Rhino Rack Gas Bottle Holder (9Lb) RGBH4

Why I got it:---------------I picked up this little beauty to securely mount a propane bottle to my Hitch Bike Rack (A Tray-style 4-bike rack from Thule) and keep the tank outside of the passenger-area/trunk of my vehicle. Also to free-up interior cargo-space.Quick-take:---------------I thought it was pretty over-priced for just straps on a ring. But the load spreader is very well thought-out, beefy, and made with many stainless-steel parts. The value is there but it's not obvious at a glance.However there are a few niggly flaws that persist and take away from what otherwise could be an excellent premium product.All-in-all kudos need to be given because there's very little options available in this solution space short of making your own device. The value is there and I would buy it again. Though a few improvements could really make a big difference and possibly lower the cost of the assembly.Review/Use-Case:-----------For me this worked extremely well holding a 5 Lbs. propane bottle between bikes in the #1 & #2 position on my Thule Tray-rack (Pro XT). I even tried it with two smaller kids bikes (24" & 16") and amazingly there was still clearance so that the pedals did not contact the bottle. Now I no longer need to worry keeping a propane bottle inside the vehicle on those hot summer days as we trek across country. Nor do I worry about the bottle rolling around or an item falling on it inside vehicle or a child stepping on it! Storing a propane bottle outside, just like it's done on every RV, is the way to go and this product delivers (you might say it over-delivers see below).Pros:-------1). Sturdy well-thought out load spreader.2). Many high-quality hardware bits make-up the load spreader.3). Novel Strap concept (circle ring)4). Rubber grip/anti-slip adhesive strips included for load spreader's spring*High-quality ratchet strap (is over-kill) with three niggling minor flaws).Cons:-------1). The ratchet strap is over-kill. Two cam-buckles would suffice and improve the product. Especially if they both had protective sleeves.The problem with the ratcheting come-along is that it's so powerful it can deform the springy portion of the load spreader. Possibly they need to beef-up and thicken the springy U-shaped part to compensate. Or else have a lower degree of engagement on the ratchet itself to reduce the "throw" with each click.The ratchet-strap on one side when paired with the Cam-buckle on the other side make it a bit clumsy to use when mounting to a slightly narrow beam/rail. Needs three hands to install (or lots of patience).2). Although the ratchet mechanism is possibly made from stainless steel (time will tell, but that is my guess), it's rubber grip/handle continuously slides off as you crank it to come-along so given the quality of the rest of the system that's a bit dis-appointing especially when paired with the over-powering problem. Secondly there is no protective rubber on the underside of the ratchet mechanism (or the cam-buckle) so it can easily scratch your gas bottle (propane tank). The folks at Rhino should consider using only cam-buckles (2) but improved ones having protecting rubber sleeves like for kayak/canoe straps to prevent scratching your gas-bottle.3). No pad/cup/bumper for the underside of the gas bottle (propane tank) itself to avoid scratching your rig (or whatever you happen to mount your gas bottle onto. For a premium product at this price-point this minor oversight is just vinegar in the eye. I jury-rigged up a small piece of plywood to suit. I'll have to throw a coat of paint on my plywood so it's not so ugly. There's a competing product available in AUS which addresses this lack of mount, please follow-suit.Details:---------- The Rhino-Rack RGBH4 straps work exceedingly well to hold your gas bottle securely to your mounting location. Quite literally in fact! The ratcheting come-along is so strong it will over-power the stainless steel U-shaped saddle/spring above the black load spreader and thus bend and deform itself around whatever you happen to secure it to (in my case the Thule's central beam/bar). However this did not impact the utility of the product, quite the opposite, my propane bottle was so secured, when grabbing the bottle's integral handle I could flex & move my entire Van's suspension because everything was moving together as a single rigid entity without any detectable play. My maiden test voyage was a >800 km [500 mi] trip across rough rural range roads with dips and bumps and rail crossings all along the way. The tank didn't move a millimeter and the bike's pedals never scratched the tank either. I've seen a review elsewhere noting this product might be better with two cam-lock buckles instead of the ratchetting come-along. I would agree with this observation at the outset for my situation. As noted It's kind of fiddly to secure the whole unit together while dealing with the ratchet with the bottle (load) balanced on a narrow beam just about the same width as the bottle's base. I will in the future only use the cam-buckle side for adjustments as I can get the unit installed, and tight enough to not have any play from the cam-buckle alone. Going even one ratchet click two far is the difference between loose and "bent/deformed spring." I've created a second bend in the load spring so it looks like a flat "W" instead and now is form fitting to my situation. I expect many years (15+) of reliable use to come!Thanks Rhino-Racks I would have spent way more than an afternoon to scour hardware stores and rig up my own similar device. From package opening to secure bottle it took me under ten minutes (including assembly). Now it takes less than 30 seconds to mount the propane tank to my bike rack! Sweet !!!

i got used and got some missing parts. cannot install. just returned..

This item was a previous return as when I received it the box was re-taped. Pieces were missing and just just didn't want the hassle of returning it.

Lovely product. You can never go wrong with Rhino Rack