Rhino Rack Roof Rack for 2009 Ford F150

Question:

Hi, I have a naked roof ‘09 Ford F-150 supercab. The fit guide for my truck lists a 59” load bar from rhino, but I’d prefer the 65”. Is it compatible with the other parts for my kit? In a barely related question, I am most interested in a aero rack with foot adapters that are the best fit for my application, and I’d happily consider rhino, Thule, or Yakima. It seems that I’d be happy with the Rhino, and I like the other minor installation differences over the other brands I can see, but I can’t find a good comparison of true fit between the brands. Thank you for your thoughts.

asked by: Bill L

Expert Reply:

According to Rhino Rack, it's recommended that the 59 inch bars be used, because if the longer 65 inch bars were used, the feet might not be able to slide inboard enough for the rack to install. The tracks on the underside of the bar do not run the entire length of the bar, so Rhino Rack (and the other roof rack companies) recommend fits based on that, Yakima and Thule both recommend 60 inch crossbars for your F150.

The recommended Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero rack for your 2009 F-150 consists of the following:

59 Inch Vortrex Aero Crossbars, part # RRVA150S-2

Leg Kit # RRRLKVA

Clamp Kit # DK150

I find myself recommending Rhino-Rack roof racks pretty frequently, as their quality is about equal with better-known names like Thule and Yakima but at a lower cost. The rack systems from Rhino-Rack, Yakima and Thule all use vehicle specific clamp kits that are custom designed for your vehicle.

I've linked to product demonstration videos showing all three systems installed on a later model F-150. This will provide you with a pretty good idea of how each rack fits.