Tires and wheels? Check. Engine in good health? Check. A truck bed full of accessories and supplies for an off-road adventure? Check. Ready to hit the trails to revisit favored spots or find new locations? Of course! The only thing missing now is having a roof rack capable of hauling additional toys for a truly memorable adventure. Try as you might, but cramming all of your camping/adventure essentials into your Ram 1500's bed is not always the best course of action, especially if you want to bring taller equipment such as mountain bikes, kayaks, or other sporting goods. From bikes to paddleboards, the Rhino Rack Roof Racks stand out as a fine addition to the line up of 2019-2022 Ram 1500 Performance Parts and Accessories offered here at Stage 3 Motorsports. With a wide selection of accessories and parts to choose from, finding the right roof racks and understanding their features/benefits is paramount to your overall enjoyment of the outdoors. Here, we take a look at the Rhino Rack's Vortex and Heavy Duty Crossbars to get a better understanding of which one is best suited to your needs and the accessories that you'll need.
Rhino Rack: The Vortex Crossbars
Aerodynamic and durable, the 2019-2022 Ram 1500 Rhino Rack Vortex 2500 Black 2-Bar Roof Rack is a highly capable addition that addresses some of the downsides of your typical roof rack. For starters, most roof racks are not designed to aerodynamically conform to the vehicle and cut through oncoming wind. This creates drag and an increase in wind noise. While this may not seem like an issue to most, odds are the best spots you know or heard of require a few hours of driving, leading to hours of droning wind noise and a sacrifice in overall fuel efficiency/performance. The Vortex mitigates this issue by issuing an aerodynamic design that also comes included with VGS (Vortex Generating Strips) strips to help in reducing overall wind noise and maintaining driving/fuel efficiency. The Vortex is specially fitted with Santoprene rubber pads and custom-fitted clamps tailored to fit your vehicle's door jamb curves ensuring a secure fit. The Vortex also comes with glass reinforced nylon legs along with strong anti-corrosion black fittings that clamp onto your Ram 1500's cab roof for a secure fitment against strong winds. When driving through a town for a resupply, you can never be too careful with your equipment exposed. That is why the included legs come with a lockable cover with included keys to prevent even the most determined thieves. In short, the Vortex is a great option for those who prioritize a clean, aerodynamic roof rack that expands the carrying capacity of their trucks.
Rhino Rack: The Heavy Duty 2500 Crossbars
You've filled up every inch of your truck bed with supplies and sporting goods, but don't have enough room for some oversized gear? Introducing the Rhino Rack Heavy Duty 2500 2-Bar Roof Rack, this crossbar variant features a sturdier C-channel build and serves an ideal solution for those who look for a highly durable roof rack build. Available in both Black and Silver, the Heavy Duty Crossbars features all of the things that makes its Vortex counterpart great! Everything from its glass-reinforced nylon legs, lockable legs, to its santoprene rubber pads and custom-fitted clamps for a hassle-free installation. The Heavy Duty 2500 also features VGS strips to help mitigate the dreaded wind noise/whistling. While not as effective as the Vortex in cutting down wind noise, the Heavy Duty Crossbars have a leg up in terms of overall durability and modularity. Created using a heavy-duty aluminum, these crossbars is suited to those who are looking to transport all manner of goods from sporting gear to lumber without much of a hitch. With a 220 lbs. load capacity and the inclusion of a few accessories, Ram 1500 owners can attach all manner of goods and work equipment topside and drive assuredly knowing that their Heavy Duty Crossbars can withstand the heavy-lifting.
Essential Accessories for Rhino Rack's Vortex & Heavy Duty Crossbars
Now that you've gotten to know a little about the Vortex and Heavy Duty 2500 crossbars, the next question comes to mind: What accessories can I fit on this thing? We begin our search by looking at the Cargo Trays and Cargo Baskets offered here at Stage 3 Motorsports. Right off the bat, you are treated to a few options in varying sizes for the Rhino Rack Cargo Trays! Rhino Rack offers the Rhino Rack Large XTray and the Rhino Rack Small XTray! Combining a lightweight build, greater carrying capacity, improved aerodynamic design, and durable construction makes this rack highly compatible with the Vortex and Heavy Duty 2500 crossbars. With over 1200-1900 square inches of storage area, the Rhino Rack XTray is spacious enough to hold practically anything you need for your next adventure and comes standard with a front wind deflector and curved side rails that help reduce wind noise while giving you a convenient way to tie down your cargo. Installation is also made simple as the XTray with its two-piece design and drop-in installation process. Despite the Vortex Crossbars aerodynamic design, there remains a chance that you will experience slight wind noise. As a preventative measure, upgrade your Vortex with the addition of Rhino Rack's 50" Wind Fairing RF4! Specifically designed for use with Rhino Rack Vortex Series Crossbars, the Rhino Rack Wind Fairing deflects air over your Rhino Rack Crossbars of choice, which greatly reduces wind noise and whistling issues so that you stay sane while you drive. Wind noise is greatly reduced with the Vortex crossbars, but what about the Heavy Duty 2500? Well fortunately for you, there is the Rhino Rack Kayak Carrier Fitting Kit for Heavy-Duty Crossbars. While Rhino Rack's Heavy Duty Cross Bars sure are awesome, they will need some help when it comes to fitting Rhino Rack's Nautic Kayak Carriers or wind fairings. That's where this Heavy Duty Crossbar fitting kit comes in. Specifically designed for Nautic Series carriers and the aforementioned 50" Wind Fairing RF4, this fitting kit allows you to get the most out of your vehicle's Rhino Rack Heavy Duty Crossbars. The greatest part about all of this is that we've only scratched the surface in terms of what other goodies can be attached to your Vortex/Heavy Duty 2500s.
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Additional Accessories for Vortex & Heavy Duty 2500:
Kayaks, Bikes, and other sporting goods can truly elevate your camping/off-roading experience by ten-fold. The problem has always been logistics. With the addition of accessories from the Rhino Rack Nautical Series and more, you can be well on your way to elevating every adventure with some kayaking. Featuring side loaded, rear loaded, and static kayak holders, the Nautic Series carriers are a great way to bring along your kayak for some recreational fishing or general leisure. Driving through trails with your Ram 1500 is always fun, but biking through some narrow pathways with your hybrid/mountain bikes is unmatched. Fortunately, Rhino Rack has all of your biking bases covered with the Rhino Rack MountainTrail, Rhino Rack Two Bike Hitch, Rhino Rack Road Warrior, and the Rhino Rack Hybrid Bike Carrier! Let's also say you're looking to drive up the mountains for some snow-filled adventures! Fret not, as Rhino Rack has got your bases covered with the Rhino Rack Ski Carrier & Fishing Rod Holder (4 Skis/2 Snow Boards). Let's also assume you've got a canoe stashed away somewhere and you're looking to take it for a spin. There is the Rhino Rack Adjustable Canoe Holder for both Vortex and Heavy Duty 2500 Crossbars. At the end of the day, everything you would want to bring with you on your off-roading trip can be done with Rhino Rack's multitude of accessories.
Final Thoughts
With all that said, it can be hard to choose between the Vortex and the Heavy Duty. Both offer substantial accessories and foundational use, however the best way to surmise the difference is with your personal preference. Are you fond of the noise-free rides and a long catalogue of accessories to choose from? The Vortex is your best bet. You prefer something you can use for both work and play without worrying about durability/efficiency? Grab and install the Heavy Duty 2500! There really is no wrong answer when it comes to choosing either one. Do you have the ideal roof rack set up? Perhaps you can think of some other great 2019-2022 Ram 1500 Exterior Upgrades that are worthwhile? Comment your thoughts below and let us know what your roof racks are looking like and some of the best accessories for Rhino Rack's Vortex and Heavy Duty 2500 series Crossbars.
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