Aerodynamic, aluminum crossbar lets you build an aftermarket roof rack for your vehicle. Full-length bar provides plenty of space for carriers and accessories. Vortex strips in C-channels reduce wind noise. Includes theft-deterring plastic locks.
Features:
Specs:
This low-profile, aerodynamic Vortex Aero crossbar lets you replace a damaged bar, add a third bar to an existing rack, or build a stylish aftermarket roof rack from scratch. The crossbar requires a pair of Rhino-Rack legs (manufactured in 2014 or later) and a custom fit kit to mount it to your roof. This bar extends past the roof rack legs to maximize the space for mounting carriers and accessories. Rubberized Vortex strips in the crossbar's top channel disrupt airflow for a quiet ride, and the bar is constructed of aluminum so it won't rust. The crossbar also includes Secure Core endcaps with plastic locks to help deter theft of channel-mounted accessories.
The rubberized Vortex strips in the top channel of this 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 crossbar cuts through the air with minimal drag - even at highway speeds.
The Vortex Aero crossbar is made of structural-grade anodized aluminum with an H-shaped internal extrusion. This extrusion strengthens the bar without adding a significant amount of weight. And the aluminum bar won't rust so you can leave it on your roof year-round.
The 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.
The 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 strip in the top channel comes in 3 pieces, so it's 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 bar, and the Vortex strip provides a shock-absorbing, no-slip cushion for any accessories that rest on it.
The 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 crossbar and help to secure channel-mounted accessories to the crossbar. For maximum security, you can upgrade to endcaps with all-metal lock cores (RRVA-LEC2 - sold separately).
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Hey guys. It's Randy here at etrailer.com. Today we're doing a demo on the Rhino Rack Vortex Aero Crossbars. These are aluminum aero-shaped crossbar, of course they're designed to work with your Rhino Rack fit kit or leg kit, those are going to be sold separate.As you can see here, this is going to give us a spot on our roof to clear up a lot of space inside our vehicle. We've got a bike rack attached here, simply comes down, straps right around it. Gives us a excellent way to get that transported if we don't want something hanging off the back of our vehicle or if we don't want to take the whole thing apart and try to shove it inside.The aluminum crossbars are going to be lightweight and they're going to be very corrosion resistant, we're not going to have to worry about any kind of corrosion and eventually it dripping down on our vehicle.Now these crossbars are available in several different lengths, so depending on smaller vehicle, larger vehicle, we're going to have the right crossbar to match up with your vehicle.
They're also going to be available, not only the black that we see here, but silver. If you don't like the way a black roof rack looks, you can see with this silver side rails kind of blend in a little bit more if we had silver. That's kinda going to be up to you.The end cap here is something that they have provided a plastic core lock for. You just place this in here, rotate it to the unlock position, that's going to slide off for us. These can very easily be replaced with a locking core if you want a keyed lock to keep everything safe and secure, you can go that route also.Not only does our strip here keep our items from sliding side to side, but it's also going to protect the channel underneath from things running down in and for T-Slot type accessories this thing can be cut, put right back in.
This is going to do an excellent job of eliminating any noises that wind comes across. It won't get in that channel, we're not going to hear any of it.The bars are anodized fully through. Even on the inside here, if moisture happens to get in there and collect, we're not going to have to worry about corrosion. These give us excellent strength. You can see it's hollow, that helps it to stay nice and lightweight, but we have all the integral support here, gonna make 'em extremely, extremely durable.
They will really exceed well past that 165 pound weight rating that they offer, but it's not something you wanna do.The larger rectangle that we have here, that's where we slide in any of the foot pegs that we might need to match our particular vehicle.To ensure that you're accessories that you already have are going to fit or to ensure that you're getting the right accessories, just want to give you the dimensions real quick on our crossbars. From our front edge to our rear edge, we've got about 3-1/8 of an inch, then from the bottom up to the top, it's going to be an inch and 3/16. As long as your accessories are designed to fit that, which most of 'em on the market today are, won't have any issues.I really like the way this roof rack system looks. There are roof rack systems however, that will not overhang like this. Overhanging like what we have here, that gives you additional room for accessories and stuff.
Some people they'll prefer more of a factory look or more of a sleek look. In that case, I think I'd recommend one of the roof rack systems that come and end in the foot pack. We'd have our bar that comes over, but it's going to end right here in this area and be a little bit more sleek than what we have here with our overhanging aero bars from Rhino Rack.That's going to do it for our look at the Rhino Rack Vortex Aero Roof Rack Crossbars.
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (2496 Customer Reviews)
Aerodynamic, aluminum crossbar lets you build an aftermarket roof rack for your vehicle. Full-length bar provides plenty of space for carriers and accessories. Vortex strips in C-channels reduce wind noise. Includes theft-deterring plastic locks.I am using this longer crossbar with a Rhino Rack T loader I also got from ETrailer. The jon boat I am cartopping was too wide for the original bar. Everything is working great. ETrailer has been very attentive and willing to help. Very pleased with service.
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
Very nice rack package. Everything was complete, and install was easy 4/10. I had used another review for the hole spacing, as it was easier. Holes at each end 5/8 in then at 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, for a total of 8 on each rail. I bought the heavy duty set, that’s why there’s 8. The standard has only 6/rail. I marked a centerline on the cap, and put the rails at 36” on center. I used painters tape to be sure they were straight. I also measured , and laid out the holes on the cap and drilled a SINGLE HOLE at the 36” mark. Then verified that the end holes would hit the reinforced portion of my ARE cap. Once that was verified, I drilled the rest of the holes. Because of the camber of the cap, a second person is helpful (holding the rail tight to the cap) when tightening up the nuts from inside the cap. After that, the rest was easy. Just center the rail mounts and lock them in. I would definitely recommend this rack set up, Especially since it was half of what my local Yakima dealer quoted me.
This was installed on a 2016 Silverado, 2500.
Tools used- Tape measure, grease pencil, painters tape, 1/4” drill bit and Cordless drill.
David - 08/24/2022Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
Rhino-Rack installed on my 2022 Jeep Cherokee. There was wind noise (whistling) when all the rubber spacers were not installed, now it’s very quiet. I also installed the Yakima fishing rod//Ski holder. I wound up deviating from the directions and using the third lot, so the clamps would close on the bar. So far so good, without the fishing rod holder it’s low profile enough to get into garages, etc. Fast delivery on the products.
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
This review is for the Rhino Rack Vortex Aero Aluminum-Silver crossbars and
associated legs and custom fit kit (RRVA137s-2, DK284, RRRLKVA) necessary for a naked roof installation on a 2018 Honda CR-V. Just enter the model and year of your vehicle and etrailers website will tell you exactly what additional items are necessary to complete the install. etrailers installation instructions and videos are very helpful. The installation document provided is for more than one vehicle and for more than one style rack, so take your time to understand witch measurements apply to your installation and refer to the installation video if necessary. ON that note: The measurements given for front rack did not fit as nicely on the roof as the rear rack, I adjusted the the front rack measurements slightly. I would suggest trial fitting on your vehicle before cutting the metric rulers to final length. Stick On tags are supplied to indicate front, rear and the location to install on your vehicle. Once the rails are adjusted and tagged you can remove and reinstall the racks very quickly. Korren was very helpful in keeping me informed as to availability of items in stock and email shipping tracking. I am very satisfied with etrailers customer service and happy with the appearance and functionality of the Rhino racks.
Don - 04/11/2022Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
For my 2015 Honda CRV perfectly and the whole kit was easy to install. The cargo box I ordered for the racks perfectly. Of course there was some noise when traveling, and also reduced gas mileage, but that is to be expected. The extra noise was minor and easy to tune out.
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
Love this roof rack! It came with the factory setup and the fit kit for my Impreza. It was a little confusing at first because you have to remove some of the factory stuff first but once we figured that out it was easy. Love the look and durability. My rooftop tent is on it now and I'm very happy!
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
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.
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
I give all 5 stars for the product and service, but...I prefer the parts to be all in one carboard, also I was a little panicking looking for blue plastic key...It was inside of cross-bar ??not falling out with strips. Anyway,
I"m owner of Honda cr-v 2022 with bare roof ,and I just installed the rack. Was it simple enough? Yes,so I can share this:
First, rubber pads are all the same, and after placements to plastic legs should be placed with arrow*out*-that is it(a lot of info regarding vertical parts, that they are all different)??
Second, on other hand, in video we informed that clamps are same -they are not. Bigger "hooks" are for rear bar, smaller ones-for the front one.
Third, do not expect precision in rubber pads position(especially on rear bar)regarding plastic rail strips on bare roof.it is not achievable, just try to make same look on both sides.
I was worried about rain and water gets inside. Well, let us see.
What I plan to care on rack? Just a small 6ft step ladder. Believe me or no CR-V is my business vehicle ,and ladder carry was the goal of rack purchase. And only question I have if I can get to underground parking with no problems to cross the front entries usually limited with 6 ft in heights I will find out soon, but rack height plus ladder on it makes me worry.??The review will be update soon. regards.
Heather A - 03/22/2022Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
I purchased the complete 2500 Series system which included the crossbars, legs and fit kit for my 2018 Honda Fit so I could transport my kayak.. They were well packaged and their quality is quite evident. I did struggle a little following the assembly instructions but with some patience and watching a video it went well. Two items to be aware of. The front and rear leg clamps are of different lengths with the longer clamps going on the rear crossbar. The other issue was positioning the crossbars. After following the measurements for attaching the legs to the crossbars it was quite clear that the measurement for the rear crossbar was wrong. Placing the legs as instructed didn't allow the rear crossbars to be the 29 17/32 inches from the front crossbar but required me to move it back to 31 1/2 inches. There is a very faint whistle while driving around 30 to 35 mph but it's not annoying. I was so pleased with the fit and finish I went ahead and purchased the Rhino Rack S-loader to make it easier for me to lift my kayak onto the crossbars. I would definitely recommend both items.
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
At first I didn’t know how to get the end pieces off because I thought it was locked and didn’t know where the key was. After pulling one of the ends pieces off, I saw that the blue key was inside the crossbar next to the measuring strips. Took me a minute but figured that part out, but the instructions were easy to follow. Can’t wait to test it out on my Kayaks! I have this installed on my Toyota Corolla LE 2013.
Pj - 04/11/2022Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
I posted a detailed review with photos in my fit kit review by Anthony. If your thinking of getting a rack system this is the one to get and etrailer is the place to get it. This is a fabulous design. Strong and aerodynamic.
Anthony - 06/12/2022
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
This roof rack works great! At first I was skeptical about putting a rack on my IS250, but it couldn't have turned out better. Paired with the Yakima Highroad, I can easily transport my bikes around without worrying about anything coming loose while driving. The installation instructions for the legs and bars are pretty straightforward. Takes about 30-45 minutes total to install.
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
I purchased the Rhino legs, cross bars and J-style kaya carriers together and could not be more pleased with the combination. The system was installed in an evening and used the next day. Assembly and installation was easy. The most difficult part was getting an even extension from the legs on both sides of the vehicle. I put a vortex strip with the ruler in each side to adjust and then tightened the screws. This set the back part of the leg in place which made installing the strips on the bottom easy as well. With strips filling all the gaps in the cross bar there is no wind noise at all.
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
Love these aero bars. Perfect for on my 2018 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk. Run fairly quiet and perform as expected. As always the customer service from etrailer was top notch.
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
Overall unimpressed. Item took nearly a month to arrive from eTrailer despite being in-stock and an estimated delivery time of two days at checkout. The rack looks good but the leg locking bars are made of plastic, not sure why for the price. Not enough hardware was supplied to install following the instructions. Instructions show split lock washers on each bolt. Had to purchase additional split lock washers. Not impressed with the fact that I now need to keep up with 3 specialty tools to service/remove this rack that is supposed to be quick release. 1 key to lock the bases, 1 key to remove the bar end caps and a 5mm safety post Allen which is a stupid tool anyway. The hardware should be standard Allen or torx not safety. The tube end caps should be able to be removed with a flat head or normal tool and not a proprietary key. This would eliminate two superfluous tools. Overall I would not buy this rack again, I would go with a different system.
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
we traveled some 500 Miles at 70-80 MPH. With a Thule Cargo Box on the Rhino Rack Vortex Crossbars, on the Cadillac XT6. Absolutely quiet, and stable. Actually got 22+ MPG!! Love 'em!!!
Michael - 11/20/2022Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
I just installed the today so I will have to update the usage review but so far I must say absolutely amazing between the product itself and overall build quality to the price of literally everything needed compared to other big name roof racks. Also I ordered at about 6 PM MST and literally received a shipped email not even an hour later and arrived within 5 days all from free shipping seriously blown away at how quickly they came in. Installation was also very straightforward and put them on within an hour. Thank you guys again 10/10!
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
I ordered this Rhino Rack Aero bar package for my 2014 GMC Sierra 1500, 6.5’ bed with ARE camper shell. The order was shipped very quickly and arrived ahead of the original estimated delivery date. I installed this on my camper shell with no problems. I am very OCD about my truck being clean and things lining up properly and evenly, so I spent a bit of extra time measuring and adjusting and measuring and adjusting to make sure it was precise, so the overall install for me took about 3 hours. But I thought that wasn’t too bad. Overall, I am very pleased with the ordering, shipping and product itself so far. Can’t evaluate actually putting anything on it yet as I have not done so yet, but it feels very solid and well made.
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
They went on very easy and so far Ive hauled my kayaks and lumber on there with a kayak carrier with no issues. The only thing I dont care for is that there only held on by tension, if you tighten it down to much you will actually loosen it up. Otherwise the fit and look is nice on my 2015 Jetta TDI, it doesn't stick out past the side and I would buy this again.
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
Looks a great and we’re super easy to install.
2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L 4x4 Limited
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
Great Roof Rack! It is super quiet when driving down the road even when going 75+ mph. Exceeded all my expectations. I paired mine with the Rhino Rack Hybrid Bike Carrier (RBC050). I’m able to fully open my hatchback (2018 Honda Civic 5dr) and it looks great as well.
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
I purchased the Rhino-Rack ROC25 for naked roofs and Rhino Rack 2 kayak carrier J style folding. I found the instructions fairly easy as long as you can interpret pictures. Very few written instructions. Etrailer provides a video for installation of the roof rack, I recommend watching it. Installation was easy after viewing the video. Product was packaged well for shipping. The kayak carrier is extremely easy to mount on the roof rack.
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
Exactly what I needed to replace the factory cross bars to make it easier to take off my roof top tent. Easy to install and secured nicely to the factory rails.
Review from a similar Vortex Aero in Roof Rack
Great rack and great deal, I've been able to use the rack on more than one car by replacing just some parts.
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