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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 - Black - 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 (108 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.
Nice rack. Has performed as advertised… I carry canoes and kayaks around in the warmer months, snowboards in the winter, and cargo boxes at various times all year long.
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.
The product delivered at first glance appeared perfect but after I had installed both cross bars I noticed on one bar a manufacturer's powder coat defect with no black powder coating on the interior's tact. To etrailer's credit they worked with me after I contacted Rhino Rack corporate who quickly credited etrailer for the defective bar and advised me to keep the defective product and a new bar already delivered to me bye etrailer! Great service by both etrailer and Rhino Rack on responsiveness on a product customers can count on!
I decided on the 65” instead of the recommended 59” for my 2018 F250 Crew. Before I did I called etrailer to confirm that the crossbar would be ok using the custom DK Fit and Rhino Rack 2500 series legs. The guy confirmed and I placed the order. Everything does fit and quality is great but all I received was measurements using the 59” bar. Something is different between these two bars and etrailer couldn’t help me out.
I figured it out myself and determined the bracket distance on the bar so it fit properly.
Rhino Rack should offer the proper bracket measurements for all 3 Areo Crossbars ( 59, 65 and 72 ) as they pertain to Ford F-250 “17” and up. They all fit - as bracket is in the same spot on the truck.
Great quality solid rack. I’d give 5 star if it wasn’t for this
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.
I bought the roof rack to carry kayaks back and forth from Pennsylvania to Florida. The rack is solid and performs that task very well. My plan was to take the rack off and on but I decided to just leave it on. I do notice some wind noise since I've added the rack but it does not distract me and I would say that it is not excessive but it is noticeable.
I did have problems during the installation. I mounted the racks on a Ford 250 super duty. And the instructions were very clear as to where the feet that's support the rack where to be installed. Plastic strips are cut and the feet that support the rack on the roof push up to the cut plastic strips and that is what determines placement. I read the instructions several times and had seen an installation on another truck owned by a friend of mine. When I pushed the feet to the proper position I could not attached the clamps from the rack feet to the rain gutter on the truck which holds the whole assembly on the roof. They were too short. I spoke to Etrailer and a consensus was that I had cut the strips correctly. Etrailer's input of course was over the phone and they could not actually see or measure anything that I did. Nevertheless, in order to install the rack I had to move the feet on each side a bit closer to the rain gutter on the truck. I did not think that this would make any difference and based on the performance I have not noticed any problems. I would have given this product and excellent rating if I did not have to deal with the little problem that I had with the fit. As I said I have not taken it off the roof and I reach up and check it now and then and it's as solid as the day I put it on.
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.
3.5. I think these bars are very strong and do the job well. I don't care for the end caps and the need for a separate plastic key but I'll never use it since I don't intend to use the extra slide in accessories. I like and dislike the rubber insert equally. It helps keep the load from shifting but it makes things harder to load. I would recommend these.
Wish they had a kayak rack to mount to areo bars
The bars are perfect for what I needed. Thule doesn't make a roof rack for my 2023 Cadillac XT6 but Rhino. Ordered the pieces separately because I need 65 inch bars instead of the 46 inch bars in the complete kit. My Thule Hulavators interface perfectly with these bars! Through no fault of etrailer, the post office managed to damage the packaging (I know, shocking right?) but etrailer sent me the missing caps the next day. Score one for etrailer.
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.
The rivets are way too small and they popped out from the roof top leaving holes on the roof of my van. Totally dissatisfied and angry.
Everything fit and was easy to install! Great quality and quick delivery!
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.
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
Where do I start?
I've been whitewater kayaking for 22 or so years now. I've always used used either Yakima or Thule products...
Until I bought a 2015 Nissan Rogue with a naked roof. The curvature of the roof and large door jams mean that Yakima and Thule can't make racks for them. I went to a place that does custom installs and again because of the curvature of the roof, they couldn't give me a rack. This meant no kayaking which is really bad news.
Enter the Rhino rack system. I purchased the feet, the fit kit, the cross bars and a Yakima "big stack" stacker. The first issue I had is the reccomended size for the Nissan Rogue is only 48 inches. Way too small too haul 4-5 (very light) whitewater kayaks. I called etrailer and they were SUPER helpful, told me I can buy the 65 in cross bars and they'll work fine.
I held my breath and placed my order. I was nervous leaving my trusted name brands. The order arrived super fast (they told me it would arrive by Friday but it actually arrived on Thursday) and everything was packaged rock solid. I was impressed.
I read the instructions and put the rack system on my car. It took about a hour (it was hot and I worked slowly) but the rack system is SUPER SOLID. I love it. Rhino might have a "forever" customer out of me.
-The rack system is very stable. I can't move it with my hands by pushing or pulling.
-The rubber stripping you put on the top and bottom of the bar is an awesome added feature AND it reduces wind noise.
-Adding the fairing reduced wind noise even further. With four boats on the roof you couldn't hear any extra noise.
The ONE thing I dislike is that you need to use the supplied Allen wrench to take the rack on and off the car. It's a small complaint, but other systems I've used in the past don't have them.
I paid much less for this system than I would have if I purchased one of the aforementioned systems, but I'm really really satisfied with the product. We will see how well it holds up over long-term use, but it looks awesome!
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.
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