rhino rack "back bone" roof rack system

[LittleAndy]

Could you fit an LED lightbar on the front of the platform with the backbone system, in the gap between the tray and roof?
The brackets you can buy through rhino rack all seem to hang alittle lower than the actual platform and the photo's that are shown are not with a back bone system.

[CamJam]

Well after 8 hours fighting with BS tight holes - using the recommended ball hex and all - the holes that I needed to drill are not fitting a 2016 GXL.

The backbone is on - how tightly is anyones as you lose the feeling of how tight things are when you have to mix a ball hex with a spanner to get the leverage just to compress the spring washers (I'm a rock climber so I like to think my hands and fingers aren't too weak).

The tray is marked and accurately drilled. Now the 6 x locking bolts that supposedly spin around in the bar to lock it off aren't spinning - which means they just keep popping out - and I've tried both ways. Sorry, this may be frustration here - but for over a grand in outlay this thing needs a better design, or better regulation from the factory. From this thread here, there are some that have my model car and didn't even need to drill the holes! WTF?

If its not on in the next hour then it's going straight back.


...finally. Got the silly spinning bolts to spin. If this is the 'it easily comes off with six bolts to wash the roof' then that's probably a true statement. It'll be a hassle for it to go back on though. It makes me feel as if it's installed wrong, but everything has been checked, triple checked and spun back the front and so on. Anyway... it's on. It's not coming off. Considering how tight the 6 bolts were put on though, a test will be in two weeks with some solid 4WDriving with the hope that none pop off or bend.

If I had my time again, going through with the Front Runner - despite the ordering hassles.

Anyway - rant over. Sorry. Prado's a great car though! There - there's my happy part.

[5logs]

Must of been a stuff up at the factory.. mine went on piece of cake, no drilling required! 2016 GXL

Mine too 2016 GXL also.

[CamJam]

After much frustration at the Front Runner order that took forever to get replies so was cancelled... I ended up purchasing a 2128 x 1236 rack with the BackBone today for $1025 in the Boxing Day sales. Here's hoping I get Kalgoorlie's experience and have no drilling required... I agree with RB80 - there shouldn't be any drilling required on kit like this. And it's the 42107B tray with the RTPB1 BackBone system - exactly as suggested by the R-R website... I'll get it in within around 10 days or so...

[steve.armitage]

Maybe, through with instructions on how to do this, it's how Rhino Rack decided. My rack was ordered in and arrived late last week so shouldn't have been that long from manufacture.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[Kalgoorlieprado]

Must of been a stuff up at the factory.. mine went on piece of cake, no drilling required! 2016 GXL

[RB80]

Guys why are you drilling holes in new products. Apart from that will they look after you with warranty if something happens later on, or there's a mistake during the drilling that never had to occur. Seriously, take it back and get a refund. It's yours under the Australian Consumer Law - you have a consumer guarantee its fit for purpose, free of defect, s54. That issue constitutes a major failure for which you can nominate a full refund. Store doesn't get to decide, and its illegal to offer you store credit. You just need to ask and press for your rights to be complied with. If they don't comply, there's another section for that too. You are empowered by legislation. You don't even need your receipt or orig packaging, any proof of purchase e.g. bank statement. Go for it.

[skips80]

Hey Robby,

Ive just spent two frustrated evenings going through the exact pain you have. I managed to get the backbone tight by using tiny turns of the supplied allen key as it was too late to hit the shops for a ball allen key. Tonight I threw the platform up onto the backbone only to find the locations don't line up. Very disappointing and have sent a filthy email to the rhino folks for some feedback before I contemplate a full refund. Drilling holes in a very tidy looking piece of kit with factory holes in multiple locations except where I need them is unacceptable.

Hey guys thought I would comment on my experience fitting my backbone system, pioneer platform for any other poor unsuspecting soul.

My brother and I thought a couple of hours taking it steady to fit it on my 2015 GXL and we would be done and dusted easy, yeah right.

This first hiccup was when we put the backbone on and discovered that there is no way you can properly lock down the backbone in the factory holes left once you remove the factory roof rails without making up you own type of tool. We had to leave it during the install and go to the old mans where he had a bench vice so we could cut some allen key off to just fit in the allen key bolts. The piece we cut was quite small about 1cm long and lucky we did. We attached a 6mm ring spanner to it and away we went so we could actually tighten the allen keyed bolts to lock down the backbone system. The fitting of the backbone system completely spun me out the way the backbone is angled towards the centre of the car does not allow the allen keyed heads to be tightened easy.

I bought a ball ended allen key like the instructions said but once the bolts are about half way down you cannot reach them any further. We weren't really impressed.

The product is great I don't want to be too harsh but seriously the instructions that were sent out with my backbone system and platform were no help when it came to fitting the platform to the backbone.

We put the three cross members in place according to the instructions supplied, threw it up on the backbone and well it did not match up. Jumped on the Rhino Rack website and discovered that we needed to drill four wholes, two for the middle cross member and two for the front cross member.

After spending a decent amount of coin on the platform I never envisaged that I would have to drill holes in the platform. Took it down, drilled the holes to my disgust and threw it back up and boom she was on.

We went from a couple hour job to like a five hour job.

Needless to say it looks great and I am very happy now that it is fitted, but and I will say but, the instructions in the box are rubbish! Jump online and look before you start.

I went with the 2128 x 1236 platform and it looks sweet, got the bracket for the LED light bar for the front and the missus has a pair of maxtrax on the way for xmas so will need a bracket for them 2.

It's the first decent mod on my prado after the hayman reece towbar and so it begins

[paddyb]

Here are the documents I used to fit mine. Same issue with drilling the holes, got sent a link with a PDF to confirm the drilling:
https://rhinorackcs.zendesk.com/atta...9+-+4X107B.pdf

Backbone RTPB1
http://vpm.cdn.rhinorack.com.au/Inst...ions/RTPB1.pdf

R2107B Pioneer Platform
http://vpm.cdn.rhinorack.com.au/Inst...e_Carriers.pdf

[Kalgoorlieprado]

Hmm I had a look at Rhino website and couldn't find any purpose for the cage nuts on any fitting instructions I looked at..

[Kalgoorlieprado]

Cheers I'll take a look.. do you have a link to the document? I threw my instructions out ��

[steve.armitage]

Looking good Steve, how long did it take you?

It took about 3 hours, taking my time and chatting etc. Probably under an hour and a half of I did it again.

Next time I'll also add sunblock to the list of required tools!

[robby4675]

Looking good Steve, how long did it take you?

[steve.armitage]

Installed mine today.

I found the instructions ok - though as mentioned above, the idea of drilling where there are many other existing mounting holes is disappointing.

I had diffaculty screwing in some of the bolts - not because of the awkward angle, but because of the stiffness of the screw. I think some of the black gunk from the sticky tabs got into the screw threads...

I liberally applied thread lock to the bolts so hope it minimises looseness/rattles.

[robby4675]

Jamies I can't thank you enough for the idea of the 6mm ring spanner! Bloody legend mate