough for the beam of the boat and lift one end onto it. When lifting the other end and sliding onto the roof rack, the goal posts keep the boat from sliding laterally too much.
Securing - I narrow the goal posts to fit the boat and secure at three points: the two roof rack cross bars and the Rhino Rack. The front and back are narrow enough to prevent the boat from sliding forward or backwards so no bow or stern lines needed.
It is a bit pricey, a bit heavy, and awkward to store, but it gives me a lot of peace of mind that the kayak isn't going anywhere while I'm on the freeway. Plus it was one of the few that was adjustable enough to get to the same height as the roof rack cross bars.
This is a fantastic system I’m 69 years old and now I can load my canoe safely by myself
It’s we’ll built and shipping and service from e trailer was fast and fantastic!!
This bed extender works really well. It’s also built strong!
Will made ordering these items a breeze. He answered all my questions and made sure all were in stock. The order arrived in a few days and he followed up with a notice that all was "delivered". Awesome service and gentleman
Heavy duty
Currently using this Rhino-Rack T-Load to load a tandem touring kayak on top of a 2023 Toyota 4 Runner. The kayak is very heavy and awkward and extremely difficult to do even with a hatch mounted ladder. This thing will save you from damaging your vehicle. Kayak went straight from the ground to the rack without touching the vehicle.
Excellent product! I was able to load my fishing kayak on my 4Runner by myself and this kayak is heavy! The Rhino is very sturdy and good quality. I am so far very impressed! Luv it!
I bought this load assist bar for my hobie pro angler 14 ft . This was the first time using both of them . It went well they are some down falls with it but I would still highly recommend it . My vehicle is a 02 ford excursion. The t bar loader is well built but my first problem is that the hitch pin is a little short but still works and it is the wrong diameter for the size of the hole it should be a 5/8 pin size instead of 1/2 inch diameter. The second thing is, and it might be because of my vehicle, the height it extends to is a little short for my rig. It still does the job just fine but there is no rear end support witch is not a big deal for me . One thing you have to be carful of is when you are unloading your kayak the t-bar does fall towards you . I do use a small step ladder after I have the kayak on the roof to adjust it. Without the t-loader it would be nearly impossible to do it .
This has been a big help when getting my 14 ft kayak on and off the roof rack of my SUV.
great product! got it to haul my kayak on my unlimited rubicon (soft top) instead of installing a full roof rack. worked out great. easy install, well built, and removeable. good price too. i highly recomend
Made of good quality material, was pretty simple putting it together, shipped on time
Sturdy and fits together tightly. Should work great for loading my kayak onto my SUV. Box contained no assembly instructions, but was fairly intuitive. Only had to disassemble once to correct a flipped part.
This has been a lifesaver for getting my hobie outback up on top of my Subaru Forester by myself. I first saw this on youtube and it worked exactly like in the videos. You can tighten or loosed screws to adjust the height and also how much force it takes to push the bar from the leaning position, and into the upright position. You can also adjust it to lean a bit more or a bit less which is handy if you have a taller or shorter vehicle. I have it leaning more as it lets me open my trunk on my 2024 forester without having to take it off.
Picked this up for hauling our canoe with my F150. This is definitely the solution I was looking for. Is is strong and reliable. Well worth the money. I would recommend this to my friends
Good product, with some caveats. The concept is good and it’s effective once you learn to control the load going up and down. I’m loading a 72lb Nucanoe U10 with mine, roof-topping it onto a 2026 Honda Passport with OEM crossbars.
The suspension strap running across the aero bar’s load stops works well for loading boats hull-down, but is a PITA if you want to load the boat hull-up. It catches and snags on every little feature of the gunnels; notches, gear track, handles, etc. I finally removed the strap altogether and it works much better for hull-up loading. There’s a learning curve to both raising and lowering the boat. Mostly it’s about understanding where and when the T-bar begins to pivot towards and away from the car. As you are loading the boat, I find it easier to keep the bow well elevated. This “pushes” the T-bar forward as you move towards the vehicle. Same for taking it down; an angled bow postpones the T-Bar’s “drop” as you move away from the vehicle. The good news in both cases is that 90% of the boat’s weight is supported as you make these moves - you’re merely guiding/aligning the boat along the way. The ground pad for the stern of the boat is a quite small target. Then again, it stores easily.
I found assembly to be easy, with the exception of height adjustment. The sliding T-bar is so snug in the bottom section I had to use a hammer to adjust its height. Everything else went together very easily. The build is very robust and simple. I feel like it will outlast the boat.
Bought this product to help load the Old Town Malibu Tandem PDL Kayak. Works great, easy to assemble and easily attaches to the hitch. Can store it in the back of my Honda CRV which is also great. I can now roof top my kayak solo and not have to worry about it falling off when loading and unloading. Highly recommend this product.
After much searching and reading, we picked up this Rhino-Rack T-Load Hitch Mounted Load Assist and Support Bar to help us transport our Tandem Recumbent Trike (TerraTrike Tandem Pro), and it has been nothing short of EXCELLENT.
We paired this with our normal Thule roof rack, which just didn't have the length we needed for our tandem. With the help of an additional accessory kit for the Rhino Rack (to make sure the tandem doesn't travel left to right on the roof), we have a REALLY solid rack that allows us to take the tandem anywhere we want to go with it.
So far, our longest drive with it has been 3.5 hours, each way. I wouldn't hesitate to take it anywhere, though.
The setup and instructions on the Rhino-Rack could've been a LITTLE more robust, but once we got everything dialed in (and drilled the hole we needed), it now just takes about 5 minutes to go from "in the garage" to "on the road."
This rack is well-built, and seems very solid.
etrailer has been great for all our rack needs. Highly recommend the rack, and this site.
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