rhinorack.com Reviews 4

The Rhino Rack Batwing 270 Awning is a total letdown. After barely a year of light use, the storage bag ripped, water got in, poles bent, and the zipper blew out. This isn’t extreme off-roading—it was basic camping and day trips. The bag, which is essential to storing and protecting the awning, failed first and started a domino effect of issues.

Rhino Rack’s customer service was no help. They admitted the damage, then tried to deflect by saying the bag isn’t covered under warranty after one year because it’s “textile.” Are you serious? The whole setup is useless without that bag. It’s not some accessory—it’s core to the product’s function.

They offered to replace a couple poles but refused to replace the one part that rendered the entire system trash. If a product can’t survive a year of casual use and the company refuses to make it right, it’s junk. Period.

Rhino Rack used to have a good name. That’s clearly changed. Save your money. This thing belongs in a landfill.

Awful company with non-existent customer service!
Purchased one of their side loader kayak racks that is supposedly 'universal' but does not fit a stock roof rack for a Subaru Forester.
I have called and emailed their customer service department multiple times over a period of 3 weeks and have had no response from them.
This experience seems to be consistent with other customers based on similar negative reviews. There are plenty of other options out there and I suggest prospective buyers look into those or you will end up with an expensive Rhino Rack product that you cannot use and non-existent customer service to assist.

I have the vortex 2500, which I chose to be able to move it to a different car. I bought new fittings to make it fit my Corolla only to find that it doesn’t fit! Despite triple checking I have all the right parts.

I contacted rhino about this as different guides and links show different sizes and parts for my Corolla. Turns out that the silver bars are completely different from the black bars despite them being the same part name and number.

I was referred to a vendor based on my location (as rhino don’t have a physical store! Red flag) to receive support. I contacted them about it, made my way there with the NEW bars I had to purchase only to find that they charge $140 per hour for the installation.

So much extra money and time spent only to find I have no proper support.

The information on the website isn’t accurate and very misleading. I sent clear screenshots and explanations to customer service of all of these. This has turned into a nightmare of spendings just to try fit it on my Corolla.

Best you buy roof racks from a company that can actually take responsibility and assist with real people.

Do you trust one tiny screw to keep you safe? In the case of Rhino Rack cutting hardware and design corners, it could’ve killed me or someone else on the road. To earn the name Rhino Rack you should have a tough rack and strong hardware, not cheap plastic and baby screws.
I purchased a Rhino Roof Rack Backbone Base Rack System ($850+ and installation fee $400). After, I had a Roofnest Falcon tent mounted (140lbs, far below the 220lbs every Rhino Rack description states the rack can handle).
I was only driving 15-20 mph on a gravel road the second day of my trip when the rack broke and my tent went over my windshield. Rhino rack cut corners: only 1 tiny screw with minimal threading and no locking mechanism holds each crossbar base. One of those screws popped out and catapulted my tent over the front of my Jeep. I was left stranded in the desert with no signal. Five men had to spend the day helping with repairs.
I’ve tried working with Rhino Rack for over a month and suddenly they say this rack can only handle 138lbs while moving, the two extra pounds of my tent (140 lbs) was too much for it, despite every distributer’s description of this rack (Backcountry, Autoanything, even their own Rhino site) lists the racks can handle 220lbs. And I was also told by Rhino Rack’s customer service that I shouldn’t have driven it off road, even though I was going 15-20mph and every description they have on many sites say this rack is for “four-wheel driving” and is a “desert- assault rack” and that their racks are great for rooftop tents. Apparently Rhino Rack expects us to camp on pavement, maybe just pop your tent up in your driveway because it’s not safe to drive with a Rhino Rack.
The moral of this story: your life, your family’s lives, and other people’s lives deserve better than cheap material. There are better options than Rhino Rack, and a lot more companies are more deserving of your business.