Reviews for Rhino-Rack Vortex 2-Bar Backbone Roof Rack for 07-18 Jeep Wrangler JK Hardtop

Simple and effective

Looks great

It looks like it will fit and I can still take to top off when I want. It should hold two light canoes.

Solid, great rack and I'm super happy with it. The installation instructions aren't great though. They're either wrong, or the parts (inner backbone) are mislabeled, so inhalation took longer than it should have just to figure out where things are supposed to go, since they don't work or look the way the instructions say they should.
Also, be sure to use some silicone or similar sealant in the holes you drill to prevent leaks. The rubber stick-on rings that are included aren't enough.

I really want to like this rack, but my installation didn't go very well (once you drill that first hole in your hard top you are committed) and I was surprised at the amount of damage the crossbars sustained when hauling my canoe for the first time.

First the installation:
My Jeep is a 2015 2-door Rubicon Hard top. The instructions were well written, illustrated and easy to follow. They offered clear easy to follow steps for assembly and concise measurements for marking and drilling the holes. My install went smoothly until I started placing washers and nuts on the bolts that went through the hard top. The front mounts went fine, but the back ones I ran into an issue. The nuts that install on the bolts that went through the side of the hard top installed fine, but for the one bolt/nut that installs vertically through the top for each bracket, it was not possible to install the washer and nut due to interference on the inside of the top. (I will upload photos showing this.) My solution was to grind off quite a bit of the washer and take a dremel to the inside of my top to create the necessary clearance. Not ideal but I was committed to getting it installed due to the number of holes drilled in my hard top.

Hauling my canoe:
I used the rack to haul my canoe for the first time yesterday. My canoe is kevlar with aluminum gunnels. In the past with round Yakima cross bars, I put the canoe on top loop a webbing strap underneath the bar on each side of the canoe and pull it tight. One strap per bar, add bow and stern tiedowns and call it good. I did the same thing with the vortex cross bars drove 15 minutes to the river, paddled for the day, and then came home. When I unloaded the canoe, I noted that the rubber strips that are on top of the cross bars had "sucked" fully into the channel on top and had even pulled out in places resulting in several tears in the rubber material and loss of paint on the cross bars. I called Rhino Rack to ask them about this and was surprised to hear that the rubber strips are there to help reduce wind noise, NOT to actually carry a load. What?!? They recommend I purchase canoe wrap pads for $100 to protect the roof rack (no thanks, I'll use a pool noodle and some zip ties) and would be happy to sell me some replacement rubber strips.

That has been my experience so far, I might call Quadratec to see if I can exchange for the heavy duty cross bars, perhaps those cross bars are meant to carry things.