Idea: Rhino-Rack towers and Yakima square bars (1 Viewer)

[azzaLX]

Hi all,
Just thought I would post this as an idea if anyone is in the same situation. I had a Maggiolina RTT installed on my 02 4Runner using Thule square bars and home made towers (nothing I could find off the shelf that would allow me to clear my old garage door).
When I got the 100, I wanted to move the RTT across. I purchased Rhino-Rack towers for the 100 series, but kept the Thule bars in the RTT. The Thule bars fit perfectly on the towers using the Vortex bar fit kit that came with the towers. All I had to do is to drill 6 holes on the bottom of the Thule bars.
My kit did not have the M6 square nuts, I just used standard Hex nuts inside the Thule bars and a 10mm wrench. A couple of pics below to illustrate what I tried to describe above.

 

[Patineto]

PS: if they are rectangular they are call "Thule" (the two company merge a few years back, but the design still ind of separated..

Today the two company's make "Aerobars" but for how much they cost may as well buy a Airplane...

 

[azzaLX]

Thanks Patineto...yes, That's the Thule square bars I am talking about and not the Yakima round bars...brain fart I guess. Corrected the post but cannot edit the title...

 

[Patineto]

Thanks Patineto...yes, That's the Thule square bars I am talking about and not the Yakima round bars...brain fart I guess. Corrected the post but cannot edit the title...

Oh no big deal, All are made of Cheese anyway.

First priority, Spray/coat the inside of the pipe with one of the "I love Rust" chemicals and also lift the plastic coating with a skinny screw driver or something very rigid and apply anti corrosive agent too..

You can thank me in a few years..

Ps: I have no idea why they don't galvanize the tubes or something before the coating, maybe they make more money that way, selling new tubes every few years..

 

[azzaLX]

Good point, thanks. I plan to use this RTT still for a long time, so it makes sense to protect those bars. Inside they have surface rust already, will coat them next spring before RTT goes back on the LX.

 

[digitalmarker]

@azzaLX - thanks for posting this, I would like to replicate this setup on my truck.

What is the additional "Vortex" kit that came with the Rhino Rack legs? Do you have a part number? I want to use the Thule bars with the Rhino Rack legs to go up to 65" bars.