Love Your Racks This Valentine’s Day

You’ve got your Rhino-Rack Pioneer Platform installed and you’ve been getting along like a house on fire. But like most relationships, if you want your rack to love you back, you’re going to have to show it a little TLC every now and again. So for Valentine’s Day this year, why not spend some time giving your roof rack a little love? Here’s our three-step maintenance guide to a long, healthy relationship with your roof rack.

1. Give your roof rack a good clean

When it’s time to give your vehicle a wash, don’t forget about your rack. A bit of dirt is inevitable, but if you let it build up too much you’ll be at risk of damaging the paint and pads. Fortunately, Rhino-Rack products are low maintenance, so you can go ahead and use the same products that you would normally use to wash your car.

For the best wash, remove your rack from the top of your vehicle and avoid automatic washing stations and any abrasive or petroleum-based products. Your roof rack will thank you (and so will your bank account!).

2. Maintain your racks by going over the mounting hardware

As part of your maintenance check, you’ll want to ensure the mounting position is still correct. You can do this by having a read through your installation instructions or watching Rhino-Rack’s video guides. Once you’ve double-checked it’s in the right spot, go ahead and tighten the mounting hardware in accordance with the recommendations in the instructions for your specific vehicle.

3. Make sure your rack is still fitted correctly

Once you’ve checked over and tightened the mounting hardware, give the racks a good shake with your hands to make sure they are still fitted correctly. If they slide from side to side or if there is any movement in the racks, they are not fitted correctly.

If this happens, go back through the installation instructions to ensure everything is tightened and ready for adventure.

Now that you know how to care for your roof racks, don’t wait until next Valentine’s Day to do it again! These maintenance checks should be done regularly, especially before a long trip and after a road trip (particularly if the track was a lot of fun). In fact, it’s a good idea to make sure you have the necessary tools on hand when travelling in the event of a rack emergency!