rhino rack "back bone" roof rack system

[jamies]

I reported the same problem to Rhino and they wouldn't acknowledge the issue and didn't seem interested
Their solution was to give me a pair of tie downs to be quiet
I cut down a ball end key and used a small ring spanner

[robby4675]

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

[beatit99]

Does anyone else's rattle?? I had a look at what it could be and can see there's what I call 'cage nuts' under the rack that don't appear to do anything, except they do rattle as I'm driving along..??

Mine developed a rattle after many km's of corrugations, but it was one of the channel nuts that holds the platform to the backbone. It was one in the middle row so the whole platform was still held pretty solid. The nuts are squarish but the vibrations must've allowed it to rotate then rattle around loose. I had to convince the nut back into place by loosening, then rotating/levering back to the right angle with a couple of screwdrivers, then tighten back up she's been all good since. There shouldn't be anything else left loose floating in there!

[Borec]

Unfortunately it won't - A 120 Backbone is in development.

What is the date of release? (estimate would be fine, next year or the year after?) Or is it going to be released? Like ARB brush bars were in development for several years.

[Will_RhinoRack]

Does anyone else's rattle?? I had a look at what it could be and can see there's what I call 'cage nuts' under the rack that don't appear to do anything, except they do rattle as I'm driving along..??

Those Cage nuts definitely do something!

Refer to page 8 - step 9 of this document

Anybody knows if a backbone with 2120 would fit on 120?

Unfortunately it won't - A 120 Backbone is in development.

[Borec]

Anybody knows if a backbone with 2120 would fit on 120?

[Kalgoorlieprado]

Does anyone else's rattle?? I had a look at what it could be and can see there's what I call 'cage nuts' under the rack that don't appear to do anything, except they do rattle as I'm driving along..??

[CamJam]

Thanks LH and Ando - appreciate the tip and the advice! And yep - 15% off in the cart. I owe you a carton LH...

... but found that the postage & Handling to my place added 14 of the 15% off - might go local if I can...

[RB80]

Cheers Andoland, bought a 19xx x 12xx pioneer rack yesterday (and a set of maxtrax from bcf on special). Pick it up today and am planning to tie the box down to the factory rails unless suggested otherwise.

[andoland]

I'm looking at the FrontRunner SlimlineII for my GLX 150... It just seems to be a slightly better layout for me than the Rhino product. It has plenty of accessories that I think are bang-on what I would like. It also seems to go right out to the edges a lot more than the Rhino product.

I was nearly sold on Rhino, but some of the photo's on this thread where the Rhino rack looks as if it's a ski jump for an aircraft to take off have well and truly put me off it. The only problem now is that Rhino often have sales - as the 25% off in Autobahn just proves.

Does anyone know if/ when Front Runner have sales on? 25% the Rhino product is very enticing, provided the seller can prove that these ski-jump versions of the rack aren't fitted properly.

I reckon you'll find that the "ski jump" look is to do with the length of the rack, not the brand. I have a frontrunner slimline rack which is only 1700mm long and the front of it is well and truly higher above the vehicle roof than the rear. It doesn't look bad in my eyes but I think that's because the shorter length means it doesn't sit far over the sloping part of the roof, but I'm sure that a longer rack would exacerbate the look.

In either case, from the photos I've seen, the backbone style mounting system looks like it reduces this effect to some extent on both the frontrunner and rhino racks.

[LongHorn]

I'm looking at the FrontRunner SlimlineII for my GLX 150... It just seems to be a slightly better layout for me than the Rhino product. It has plenty of accessories that I think are bang-on what I would like. It also seems to go right out to the edges a lot more than the Rhino product.

I was nearly sold on Rhino, but some of the photo's on this thread where the Rhino rack looks as if it's a ski jump for an aircraft to take off have well and truly put me off it. The only problem now is that Rhino often have sales - as the 25% off in Autobahn just proves.

Does anyone know if/ when Front Runner have sales on? 25% the Rhino product is very enticing, provided the seller can prove that these ski-jump versions of the rack aren't fitted properly.

You just missed out on black Friday sales but Tough Toys is 10% off today if that helps.

http://www.toughtoys.com.au/products/646/

Code word at the cart is cybermonday


... interesting at the cart it gave 15% discount !

[jamies]

No wind noise whatsoever from my backbone

[steve.armitage]

Went into Autobarn today with their 25% off sale and bought the 2128mm pioneer platform with backbone system. Delivery will be a week or so but I'm in no hurry, just wanted to grab it while they were cheap.

Thanks for this. I've been holding off for a sale. Ordered the 2.1m platform, backbone and awning.

[Selthy]

Thanks for the feedback.

Amts, The crossbars on the platform can not move back fear enough. The retailer was showing me and measured about 10 times. It needed about another couple of cm front and back.

TRSmith, thanks for the photo's. They helped give me comfort that the 2120 won't look too big.

Jamies, thanks for the idea. I will see what I can negotiate.

[CamJam]

I'm looking at the FrontRunner SlimlineII for my GLX 150... It just seems to be a slightly better layout for me than the Rhino product. It has plenty of accessories that I think are bang-on what I would like. It also seems to go right out to the edges a lot more than the Rhino product.

I was nearly sold on Rhino, but some of the photo's on this thread where the Rhino rack looks as if it's a ski jump for an aircraft to take off have well and truly put me off it. The only problem now is that Rhino often have sales - as the 25% off in Autobahn just proves.

Does anyone know if/ when Front Runner have sales on? 25% the Rhino product is very enticing, provided the seller can prove that these ski-jump versions of the rack aren't fitted properly.