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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:
Specs:
These low-profile, aerodynamic Vortex Aero crossbars let you build a stylish aftermarket roof rack from scratch. The crossbars require 4 Rhino-Rack legs (manufactured in 2014 or later) and a custom fit kit to mount it to your roof. Each bar extends past the roof rack legs to maximize the space for mounting carriers and accessories. Rubberized Vortex strips in each crossbar's top channel disrupt airflow for a quiet ride, and the bars are constructed of aluminum so they won't rust. The crossbars also include Secure Core endcaps with plastic locks to help deter theft of channel-mounted accessories.
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 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.
Each crossbar has a channel in the bottom for mounting to Rhino-Rack roof rack legs (sold separately). Each end of the channel includes a rubber ruler to help you center the bar on your roof. Simply use the numbers and hash marks on the rulers to ensure the legs are spaced properly in the channel.
Each Vortex Aero 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 channel 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.
Each crossbar includes 2 Secure Core locking endcaps made of durable polypropylene. These endcaps lock with a universal tubular key. The polypropylene locks secure the endcaps to the crossbars and help to secure channel-mounted accessories to the crossbars. For maximum security, you can upgrade to endcaps with all-metal lock cores (RRVA-LEC4 - sold separately).
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (3116 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.Great addition to the bed track of my 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz! I got these for my rhino rack rod holder since they made such noise on the oem roof rack. So happy I went with rhino rack. You can't beat the price and the quality is as good if not better than Thule or Yakima. Highly reccomend.
The selection process that etrailer uses is top-notch. This really helped narrow down the choices for my 2019 RAM Quad cab. I bought this all kitted together. The assembly process is very straightforward and well-documented. I would highly recommend etrailer as a source for vehicle accessories. I have Yakima bike racks on our Subaru and this is as good if not better.
Service from ETrailer was excellent. Personal and very helpful service (kudos to Michele S.) . Prompt shipping and items exactly as described. The installation videos on their website were helpful but I still needed to follow the written instructions. Without hurrying it took me about an hour and a half to assemble and install the rack on my Tundra. It fit very well and feels very secure. Still need to take it out onto the road. If anything bad shows up I'll post an updated review but I really don't expect any problems. I've used racks like these before (not from Rhino) and this looks like a pretty solid piece of equipment.
Doug M.
8/6/2018
After a years use I still really like this rack. It fits my truck correctly, looks good and is a snap to install and remove. I did find that the allen-head bolt that secures the outer clamps MUST be tightened thoroughly or the clamps may slip. It happened to me and it was my bad, but a caution to other users. Would certainly recommend this rack to others.
These aero crossbars compliment the other accessories I've rated previously. It all cam together to be a great roof rack for my new Nissan NV200. The crossbars are oversize to accommodate my Thule Hulavator kayak racks.
The instructions and how-to videos on etrailer helped me do it myself. Thanks.
Nancy
5/12/2023
Brilliantly, the crossbars and rhino rack accommodate my Thule Hulavator kayak racks. Getting ready for my second season using this system.
I have been using etrailer for many years and have never had a bad purchase. We are about to start traveling quite a bit with our 5th wheel. Putting our kayaks on the back of the trailer was not an option. I researched several roof top carriers and this package was by far the best value and quality. The Rhino rack is awesome, works extremely well with kayak "J" carriers and installed relatively easy. There was an issue with the measurements for the underside channel covers. For my Ram, they were short. But I always use the old adage of measure 2, 3 or 4 times. Cut once. Saved me a few problems here. As alway7s with etrailer, we are very pleased with the product, the serv ice and the information before purchasing.
I purchased two Vortex Aero crossbars as part of a complete roof rack system for my kayak. My vehicle is a 2013 Ford F-150 FX4 with sunroof. The sunroof is no problem with the Rhino Rack 2500 system
I am very pleased with the Rhino Rack 2500 system. It is very strong, easily handling my 42 lb kayak, which is 19’ long.
I recommend mounting the kayak carriers to their final position on the crossbars prior to cutting the plastic strips. The plastic strips prevent wind from causing whistling noises at highway speeds. These plastic strips can be inserted into the tracks on the top side of the crossbars with the kayak carriers premounted. Simply cut the strips to filt all empty track sections and carefully press the plastic strips into their respective track sections. Note that the bottom side of the crossbars also have tracks. The empty track spaces on the bottom side use a different type of plastic strip. The bottom plastic strips look like a plastic ruler, with graduations in millimeters. This is described in the user direction guide. It took me a while to figure that out!
My crossbars do not whistle at all at any speed up to the max I have tried at 75MPH.
Just what I was looking for for my 2021 MB Metris Cargo Van with Raised Rails, for hauling a 14-foot SUP. I wanted as low profile as possible and the Rhino Rack SX Series Legs and Aero Crossbars looked best. Relatively easy to set up.
Have used the roof rack on our Ford F350 to carry 2 kayaks while towing our 5th wheel. It has worked well and allowed us to bring our kayaks with us while we RV around the country.
Well built. Just not a good fit for my f150 roof. It makes a lot of vibrating noise in the cab from wind. I got them for the snowboard rack and for 16 ft canoe. Hope this helps anyone who is planning on using them for similar uses. Maybe look for something else.
Worked great for our 12 ft kayaks. No issues after 16,000 mile trip with high speeds, adverse weather, and high crosswinds.
This kit provided everything I needed to install on my 2011 Ford Flex. Instructions were on point and very easy to understand. Very sturdy roof rack and looks great. Thanks etrailer.com for the awesome kit! Very happy!
Ordering was very easy, as was the installation, the directions are very easy to follow. This will make for an easy way to carry kayaks while pulling the fifth wheel. Very solid rack.
I just finished the install of the Rhino Rack 2500 with the Vortex Bars. It looks fantastic on my 2020 Silverado. It's solid and very well built. I'm a surfcaster on Long Island and I use 1 piece fishing rods up to 11ft long so the easiest and best way to transport them is on top of my vehicle. I selected this rack because it's aerodynamic and with the accessory channel I was able to easily attach them by sliding a 1inch stainless bolt and stainless washer in the channel. This hides the attachment and makes it impossible to remove unless you have the keys to access my rod rack which has a padlock.
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
Amazing. Easy to put on a 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness. Never shifted with my 123lbs RTT for continuous use in offroad and highway speeds for 10 months. Held up in every weather and temp from -8F to 100+F. Getting a good deal with the rubber dampeners is critical to making these bars quiet (no gaps). The dampeners were difficult to install but absolutely worth it. I chose these bars to get a little bit of extra overhang and it was the perfect length. I could hang extras from it for camping but it never got in the way or hit my head on it. Strong and sturdy. Highly recommended bars.
I installed the rack on a 2018 F150 SuperCab. These racks are really nice medium load racks, well built and easy to install. If I followed the instructions the pads on the front cross bar would not sit down in the drip channels. I narrowed the front leg locations by 5mm per side or a total of 10mm or approximately .4". I sent the pics to Rhino Racks Engineering Department but have not heard back to see if they liked my fix. I like it! I recommend getting Rhino Racks approval before making these mods but that's what it took for mine to fit.
Great customer service with James on the front end. Arrived sooner than expected! Fairly easy setup. It took me a little over an hour.
We will be using it to haul paddle boards as well as a tandem road bike. One of our next purchases will be the batwing awning and possibly the Tag-a-long tent if we don’t get a roof top tent
The staff at etrailer are knowledgable of which product was needed for application. Very pleasurable on the phone. The rhino rack system was shipped in days.
Fits my truck perfectly, looks really good, and was a great deal less expensive than the bigger name brands you probably know about. The customer service was fantastic and the installation video they supplied was customized to my specific truck and rack kit making it a breeze to put on the roof.
These truck bars are awesome! Took about 30 minutes to install and the instructions provided by etrailer were spot on. Would highly recommend these to anyone wanting extra cargo space + a pretty nice look tof a truck without having to drill into the body.
Perfect for my RAM 2500! Installation was easy! All came together perfectly with my 2 THULE Kayaks holders!
Installation Pictures on my Ford F-350 truck.
I was really looking forward to this rack as I'll be running my roof tent on it. Unfortunately it came damaged, since the damage was limited to the end caps I went ahead and mounted it.
The rack itself looks slick, comes with little measuring sticks to make sure you install it straight the first time, comes with all the tools required.
So thats about it for good stuff.
Wind noise , to give you an idea how bad it is I have this on a old f250 with a bad muffler and 33in mud tires and its still almost intolerable! It's like they put it in a wind tunnel and tuned for as much noise as possible.
I also ordered a roof bag at the same time , I wasn't expecting much from it . It's a bag with a zipper and straps. Sadly the hardware is junk and I snapped a buckle with some light tensioning.
Customer service
Initial service was as good or better than expected. Things went downhill when the damage was reported. I told the rep I was only at a US address for the next 10days and if the replacement was going to take longer than that would they ship it to Canada?
The answer was no, they won't ship it to Canada (talking about a couple pieces of plastic you could stick in the mail for $2.00). They then proceeded to slowplay the authorisation for the replacement parts and shipped them the day I told them was my last day to receive them.
So to sum it all up I am the happy owner of one of the loudest racks on the planet that looks sketchy due to the shipping damage. A roof pack that will probably end up at the dump after one extended trip.
Not likely to be a repeat customer!
Thank you for assisting with this purchase. Had little information for racks that would work with the 1 Touch Skytop on the Wrangler. Knowledgeable staff, smooth order and great installation. Very happy with the overall service.
2021 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4XE with 1 Touch Skytop Roof
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Stephen
8/20/2023
Cant say enough about the quality and value of rhino rack products. I have had zero issues with the crossbars.