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Aerodynamic, aluminum crossbars let you build an aftermarket roof rack for your vehicle. Full-length bars provide plenty of space for carriers and accessories. Vortex strips in C-channels reduce wind noise. Theft-deterring plastic locks included.
Features:
Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero Crossbars - Silver - Qty 2: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: 4.8 out of 5 stars (130 Customer Reviews)
Aerodynamic, aluminum crossbars let you build an aftermarket roof rack for your vehicle. Full-length bars provide plenty of space for carriers and accessories. Vortex strips in C-channels reduce wind noise. Theft-deterring plastic locks included.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.
Really has come in handy as I installed this over my truck bed on top of a retractable bed cover that came with T -tracks. I can load the truck bed with smaller items and use the roof racks to hold a Thule box or just strap on heavy and larger items. Great product.
great product. sturdy easy to install and held my thule cargo box (also an etrailer purchase), really well! Fit perfest in my 2002 Excursion roof rack factory rails and easily adjusted. One note for excursion owners is to mount the front leg of the rack more directly over the rear door vs moving it up towards the front. I was tempted to move it as far forward as I could so I could stand in the rear door opening to access the inside/contents of the box and the weight of the box and contents actually bowed the roof steel in and out while driving, causing a popping noise, once i moved it back a little it was fine. Also making note that I have one of the biggest boxes you can buy so weight was at a max for the roof/roof rack for me YMMV depending on what you have on top of the crossbars. overall good solid product and the cost savings for the Rhino rack vs other brands is a BIG plus for me.
I think these look better than the OEM rack that I ended up installing...however, using them would have required drilling my roof and putting rivets in. I went to 3 shops that refused to do so because they didn't want to be responsible for any leaks.
good price and prompt delivery
Purchased the Rhino Quick Mount Legs and Vortex-Aero bars, to mount on our Retrax XR Pro Tonneau cover. As always buying from trailer is easy, Terri N make the experience much better, from order to delivery. Terri ensured compatibility with existing hardware, and that everything needed is included.
The Rhino system is an easy install, the fit of the T-slot plate style nuts was tight, eliminating the damage that can occur with loose fitting slot inserts. Assembly can be completed on or off vehicle, as long as all accessories are fitted first. If done off vehicle, accurate measurements will be needed for the base fitment.
We paired the Rhino system with 1up USA bike racks, and a Yakima box.
These are excellent! Check out my YouTube channel, Road and Reel, to see how I used the to carry 4 bikes above my Retrax Tonneau cover.
Rhino tracks are great - I installed on my truck topper per the great instructions that were included (see photos). The tracks flexed to meet the contours of my topper. All bolts are hidden by track and were long enough to go through topper where special knobbed nuts are used to secure. Total install took about three hours.
etrailer customer service came through to resolve several challenges on this order:
- I initially ordered Yakima tracks. There were long shipping times, so etrailer recommended different compatible tracks from Rhino that were $40 cheaper!
- the initial shipment had not arrived in nearly three weeks with no USPS shipping updates. etrailer sent a second set of tracks via a different shipper that arrived in a few days.
- unfortunately the replacement tracks were incorrect - too long and endcaps were missing.
- while eTrailer was arranging to resend the endcaps, the original USPS order arrived with the correct tracks and all parts.
- eTrailer had me keep the correct tracks and parts, and send me a label to ship the incorrect tracks back to them.
All of these interactions were made with very professional and friendly customer service staff. I felt like I was a valued customer!
I bought these racks for my Ford Transit and I couldn't be happier with the racks or the service from trailer. The rhino racks added a nice touch to an awkward looking van with its great looks and perfect functionality. Reading reviews about other racks making howling noises while driving made me a little hesitant , but am pleased to say, no noise whatsoever. I've added a basket to the racks and everything has worked perfectly. We do a lot of traveling,(2 adults,4 kids, 3 dogs) and the racks have provided exactly what we needed. Thanks etrailer for the best price and great service
Works awesome and was the best solution for carrying bicycles while towing travel trailer
Custom built a mixed Rhino-Rack and Thule bike carrier. Started with the RTC tracks, added Rhino-Rack crossbars, then Thule bike carriers. Customer support was very helpful in getting compatible parts. Took some ingenuity on my part, too, but I love the way it turned out!
I purchased a used gray topper for my Tundra, repainted it to match my truck, and purchased from you the mounts and rails to put on top of it. The entire project was GREAT, and the and rails have just topped it off (see what I did there?) with a great look and very functional utility to add some long storage capability to a very short-bed truck. Thank you so much, it was expensive, but the quality is fantastic and the look is very sharp!
Strong, looks great, and super easy to remove & re-install cross rails.
2022 Ford Maverick with a Rhino Rack on a retrax xr tonneau...love em both. THANKS etrailer.
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.
Durable and quiet
Exactly what I was looking for I’ll follow up when I get the racks and some bikes and boats on it. Measure twice drill once bolt holes must be exact on the f150
Great tracks. They fit well on my 6-foot 04 Tundra Camper. I paired them with adjustable feet & crossbars from Sherpa Equipment. The combo is perfect. Thx etrailer. The tracks arrived in good condition and on time. Would definitely recommend if anyone is looking for affordable tracks.
Very nice crossbars. Paired with matching RLT600 legs, it sits nicely on my Roll-n-lock bed cover
Awesome customer service! Professional people. Ill be honest, sent incomplete product first time. Made a phone call, took care of me. Carol C, hands down only reason I will continue to purchase from etrailer. Been a customer for years, work in customer service myself, so feel real good when someone can fix and make happy there customers!
Great racks. Just used to mount our car top carrier and traveled 10,751 across the US and back. Speeds were often at 75 mph + and rack performed flawlessly.
This review is given after 1 week of use. Please take it for what it is worth without knowing the long-term performance of the product.
The good.
The package arrived a few days after ordering without delays.
All parts were properly packaged and all quantities were correct.
The rails seem sturdy and the finish appears that it will hold up over time.
The rails have a clean factory type look. I mounted them on the bed rails of my Jeep Gladiator.
They fit nicely next to my hard tri-fold tonneau cover frame.
The dimensions given online were accurate.
The not so good.
The descriptions online made me feel like this was a "universal" size track. It is not. It seems as though all of the major brands have proprietary T-bolt sizes. I am currently using elevator bolts that I hit with the bench grinder to hold accessories until I can find a good fit.
The price is right, and the product appears generally well-engineered. I'd be reluctant to label it as "heavy duty" however (as Rhino does), since they are made of extruded aluminum, and each tower is mounted by just two small square washers gripping the rails. Although the mounting hardware itself is sturdy stainless steel, I question the sturdiness of the rails themselves under a heavy load. Unfortunately, the competition likewise only makes aluminum rails, so the industry as a whole appears to have a very different concept of sturdy than I do. (I could have sworn they are described as steel when I ordered them, but I may be wrong about that).
I'd give these a 3.5. I think they work just fine but in comparing to my Yakima towers these are not as easy and convenient. The pinch style legs can be hard to use if the bars are not lined up right or hard to manage in cold wet conditions. I didn't like that the locking mechanism and face plate come out completely. Just too many pieces and possibility of something getting lost. Overall, I think they are strong and although not as convenient as Yakima they are far better than some other alternatives.
These quick release feet are a great addition to my 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz. I will say that I had to modify the T-nuts by cutting off about 1/4" off each of then. Pretty simple modification to get the nuts to fit the oem track. Highly recommend these so much easier than the oem thule feet!
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