As an outdoor sports and activities enthusiast, transporting your sports kits can prove to be a nightmare, especially when you lack the necessary transporting equipment. If you are a kayaking, surfing, canoeing, or cycling enthusiast, installing a roof rack on your vehicle to be carrying the kits is what you need whenever you go for an outdoors excursion.
In addition, you can get the roof rack if you are traveling with your family or friends with some cargo that cannot fit in the car.
After establishing that you need a roof rack to carry your cargo comfortably, the next big question revolves around getting a reliable brand from which you can get the most suitable roof rack. Some of the most trusted and widely used brands that make roof racks include Thule, Rhino Rack, Sport Rack, and Yakima.
So, selecting the best roof rack from all these options can be pretty challenging because all the brands are pretty compelling. In this article, we distinguish between Thule Vs. Rhino-Rack to help you understand better the more suitable option. Therefore, as a person who plans to buy a roof rack from any of these brands soon, kindly go through this article thoroughly and become more knowledgeable about the two brands.
Thule Vs. Rhino Bike Rack
Roof racks from both Thule and Rhino Rack are widely accepted in different parts worldwide because they are among the best products in the market. However, each has its fair share of excellent and uncool attributes. Below are features that this article is going to employ to distinguish between roof racks from both companies.
Design
The Thule Aeroblade Roof racks are designed in a stylish manner and incorporate three components, a fitting kit, load bars, and feet. The fitting kit is tailored to meet the specifications of your car’s roof design, best with the vehicles with a flush-mounted rail system.
This means that when you replace or change the car, the fitting kit is the only component of the roof rack that you will change. Thule roof racks employ the crossbars design, which is usually 47 inches long and manufactured in two colors, black, and silver.
Similarly, Rhino roof racks are designed using the crossbars, only that these crossbars are longer than those that make the Thule roof racks by 7 inches because they are typically 54 inches long. In addition, they are designed to suit vehicles with roofs that have a flush-mounted rail system and are designed in black and silver too. One disadvantage of the Rhino roof design is that the system does not include a fitting kit but attaching the roof rack to your car is not a complicated task to undertake.
Comparing the designs of both Thule roof racks and Rhino roof racks, their designs are almost similar in terms of efficiency and reliability. However, if you are concerned about the appeal and looks of the roof rack, those from Thule are better designed and more attractive.
Compatibility with different vehicles
Different vehicles have varying roof types that would require you to attach a particular type of roof rack. Examples of different roof types that cars typically have include roofs with no rails (bare roofs), roofs with raised side rails, roofs with tracks, roofs with the four fixed points, and those with side flush rails. Another type that requires a different type of roof rack is a truck box.
The method of installation also varies per these roof types. Therefore, when comparing between Thule and Rhino Racks, their compatibility with all the types of roof racks mentioned above is a vital factor to consider.
Thule roof racks are compatible with several roof types for a good number of cars. Their roof racks are compatible with cars that have bare roofs, those with raised side rails, those that have rain gutters, and those vehicles that contain flush side rails. To get a roof rack that you can attach to any of these vehicles, you can select the Thule Aeroblade Edge Bars, Thule Aeroblade Bars, or the Thule SquareBars.
Rhino roof racks are some of the strongest and hardened roof racks in the market. They offer multi-vehicle roof racks compatible with a wide range of cars, including SUVs, trucks, vans, pick-up trucks, and small vehicles. These roof racks are most suitable for vehicles you plan to travel within rugged and off-road terrain.
The two brands are pretty compatible with a wide range of different cars. Therefore, in terms of compatibility, both Thule and Rhino racks are practical, and you can only select the one you prefer most by comparing their other features.
Carrying Capacity
Roof racks from Thule use crossbars made from heavy-duty aluminum, which means that they are pretty strong. Products from Thule have been widely accepted by people in over 80 countries for the more than 70 years that this company has existed. Its roof racks are ISO certified, which means that they are strong enough to carry a considerable amount of cargo.
Rhino rack products are pretty strong. The legs of the roof rack are made in a vortex shape, which can support a pretty high cargo capacity. Remember, the vortex crossbars that Rhino racks use are so strong that they are likened to heavy-duty crossbars used in industries. There are no stronger crossbars in the whole of aerodynamic shape than those used by Rhino racks, which means that there are no other roof racks that match its carrying capacity.
Rhino roof racks come out on top when comparing the two brands in terms of strength and their carrying capacities. Both products might be made of heavy-duty aluminum, but those from Rhino rack are stronger. Therefore, if you are planning to carry a pretty heavy load on the roof of your vehicle, Rhino roof racks might be the best option to select.
Durability
The durability of a roof rack is judged by the materials making the rack and its ability to withstand corrosion. Thule roof racks are made of aluminum crossbars which means that they do not rust. Furthermore, its square bars are made of galvanized steel that is coated in high-quality plastic. An added advantage about Thule’s roof racks is that they come with a lifetime warranty to cater for any complication with a component or the whole rack.
All the crossbars that makeup Rhino roof racks are made from aluminum coated to increase their ability to withstand corrosion. In addition, the legs that support these crossbars are made of nylon that is reinforced using glass that does not rust too, with the other parts made of hardened stainless steel that is coated in varnish. Like the Thule roof racks, Rhino roof racks come with a lifetime warranty to enhance confidence in their clients.
Therefore, you could agree that roof racks from both companies are pretty durable. Both can last for many years, which means that durability will not be an issue when selecting either of the two brands.
Noise
The crossbars in Thule roof racks are designed in an aerodynamic manner to reduce the amount of noise that originates from the roof rack when you are carrying cargo. This design involves constructing the crossbars in a wing-like manner to intensify noise minimization. By doing so, the aerodynamic design ensures that your journey is quiet enough, with the car not consuming additional fuel.
On the other hand, although the Rhino roof racks are also designed aerodynamically, the design is not 100 percent aerodynamic but vortex to cater for some structural design. This design is not perfectly efficient in reducing noise that originates from the rack. Even though this brand of racks is not as efficient as the Thule racks, you should always check to ascertain if you installed the roof rack correctly.
Roof racks from Thule are better than those from Rhino-Rack when it comes to noise sensitivity. They are best suited to reduce noise and therefore emerge as the better option to minimize noise while traveling.
There is no doubt that people tend to purchase products they are familiar with and leave out those they do not know well. In that case, people from Northern America will tend to buy the roof racks from Thule, while those from New Zealand and Australia will go for the Rhino racks because those are the ones they are used to. However, after reading this article, it is evidently clear that roof racks from both brands have their fair share of strengths and weaknesses, and you can select either based on their features and not their origins.
Conclusion
After comparing Thule vs. Rhino-Rack by using the features discussed above, you are better positioned to make a wise decision on the unified brand of roof racks to get. Therefore, utilize this information the next time you want to make a roof rack purchase.
