Rhino-Rack Vortex Roof Rack for Fixed Mounting Points - Aluminum - Black - Qty 2
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1999 Chrysler Cirrus
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1999 Chrysler Cirrus
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No one likes a constant whistle while driving with a roof rack. The Vortex crossbars have an aerodynamic shape and rubberized strips in the top channels that help reduce drag and wind noise. The smoother airflow makes long highway drives quieter and more comfortable, even when the rack is unloaded.
Whether you’re loading up kayaks, bikes, skis, or a cargo box for a camping trip, these full-length aluminum bars handle it all. They work with accessories that mount in the top channels or clamp around the bars, so you can mix and match gear without extra adapters. The 49" crossbar length gives you plenty of usable space for multiple attachments.
When you’ve got valuable gear strapped to your roof, security matters. The integrated plastic locks in the Vortex crossbars help deter theft of channel-mount accessories. Lockable cover plates on the legs secure the rack to your vehicle, and you can upgrade to all-metal locks (RRVA-LEC4, sold separately) for added peace of mind.
A solid roof rack starts with strong materials. These crossbars are made from aluminum for durability and rust resistance while keeping weight low. With a 165-lb capacity (always observe your vehicle’s maximum roof load), they’re sturdy enough for heavy loads like kayaks or camping gear. The black finish keeps them looking clean and sharp after miles on the road.
Alternate Instructions
Ratings & Reviews
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.
I ordered the Rhino Rack for my 2017 Mazda 3 hatchback. The first thing I was concerned about was if the rack would interfere with opening my moon roof but that's not an issue. However, the rack does whistle pretty loud with the moon roof open at high speeds but that would happen with any roof rack.
For my car, the fixed mounting points on the roof are not accessible with the normal molding strips on the roof. So I had to order new Mazda molding strips with openings that provide access to the roof mounting points. You'll have to research which ones to get for your car. But, luckily, they're not expensive and are easy to install.
Ok, now for the Rhino Rack. I'm fairly handy and have installed roof racks before and the whole install took me about 2 hours. But it wasn't totally straightforward. The directions included in the box were for clamping a rack to the door openings and not for screwing the rack mounts into the fixed points on the roof. So they were not very helpful for my car. In addition, the towers were set up for the clamping arms, so I had to knock that hardware out of the tower arms and install the hardware for screwing down on the roof mounting points.
Also missing from the instructions were the spacing measurements for the roof rack. So I had to go to Rhino Rack's web site and search for the spec sheet for my car to find the measurements. The good news is that those measurements were dead on when I went to screw the rack onto the roof.
What really saved me was watching the etrailer install video for the Mazda 3 (that video was for an older Mazda 3 but the instructions worked fine for my 2017). That will show you how to do it. Once installed, the rack was sturdy and looked great.
I've since installed two Rocky Mounts bike carriers and they are awesome. Although, the forward tilt of the front cross bar (fault of the car's design not the rack) made the install a little tricky and I had to tighten down the bike rack clamp unevenly back-to-front to get it to work. Just thought I would mention for anyone planning on carrying bikes.
This roof rack works great! At first I was skeptical about putting a rack on my IS250, but it couldn't have turned out better. Paired with the Yakima Highroad, I can easily transport my bikes around without worrying about anything coming loose while driving. The installation instructions for the legs and bars are pretty straightforward. Takes about 30-45 minutes total to install.
I wanted to share the items I used to be able to haul two Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 kayaks on my 2006 Scion xB. This may help others who struggle with deciding what to use. I am pleased with my purchase and hope this helps. I originally thought I wanted the Thule Hull-A-Port Aero, but they discontinued making the fit kit for their roof rack systems and I ended up going with the Kuats. I am glad that they didn’t make the fit kit for approximately $[XX] and so they missed out on the rest of my business. Here are the items I used for anyone interested – pictures included. Custom DK Fit Kit for 4 Rhino-Rack 2500 Series Roof Rack Legs - Naked Roof #DK138, Kuat Class 4 V2 Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - 1 Kayak - Black #KU53VR and these are really cool, Rhino-Rack 2500 Series Legs for Vortex Aero Crossbars - Naked Roofs or Fixed Mounting Points - Qty 4 #RRRLKVA, Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero Crossbars - Aluminum - Black - 54" Long - Qty 2 #RRVA137-B2. The 54” crossbars fit really well and the perfect length in my opinion and it doesn’t stick out like the longer ones would. Also purchased two sets of these Malone QuickLash T-Style Hood Loops for Bow and Stern Tie-Downs - Qty 2 #MPG308.
I bought this last yr to haul my kayaks on my Toyota camry. Being 5'2", getting them on top of my SUV was next to impossible for me and my daughters. Since then, I have traveled from Michigan, all the way to the west coast with two 13' ft kayaks. These racks have been absolutely perfect in every aspect. I mounted them myself, and checked them regularly to see if they needed adjusted. Not once did they loosen or move. They with stood Traveling with speed limits reaching 80 mph on I84, along with the windy weather on our cross-country trip. My car moved around from the high winds, and the racks stayed put. These racks have by far reached and surpassed every expectation I had when purchasing them. I would not recommend another. Only thing I would recommend is showing installation for both front and back bars, since the measurements are slightly different for both. As I had to figure this out my self, after watching the installation video. Thank you Rhino for providing such a high quality product.
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!!
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!
The instructions were clear and the rack installed perfectly. I am impressed with the custom foot mouldings that match my car's contours exactly, and the rack is still as tight as when I installed it 4 weeks ago. I have been using it frequently to pick up 8' lumber for a large shelving project I have underway, and I hope to soon use it to carry my kayaks. The rubber strips on the top hold the lumber so securely I have no worry of having the load slip off the car. The two negatives I have are: (1) the crossbar end-caps consist of 2 locking and 2 slip-ons. I have come out to my car to see 1 of the slip-ons half slipped-off and I expect I will lose one or both of them in short order; and (2) the instructions should put the forward bar at least 1 inch further forward. As you will see in the photo, Rhino's guidelines result in the front bar being higher than the back bar, which results in additional wind pressure on the goods being carried. Finally, I would like to thank etrailer for shipping the product exactly as promised and also for packaging the entire order in an additional box as I requested. I found your service to be outstanding! You are welcome to post my comments and or photo if you should wish to.
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.
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.
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.
i 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Got this for a 2015 Prius. High quality works great. Use their measurements included as a guide and measure everything out yourself before cutting the spacers and when installing. I had to make minor adjustments to make it perfect.
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.
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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