I just fitted my new Rhino Rack 2500 series DK351 to the Prius C. They fit very well and feel very solid. I have been calling our local Adelaide Roof Rack City fortnightly since I got the Prius in December and they at last came in over Easter. Now for some Kayaking!
how do you like the rack so far? I'm also thinking getting one of these. Do you feel it is stable at variable speeds and different terrains? Thanks!
Yeah, would like an update on the Rhino Rack. Unfortunatly Thule and Yakima don't plan on making any removable roof racks for the Prius C, so Rhino is our only option. How has it affected your MPG? Is it loud while driving at high speeds? Is it sturdy/stable? What was the total cost of all the parts? I desperately need a roof rack for transporting surfboards (long boards).
Can you get an Inno rack? That's what I use (the fit hooks for the C should be here in a couple weeks so I can transfer the rack over) and Inno includes locks/keys - and are about half the cost of the "leading" brands. Very happy with that brand. Will post pics once I have it installed.
Wow, just checked out that Inno rack system, pretty sweet and it includes a roof fairing to cut down on wind noise and improve aerodynamics. All for about $160.00, compaired to $305 for the Rhino Rack. And the best news, they have a dealer in my city, looks like I'm going with the Inno rack system. I'll update with pics in a few weeks when I get it installed.
Good news, bad news: got the rack on and it looks awesome, and the fairing does keep the noise down. However, I just killed my highway mpg and now very sad ... Though my city mpg should be minimally affected if at all.
Update - so my city mpg is not affected at all! I'm going to give it a few tank fill-ups to see what the highway mpg average comes out to be to determine how much the rack affects the highway mpg. Yesterday was an unusually windy day, and that is another variable to factor in.
I'm curious as to why you would want a roof rack for bikes? Wouldn't it make more sense to use a trailer-hitch bike rack? Having the bike stand on end ontop of your roof is certainly gonna hit your MPG negatively, having the bike/bikes behind the vehicle seems like it would cut down on drag alot more.
Yep, it does and knew it would. However, I already had a roof rack and didn't want to spend the $$ on a hitch and new rack system. I'm still getting double the mpg than my previous car, and just need to have my city mileage make up for the hwy mileage. Since most of my driving is the former, my average is still above 50mpg for 1k miles.
Awesome, let me know how everything goes. I have my Thule setup off my WRX wagon still sitting in my living room....looking for a car to go on =).
I just purchased the Rhino Rack system identical to yours (DK351, 2500 Leg Kit, Aerobars Silver) for 305.00$ USD total. Not bad at all, can't wait to get home and put it together. I was told by the rack guys (Rack-It in San Diego) that only 2 removable systems exist for the Prius C, the Inno System and the Rhino System. They said that even though the Inno system was cheaper by about 80$, it was less stable and they wouldn't recommend it. I went for the more stable/sturdy Rhino system. I'm curious to see how loud it is at 60mph speeds, and if a wind fairing would be required or not. I only plan to strap a couple surfboards to it for now, a kayak eventually but that would look ridiculous on the tiny Prius C. Ill post pics later.
So I put the Rhino Rack together last night and installed it. Driving to work today I noticed no audible noise from having just the naked rack up there, no whistling or anything (And I hit 75-78 MPH for a good stretch). Those aerobars are really quiet, so I won't be needing a Wind Fairing. Also I got 57 mpg from my house to work (about 17 miles) almost all highway, so no real noticeable drop in MPG at all. It's solid and sturdy and could easily handle a cargo carrier or even a kayak, but for now I'm just using it for surfboards. Really happy with the product and would recommend it. Be wary though, assembly is a bit of a hassle the first time. Getting everything aligned right with the contours of the roof took some time and fiddling with the width of the feet/pads (the recommended length was off by about 1/2inch on either side, simple adjustment though). Time to hit the beach!
What size fit hooks did you use for the Inno rack? I can't seem to find the size for the Prius C on their site.
I prefer roof rack for bikes because they are less likely to be damaged in the case of an accident. Being that the only accidents me and my husband have ever experienced were rear-ends, having bikes on the roof is safer for the bikes. Roof racks are also more versatile...need some lumber? No problem. Need to take a kayak to the lake? That too
