Arrives before Christmas To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
This aerodynamic roof rack lets you carry gear and cargo on your vehicle. Full-length aluminum crossbars provide plenty of space for channel mount and clamp-on accessories. Installs to tracks on your vehicle's roof.
Features:
Specs:
Alternate Instructions
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hi everyone, Aidan here with etrailer.com. Today we're gonna be taking a look at the Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero Bar crossbar system here for your tonneau covers. We're gonna be taking a look at it on our 2019 Ram 1500 with our Mountain Top tonneau cover. Now we are going to be using this with the rails here. Any other tonneau cover that has a rail system like the Pace Edwards UltraGroove or the RetraxPRO XR, those are gonna work just fine. Same deal, it's just gonna slide in the tracks here, but it's basically going to give you a set of crossbars above the tonneau cover.
This is gonna be great for stuff like our tent like you see here, or maybe a bike rack, where we want it above the bed, we want it raised up like this, but we don't wanna reach all the way up like we would on something like a ladder rack. This is gonna have it way more accessible and offer all those same benefits that we might otherwise have at the ladder rack. Let's check it out. When I say all those same benefits as a ladder rack, I more mean for hauling your sports and rec accessories. Things like lumber, ladders, elongated loads maybe like a kayak, they're not gonna work really well on here just because we don't have that same space over the cab.
Anything elongated here is gonna eventually run into that back glass so just keep that in mind for what you're hauling. If you need something that's adjustable, Yakima does have the overhaul system that can be height adjusted, so you can mix and match it for different uses, but this is going to be more of a fixed system, low to the bed like this. And you also have a couple different options here. We're taking a look at the kits here that include the Vortex Aero Bars as well as the quick release legs. We can get these crossbars in two different lengths.
65 inch, like we have here, or a 71 inch crossbar, if we want a little more overhang. You can also choose to just get the quick release feat on their own. You can get them in pack of two, four, or six, so you can mix and match, get as many as you want. If you want to add a third crossbar to this system, you can. And then you can choose whatever crossbar you want.
Maybe you wanna go with Rhino-Rack's HD bars. You have that option and you can customize it to fit your needs. With whatever tonneau cover we're using this on, it's going to retain all of those normal functions, we just have something in the rails on top. So anything we wanna put in the bed, we can. We can open up the cover to get access to the things inside our bed, or we can just slide it out, have everything covered up underneath and have it all protected. These crossbars are gonna have a 220 pound weight capacity and that is a dynamic weight capacity, which means when the vehicle's moving. So if you do plan on putting a tent up here, don't worry you can still sleep in it. It'll be just fine because at that point your car will be static and still. So we don't have to worry about that moving weight capacity. These Vortex Aero bars are perfect for clamp around accessories. They're a very standard size and we haven't had any issues with the accessories we keep in the shop down here, or that we test on other vehicles fitting on these. And you also have the T-track up top. If you peel back the weather stripping and trim it to size, you can slide accessories in there as well. So you've got a variety of options for how you want to attach these accessories to the cross bars. Everything in the system is gonna lock. The end caps on our cross bars here require a special tool to twist open and unlock. So any T-track accessories inside will be safe. And the quick release legs have an actual lock core with key. All of them will have that lock core and key. So all these tabs inside are gonna be completely locked up and safe. So I'm not gonna fully release this with the tent on top, but if you push those tabs in, that's what allows us to lift this out of the quick release mounts right here. So we can quickly get the crossbars off of those bases, leave the bases installed, and it's ready for next time whenever we need to get this set up. I did mention everything is pretty low profile. From the top of our tonneau cover rails to the top of the crossbars, we're sitting at 4 3/4 of an inch. Very low profile. It's gonna not stick up too much. So if we are adding stuff to the top here, it's not gonna be that high of a lift. The tracks run the entire length of the rails on our tonneau cover here, so we can slide the bases here along any point and have any crossbar spread that we might need. We set these up specifically to work with our rooftop tent today, but maybe you have some bike racks that you're looking to carry or a cargo basket, and you know, I need a different crossbar spread. You can set that up, move it around however you see fit, and get it set up really quickly. Speaking of that setup, let's check out that install process right now. Starting off the installation, we're gonna take the base of our legs and we're gonna get some stuff assembled. We're gonna start off with our screw right there, a lock washer and a flat washer on top of that. And that's gonna drop through one of these outer holes right here, just like that on either side. Then underneath, I'm gonna grab the little plate loosely thread that on. And this is going to slide into the rails of our tonneau cover, or wherever else we're mounting this. For our Mountain Top tonneau cover today, we're gonna take off the end cap right there to expose the track system. And these T-bolts are rectangular, so just make sure they're going in the narrow side facing inward just so they fit properly. And depending on the system you're using it might be a little bit different on yours. So you get those in. This one's being a little stubborn. If you find that it's getting a little bound up entering in, you can just loosen it a little bit. That's why we wanted to leave this loose from the start. So it can freely slide along the track. And we can get it set to our crossbar spread. That's gonna vary depending on what kind of accessories you plan on mounting. We're gonna be putting a tent up here, so I'm gonna be shooting for a 32 inch crossbar spread to work with our tent. So I'm just gonna be going from the center of one base to the center of the other. And once I've got it at that proper spread, I can go back to those bolts and tighten them down with the Allen wrench here. We can take our crossbars with the rest of our leg assembly and get those set up. We can take our key for our Aero bars here and pop that end cap off. Now if you went with the HD bars, that process will be slightly different. so just keep that in mind. We're gonna slide this little T-bolt into the track underneath. I'm just gonna pop on the end cap right now so I don't forget. And so, this doesn't slide out of the track accidentally. And then what I like to do is I actually like to come to the bolt underneath here. Right there, you can get a better look at it, and I'm actually going to tighten it up most of the way. Now the reason I'm doing this is so it's easier on us whenever getting it set up and spreading these out the appropriate amount. So I'm just gonna tighten it up, enough to where it won't move on its own, but I can still move it by hand pushing it with a little bit of force. This right here is perfect. One thing I'm gonna also do is push these locking tabs in and just push them into the leg there. That way they're just unlocked, ready to go, and drop into the bases. With those bases tighten down, everything should be good spacing wise from the front to the back. And now we just have to worry about our side to side. We can see everything locks in pretty well here. I can come to the back of the truck and get kind of a basic idea of how that crossbar spread is looking, or I can even get a little bit more precise and measure the overhang on either side make sure it's even. Once we're happy with the even overhang on both sides, we can just lift it out. Since we left it unlocked, it's easy to do. And since everything's mostly tight, these aren't gonna shift around on us. We can then take this opportunity to fully tighten them down. And at this point, everything should be lined up and tighten down. So it's as simple as dropping it back in and pulling out on those red locking tabs. Verify that they're all engaged. We don't want to forget to cover up the legs, lock them up. And then on our Mountain Top cover, install these caps on our rails. Get that lined up here. Lock up those legs just like that. That's gonna secure everything. And for our Mountain Top cover we can slide on those end caps to the rails, and everything's ready for our accessories. With our gear installed up top, we can close up our tonneau cover, get that latched in on both sides and we're good to go. And overall, I think this is going to be a very versatile system. The quick release legs are great because we can take them off really easily, put them on just as easily. We don't have to make any adjustments once it's all set. And the overall crossbar system is gonna be great for things like our tent here or for a bike rack. We don't have to lift it up all the way like we would on a ladder rack. It's just at a much more accessible height, while still leaving the whole bed and the tonneau cover open to use as we normally would. Thanks for watching..
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (113 Customer Reviews)
This aerodynamic roof rack lets you carry gear and cargo on your vehicle. Full-length aluminum crossbars provide plenty of space for channel mount and clamp-on accessories. Installs to tracks on your vehicle's roof.My Thule UpRide Roof bike rack mounted perfect in the T-Slots! Mounts easily and no issues in the Truxedo T-Slot rails on my Ford Ranger.
Mounts perfect in Truxedo T-Slot rails.
Rhino rack does not stand behind their product. Beware had 3 broken and they won't replace the items.
my rhino crossbars and a rhino basket purchased else where months ago. With dogs traveling in the backseat and limiting my cargo space with a locking retrax bed cover I needed a little bit more room for those extra things I couldn’t live without in my travels. Paula S was the bomb and assisted me with the perfect size setup. Super fast shipping.
The rhino rack is well made but suffers from the flat bottom rubber feet. Since nearly all cars and trucks have roof seams, foot pads should be stepped to engage the seam like other racks such as Thule does. It's unlikely that very many different shapes would be needed to fit most vehicles. Rhino tech didn't agree with my assessment.
TLDR: It's a good product with (literal) strength, and some weaknesses. Its cheaper than the competitors, and its in stock now. I mainly bought this due to inventory issues from the other main competitors. That it costs about 100 bucks less is nice, but the reasons for the cost difference is noticeable if you've ever used Thule or Yakima products before.
Installation was not more or less irritating than any other roof rack (I've installed MANY over the years).
Materials are similar, but the plastic parts feel cheaper than Thule or Yakima, and they towers have exposed innards on the inside faces that make it look cheap, and may create more noise. The fit kit feet are good, but the hooks are 2 pieces pinned together instead of formed and cut to custom lengths. This makes them bulkier than the competition.
Apparently they are rated for 33% more weight than the others, and that's cool if you need to haul heavy stuff on top.
All said, I'd probably buy their stuff again in a pinch, or if I was trying to save money, but for fit and finish I would go with Thule or Yakima
Wow! It's a real well made and engineered product and was delivered fast. I got it so I could remove it due to garage door clearance... It is heavy duty enough to carry our boat and 2 kayaks. The key lock, pivot system and removal system were well thought out and so easy.
Rhino-Rack installation was fairly easy. We’re using it on a 2012 model Ford Flex.
The rubber molding easily compressed and served no purpose other than to fall into the channel and thus shred the aluminum gunnels on my expensive Kevlar canoe. I contacted Rhino rack and they were quick to dismiss my information with zero concern or questions. This is a product easily made better with modest changes to improve. Too bad customer service doesn’t exist…
Awesome cross bars
Very nice produce give props to the designer well build nice costume fit to my car easy too install even make the vehicle looks good and thank you to Melissa A at etrailer.com really helpful and awesome ty ten stars.
Recommand to every body rhino rack on my truck looking great thanks you
Strong, quiet, easy to install. Held everything from surfboards to lumber. Very impressed.
Great Fit and Great Looks. Great customer Service!!!
I have been a Thule guy for the last 20 years but thought I would give these a try based on reviews read.
Ordered the following for my 2016 Chevy Silverado:
1 Rhino-rack Vortex Aero Crossbars - 59 - Silver - Qty 2
1 Rhino-rack 2500 Leg Kit For Vortex Aero Crossbars - Qty 4
1 Dk Fit Kit For Rhino Rack 2500 Series Legs - Naked - Qty 4
Received the order from etrailer and upon opening the crossbar package I noticed that the rubber inserts were not in the box. e-mailed customer service and Carol C responded within an hour and said she would have them sent out within 24 hours.
About 30 minutes later, Carol called me as she was getting the order ready to ship and said that the Rhino racks typically put the rubber inserts inside the bars and not in the box. She waited on the line while I checked and sure enough she was right.
Installation instructions were good but I recommend watching the installation video on youtube that makes the directions easier to work with.
Fitment was perfect. And these are fit to my truck so reinstallation is a breeze especially with the small marker arrows for alignment. (unlike my old thules with the crossbars that had to be remeasured every installation) They also hold my thule kayak racks and my bike racks.
Thank you Carol and etrailer for a great product and experience.
The racks look great and are solidly anchored.
I have yet to use them under load but I am pleased with the final product so far.
My only complaint was that the assembly process is difficult to understand unless you Google the help videos. The assembly process is confusing and tedious until you gain an understanding of the overall setup.
Unfortunately it only lasted a few months! It has been a huge disappointment and kinda confirmed my concerns about using bars on a vehicle with no rails. I have kayaked for many years and never had any issues with transport until using these bars. They are now taking up space in my garage, can't use them...there are some parts missing now
Wish they had a kayak rack to mount to areo bars
Product itself is fantastic, I strongly recommend.
I have had these on for more than a year. Most common use case is carrying a 60lb, 16' long canoe.
I installed with rivets into the roof sheet metal. No issues at all with any rivets coming loose, and zero leakage. I use it with a Yakima crossbars with the quick release mounts. The feet are bolted to the tracks. The crossbars just click into the feet. They take literally less than a minute to attach or remove. I've had a few roof rack systems and this is by far the best.
I used the etrailer videos for the installation and they were more than enough. The riveting was nerve-wracking on the first one, but actually very simple. I suggest really taking your time to assure parallel. This can be tricky depending on your roofline. I marked a centerline down my roof and set the tracks based on that.
The only downside I have run into is not at all a fault in the tracks. Because they rivet into the roof sheet metal, it's susceptible to a bit of flex. I see this under the front of the tracks when I crank down on the bowline of the boat. That's a very large lever pulling down on the rack into the roof sheet metal. No lasting issues, I can just see the metal move.
Another small thing to note is that if your roof is curved where the front or real of the rail lands, the plastic end cap might have a small gap under it. It's not itself held down to the roof, it just slots into the track. I have a small gap on mine and it's not a functional issue at all.
The bars were great. The mounts I did not like. The bars themselves were quiet, solid, and aerodynamic.
Installation was a breeze, about 2 hours from time of delivery to completion. Fits like a glove. looks great. Can't wait to order a pair of J style kayak carrier and a couple of bike racks for it.
Perfect fit!
I like the Rhino Rack RTV track because is allows Vortex Aero cross bars to be easily moved and removed. However the appropriately sized rectangular track nuts (M6 24x21x5 part No. N057) used to mount items to the rack are no longer available or manufactured. Consequently RTV track cannot be easily used to secure additional items. Rhino Rack is unable to offer a solution other than returning the wrong sized track nuts so I will manufacture my own attachment nuts. After drilling 18 holes in the roof of my new car and installing the RTV track and cross bars, the lack of compatible nuts was a big disappointment. The product should not be sold if components are not available.
Great products, I combined few different brands of products and I was able to get what I had in mind, no problems after a year, I will definitely buy from etrailer again.
I love the Rhino-Rack Quick Mount Legs for Vortex Aero Crossbars. At first they were a pain to crossbar on, but they I used my thumbs correctly on the lock, and haven't had an issue since the first alignment. They really served their purpose and lifted the old Sears Sport 20-SV cargo top carrier off of the roof for easier mounting and for now hold the kayaks. I do need longer crossbars, but that's a future problem that etrailer.com will be glad to provide a solution to.
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