With a roof rack, your car becomes an all-purpose, trip-taking machine for your active family. Even while basic roof racks are a common feature on many vehicles and SUVs, if your vehicle doesn’t already have one, you can install one yourself.
Whatever your car’s starting configuration—bare roof (no rack at all), roof rails (no crossbars), or complete rack—with these suggestions, you’ll quickly have your gear loaded and prepared for your next family vacation.
In This Article...
Can any automobile have a roof rack installed?
Unfortunately, not all roof racks will fit every car because every car has a different roof profile and requires a roof rack that is specifically tailored to that roof profile. Your car may have a variety of roof designs, including the following:
- Gutter systems
- Default mounting points
- fabricated rails
- fabricated elevated rails
- And frequently, automobiles devoid of any of the aforementioned
Our engineers create and develop legs and fit kits particularly to suit every mounting method to suit the style of roof on your car, not only to look excellent but also to fulfill industry regulations.
Simply visit the Rhino-Rack website, select the Fit My Vehicle page, enter the make, model, and year of your car, and it will show you the roof rack systems and mounting options that are available to you.
What distinguishes roof rails from roof racks?
You’ve probably thought about acquiring roof rails or roof racks if you want to expand your car’s cargo space. The best, safest method to transport luggage, bicycles, kayaks, and a variety of other items that simply won’t fit inside your car is using roof rails and roof racks. To support a roof basket, baggage box, ski rack, bike carrier, or kayak carrier, even a basic roof rail rack foundation may accommodate a wide variety of attachments and accessories.
Roof rails are another easy method to give your car a distinctive appearance and flair while also allowing you to secure cargo to the roof. The information provided here should assist you in choosing between roof rails and roof racks if you want to improve the load carrying capacity of your automobile but aren’t sure which option will work best.
Both roof rails and roof racks let you carry things safely on top of your automobile. This makes them extremely comparable. The direction in which these are positioned on top of your vehicles’ roofs is the key distinction between the two. For instance, roof racks are fitted across the roof and roof rails run the length of the car’s roof attached by feet or other installations.
Roof rails offer points of attachment for crossbars or other add-ons like a cargo box, a ski rack, or a cargo carrier. When necessary, it is simple to add and remove these baggage attachments. Vehicle roofs with flush-mounted roof rails lie flat with no gap between the rail and the roof.
Another distinction between the two is that roof racks are more durable and made to support heavier loads. It is crucial to have roof racks properly fitted since they can select the appropriate kind of roof rack for your requirements. They will also discuss the risks associated with loading the roof rack beyond its capacity.
Surprisingly, most people are unaware of the risks posed by a vehicle top that is overloaded. In addition to endangering the safety of the vehicle and its occupants, an overloaded roof rack can invalidate auto insurance claims in the event that the automobile is involved in an accident and its overloaded roof is found to be the cause.
Does It Fit My Car?
Although most roof rack systems contain some modular parts, your specific options will depend on the year, make, and model of your car. For the majority of vehicles, brands like Yakima and Thule currently provide one or more solutions, but at ReRack, we are able to offer a wide range of options, from now-discontinued designs to the most cutting-edge racks. Contact us if you’re unsure about the parts your car needs! We are glad to assist. See this section of our guide for a description of the common roof rack types.
How Much Is It Going To Cost?
For our clients, price is typically the most crucial consideration. We attempt to stock as many return and used things as we can because you’ll save money and it’s better for the environment (the majority of a rack’s carbon lifecycle occurs during original construction). We also provide a wide selection of brand-new roof racks, of course!
At ReRack, we only offer racks and accessories made by reputable companies like Yakima, Thule, and Rhino-Rack. These roof racks often have greater weight and gear capacities than stock manufacturing racks. The cost of a base roof rack will vary depending on if you want new components, an aerodynamic profile, and the year, make, and model of your car. Complete roof rack systems range in price from about $150 for a secondhand rack on older vehicles to more than $500 for a brand-new, top-of-the-line arrangement that is aerodynamic.
What Do I Want To Carry?
The majority of the time, people purchase a roof rack so they may attach specialized mounts (such as bike racks, kayak carriers, cargo boxes, etc.) to them or because they already have roof mounts. Purchasing a roof rack and roof rack mounts from the same brand is the easiest and least expensive option.
While some goods can be used with several crossbar types, others need additional adapters that must be bought separately or simply won’t function with particular crossbars.
Consider your needs and whether a certain brand is best suited for the equipment you plan to place on your roof rack.
What’s Going To Look Good?
Everyone has own tastes, right? You might choose square or round crossbars; you might need more height; you might prefer silver or black; you might prefer round crossbars or square ones. Before making a choice, compare a few different rack manufacturers because they all have slightly distinct designs.
What roof rack will fit my car, and how do I know?
Particularly if your car or truck also has a moon roof, your roof can only carry a certain amount of weight, and frequently, side rails and cross bars will have their own weight ratings. If you don’t have access to your vehicle’s owner manual, you can find the roof rack and load carrier capacity online.
Do roof racks merit the cost?
As I’ve already indicated, roof racks can be utilized to transport a variety of tools and enjoyable items. Roof racks are the greatest way to transport everything you need if you like activities like biking, skiing, surfing, and many more.
Roof racks are also helpful for keeping your car cleaner and roomier. You have lots of room on your car’s roof, so you don’t have to jam everything inside.
Roof racks, in my opinion, are valuable for those two factors alone! You can always resale it online if you discover a few years down the road that you didn’t utilize it all that much.
Do roof racks function on all vehicles?
Roof racks are not a standard feature on all cars, so if you’re planning to buy a car and need more storage space, a roof rack might be something to think about. They are also the most stable way to move equipment.
Are roof rails detachable?
Roof racks that are aftermarket are often considerably simpler to take off. The majority just clamp against your door jamb or side rails, and they can be taken off by releasing a few bolts. Once you’ve done it a couple of times, most roof racks will come off in within 5 to 15 minutes. Find the spot on your roof where the rack attaches first (typically crossbars, a side rail, or a door jamb). Basically, you just perform the installation process in reverse. Your bolts’ end caps should be removed. Next, use the allen key or other tension tool that was included with your roof rack to loosen the bolts. You should be able to remove the system from your car after the component becomes sufficiently loose. For the majority of popular manufacturers, you can get a new allen key for your roof rack.
Of course, it’s great if you can remove fewer bolts. Some will need to have six or more removed, such as the Thule AeroBlade Edge (the AeroBlade requires 8). Some systems, however, let you simply remove the roof rack feet from the fit kit and leave covert parts on your car. In this manner, you can quickly and easily delete and reinstall the system as needed. By way of illustration, the Rhino-Rack fit kit can be permanently left on the car, and the remainder of the rack can be taken off by releasing two bolts on the legs.
For instance, when the legs are removed, this Rhino Rack fit kit includes molded inserts to cover the bases.
Without a key, how can you take off a roof rack?
Because an Allen key enables you to physically remove the roof bars from the vehicle, you can use one to remove them. This method effectively disassembles the roof rack so you may remove it from the car’s roof. To complete the task, you simply need two things and a short period of time.
Remove Door Seals
Start by removing the door seals. You will have easier access to the clamping system that holds the rack in place as a result. Set aside the door seals for the time being.
Pop Up The Cap
Gaining access to the Allen key bolt is necessary. This aperture may be obvious on some models. On others, the aperture could be concealed or located below the cap. Whatever model you are using, try to reposition yourself so that you can see the bolt as clearly as possible. It usually works by slightly opening the cap.
Use The Allen Key To Loosen Bolt
That bolt can be loosened with an Allen key. The brand of Allen key you own will determine its size. A 4 millimeter Allen key is sufficient for many roof racks, although smaller Allen key sets as tiny as 2.5 millimeters may be required for others. It is ideal to get a key set because you will have options in various sizes.
To loosen the bolts, simply insert the Allen key and turn it counterclockwise. To avoid dropping and losing the bolt, move gently while loosening it.
Remove Bracket With Long Nose Pliers
Using long-nose pliers, you can remove the bracket from the door’s frame once the bolt has become sufficiently loose. The purpose of the pliers is solely to facilitate the task. Although technically possible, doing this with your hands will take longer and might harm your fingertips. For optimal results, use a long-nosed plier.