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This quiet, aerodynamic roof rack with a from-the-factory look lets you carry gear on your vehicle's naked roof. Sturdy, lightweight aluminum crossbars include top channels with noise-reducing Vortex strips. Integrated locks deter theft.
Features:
Specs:
The low-profile, aerodynamic Rhino-Rack RS 2500 roof rack lets you carry gear and accessories on your vehicle's roof quietly and with little wind drag. It's designed for installation on a naked roof (a roof without factory raised side rails, flush rails, fixed mounting points, tracks, or rain gutters). The rack's Vortex Aero crossbars have built-in rubber strips that disrupt airflow for a quiet ride, and the bars are constructed of aluminum so they won't rust. These bars blend seamlessly with the support legs to provide a from-the-factory look, and they are custom cut to your specific vehicle so they require no adjustment during installation. The legs also include built-in locks that protect your gear and the rack from theft.
The rubberized Vortex strips in the top channel of each crossbar disrupt airflow with evenly spaced, wave-shaped grooves. This carefully controlled turbulence minimizes wind noise and whistling, so you won't need to add a fairing to your roof rack. And the slim, elliptical Vortex Aero crossbars cut through the air with minimal drag - even at highway speeds.
The RS 2500 roof rack has a flush-mount design so the crossbars terminate at the legs with no overhang. This provides the rack with a seamless, from-the-factory look, and it also helps to improve aerodynamics by reducing drag and wind noise.
The Vortex Aero crossbars are made of structural-grade anodized aluminum with H-shaped internal extrusions. These extrusions strengthen the bars without adding a significant amount of weight. And the aluminum bars won't rust so you can leave them on your roof year-round.
The rack's durable, glass-reinforced nylon legs are designed to stand up to cargo loads and weather extremes. They're also UV treated to withstand long-term exposure to sunlight.
The roof rack arrives at your doorstep almost completely assembled. The crossbars are already mounted into the nylon legs. And the bars are pre-cut to match the width of your vehicle's roof, so you won't need to waste any time centering them. The few remaining assembly steps are straightforward and require only the vehicle-specific fit kit.
The vehicle-specific fit kit includes pads and clamps specifically designed to fit the contours of your roof. To install, simply attach the pivoting plates and rubberized pads to the bottom of each leg. Then secure the legs to your vehicle with the metal clamps. Decals inside the legs and a diagram in the instructions help you to orient the crossbars on your roof.
Once the crossbars are properly positioned, use the included Allen key to tighten them in place. The Allen key is designed to serve as a simple torque wrench. The curve in the blue plastic handle straightens when you've applied enough torque to each bolt.
Each crossbar has a built-in C-channel so you can carry channel-mounted accessories such as bike racks, watersport carriers, and ski racks. The Vortex strips in the top channels come in 3 pieces, so they're easier to adjust than a single long, continuous strip. You can remove, trim, and re-insert the Vortex strips around the mounting hardware of your accessories to keep the crossbar channels capped and quiet. Replacement strips (sold separately) are also available if you remove your accessories or switch to clamp-on accessories.
You can also attach most clamp-on accessories to the bars, and the Vortex strips provide a shock-absorbing, no-slip cushion for any accessories that rest on them.
Locking covers on each support leg let you secure accessories mounted in the crossbar top channels. These sturdy nylon covers give the rack a finished look and also help secure the rack to your roof. The cover locks are keyed alike, so a single key opens all locks.
Alternate Instructions
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Today were going to be taking a look at the Rhino Rack Vortex Aero Custom Fit Roof Rack System. Rhino Rack makes a variety of custom fits for different vehicles out there so to see if we have one for you just refer to our website, etrailer.com. One of the great advantages about the Rhino Rack Custom Fit Roof Rack System is that it comes with everything that you need for a complete roof rack. You have your bars, you have the legs. You have the custom fit. This is the clamp that goes around the roof line your vehicle. These are your pads that also go around that top portion of the roof line. You have some extra ridged strips that can replace any ones that you may damage due to whatever accessories that you want to put on there.
Youve got the tensioning tool and then you also have the end caps that go on the legs. These do come with four keys so you can lock each one of those on there securing your roof rack to your vehicle and also securing your accessories on your bars. The bars are going to offer a quiet low profile design. Theyre sleek and aerodynamic. Theyre going to be very strong, quiet and help maintain your fuel efficiency. Each bar features the rubberized vortex strips placed in the crossbars top channels. This is going to help reduce wind noise and drag.
A couple other features that those strips do is it really helps keep out the dirt and grime out of the crossbars. Its going to provide some extra cushion and slip resistance for whatever cargo you have onto your roof rack. We have the built in top channel on each bar. Thats going to let you add channel mounted carriers and accessories. Just slide back this cap here and then you can lift that up and you can place in the T-slotted carriers or accessories. Another thing that you can do is you can actually just make small incisions in here just enough to fit that accessory clamp up in there and that way you dont have to remove or cut any of your strips. It does come with some replacements.
These bars will also accommodate most clamp-on accessories. Today were going to be demonstrating this roof rack system using the silver bars but these are also available in black. Each bar is made from lightweight structural grade anodized aluminum. Its going to make them very durable and its also going to keep them resistant against rust. The bars feature an internal H-shaped extrusion. Its going to help provide exceptional bar strength throughout the entire bar. One of the great features about this roof rack system is that it pretty much comes all the way pre-installed. The legs are already attached to the bars all you need to do is attach the pads to the legs and the clamps.
Now what makes this custom is that each pad is designed to fit the contour of your roof line. Thats a great feature to have. Also each clamp is designed to fit the contour of your roof line as it goes around the door jam. They have nice pads right here and a little L-shaped bracket so its not going to scratch or scuff your door jam. Now were going to go ahead and show you how to assemble the fit kit to the crossbar system. We will be using our instruction guide. This is going to assure us that we place each pad in each clip in the right spot to best fit our vehicle. We went ahead and assembled three kits to three of our legs. Now here on our fourth one we want to go ahead and show you how to assemble it. Couple things to look for: each leg has a sticker on the inside thats going to tell you the placement of that leg. Right here it says RL thats for the rear left side of our vehicle which would be our drivers side. Theres also an arrow indicator here on our foot. These do detach very easily so we always want to make sure that the arrow indicator is pointing out away from our vehicle. Here on the pad we also have an arrow, if you can see that its right there on the pad. We always want to make sure that arrow is pointing towards the front of the vehicle. The pad just keeps into place and just like that thats installed. Then all we need to do is take our clip, this is going to go around our door jam and the bolt is going to thread into this portion here. Well take that and get the thread started. Were now ready to get the roof rack system onto our vehicle. To install the front crossbar were just going to go ahead and open up both front doors. Well then grab our front bar and place it onto the front part of our vehicle. To make sure we have this in the correct spot we need to take a measurement from the center of our door jam to the center of our leg. That measurement needs to be 250mm or 9-27/32 of an inch. Were going to line up here at the door jam of our vehicle. Were going to measure out. Were just going to try to get it in the right area and then we can adjust it as needed. Well move to the other side and repeat that same process. Doing this measurement on both sides of the vehicle just ensures that our feet are in line with each other. Its also going to help ensure that when we install the rear bar that both bars are parallel with one another. With both of those in place well go and tighten everything down. Well take the included tension tool, place it right there on the bolt and then we just want to snug one side down and then well move to the other side and tighten that up a little bit to see how that custom fit really fits nicely around the door jam of the vehicle. Now well go back over to our passenger side and well tighten some more. You can see here that the tension tool has a small curve to it. When you have everything tightened down enough thats actually going to become straight that way you can ensure yourself that you dont over tighten it and damage the finish on your vehicle. Now well go ahead and install the rear crossbar. First thing that we need to do is open up our rear doors. Then well grab our rear bar and place it onto the rear part of our roof. Now to ensure we have this bar in the correct location well need to do another measurement. That measurement is going to be 700mm or 27-9/16 of an inch. Were going to measure from the center of our front bar to the center of our rear bar. Please keep in mind that this is a custom fit and these measurements apply to this vehicle so the measurements will vary for your specific vehicle. Well go ahead and snug this side down and then we dont want to over tighten too much because you can see how it pulls the bar closer to this side so thats why we tighten a little bit at a time on each side. Our tensioning tool is straight up so we know that we got it tightened enough. Now well go ahead and install our end caps. The custom fit also comes with some stickers. These stickers are designed to be peeled off and place directly under the clamp as a reference guide for always making sure you get that clamp back in the correct position every time you remove and replace your roof rack. The system has custom cuts slightly arched crossbars that are going to compliment your vehicles roof line. The crossbars mount directly into the leg to create a smooth roof rack with no overhangs. The four legs are made from UV-treated glass reinforced nylon and theyre going to be very durable and weather resistant. This roof rack system does have a maximum load capacity but you want to be sure to refer to your vehicle manufacturers handbook for maximum roof load capacity and then youll always want to use the lower of the two figures. The crossbar dimensions are going to measure 3-1/8 of an inch in width and 1-3/16 of an inch in height. The Rhino Rack Vortex Aero Custom Roof Rack System also features a limited lifetime warranty. Now well take it out and show you it performs and what it looks like going down the road. Were out here on the highway at highway speed without our roof rack installed and with our decibel reader here you can see that without it installed youre hitting about 73-74 decibels. With this roof rack system installed you will see that there is virtually no change in the decibel reading. Thats going to do it for our review of the Rhino Rack Vortex Aero Custom Fit Roof Rack System. .
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (363 Customer Reviews)
This quiet, aerodynamic roof rack with a from-the-factory look lets you carry gear on your vehicle's naked roof. Sturdy, lightweight aluminum crossbars include top channels with noise-reducing Vortex strips. Integrated locks deter theft.Great product and fit. I must admit that my reasons for choosing this rack were slightly petty: I wanted contoured bar ends (no overhanging bars), I wanted low-profile (compared to OEM), and I wanted the rack in black. Yakima's forthcoming Flushbar is attractive, but not available for my GTI when I needed to make a move. So I went this Rhino Rack.
The bars look great and are almost silent when naked. I can hear a change is wind noise at 60 mph, but no measurable sound increase. At 70 mph, I hear what sounds like crosswinds, but no howling or ringing. I tried Rhino Rack's fairing, but the rack is quieter without a fairing. The Vortex 2500 RS is that good! Don't bother with the fairing, especially if you drive at high speeds (it vibrates against the paint at speeds greater than 73 mph).
Installation is a breeze, especially once the initial fitting is done and the included "arrow" stickers are placed. The included security torque wrench is a slick feature. I wouldn't consider the key locks to be security against rack theft since the plastic covers are probably easy to break off. But they are a slight deterrent and guard against accidental removal of the covers.
My primary use is to carry a cargo box, but the rack may see duty carrying other loads, too.
The product fits perfect on the roof of my 2012 Crew cab Silverado. It has the rounded smooth corners, which it makes it appear to be manufacturer installed since my track is black. I used to remove them every time after I was finished using them. Several months ago, I decided to keep them installed all the time and it has not been a problem. I know how high the top of the track stand from the ground with the bars installed. So, when I go to a cover garage, I know ahead of time if the truck will clear or not. I use them to carry my safari rack when I go to the mountains about 5 time a year. This product is very easy to install and comes with all the proper instructions. The only drawback with the instructions is that it uses the metric system to instruct the user on how far from the center of the cab each bar should be installed but whomever wrote the document did not use a decimal point. If the user is not familiar with the metric system, it can throw the user for a loop.
Ideally, I wanted a permanent-mount roof rack that looked like it came from the factory. I did find a company that makes them, but my auto body guy thought it was a bad idea. This Rhino Rack is the next best thing. It doesn't like factory-issue, but it's sharp and doesn't look like some slap-on. It also seems much more solid and substantial than the factory rack I had on my old car (Pontiac Vibe). Installation was no issue, with only a couple hiccups. The rubber strips weren't already installed on the rails and it was a bit of a pain to get them in so they didn't have any bumps. Other than that, everything went great. I took my time with measuring where the racks go on the roof, but that's a one-time thing, after marking where the racks go for the next install. Speaking of which, the white arrow stickers they give you weren't very helpful for me since I have a white car. But I had some other miscellaneous auto stickers that I used to make a thin black line for the racks to line up to. I like the line better than having to guesstimate the center of the clamp to line up to the arrow. But I'm probably more worried about being exactly lined up than I need to be. The etrailer youtube video (link) was an excellent resource for installation if/when the written directions weren't clear to a bonehead like me. I was kind of hoping the rails would fit in the space under the C-Max's rear seat, but they're just a little too wide. Bottom line, I'm very happy with the rack, and etrailer did a great job handling my order.
No complaints here. Racks arrived partially assembled, along with a set of instructions which made assembly of the second rack a cinch. Well written instructions and graphics for roof mounting made it a breeze. This rack style clips to the under side of roof for quick removal if needed. I use mine a couple times a week and have left it on ever since. Stylish and quiet on the freeway. I use it to carry surfboards. Safer to carry boards on racks than inside the car and keeps the interior clean from wax and saltwater.
I was a little skeptical about ordering these crossbars, there was no application listed for a Mercedes E Coupe with panoramic sunroof. I am happy to say that they will work with the sunroof, allows about 1/2" clearance between the bottom of the bars and the roof panel. The fit is perfect, easy install, and very quiet, even a 80mph with bikes mounted.
Purchased Rhino Rack RS2500 for 2010 Ford Fusion. The instructions were very well written and easy to follow. Installation took about 1 hour. The rack fits perfectly on my car and seems solid as a rock. I paid for 2 day shipping and the product arrived within 48 hrs. Very satisfied customer.
Great Product,quick delivery with Ups Updates,very simple install.Great customer service from etrailer,from order all the way down to delivery to my house received emails from etrailer.Looks great on my 2010 Ford Fusion Sport
Great car rack. Looks like a factory install. Took my time (measuring and tightening) installing only because I'm a pefectionist. Shipping was quick and to my door. I would recommend etrailer to anyone and would use their product again.
Purchased this product to transport my kayak on my 2014 Kia Cadenza.
It came pre-cut specifically for my car and partially assembled. What was not assembled, was sufficiently labeled and instructions were great.
Completely satisfied with this product.
Btw, there is plenty of clearance to open sunroof.
I had been carrying my kayak INSIDE my 2010 Prius for a year and decided it was time to add a little class to my act with the addition of a roof rack. I was interested in a rack that would be durable, easy to install, and not noisy. I'm quite pleased with the performance of the Rhino Rack with the vortex aero crossbars. It really has exceeded my expectations. I particularly like the rubber pads that runs across the top of the bars because I cinch the kayak down tight against these without fear of damaging the kayak. On the Prius, the rear rack bar installs easily every time; however, it takes me a few minutes to get the front rack properly positioned because of the slope of the roof line. Overall, I'm quite pleased, and I do recommend this rack for the 2010 Prius.
I have these on a 2008 Chevy Colorado to haul kayaks and the racks work perfectly. They easily install in under 15 minutes. There is more noticeable wind noise, however most of that is likely due to the Thule Hull-a-port pro racks. I was initially concerned about water leaks because these mount underneath the weather-stripping. However that has not been an issue at all and the truck lives outside year round through rain and snow. I've had them through all 4 seasons now and they've held up well. I'd recommend them if you're looking for a more factory look than the "through-the-foot" style racks from other brands.
The Rhino Vortex Aero crossbar for my 2018 Prius is the second Rhino rack that I've bought, the first one being a few years ago for a 2010 Prius. Perhaps because of the redesign of the Prius roof line, I find this new Rhino rack is much easier to get properly lined up on the roof. It can be installed in just a few minutes whereas it took about 15 minutes to get the racks properly lined up on the roof of the 2010 Prius. I've made the "maiden voyage" with the new Rhino rack loaded with a kayak for a 70 mile round trip at highway speeds up to about 65mph. The rack + kayak were not at all noisy. I especially like the rubber vortex strips on top of the crossbar that allow me to cinch down the kayak nice and tight. In summary, easy to install, not noisy, works great, and looks good!
It came pre-assembled shrink wrapped, at first I thought it wasn't going to fit on my roof because the metal brackets weren't lining up properly on the door jams, but once I started tightening them down, they formed to them tightly. They look pretty good, and do the job of holding my 50lb kayak to my roof; just tested it on a 400 mile trip- although I did not go over 62 mph because I didn't want to risk it first time out. Comes with extra weather stripping to seal the top and yes you will notice some wind resistance with some noise but its not super annoying. The lock covers are plastic, thus only serve as deterrant. Overall, these are not cheap but considering the market of aftermarket roof racks and the quality of this one; i reccomend this one for at least a sonic hatchback.
I have this rack set up on my '04 Silverado - to me they are just as good or better than the big name/big price roof racks. I like that they are vehicle specific, and don't have tube supports hanging out the sides. This may or may not work for your use but certainly makes for a cleaner factory type look. I've had them on and off several times and appreciate the supplied locator stickers that go on the inside of the door jambs when re-installing, makes it easy. I currently have a wire basket mounted to the Rhinos. Thumbs up, good product.
This was fairly easy to install - be sure to NOT over-tighten the security bolts. There is very low wind noise when kayaks were and were not loaded - that was nice, especially for long trips. The instructions only had millimeter measurements and no inches conversions, so know your metrics. Service representatives were fabulous when we called to ask questions too!
Fantastic rack! Was a little challenging for me to install simply because I am a male and I don't follow instructions closely but I got 'er done. Once on, these babies stay put and don't interfere with anything on my VW Golf. Get these and save a few bucks in the process. I also purchased a discounted Thule alpine box and it works like a charm with these rails. Oh, I was able to purchase that box because I saved so much on the roof racks. See the pic? Our rare snowstorm in Northern VA shows how good these racks look with a little white dusting.
These crossbars are solid. I bought them along with two of the J-Style Kayak Carriers (S512) and one set of Anchor Straps (RRRBAS-2) so I could haul a few new kayaks. The crossbars were extremely easy to install, especially after watching etrailer's videos. I couldn't notice any additional wind noise when they aren't loaded (granted in an '02 Subaru it can be hard to tell) so I leave them on most of the time. Although, they do come on and off quickly without much effort if you put the provided marker stickers on the inner doorframe the first time you mount them. I keep the keyed allen and the security key in my glove box. I really like that they don't have any overhang like most aftermarket crossbars. Although, that means these are only intended for use on your specific application so if you plan on selling soon, dont expect to keep the rack. The rubber feet and coating give me confidence that there is no damage being done to the roof and they are very sturdy. Overall, a great purchase!
I am impressed by how good these racks look on my 2014 Mazda 6. They were very easy to install - took me less than an hour. Could have been in less time but i was very careful with the measurements. The racks feel very sturdy and of high quality. I was originally looking for Thule racks to fit my Mazda, but Thule did not offer the flush crossbars as i was looking for a sleek factory look. Overall i am very satisfied with these racks and happy with etrailers excellent customer service, even post purchase. I just installed a Thule Criterium bike carrier - i needed an adapt8 adapter but it worked out well!
I bought this roof rack for 2014 Porsche Cayenne Diesel. I prefer to drive with "naked" roof. In my opinion car looks nicer without factory installed roof rails. BTW rails can't be installed by the dealership, only in a factory. By choosing Rhino-Rack Rs 2500 I can drive most of the time without roof rack and install it quickly for vacations. Product came mostly assembled with clear instructions. I am enclosing pictures. Also I did my research before deciding what to buy. Thule aero blades can't be custom fit. You need to purchase a 60" aero blade which creates overhangs on all 4 corners(I don't like how it looks). Rhino-Rack is custom fit for every vehicle and has no overhangs. I tried to fit my Thule box - fits perfectly. Regarding wind noise - can't tell the difference between driving with and without roof rack(I even tried with sunroof open). Overall very satisfied with the purchase.
Purchased, received, and installed Rhino Rack Vortex Aero Crossbars on my 2012 Ford Focus Hatchback. The fit is perfect. I watched the video instruction first so doing the job was super easy. I had absolutely no problems with the installation. The bars are very solid and well made. My sister said they look "legit" , like factory installed luggage racks do! I have decided to leave them on the car as there is no wind noise off them. Plus they do look cool. I also purchased the Rhino Rack 440 master Fit Cargo Box: Highly recommend this box. Super easy to installed - very solid attachment to crossbars.
Installed rhino rack aero on our 2014 Ford Escape, bare roof install. Took 45 mins from unpacking to complete install. Looks great and very secure. Comes complete with everything including locking covers. Very happy with product and value. Fast shipping with etrailer, great communications. Bought the rhino rack cargo, roof top carrier. Once that arrives I will post that review also. Great company to deal with. Thank you.
The installation was dead simple and took me 25 minutes. They look great and are strong. I tried my best to pull the loose and I cannot even budge them. At 80 MPH they do not make a sound.
I definaltly recommend these rack bars.
I bought this rack to take my bike on trips without the bike taking up room in the trunk. The rack has a clean design and the bars align perfectly to each other, and there's no interference with doors or the sunroof. The rubber feet even have cutouts to nest inside the roof gutters (see photo). There's no buzzing or vibration at speed, only a little extra wind noise. The slanted ribs on the slot covers eliminate any trailing edge vortex noise. The car is a 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid.
Farley easy to put on and I like the look of them were see if there good this summer will update later
Purchased this Rhino Rack for my Chevy Spark. I have a sunroof and that did not get in the way of the rack. I can open it. It is a really great rack, locks and was relatively easy to install. You do have to measure it.
I dont know if it is because my roof's space is so small; but the whistle effect from this is absolutely terrible. I also don't know if this would be the case with anything I use, due to the lack of room to even position it.
It does the trick perfectly though, it is removable and lockable- just what I wanted.
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