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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 - 59" Long - Qty 2:Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Today on our 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, we're gonna be taking a look at and showing you how to install the Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero Crossbars with the Rhino-Rack Quick Mount Legs. These crossbars also do come in silver.Having this BackBone system installed is going to help increase the weight that you can carry on the hard top of your Jeep. Having three crossbars as compared to the normal two bar set, is going to allow you to carry more accessories, and it's gonna help evenly distribute the weight across the BackBone system.What's really cool about this BackBone system installed, is that we don't have to remove our crossbars if we want to take the hard top off our Jeep. You can remove it as you normally do. The elliptical shape of our Vortex Aero bars is gonna help cut down on wind noise and drag while we're traveling.We have our Quick Mount Legs which are tightened down onto our crossbars, and those attach to our foot kit. This locking system is a very nice security feature, so that no one can remove your roof rack without the key.
We'll just unlock that end cap and take it off real quick. It's a very simple system to install these bars. To get them off, it's the same way as putting them on. We're just gonna pull those red tabs in, push them back, and that's gonna unlock. As you can see, what happens when we pull those out, these little pegs come out and lock in to the foot kit.
It's very simple to put in, you just put a little bit of downward pressure, and then pull out the red tabs, and they lock into place.Our end caps lock in place. We have this plastic key right here. If you wish to have a more secure system, you can purchase lock cores separately at etrailer.com. We're just gonna unlock our end cap, go ahead and pull that off. We can see it gives us direct access to this channel right here.
That's gonna allow you to utilize any T-Track accessories that you might have. All you have to do, is remove this rubber strip, cut it to length, and then reinsert it along with your accessory. This rubber strip up here is also going to help cut down on that wind noise and drag.I am gonna provide you guys with a few measurements to give you an idea of the height you have between the top of your roof and your crossbars. First, we'll go from the top of our roof, to the bottom of our crossbar. That's gonna be sitting at about 2 1/4".
Now, if we go from the roof to the top of our cross bar, that's gonna be about 3 3/4".One thing you do want to keep in mind is that the weight capacity has not changed from the two bar set to the three bar set. They're both still at 165 pounds.We're gonna be installing these bars on top of our BackBone system that we already have in place. First thing we gotta do is go ahead and flip our bar over. As you can see, we already have it partially put together. We're gonna grab our other Quick Mount Leg, we're gonna go ahead and slide it through the channel with that little silver bracket. Then we're just gonna line it up with this little rubber strip that we already have pre-cut and put it into place. Once we line it up we can tighten it down.We're gonna go ahead and use this tightening tool that comes in our kit. Want to make sure we get it pretty tight. You don't want to over tighten it. Once you have that, you can go ahead and take your end cap and put it on.Now we're gonna take our footpad and install it on top of our BackBone system using this screw with a flat washer and a lock washer attached to it. We have our foot right here, and we have our little slot where our screw's gonna go. We're gonna put it in the middle hole. So, we're gonna set that on top, then we're gonna just set our screw into place, kind of start threading it with our fingers, once we do that, we can take our tightening tool, and tighten it down all the way. Then just make sure you repeat this for the other side.Now, we're gonna take our cross bar, particularly our Quick Mount Legs. We're gonna come down in here, and see these little red tabs, we're going to push those in, and then push them back. What that's gonna do is it's gonna push in these little pegs right here, which are going to mount to our feet.Now, we can set our bar in place. If you have a height restriction, you can just set the leg over on the other side. We'll go ahead and mount this leg, and then we'll come in here and we'll pull these red tabs back, and that's gonna lock them in to these little slots on the feet. Then, just make sure you walk around and place the other leg in the foot.Now, we're gonna take our end cap and slide it in, like that. We'll take our key, and lock it into place.Now you're ready to load your favorite accessories and hit the road. There you have it for the Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero Cross Bars with the Quick Mount Legs on our 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.
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.
It’s a good product. The only install issue I ran into is the drill bit I used (dewalt) for the front two holes on the hard top wasn’t long enough to work with the included drill stop and I ended up scratching the paint on the roll bars. I installed mine over the top of a carpet headliner with dynamat underneath. I did a “soft install” of the roof rack (used regular nuts instead of nylock, low torque, and no sealant), removed it, then put in the mat and headliner, then finished the roof rack install. Multiple cross country trips with my pioneer platform and no issues with excessive noise and no water leaks.
Works awesome and was the best solution for carrying bicycles while towing travel trailer
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 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.
Rhino-Rack installation was fairly easy. We’re using it on a 2012 model Ford Flex.
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!
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.
I have used the Rhino Rack backbone system on a previous Jeep and it worked well. Installation instructions were clear. Definitely recommend.
Also a word about etrailer. I have ordered a few times from etrailer. These folks have great prices and have really fast shipping. They are quick to respond to questions and have great follow up after the sale (5 star).
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.
Recommand to every body rhino rack on my truck looking great thanks you
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
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
Awesome cross bars
2022 Ford Maverick with a Rhino Rack on a retrax xr tonneau...love em both. THANKS etrailer.
Platform racks are the best in the market I think. I'm removing my Platform rack from my 2007 Jeep Sahara JKU and installing it to my 2021 Rubicon JLU. That shows my love and devotion for this very durable and such a beauty to look at system. Had this rack on close to 5 years and still looks amazing. I'm not installing this rack anytime soon. Just wanted to make sure I have the Backbone system for my new JLU when the time comes. Pic of my red JKU with rack attached. Hopefully I can update with my black JLU pics later.
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.
Backbone installed- waiting for feet to attach crossbars
Strong, quiet, easy to install. Held everything from surfboards to lumber. Very impressed.
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.
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.
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.
Fairly easy to install quality materials, no wind noise on the highway .I had these on for a week or so. They are pricey but think they wiil work fine.
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
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