To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
These heavy-duty, aluminum crossbars work with Rhino-Rack legs to create a sturdy roof rack. The square bars include built-in C-channels for mounting Rhino-Rack heavy-duty, contractor-grade accessories.
Features:
Rhino-Rack HD 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 Angeline here etrailer. And today we'll be taking a look at our Rhino-Rack Roof Rack System with the 49-inch long Vortex Aero Crossbars, and the Towers and Custom Fit Kit for naked roofs, right here on our 2015 Chevrolet Cruze. So do you have your cruise You know that your options for storage or after-market accessories might be a little limited. So honestly the easiest way is to get a roof rack on your vehicle if you wanna carry really cool items like rooftop boxes, kayaks, or even roof-mounted bike racks. So what we're gonna take a look at today is our Rhino-Rack Roof Rack system, which is gonna be one of the easier roof rack systems to install on naked roofs, and this specific one is going to be the ideal length. When I say ideal length, that's the recommended length from the manufacturer, in our case Rhino-Rack.
So for a sedan, you actually don't want too much overhang because as you enter into your car you don't wanna hit your head around or against the crossbars. But if you wanna carry more items, I actually installed a kit with longer crossbars, that's gonna be the 54-inch long kit. So speaking of overhang, let's take a look at that. And it's gonna be a little bit different depending on your front or your rear crossbars. But from the tower to right before the end cap, ours says 2 1/4 inches of overhang in our rear crossbar.
So if you have items that have clamps that go around the crossbar, you could possibly clamp them around here. Just note that if you wanna fully maximize your space, go ahead and use T-track marked accessories. Now another measurement is gonna be roof clearances, and that's actually gonna be two different numbers. So the first number is the height from the top of the roof to the bottom of the crossbar. So right here, it sits at about three inches.
So if you have, let's say, a roof box with a clamp that goes around, some of them have U-bolts and you're just threading bolts underneath your crossbars, you want a good amount of clearance. And three inches here is perfectly good for that clearance. Next measurement is gonna be the height added. So from the top of the roof to the top of the crossbar, ours sits at 4 1/2 inches. So this is gonna be where your accessories sit.
If you're carrying skis and snowboards, especially those with extra-large bindings, you wanna make sure that if you don't have enough height, you get accessories that add height. Here, actually, we would have pretty good clearance. Just be mindful of your antenna in the back. Since this is gonna be a naked roof rack, you actually don't have any option when it comes to where you can install your crossbars. You have to just follow specific measurements, so make sure to stay tuned for that process where I show you how to do that. But our crossbar spread is gonna be about 27 inches. So if you have accessories that require a specific crossbar spread, keep that measurement in mind. Also, note the way that this curves on our Cruze because of where it's installed. You're gonna have a little bit of a tilt forward on your front crossbar and pretty level on your rear crossbar. If that's gonna be a big issue for you, let's say you're carrying around kayaks, keep that in mind, try to get some with spacers to compensate for the angle. So this roof rack system does have a weight capacity of 110 pounds. But remember, when you are thinking about weight capacity, be mindful of your actual roof weight capacity. So add up the weight of your cargo, the weight of your accessory, the weight of your roof rack system, and make sure that does not exceed the Cruze's weight capacity. So these are gonna be the Vortex Aero Crossbars. And what that means is, if you remember, in the older days there used to be just round or square crossbars. When you we're going down the highway, they we're really noisy, really loud. And then Aero Bars we're invented to help reduce that wind drag and wind noise. So you could see here how it's tapered at the end. And then you also have the Vortex Strips on top to help guide that wind through. Speaking of Vortex Strips, when you turn that key and open up the end cap, you now have access to your T-channel. So you lift these strips up, and then you can Mount your T-track mounted accessories. I think this is the only con of the Rhino-Rack Roof Rack System because you do have to cut your Vortex Strips around your accessories. So my personal thoughts about this Rhino-Rack Roof Rack System is the 49-inch Long Bars are a pretty good fit for the Cruze. Where you still have a good amount of space but not too much where it's cumbersome. Now, if you do need more space, check out my video with the 54-inch long crossbars, which will be longer crossbars for more accessories. Now, in terms or comparing it with other brands though, the Rhino-Rack is what I consider the easiest one to install. Just because it's very simple. You just put your clamps, you put your hooks together. The downside for it being easy to install, though, is you don't have that much adjustability. So because of that, you do have this curve towards the front. If you wanna remedy that, maybe take a look at the Yakima Roof Rack for naked roofs instead, that's a little bit more complicated. but then that also adjusts the tilt, to adjust for the tilt of your vehicle. So you have your different pros and you have your different cons, but hopefully, this video helped guide you through that process. It isn't that difficult to put a roof rack system on your car. So I wanna make sure you get the best one. So installing your roof rack be can kind of tricky, especially once you have a naked roof like this. Now the good news is that the Rhino-Rack Roof Rack is probably the easiest one to install. So that's what this video is for. We'll go through that process, and I'll show you how to do this. We will start by installing our front crossbar because from there you can get the measurements for the rear crossbar. So first you need to set up your Fit Kit. So underneath your hooks, you're gonna have a number, and that helps you figure out what goes in the front, what goes in the back. So for the front crossbar, we want the hook that's 145, and that's gonna be paired with the pad that's gonna be M 416. So setting up our tower, we first use the footplate, and you're gonna want the Aero pointing out. And then on the footplate, you put the pad. So that Aero is also pointing out and fits onto the footplate. With both towers now set up, we're gonna put them onto our crossbars. And we don't need to put the hooks on just yet. That goes on once you have them on the roof. So this fits right into the track underneath your crossbar. And now we're gonna place this on our roof. So there really isn't a tapered portion of your crossbar. But what I like to do is just to get the Rhino-Rack logo facing the front. And then, make sure that this is carefully set on there with the rubber portion, keeping that padding. So you're gonna have a measurement for where you're gonna place to your crossbars, and it's gonna be 13 inches and 3/8 inches. So you're just gonna line that up with your Aero, measuring from the seam of your door, do that on both sides. Once you have that in place and don't forget to check for overhang too, that's when you tighten down your crossbars, if you have not already. So then here we have our hook, and this is gonna fit right around that door, and then you're gonna put that bolt through. You may have to hold it from the back, just to get threaded on the first time, lightly thread it. You're gonna then, continue tightening it down with the included Rhino-Rack tool. But this is very important, make sure to evenly tighten it on each side. What that means is I would tighten it down maybe 60%, 70% on this side and then I go on to the other side, continue tightening it there, go back and forth until they're fully tightened down. We have this torque tool. And what that means is that as we turn this, and you put weight on the end of that lever once it flattens out, that's how you know you have enough tension in that bolt. So if you've double-checked your measurements and you've installed it properly, then you can even slam your door on your hook, no problem at all. Now do the exact same thing for your rear crossbars. Once you double-check that all four towers are nice and secure, your hooks are tightened down to 4.5 Newton meters, then your final step is to put the end caps on. So there's gonna be an end cap for your crossbars that uses the Rhino-Rack blue tool. And there's the end cap for your towers. So ours just fits right in there, like a door with a hinge. You get your key, you lock it, and then that secures it. Just double-check that all of them are nice and good. And you're ready to load this up and hit the road because you're done with the install. And that was a look right here at our Rhino-Rack Roof Rack System, with the 49-inch long crossbars. Our Towers and Custom Fit Kit, for your 2015 Chevrolet Cruze. My name is Evangeline, and I hope you enjoyed the journey..
Average Customer Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars (67 Customer Reviews)
These heavy-duty, aluminum crossbars work with Rhino-Rack legs to create a sturdy roof rack. The square bars include built-in C-channels for mounting Rhino-Rack heavy-duty, contractor-grade accessories.I got the roof rack mounted anyways. Better pics to come when it's all finished!
Thanks to etrailer, I am ready to do some serious summer exploring with my 2013 Mazda 3! Rhino Racks, Malone top box, and Kuat bike rack!
The rack fit well and was easy to install. Seems to be made well. The problem is the amount of road noise. I never even put the basket on. It was so loud, it roared. I repositioned it several times but the noise was way too much and I finally just removed it. I spent a lot of money for the rack and the basket and now they are in storage. I wish it would have worked out better because I thought it looked really good.
love it, no problem and easy to install and take on and off, 47,000 miles on the highway and not a single issue. I even like the song the ladder hums to me driving down the interstate. This is my second Rhino and both have preformed to a high standard.
Ordered a Rhino Rack for my 2014 GMC Sierra 2500HD Denali. Rack arrived in very good shape and all items were there. Installing at this time and see no problems ahead.
Good quality and locks are included. The plastic lock covers are flimsy but they will keep an honest person honest.
Things went well. Customer service was great.
This kit is easy to slap on and sturdy enough to balance my skis and snowboards. I recently used the Rhino Rack on a three hour drive to a ski resort and had no issues.
Shipping was super fast...I had the product within just a few days!
It was easy enough to assemble and the directions were pretty easy to follow. It did take longer than anticipated, but we also made a mistake in the measurements and had to repeat a step. I haven't had a chance to haul my kayaks yet, but the crossbars seem very durable and sturdy.
This rack works perfectly on my Nissan Versa for carrying my two Perception Sound 9'6" kayaks. The Rhino-Racks look good to me. The kayaks can rest directly on the rubber pads on the rails, unlike the Yakama racks I had in the past that had bare pipe rails. Also, I expect I can buy parts to adapt this product to a different car without having to buy new towers. I am sorry there are not hooks or loops to attach bungees when carrying lumber. They are noisy in the wind, but less so when carrying the kayaks.
Indeed they were the wrong parts in the box marked demo on them.
The new parts came and I was able to
Put it on my car with no problem!!
Thank you for listening to me and helping me problem solve. It looks great on my car and I'm ready to load the kayaks now!!
Kalie is a gal that sent me some return labels so I'm going to put that on the box and send it back to you guys!
This is my second Rhino-Rack. They go on very easily and hold the bikes/kayaks and even an extension ladder very well....thanks for a great product
Two items I received surprised me when I unpacked the box were the rails because they were not black like I saw in the picture, and the rubber insert that I am having a hard time sliding in the rail. Should this rubber insert have come already installed in the rail or is there a top on how to put in with ease?
Works well even though the install was a bit difficult due to the design/curvature of the vehicle.
After owning for over a year and having them installed, they have not moved or shifted even with heavy abuse. (32' fiberglass extension ladder over 1000 miles)
The only issue that I've noticed is that the weather seal on the vehicle is beginning to wear which will reduce the water proofing over the coming years.
Fast service and was everything I expec ted
Thanks to Etrailer, I am ready to do some serious summer exploring with my 2013 Mazda 3! Rhino Racks, Malone top box, and Kuat bike rack!
Great product everything fit perfectly. With the heavy duty bars almost all the hardware for anything you put on the rack is too short
I got the roof rack mounted anyways. Better pics to come when it's all finished!
Needed the Rhino-Rack parts and they were delivered when promised. Great service.
Thank you for the very speedy customer service! My roof rack is already here!
Rock solid with over 120 pounds on them daily, 1 year later.
Found Package was broken after delivered, and missing 2 end cap
This is an excellent product. It was the only product that would fit my truck. I was able to mount it by myself, it took me longer than I thought it would, but it helps if you watch first a video on line about how to put it together. The support staff is excellent if you miss any parts. I highly recommend it for the 2015 Nissan Rogue.
Andrei
I was in a roof rack jam. There was a national shortage of the rack I needed for my car and our summer vacation was a week away. I went to etrailer.com when I couldnt find the roof rack anywhere else on the web. Another website actually suggested that they might have what I needed.
I spoke to Ashley E on the phone to make sure that I was picking the right parts. Ashley was very helpful and knowledgable. She helped me find the right roof rack and made sure that I received it in record time. I am a customer for life!!!
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