SportRack Semi-Custom Roof Rack for Raised Rails - Square Crossbars - Steel - 53" Long

Video Transcript for Thule SportRack Square Crossbar Roof Rack Review

Hey, everyone. It's Evangeline here at etrailer. And today, we're taking a look at the SportRack Semi-Custom fit roof rack for your raised rails. So, we'll take a look at how it fits, what you need for your vehicle to make it fit, and how to install it. This is designed for those raised rails. So, if you have rails on your roof that have a gap underneath it, those are gonna be raised rails.

If they don't have a gap, those are gonna be flush side rails, so make sure to use our etrailer.com fit guide to get the right fit for you. These are the 53 inch long crossbars. Great for your larger vehicles, like the 4Runner here. If you have a smaller vehicle, like a Toyota RAV4, you may be more interested in the 46 1/2 inch long version. It's gonna work the exact same way.

It just has different crossbar lengths. Important, because you need to measure your raised rails to make sure it fits. So, measure your rails from inside to inside. And, it has to be at least 38 inches apart for this clamp to work, give or take half an inch, depending on how wide your rails are. But for here on the RAV4, it's wider in the front and it's narrow in the back, so measure where you want your crossbars to be.

So, this has steel square crossbars with a rubberized coating on top. And that way, if you wanna set your items, or your cargo, right on the crossbars, you can do so. But, if you want to use this with accessories, here's some measurements to see if it will work. This is relatively low profile, where, when you measure from the top of the rails to the top of the crossbars, it sits 2 1/4 inches above those rails. So, definitely an upgrade, compared to the factory crossbars that came with the 4Runner, where you didn't have much space underneath.

And that measurement will also help you figure out if you have space for clamps, or for U-bolts and wing nuts, without it touching the top of your car. The tower fits around your rails and clamps to them. And then you also have this cap on your tower. So, with it in the lock position, you are unable to remove it, but if you use just something flat, you can turn this around, and now you can pop off the cap and then remove the towers. You do have a weight capacity of 150 pounds for loading this up with cargo. Although, what I did notice, is compared to some of our other affordable brands, where you really need to keep that cargo evenly distributed, 'cause it does tend to bend in one area, this one does not have that issue, because of that steel crossbar. It's sturdy all throughout. Comparing this with some of the other affordable roof rack options, a big popular one is the Malone AirFlow2. It's around the same price point as our SportRack Semi-Custom roof rack, although the Malone AirFlow has more aerodynamic bars, plus it has included lock cores. I like the SportRack one though, in terms of durability, and how fast it is to install, as well as uninstall. You don't need the extra tool in the Malone AirFlow, which takes a long time to tighten down. This one's a lot easier to use, which is definitely bonus points for me. You have your tower, you have your crossbar. Just slide that tower through, and then drop it into place. And then you're ready to put this onto your raised rails. You could also see that underneath your crossbar there are numbers, and that will help you make sure everything is lined up. And you'll also be able to take measurements, to see if that will fit your raised rails. With the tower clamps in the open position, you're then going to gently set the towers and crossbar onto your raised rails. Once they're on there, you can now take those measurements. Two main measurements. First is gonna be crossbar spread, and that is measuring from one crossbar to another. I have mine at around 27 1/2 inches. Next measurement is going to be overhang, and that's from the end of your tower pushed in to the end of the crossbar. It's gonna be about four inches. If that matches up on the other side, then we're good. If not, we're gonna move it back and forth until it's even. Once your measurements look good, use your included tool to tighten down that tower. Then, set up your tower cap with the included plastic lock core, and then pop that cap in. Then you can use a coin, a key, or a flathead screwdriver to turn that to lock. Put your end cap on your crossbars. Once you've put the end caps on all four towers and all four crossbar ends, then that's it for the install. You're ready to load up your roof rack and hit the road. So for durability, as well as ease of install and uninstall, the SportRack Semi-Custom fit is definitely one of my favorites, in terms of affordability too. Now, make sure you get the right length for your vehicle, though. And use our etrailer.com fit guide to help you out with that. But, right here, right now, this is a look at the SportRack Semi-Custom fit roof rack that is 53 inches long, here at etrailer.com..