Yakima Skyrise 3 Tent Install on Rhino Rack Pioneer - HELP SOLVING

[Vetrunner]

I've looked all up and down every corner of the internet for this one, and i'm still without an answer. Here is the deal:

I've got a 79 x 46" Rhino Rack Pioneer roof rack on my 2014 TE and I love the rack, but there is one big problem and it has to do with my new roof top tent. I picked up the Yakima Skyrise 3 RTT for an extremely good price - and I think i'm really going to enjoy this tent. One of the big selling factors for me were the quick release attachment points that will make taking it on and off my daily driver a breeze. But.....

The problem is - the Yakima RTT is made to fit on Yakima cross bars. The feet or cleats (see image) are yakima's way of making a no tool involved, lockable mechanism to install their RTT on cross rails. The feet can be installed 90 degrees in either direction (for off the back or off the side deployment), and they want to a yakima round bar or one of their other cross bars. (see pictures)

The Rhino Rack has channel slats that run parallel with the vehicle, and the connecting braces are not to where the yakima feet can grab on to. The connecting braces are the right size for the yakima feet to grab on to, but there is no way that the feet will grab them. (see picture)

Here are the options I've found. If at all possible i want to keep the yakima quick release mounting hardware, as that's one of my favorite parts of the tent.


Option 1: Drill new holes into the bottom of the RTT to mount the feet, then use the connecting braces of the Rhino rack
-Pros; low profile, doesnt involve new equipment
-Cons; I've heard that drilling into the bottom of RTT outside of factory hole area isn't recommended because it may be all styrofoam in there?

Option 2: Rhino Rack Cross bars. Rhino rack makes accessory cross bars to fit yakima and thule acccessories on the rack. The problem with this is that the accessory bar is made to sit flush onto the rack, and the RTT feet need to grab around a bar for them to work. I have seen one image of somone with the Rhino rack accessory bars that placed some sort of spacer to allow for a lip to fit a yakima skybox on his rack (see picture)

Option 3: Buy Baja rack yakima accessory mounts. I think these would absolutely work and be sturdy, but i think this would make the tent stick way up in the air while i'm driving around which would be undesirable. (see picture)

Option 4: Sell the rhino rack and get a Prinsu - Prinsu has 2x1 cross bars that would work with the Yakima rack feet

I've looked into sooo many options and have spent way so many hours doing research. I think Rhino rack is one of the best racks on the market, but if I can't get the tent to work on it then it might be best that I sell it?

Thanks to anyone that tries to solve this problem!!

 

[boyguan]

I've looked all up and down every corner of the internet for this one, and i'm still without an answer. Here is the deal:

I've got a 79 x 46" Rhino Rack Pioneer roof rack on my 2014 TE and I love the rack, but there is one big problem and it has to do with my new roof top tent. I picked up the Yakima Skyrise 3 RTT for an extremely good price - and I think i'm really going to enjoy this tent. One of the big selling factors for me were the quick release attachment points that will make taking it on and off my daily driver a breeze. But.....

The problem is - the Yakima RTT is made to fit on Yakima cross bars. The feet or cleats (see image) are yakima's way of making a no tool involved, lockable mechanism to install their RTT on cross rails. The feet can be installed 90 degrees in either direction (for off the back or off the side deployment), and they want to a yakima round bar or one of their other cross bars. (see pictures)

The Rhino Rack has channel slats that run parallel with the vehicle, and the connecting braces are not to where the yakima feet can grab on to. The connecting braces are the right size for the yakima feet to grab on to, but there is no way that the feet will grab them. (see picture)

Here are the options I've found. If at all possible i want to keep the yakima quick release mounting hardware, as that's one of my favorite parts of the tent.


Option 1: Drill new holes into the bottom of the RTT to mount the feet, then use the connecting braces of the Rhino rack
-Pros; low profile, doesnt involve new equipment
-Cons; I've heard that drilling into the bottom of RTT outside of factory hole area isn't recommended because it may be all styrofoam in there?

Option 2: Rhino Rack Cross bars. Rhino rack makes accessory cross bars to fit yakima and thule acccessories on the rack. The problem with this is that the accessory bar is made to sit flush onto the rack, and the RTT feet need to grab around a bar for them to work. I have seen one image of somone with the Rhino rack accessory bars that placed some sort of spacer to allow for a lip to fit a yakima skybox on his rack (see picture)

Option 3: Buy Baja rack yakima accessory mounts. I think these would absolutely work and be sturdy, but i think this would make the tent stick way up in the air while i'm driving around which would be undesirable. (see picture)

Option 4: Sell the rhino rack and get a Prinsu - Prinsu has 2x1 cross bars that would work with the Yakima rack feet

I've looked into sooo many options and have spent way so many hours doing research. I think Rhino rack is one of the best racks on the market, but if I can't get the tent to work on it then it might be best that I sell it?

Thanks to anyone that tries to solve this problem!!

I would just buy some 2x1 or 1x1 square extrusion and bolt it onto the rhino rack by drilling through.

Or just buy some 1/2 rectangular steel or stainless bar and put it where you need it

 

[WallyT4R]

call Tepui and get the mounts from their tent and put them on the Yakima. Many people have done this from what i have read. Then you will prob have to drill holes in the rack to mount it which I believe Rhino Rack recommends.

EDIT: Oh I see you want to keep the quick release Yakima mounts. If that is your priority I would sell the Rhino Rack and put Yakima low profile mounts with crossbars on the stock rack.

 

[Nightglow]

RRT on the Rhino Pioneer Platform

OK - I had the same issue with my RTT after I installed the Pioneer Backbone and Pioneer platform on my 16 TEP. I selected Rhino-Rack as I liked the low profile and the beefiness of the engineering of their platform over others on the market. The design though can/does cause issues that need to be worked out when attaching third-party items like an RTT. I live in Denver so I went to the Rhino-Rack offices to discuss the issue with their engineering team. Front Runner as brackets for RRT's (these might work if modified and different attachment hardware is used as the track channels on the two systems are different) but Rhino is still in the engineering phase of figuring this out. Their best option for a solution is included in your pictures, 1) purchase the auxiliary crossbars from Rhino which are only slightly more in cost than other vendors mounting solutions, 2) mount the RRT to the bars first, 3) measure where you mount it to the tent and the gaps in the slats on the platform and adjust to fit, 4) place the RTT with the crossbars on the platform and use the included mounting hardware to attach the bars to the platform. It takes a little time and thought to work it out the first time, but once it is set up, future installations are pretty quick and easy. FYI - the crossbars are also useful when adding a storage box to the top of the vehicle.

To those that suggest get rid of the Pioneer Platform and use just crossbars, that's fine if you only want to mount an RTT, but as you can see in my pictures, it is useful when adding other items for longer-term adventure travel. I also like to have options when using the platform for carrying other items when the RTT is not on it.

Good luck and it was a good question that I am sure many of us had when looking at the Rhino-Rack system. I am still looking into other "quick release" ideas and will post them if I find something easier or better.

Why Rhino-Rack Pioneer Rack

1) Very quiet - no more noise vs stock with crossbars - I have had both
2) 700+ lbs of static weight - it is fun to sit up on top with friends and watch kids sporting events or view nature.
3) it is much more versatile for carrying large items for work or play
4) it looks good...for those of you who view aesthetics as important which I read often on the forum.

 

[3wbdriver]

Find a local custom welder and show them your pictures describing what you are looking for. They may ask you to bring one of the claws/feet and a Yakima bar for reference. You might be surprised what they can come up with.

As for the Baja Rack adapters, I ordered a set last April for my Tepui RTT and was given a 1 month wait time. By the time they were actually ready to weld mine up I had already come up with a $20 square tube idea I could use with my Baja Rack. I cancelled the order and it was their loss for not have something like that on a shelf. I understand small businesses and tight margins, but they could keep 3 or 4 of these smaller accessories pre-made and ready to ship without hurting their overhead. I had already had to wait the same period for awning and Hi-lift mounts and being told the same thing twice in a period of 4 months just soured me to the wait time.

 

[Vetrunner]

OK - I had the same issue with my RTT after I installed the Pioneer Backbone and Pioneer platform on my 16 TEP. I selected Rhino-Rack as I liked the low profile and the beefiness of the engineering of their platform over others on the market. The design though can/does cause issues that need to be worked out when attaching third-party items like an RTT. I live in Denver so I went to the Rhino-Rack offices to discuss the issue with their engineering team. Front Runner as brackets for RRT's (these might work if modified and different attachment hardware is used as the track channels on the two systems are different) but Rhino is still in the engineering phase of figuring this out. Their best option for a solution is included in your pictures, 1) purchase the auxiliary crossbars from Rhino which are only slightly more in cost than other vendors mounting solutions, 2) mount the RRT to the bars first, 3) measure where you mount it to the tent and the gaps in the slats on the platform and adjust to fit, 4) place the RTT with the crossbars on the platform and use the included mounting hardware to attach the bars to the platform. It takes a little time and thought to work it out the first time, but once it is set up, future installations are pretty quick and easy. FYI - the crossbars are also useful when adding a storage box to the top of the vehicle.

To those that suggest get rid of the Pioneer Platform and use just crossbars, that's fine if you only want to mount an RTT, but as you can see in my pictures, it is useful when adding other items for longer-term adventure travel. I also like to have options when using the platform for carrying other items when the RTT is not on it.

Good luck and it was a good question that I am sure many of us had when looking at the Rhino-Rack system. I am still looking into other "quick release" ideas and will post them if I find something easier or better.

Why Rhino-Rack Pioneer Rack

1) Very quiet - no more noise vs stock with crossbars - I have had both
2) 700+ lbs of static weight - it is fun to sit up on top with friends and watch kids sporting events or view nature.
3) it is much more versatile for carrying large items for work or play
4) it looks good...for those of you who view aesthetics as important which I read often on the forum.

Thanks so much for the input! On step 3 are you saying to adjust where the quick release feet are connected to the base of the RTT? It looks like the feet (claws) will have to wrap around the accessory bar, which could only happen between the Rhinorack parallel slats

 

[Nightglow]

Yes - that is what I think would work. The bars are flush to the slats, but there is a 4-5 inch gap between them should accommodate the quick release mounts on the RTT where they go around the bars. From your pictures, it looks like they might be adjustable and slide to a position to allow them to line up with the open gaps in the platform.

Good luck - with a little creativity you can make it work.

 

[tonyspad]

I have the same issue on my JK Wrangler!

I've looked all up and down every corner of the internet for this one, and i'm still without an answer. Here is the deal:

I've got a 79 x 46" Rhino Rack Pioneer roof rack on my 2014 TE and I love the rack, but there is one big problem and it has to do with my new roof top tent. I picked up the Yakima Skyrise 3 RTT for an extremely good price - and I think i'm really going to enjoy this tent. One of the big selling factors for me were the quick release attachment points that will make taking it on and off my daily driver a breeze. But.....

The problem is - the Yakima RTT is made to fit on Yakima cross bars. The feet or cleats (see image) are yakima's way of making a no tool involved, lockable mechanism to install their RTT on cross rails. The feet can be installed 90 degrees in either direction (for off the back or off the side deployment), and they want to a yakima round bar or one of their other cross bars. (see pictures)

The Rhino Rack has channel slats that run parallel with the vehicle, and the connecting braces are not to where the yakima feet can grab on to. The connecting braces are the right size for the yakima feet to grab on to, but there is no way that the feet will grab them. (see picture)

Here are the options I've found. If at all possible i want to keep the yakima quick release mounting hardware, as that's one of my favorite parts of the tent.


Option 1: Drill new holes into the bottom of the RTT to mount the feet, then use the connecting braces of the Rhino rack
-Pros; low profile, doesnt involve new equipment
-Cons; I've heard that drilling into the bottom of RTT outside of factory hole area isn't recommended because it may be all styrofoam in there?

Option 2: Rhino Rack Cross bars. Rhino rack makes accessory cross bars to fit yakima and thule acccessories on the rack. The problem with this is that the accessory bar is made to sit flush onto the rack, and the RTT feet need to grab around a bar for them to work. I have seen one image of somone with the Rhino rack accessory bars that placed some sort of spacer to allow for a lip to fit a yakima skybox on his rack (see picture)

Option 3: Buy Baja rack yakima accessory mounts. I think these would absolutely work and be sturdy, but i think this would make the tent stick way up in the air while i'm driving around which would be undesirable. (see picture)

Option 4: Sell the rhino rack and get a Prinsu - Prinsu has 2x1 cross bars that would work with the Yakima rack feet

I've looked into sooo many options and have spent way so many hours doing research. I think Rhino rack is one of the best racks on the market, but if I can't get the tent to work on it then it might be best that I sell it?

Thanks to anyone that tries to solve this problem!!

What did you end up doing to make it work. I want to buy this tent for my wrangler with Rhino Rack and i have the cross bars as well.