Roof Bar Distance

Once you figure out which type you would like assembling the base roof rack system will be straightforward and you will be off and running or riding in no time.

Roof bar distance.

Do one at a time and secure them into place. The crossbar spread distance between 2 roof rack crossbars is normally measured from center to center. When lifting the trusses carefully onto the roof the easiest way is to have two people hoist it up to two other people. Rhino rack chooses the specific mounting points for the crossbars based on where the strongest points of the roof are located.

When possible always attempt to divide the roof areas into equal sections with equal distance between rows without exceeding the manufacturer maximum placement guidelines. Did you know that all of our towers accept multiple bar lengths. After the first mark is made make additional marks every spacing distance down the building in this case every 18 inches. If your roof sheets are 12 feet long your roof would need a row at 6 inches from the bottom and at 6 feet up from the bottom.

That is how we measure them and how the manufacturers of roof racks and accessories measure them. Sixteen inches is pretty short. Our fit my car tool will let you know the minimum crossbar length required for your vehicle but you can always go bigger to bring more gear and more friends. If you were to install the roof rack at a different distance apart your rack would have an unknown weight capacity which could damage the rack or the vehicle roof if you unintentionally overloaded the rack.

Calculations determine the maximum spacing based on the material used rafter size and load the roof needs to hold so that the roof is safe and meets all building codes. 7 12 12 12 roof pitch. If no special fitting positions are given in the assembly instructions the bars should be placed between 24 and 36 inches apart measured from the same position of each crossbar. According to rhino rack the crossbars should be spaced 27 9 16 inches apart center on center as shown in the provided diagram.

Different cars require different base roof rack systems so the first step is to assess which roof rack options are available for your car and then select the type best suited for what you want it to do for you. The distance between the racks is only 26 inches. Although there is not one standard rafter spacing measurement many builders follow standard increments for simplicity.