Rhino-Rack Vortex Roof Rack for Flush Rails - Aluminum - Black - Qty 2
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2020 Ram 1500
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2020 Ram 1500
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Whether you’re loading up kayaks, canoes, or a rooftop box for a long trip, these aluminum crossbars give you the strength and stability you need. Each bar is 49" long, offering plenty of usable space while supporting up to 165 lbs when used within your vehicle’s roof load limit. The aluminum construction feels solid and dependable for heavy trips to the water or the campsite.
Highway noise from roof racks can ruin a trip, but these aero-style bars are built to cut down on drag and wind sound. Rubberized Vortex strips fill the top channels, helping smooth out airflow so you hear more of your playlist and less of the wind. The result is a more relaxed drive even at highway speeds.
From kayaks and skis to cargo boxes and bike mounts, this setup plays well with all kinds of gear. The crossbars are compatible with most bike, watersport, snow, and cargo carriers that either slide into the top channels or clamp around the bars. You can load up for any season without swapping racks or buying special adapters.
When you’re stopping for a meal or leaving your gear overnight, built-in locks in the crossbars help deter theft of channel-mount accessories. The legs also have lockable cover plates that keep the setup secure on your roof. For even more protection, you can upgrade to all-metal locks (RRVA-LEC4 – sold separately).
The aluminum bars resist rust and wear from regular use in all kinds of weather. They’re finished in black for a clean look that holds up over time. The crossbars include a limited lifetime warranty, while the legs carry a 5-year limited warranty—giving you confidence that your setup is built to go wherever your trips take you.
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hi, everyone, I'm Evangeline here at etrailer. Today we're taking a look at our Rhino-Rack Roof Rack system here on our 2024 BMW X1. This specific system is the Vortex Bar configuration designed specifically for the flush rails of your X1. So if you're curious about how to get it installed, how it looks, and how to set it up to best fit your different types of cargo, stick around. Now, these are the 49-inch long Vortex Bars. So you have that aerodynamic design, and this is gonna be the length that Rhino-Rack actually recommends for the X1.
This will be a really flush, sleek-looking system. There won't be much overhang, but for some people, that's what they prefer, since they like that sleeker look. What is overhang Well, that's the distance from the tower to right before the end of the bar. I have about one inch here or maybe one inch and 1/4, depending where on the roof you have this installed. This installs onto your BMW's flush rails.
And it's a tool-free process. So I'll unlock these towers so I can flip up this lever. And this is how I loosen or tighten down the towers. So if you wanted to secure this whole thing to your car, you can do so and lock it in place. And if you wanted to attach things to your crossbars, you can get items that clamp around the bars, or you could take advantage of the channels up top for channel-mounted accessories.
With this on the roof, you also have to start thinking about clearances for height. So the first thing I like to mention is the distance from the top of the roof to the bottom of the crossbar. And I see about a little past 2 1/2 inches. The second measurement I like to pick up here is the height added to your roof now. So top of the roof to the top of the bars, I have it at around maybe 3 3/4 inches.
And that's where your cargo sits. So pretty low to the car. If you have, let's say, skis with extra tall bindings, try to get that measurement there and maybe look into ski and snowboard carriers that give you that extra height. We have those accessories available for you right here at etrailer. What I really like about this roof rack system is it's very easy to install. With the clamps that just go around, you don't need any extra tools to secure them. This is super easy to just throw onto your roof and take right back off when needed. If you have any questions at any point or maybe you're trying to figure out what type of accessories are gonna be the best to use with this, please feel free to reach out to us here at etrailer. Give us a call, send us a message, or contact me personally. I love helping people out with getting the right parts for their specific journeys. If you're curious about how I got this installed on this BMW, though, stick around. Getting your roof rack installed is very simple. Now, for the Vortex Bars, there is a little bit of initial prep required, like having to install the top rubber strips. You just push those into place up top. You are gonna have some excess, so just cut those off with a pair of scissors. And then, you're going to take the end caps off. So you'll have a blue key that will allow you to do that, if you haven't already taken the end caps off. Then get your tower. Make sure it's unlocked. You then get to open up that lever, bring your tower over, and we're gonna slide this through the channel underneath the crossbar. You're also gonna get some plastic strips that will go in here, but do that later after you've installed the tower. Once the tower is installed on both sides, you can go ahead and put those end caps right back in. And then lock them with the blue key. Lift this up onto your roof and then into your flush rails. Notice that metal plate with the rubber coating on your tower This fits almost perfectly into the divot of your flush rails. So push your tower up against that divot. Do that on both sides. And then, you can slide this crossbar back and forth. So what you want is an equal amount of length of crossbar on each side. As for where you put it on the flush rails, that is totally up to you and what you plan on carrying. I personally, as a general rule of thumb, I like to aim for around where those door seams are. That way, it's out of the way. I'm less likely to hit my head on crossbars if they are longer. But the perk as well for the X1 is the location of the sunroof. You can see here as I'm opening up the window all the way open, (sunroof whirring) it stops right where we have our crossbars. Now, I have a sunroof on my own personal vehicle, and this is what I found to be the best configuration. If you have the bars too far forward, you're definitely gonna hear it when the window's open. So having it right here means you still have all that air, but then you also have the functionality of a roof rack. Once you have it in the spot that you like, then go ahead and tighten down those levers until you feel a lotta tension on both sides. You're then going to just push those levers down. Since this in the unlocked position, it can sit flush, so we'll use the key to turn it to lock. Make sure this is locked, as well as the end cap for your crossbars, and double check that on all four corners. If you have any questions at any point or if you have a cool setup of your BMW X1 with your roof rack system, I'd love to hear all about it. My name is Evangeline here at etrailer. And you saw my look at the Rhino-Rack Vortex Roof Rack system on a 2024 BMW X1.
Ratings & Reviews
Very pleased with the product. Everything fit easily, and Installation was easy. I also appreciate Katie M's help in making sure I received the right product for my 2016 Ford Focus. It will be perfect for transporting my bikes and kayaks.
I purchased the Rhino Rack roof rack as an alternative to the factory installed products and the more popular Thule and Yakima brands. The Rhino Rack is solid and sleek and is largely silent while driving (if I have the roof open you can hear a soft whistle). Not only does the rack look fantastic, but the non-slip top and the strong bars make carrying things on top a real pleasure.
The crossbars came together with all mounting hardware, platforms and legs. Evertyhing arrived together in short time and was raasonably easy to assemble. The quality is good and solid, and all at a good price. A year later, they still look great and perform well. I highly recommend purchasing from etrailer.
Great product. Great quality. Fast shipping. Easy to install on my 2011 chevy cruze. Low wind noise, nothing annoying so definitely doing the aerodynamic job. Happy so far
The quality is very good. Ordering was easy and installation using the video made the process so simple. Glad I order them from here instead of somewhere else.
Delivery was a little slower then I would have liked, but otherwise it was perfect. Great customer service when I called to ask about them. Make sure you read the instructions when you install (I didn't and wasted an hour fooling around with the wrong parts) other then that, the install was smooth as silk.
The bars look and feel great. They have such a tough presence while still being aerodynamic. I love the look of the rubber grip strip on top and I like how the rubber strip on the bottom ends have graduations so you can easily match the overhang with the other side. They feel incredible strong, no bend in the them at all. If the platforms were a bit more robust this thing would outshine all the competition. However, it competes with every other system at a much lower price point so that gets 5 stars in my book.
I spent a week reading reviews and forums to find the right one for my 2019 Jeep Cherokee that I just bought a few weeks ago. I just have to overthink everything but it paid off. I just received them this morning and installed them myself! First time for everything! It was really easy. The only part that was frustrating was the very first part... sliding the rubber pieces into the crossbars. They would not slide very well so I ended up using a bit of oil to make them slide better. Other than that, installation was easy and quick. I LOVE the looks of them. Very gorgeous!!! Thank you so much!! Very happy with the end result!!
Very satisfied with the product and it looks good as does the hitch from entailed (for bike rack) on my Kia niro
Easy to read instructions, easy to install. Watched the install video a few times just to be sure! They do whistle a bit at highway speeds, but certainly not unbearable. In fact, I was surprised as to how quiet they are. It's to be expected, especially when paired with kayak j-racks. So happy with this purchase and I would definitely recommend them!
Love these aero bars. Perfect for on my 2018 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk. Run fairly quiet and perform as expected. As always the customer service from etrailer was top notch.
Received the roof rack on the date promised, it was well packaged and all parts required were included. Everything fit together very well and the instructions were easy to follow. The rack looks good on the car. Once the rack is installed and the included decals in place it only takes a few minutes to remove it and reinstall. This is important for me because we will only use the racks to transport our kayaks the rest of the time they will be removed and stored.
There are two small items that can be improved. First the legs are different lengths yet nowhere in the instructions does it tell you where each size goes. Second I own 10 tape measure and not one of them is in meters and I do not care how good your eyesight is you are not going to be able to measure to 53/64". If the measurements are critical you should ensure customers in the US have measurements they can use or include a MM tape measure.
Overall this is a very good product that I would purchase again and recommend to friends.
I ordered the complete Rhino-Rack with legs for my 2009 Subaru Forester. I watch a couple of videos prior to installation. Followed instructions and installation was completed without any issues. Product was delivered promptly and Natalie helped me with my order and she followed up to inform me of the status of my order. Thanks for the help and thanks for a product.
Rhino-Rack installed on my 2022 Jeep Cherokee. There was wind noise (whistling) when all the rubber spacers were not installed, now it’s very quiet. I also installed the Yakima fishing rod//Ski holder. I wound up deviating from the directions and using the third lot, so the clamps would close on the bar. So far so good, without the fishing rod holder it’s low profile enough to get into garages, etc. Fast delivery on the products.
My Rhino-Rack Aero 2500 roof racks fit solidly on my 2007 Honda Civic EX. I was really impressed with the construction and strength of the rack system. Also the versatility of the 'legs' with a swivel pad allow them to fit any roof pitch perfectly. The clamps are so solid, nothing could knock these racks off. I added a paddleboard attachment and went surfing today. The black racks also look great with the black trim on my silver Honda. Great product at a much better price than Yakima or Thule.
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.
My inital thought of these crossbars were that they were going to be too small. Two of the other big makers call for 53" min and 60" recommended. However after installing, 49" is a perfect fit for the Cayenne I feel. The rack is extremely quiet (make sure you use the channel rubber on top and bottom) The Cayenne is fairly quiet car inside and it was one of my big concerns but I only hear what sounds like a slight rush of air, no buzzing or whistling at all.
The downside to this rack is I think the black paint is too thin. Just laying it on the pavement while setting up caused scratches to appear. Silver would be the way to go if your getting these, or spray them plastic.
I bought this rack for my son who is a rower so he could take his single shell and oars to regattas using his new Chevy Cruz. First trip from Wyandotte, Michigan to Boston, Massachusetts and back was great. A learning curve to get in the right spot on roof but very sturdy & strong. He is looking forward to many regattas with this car and roof rack. Very Satisfied with etrailer and the rack itself and thank you for the quick shipping.
These crossbars were easy to install, are sturdy when installed and look great on my factory side rails when installed with the SX Series legs. The standard end caps are an all-plastic affair and use a little key to engage a cam lock. That plus the distance from the end of the crossbar to the nut that tightens the foot onto the rail keeps things relatively secure. Most people probably want to opt for proper locking end caps, though.
The rubber vortex strips look nice and give items something grippy to rest on. I haven't tried a load test yet but did drive around in moderate wind on the highway in multiple directions. Other than a slight whistle at 70 mph, you'd never know they were there. Overall, real happy with the product and looking forward to hauling some stuff around with them.
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.
You have to order the cross bars and connector hardware separately. I also ordered the end cap locks.
I consider myself a pretty good DYI person and it took longer than I expected according to other reviews on here to get everything installed and overlapping the same on both sides.
Once installed the crossbars are very solid. I do get noticeable wind noise at say 70+MPH.
I installed these on a 2020 Jeep GC Overland and they look and function great! Was a bit concerned about the sun roof retraction with the bars, but there is plenty of clearance. No issue.
I for sure recommend the Rhino Rail crossbars. Etrailer is a great site to get the bars. Given the COVID issues and supply chain breakdowns retailers are facing, they still had everything I ordered to me in a very reasonable time frame.
Great sturdy rack. I put it together myself and have already started using it. I was concerned that it would cause leaks in the door the way it has to mount..but its Florida and its rainfall in the past few days and no leak! The weak link would be the end caps..two do not lock on and im concerned the will fly off at some point.
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.
Purchase for a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee, black rails. Perfect fit.
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.
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Francis
7/23/2023
No issues. Pretty simple to install and has stayed in place without requiring any adjustment. We took a trip to Florida last summer and trapped a cargo carrier to the top. It was pretty heavy but the Rhino held up great. Even through the auto car wash no issues. Would definitely recommend.