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To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
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. It's Evangeline here at etrailer and today we'll be taking a look at our Rhino-Rack Gutter Mount Legs which are 8 1/4 inches tall here at etrailer. So these are going to be ideal If you have a Jeep, if you have a van, if you have a vehicle with either factory mounted gutters or if you install those gutters yourself but you also want a way to build or make a Rhino-Rack system. So these are your slightly taller than average gutter mount legs and that's gonna be ideal if you need a little extra height or clearance. Maybe you're carrying around skis with extra large bindings and you need that clearance underneath. Or maybe the way you have your gutters mounted is a little bit below the roof level compared to other vehicles.
Whatever situation you're in, let's see if this video will help you out with figuring if these are the right legs for you. So the towers themselves are made of nylon so that is a little bit more lightweight than let's say the steel towers you would see on your more traditional, let's say naked roof towers or the ones that clamp onto your roof. So this nylon again is lightweight but it's also UV resistant. So as you have this on your roof, as you have this on your gutter, it is gonna be exposed to the elements. It is going to be exposed to the sun and that's where their UV resistance comes in handy because you don't want it deteriorating underneath the sunlight.
With this being lightweight though, there is a glass reinforcement on the inside and that adds to its weight capacity as well as its durability. So the actual height measurement of this is going to be 8 1/4 inches tall. So that height is going to be from the channel of your gutter to right where your crossbar is attached. So it's not the total height but the usable height of your tower. So from there, you can then estimate from the underneath your crossbar, whether it be your Vortex crossbar or your square crossbar, that's gonna be the clearance you have from your roof to your crossbar.
So measure your own gutter mount or your own channel to see if this will work with your vehicle. Now, this is not using lock and key to secure it. What it does use is its own hex tool or hex key. It has its own special shape from Rhino-Rack and this is what is used to either tighten down or loosen the bolts holding the clamp into place. So if someone does not have this special hex tool, they won't be able to undo it.
So not the same as having your own key and your own lock keyed to or keyed to itself but it's still a form of security measure. Now the install process is really simple for these. All you need is a gutter to mount these towers to. You need the kit itself, you need your crossbars and you need some tools. So my final thoughts about these gutter mounts is that they give you a pretty decent height or clearance above your roof. So whether you have certain vehicles where you need access to the sunroof and you're worried about those really low profile bars that don't give you enough, if you have, let's say cargo or items that you are carrying that require a little bit more clearance like your skis with large bindings. Or if you have, let's say a solar panel on top of your roof and you just wanna get above that, this might be a great option for you. If you're just using a roof rack as a roof rack and you're not concerned about clearance but maybe a little bit more about looks, check out our recommended fit for your vehicle. Those are usually a little bit more low profile, look a little bit more factory like. They'll give you as much clearance but again, there's pros and cons, it does depend on you and your situation but I hope this video helped you out with that decision making. And that was a look here at our Rhino-Rack Gutter Mounted Legs which are 8 1/4 inches tall here at etrailer. My name is Evangeline and I hope this helps you out. Enjoy the journey..
Average Customer Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars (9 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.
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!
It didn’t feel secure on the rain gutters of the Jeep as the tightening mechanism forced the clamps to move outward from the gutters. I used it only a couple of times. Wouldn’t recommend.
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
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.
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.
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.
Using these and other Rhino components, I installed a roof rack for a 2021 Jeep Wrangler with a retractable roof. So far this set-up has worked as exactly as expected.
Everything fit and was easy to install! Great quality and quick delivery!
The Rhino racks purchased were exactly what I needed to carry kayaks on my 2015 Transit 250. The vehicle specific brackets were perfectly made.
Unfortunately the parts shipped didn't match the invoice and I ended up with mismatched parts.
When I called etrailer.com customer service, we worked out the problem and the new parts were shipped asap with the understanding I would return the incorrect parts promptly.
Overall, a great experience.
My vehicle was a Jeep Gladiator. The feet worked, but the part that clamps to the gutter could be improved. The clamps pull at an angle to the gutter instead of flat. They had a tendency to pull out. They needed adjustment, in my opinion, as I thought they could work themselves off. I had an aero bar and kayak carriers attached to the feet.
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!
Exactly what was needed to adapt my Rhino Rack legs to the Vortex Bars. One package came with one square nut un-threaded. etrailer got me another set out quickly so I could get my rack back together.
Works great for our JL with the power t op
This was my first purchase with strainer and I just installed the rack so I have no input on durability but the install was super easy, I knew these would fit because the website made it easy to find products compatible with my Ram Promaster 1500, and Kaylyn was proactive and let me know their 71” bars were out of stock but 65” were available. Unbeknownst to her, I’m in a time crunch and her help came in clutch. I would definitely recommend buying from etrailer.
Great bars. Exactly as described and easy to install.
I think it just looks good first of all. I can carry my paddle boards and still use my one touch roof top.
They look good and install easily, spend a little time and get them spaced just rite, with equal stick out on each end you will be happy
I have attached pics of the rack attached to a 2014 F-350. I went with the 65” crossbars and they worked great! This gives me enough room to lay two kayaks flat on the bars. I would rate the Rhino Rack roof kit , etrailer site information and etrailer customer service all 5’s! Always great to deal with your company. My only recommendation would be to make it easier for customers to submit product reviews and pics. Thanks for all your assistance.
The rails are awesome, very well made and finished. It would be even better if I didnt have to machine out the slot some more to make it fit ny car. The channel was about an inch each side too long. Had to pull out the dremel and carbine reamers to make the channel longer to move the tower in closer to fit my car.
I'm absolutely in love with Katie, my sales consultant for her great help & excellent follow up. Fully expecting cheap Chinese junk. I was delighted with the quality of the product, (Rhino Rack) which was received day after New Years. Pretty cool when order was placed Dec 29th. Simple illustrated instructions made pre assembly a snap. Wind chill is 2 below zero so I'm going to wait a day or so to mount to car. Two thumbs up from me!
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