Crossbars stability?

[rpmtexas]

Is anyone else worried about the stability of their crossbars? Mine slide/rock back and forth about 1/8 inch after installation and locking. The bottom of the mounts feels firmly attached, but I think since the bars widen and narrow, there is left/right play in the bars. The latching mechanism did not appear very robust to me when I examined it, and that fact coupled with the movement of the bars makes me reluctant to strap a 150lb missile to the roof at 70 mph. It seems like the slight shifting plus cargo weight may act like a hammer hitting the locking mechanism repeatedly.

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[FooF]

Sounds like your crossbars need adjustment to remove the slop.
I marked mine under the lever with a paint marker as well so that I always install same direction and location.

 

[cbrcanuck]

Is anyone else worried about the stability of their crossbars? Mine slide/rock back and forth about 1/8 inch after installation and locking. The bottom of the mounts feels firmly attached, but I think since the bars widen and narrow, there is left/right play in the bars. The latching mechanism did not appear very robust to me when I examined it, and that fact coupled with the movement of the bars makes me reluctant to strap a 150lb missile to the roof at 70 mph. It seems like the slight shifting plus cargo weight may act like a hammer hitting the locking mechanism repeatedly.

Hmm, mine feel pretty solid. Might want to get that looked at.

 

[k3g]

The installation instructions call out making sure you press the latch firmly enough to hear two clicks. Mine match your described play if I don't fully latch them.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Possible they need adjustment out of the box. Mobile service can do it.

 

[Foobar]

Mine are firmly attached and support my 165 lb rooftop tent just fine.

 

[rpmtexas]

The installation instructions call out making sure you press the latch firmly enough to hear two clicks. Mine match your described play if I don't fully latch them.

Thanks. Yeah, I did the full latch procedure. The bar is firmly attached up down but there is slip left/right

 

[ZenTurtle]

I share similar concerns and experience.
Had the crossbars on the bed with a Yakima RTT on it and never noticed any issue. When moved on top of the roof, omg, rattling noises and creaking of all kinds.
The mechanism is definitely not thought out well, there's play side to side and the bars are flexy and move under load.
Very disappointing for for $600 bars.
And needing adjustments, for which there is no info on the manual and you need to book a service appointment? Good luck with that... lame

 

[Dark-Fx]

I share similar concerns and experience.
Had the crossbars on the bed with a Yakima RTT on it and never noticed any issue. When moved on top of the roof, omg, rattling noises and creaking of all kinds.
The mechanism is definitely not thought out well, there's play side to side and the bars are flexy and move under load.
Very disappointing for for $600 bars.
And needing adjustments, for which there is no info on the manual and you need to book a service appointment? Good luck with that... lame

If I get creaking on bars on the roof, I just slap some double sided foam tape under there and re-latch it until I can make the adjustments. How many other vehicles have you had a rooftop tent over the cabin on? Lots of noise on my Polestar 2 also.

The adjustments on the Rivian bars are fairly easy but time consuming. And I totally understand why they wouldn't offer instructions because there are a lot of not mechanically inclined people out there that would make everything worse and a liability.

 

[ElGuapo]

Mine are fine but I did need to make sure they double clicked.

 

[rpmtexas]

If I get creaking on bars on the roof, I just slap some double sided foam tape under there and re-latch it until I can make the adjustments. How many other vehicles have you had a rooftop tent over the cabin on? Lots of noise on my Polestar 2 also.

The adjustments on the Rivian bars are fairly easy but time consuming. And I totally understand why they wouldn't offer instructions because there are a lot of not mechanically inclined people out there that would make everything worse and a liability.

Is there a way to remove the side to side slip in each bar? The fact that they expand/adjust is the source of the problem for me.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Is there a way to remove the side to side slip in each bar? The fact that they expand/adjust is the source of the problem for me.

Yes, but it requires making them very tight. I think it's possible there might be a limitation in how much adjustment you can get in them once the crossbar and interface gets worn out from misadjustment for an extended period. I think there might be other issues with them getting bent from being overloaded, but if everything is new, it should be fixable.

 

[ZenTurtle]

I understand they wanted to make it versatile and easy to move, And compatible with bed or roof, but the stability is a huge concern for me. Started the trip with everything nice and tight and halfway thru it the rattling started.
I had RTT on my FJ and it was rock solid.
The Rivian cross bars are super flexy, due to the way they are built, you don’t have a solid bar. Bear in mind that I’m using a super light RTT at only 87 pounds, so it’s not a weight issue here.
I wouldn’t care if I had to use an Allen key to take the bars on or off the vehicle. I’m pretty much done with it, looking for some solid alternatives.
The Badwater from Range Industries looks super solid, but they only make a bed version, talking to them sounds like they have a roof version in the making. Can’t find anything else similar…
https://range-industries.com/products/rivian-r1t-low-rooftop-tent

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