Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform Installation

[clandr1]

Hi all,
I recently picked up a like new condition Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform. I plan on installing it using a combination of the items below. Has anyone installed on of these, and if so, can you give me any suggestions or tips? I'm not sure the $315 set of SX100 legs will work with my factory roof rails after doing some studying of them online.

Here is my game plan right now:

1. Remove my factory cross bars
2. Put these strut nuts inside my factory roof rack rails (I recently saw a YouTube video where a guy makes a roof rack for a GMT800 entirely out of strut nuts and channels)

Superstrut 3/8 in. Strut Channel Spring Nut (5-Pack) ZA1003/8EG-10 - The Home Depot

The self-aligning 3/8 in. Channel Spring Nuts (5-Pack) are designed to provide resistance to pull-out and side slip in excess of the full strength of the channels with which they are used. These nuts offer a silver electroplated finish and are designed for use with A and C series channels and...

www.homedepot.com

3. Install these fixed mounts to the roof rack rails using the strut channel nuts

SRM Rack Mounting Kit - Fixed Mount

This optional direct roof mounting kit allows you to install the SRM Rack onto the roof or bed of a vehicle without the need of crossbars.

www.gorhino.com

4. Install the platform to the fixed mounts using this hardware:

#SP308 - Pioneer NG Rhino-Rack Backbone 4 Bolt Kit |

Pioneer NG Rhino-Rack Backbone 4 Bolt Kit

www.rhinorack.com

Here is a link to the rack I picked up:

#52100F - Pioneer Platform (60" x 49") Unassembled |

The Pioneer Platform is the ultimate load carrying solution for your vehicle.

www.rhinorack.com

Here is a link to the mounting legs Rhino Rack says I need for my application, but I'm not certain will work.

#SX100 - Vortex SX Leg (x4) |

The SX roof rack system is designed specifically for use with roofs that feature rails. Easy to install and remove, it comes with security hardware to protect your racks against theft.

www.rhinorack.com

 

[clandr1]

After watching a ton of videos and thinking through this, I'm just going to order the SX100 leg set since it should work with my rack, and I learned it will also work with my wife's 4Runner so it'll be nice to be able to move the rack between vehicles, if needed.

 

[clandr1]

Update: so the SX100 legs didn't work since I bought a rack that was officially (per Rhino Rack) too narrow to work with my application. I ended up mostly going with the parts I originally listed in the OP, and it worked great! Only deviation was that the strut channel nuts didn't work (it would've taken some grinding to get them to fit sideways and I didn't want to have to do that), so I ended up using the backbone bolt kit to secure the mounts to the factory rails, and to secure the rack to the mounts.

It was pretty tough to slide the backbone bolts in the channel (I installed them from the rear of the vehicle and had to install the mounts so I had enough leverage/material to grab onto to slide them forward into place), but they are solid and I'm happy with how it all turned out.

Here is what I ended up using:

Two sets of these (12 total):

#SP309 - Pioneer NG Rhino-Rack Backbone 6 Bolt Kit |

Pioneer NG Rhino-Rack Backbone 6 Bolt Kit

www.rhinorack.com

One set of these (4 total):

SRM Rack Mounting Kit - Fixed Mount

This optional direct roof mounting kit allows you to install the SRM Rack onto the roof or bed of a vehicle without the need of crossbars.

www.gorhino.com