# 1
Lockrack Adjustable XL Watersport Carrier - Canoe, Kayak, or 2 SUPs - Side Loading - Universal Mount
The keys are an issue (wish they were metal), but everything else is great! I go sunrise kayaking only and hate putting straps on with cold hands at 3:30 in the morning. I have a Nissan Pathfinder and was able to put this on with another set of Malone J-hooks so that I can have a second kayak when I go with someone. Once the fear subsides of it possibly falling off, you realize how quick and easy this thing is to use. It takes me 1 minute instead of 9-18 minutes to get my kayak up and secure. I have tested it at 75mph without any jiggling or issues. I sat on this in my shopping cart forever and finally pulled the trigger. If you kayak at least 10 times a year or are going at high speeds for extended periods of time in warm weather, totally worth it. If not, well, there are cheaper options out there.
Rec'd earlier this week, so today i will install. The item was obviously a return. The logos are nearly scratched off in places, all the items were loosely thrown in the box, and the 10mm wrench and hex key were missing. i think everything else is there. The keys should be a bright color instead of black, some spray paint will fix that. Anyhoo, i am a little disappointed.
# 2
Malone Kayak Storage Rack for 3 Kayaks - Free Standing - 250 lbs
Missing a majority of nuts and bolts so was unable to assemble. Came quickly but now sitting in garage. Seems solid.
The storage rack works great. It's exactly what I needed.
# 3
Malone Stax Pro2 Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Post Style - Folding - Clamp On
Needed a rack to haul my kayaks on my jeep patriot and this price was unbeatable. Works well, though I did not like using the foam blocks. Good first rack for new kayakers.
We needed a carrier solution that folded down easily because of our garage door height. The Malone Pro2 Kayak Carrier has performed flawlessly over the past year. The kayaks remain stable and never shift even at freeway speeds. The foam blocks fit our crossbar well and offered a rattle free ride, which is nice. The one drawback to this system is how difficult it can be to actually route the straps. Without a ladder, it can be nearly impossible to get the strap over the kayak and hooked into the carrier properly. After you find a system that works for you, it becomes easier but I still think that the stationary carriers are more user friendly in that regard.
# 4
Thule Stacker Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Post Style - Folding - Clamp On
We needed a better way to haul around 3 kayaks and after looking at a number of options, we settled on the Thule Stacker setup. Installation is simple and the stackers provide a sturdy option for hauling multiple kayaks. One of the best features is that they fold down when you don't need to use them. My shopping experience with etrailer was smooth and shipping was prompt.
My wife uses these to carry two small kayaks in the roof of her Subaru. They work great and we very happy with the purchase. She also likes finding her car easier in the parking lots, even with the carriers folded down.
# 5
Swagman Tajo Wall Mounted Kayak Rack
Ordering was very easy and I really like the fact that I had reviews from others "with pictures". That helped me tremendously. The items came within 2 days (WOW). I didn't expect that. They are exactly like show and I will be installing them today. I don't expect any problems. (update after installation) I have now installed and I would have given a rating of Excellent, but I did not because of 1 problem I had. The screws that come with the product are soooo cheap that they all began to strip out as I installed them. And yes I was using the right Phillips head bit and I even had my drill set to stop if it hit resistance. The Phillips head has very small cross threads. If you look at the pics you'll see what I mean. This Phillips head is too small of threads for a larger 2" screw like this. As such, I ended up having to spend $20 on a screw extraction product (Grabit drill extraction) to get 1 of them out. I since replaced all these crappy screws with ones with better heads that are made of actual metal, not paper-mache that looks like metal. By the way, the Grabit screw extraction tool works great... Now that they're up, they look great and do perform exactly like I expected. I would definitely recommend these...
First of all, eTrailer was great, fast shipping and follow-up emails, even after delivery. I have 2 kayaks so I ordered 2 pairs of the Swagman Tajo Wall Mounts. The wall mounts went up fine. I like the way I can pull the pin and swing the empty racks toward the wall. I mounted mine high on the exposed garage studs. Next we picked up the kayaks and turned them and set them in the brackets. They went in easy and secure. Next we just strapped them in just for extra security. The Kayaks stick out about 16" from the wall, well out of the way of the garage doors, our truck and SUV.
# 6
Thule Portage Canoe Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - Gunwale Brackets - Side Loading
As all Thule products the Thule universally mounted canoe carrier is great. It came with all required items for safe and easy canoe transportation. There are two straps with pull to fasten for the canoe down, two tie down ropes for each end with nice pull tight and release mechanisms for the cord as well, along with two straps to fasten to the canoe ends used with the pull to tighten cords. The Chevy traverse cross bar had to have the plastic end caps removed for use with Thule canoe carrier. This was because my canoe took up the entire cross bar width to allow for Thule mounts. It is not a big deal to remove the plastic end caps. They only provide a finished stream lined look. Happy and Safe Canoeing
After retiring my 1999 Chevy Silverado 4x4 pickup, I purchased a 2017 Subaru Outback as a replacement vehicle. To transport my 1981 17 foot QT17C Alumacraft canoe on the factory installed roof rack crossbars that came with the Outback, I selected the Thule Portage Canoe Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - Gunwale Brackets - Side Loading - TH819 to do the trick. With one previous transport of the canoe sitting directly on the Outback roof racks, I realized those Outback roof racks were not as durable as the racks on my truck so I sought an improvement to avoid future scuffing and scratching. I did some advance research online and couldn’t be more pleased with this purchase from etrailer.com. I now have a quality product at the right price and these gunwale brackets are a simple solution for this veteran canoe man. The padded brackets grip the canoe and stopped the scratches. The high-quality load straps are nice with the rubber pad that covers the buckle and they easily snug the canoe tight to the racks. I’m also impressed with the bow/stern tie downs that have a very nice ratchet and clip on one end and I secured the supplied hook with a bowline knot to the other end of the ¼ inch rope. The Outback did not have convenient anchor points on the front or back of the vehicle for tie down locations but I found a good solution there as well by ordering the Thule Bow/Stern Tie-Downs - Qty 2 - TH530. This works well with the tie downs I mentioned previously. One limitation to be aware of with the Subaru Outback roof racks and this product is the width of your canoe. My 17-footer measures 34 inches at its widest point at the portage yoke. I had to place the four brackets up tight against the inside roof mounting to achieve the spread and accommodate the canoe placement. The canoe ended up fitting like a glove on the padded brackets. When placing the strap to hold the canoe down to the crossbars, I ran the strap through the vehicles tie down points and then under the crossbars for added security. Total product installation time including securing the canoe can easily be achieved in approximately 20 minutes. I look forward to many more years of safe and happy canoeing. I give etrailer.com an excellent rating for the entire ordering and shipping process on top of the high level of satisfaction with the products I purchased through them. Their customer service and price ensured me that I’ll do more business with them in the future.
# 7
Malone MegaWing Fishing Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
Best solution i could find for a 95# 12’ fishing kayak for a F150 with a roof rack (i have a thule removable). It performs really well. Only complaint would be rubber coating on brackets that go under the truck rack rail cracked so i worry ot may come off with age. I still recommend this. I pull a travel trailer so I couldn’t use a bed extender & the roof was my best solution.
I am very happy with this purchase. I ordered two sets to hold my two large ocean kayaks on my roof rack. The kayaks are approximately 34” wide and I was concerned how sturdy the mounts would be but the reinforced plastic feels very durable and accommodated the width of my kayaks easily. Mounting to my Yakima aero bars was no problem with the hardware provided. I used the longer screws and there was plenty of length to thread on the nuts and the screws have plenty of clearance from my roof. The included straps are also of a heavier webbing than I expected. I assumed I would use my own but the kit straps With locking adjusters are nicer. I did not use the Included front and rear rope straps as I do not Trust the knots and takes too long to get it tight enough to feel secure. An additional set of ratchet straps does the trick. Overall I am super satisfied with the quality and value of these kayak holders and very glad I went with these over some of the J-style options which would have added substantially more height to my vehicle.
# 8
Yakima JayLow Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On
This is a nice quality rack with all of the required straps and adapters included in one kit. The only issue I have with this model is that it does not firmly fit my Malone aero style crossbars and "leans" to the rear when mounted. I doubt it will come off when snug on the cross bars but it does leaves a sloppy appearance. It also will not "straddle" the cross bar feet as shown in the mounting instructions and diagrams so both of my kayaks are left toward the middle of the roof and difficult to reach for stow and go.
Great product and great customer service! Very easy to install, but I highly recommend to watch the installation video first. We used typical black office clips to clip the excess straps down since they came untangled when driving. Also, I recommend to purchase locks for the racks since we are concerned someone may steal them because they are so easy to take on and off.
# 9
Rhino-Rack Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Fixed - Clamp On
I installed these as soon as I got them and I’ve got to say, there are some extra holes for screws that are a tad misleading and the pieces that secure it to the cross bars don’t seem super secure. For reference, I do have Rhino Rack’s vortex crossbars so this should fit snug. The rubber tops were tough to get into place and I am worried they’ll snap when I go to remove my rack but Rhino Rack has yet to fail me with their products so I bet it’ll work out great!
This is a great product. As a novice kayaker I was nervous. The assembly was easy with clear instructions. My sales professional Crystal K. was a pleasure to work with. She knew the answers to all my questions. From placing the order to the delivery I am very satisfied. I will be using etrailer again. I can't wait to get my kayaks to the water.
# 10
etrailer Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On
Brought home a new kayak yesterday using this J cradle for the first time. Easy to set up and load. Two complaints: not impressed with the strap buckles - had to tie knots to secure. And the 3-inch bolts weren’t long enough to easily attach the cradle to my Rhino Rack crossbars, so I had to replace them. Also got my finger pinched pretty good adjusting the cradle knobs - my fault for not being more careful, but just saying …
Great product for the price - The cradles were very easy to mount (and lay flat once folded). The videos were helpful in showing how to set the straps in the most efficient way. I test-drove my car today with my fishing kayak on top on a 80-mile round trip (a mix of freeway, country road and dirt tracks). The kayak was perfectly still, no particular wind noise and I was able to muscle to kayak up the roof and take it down on my own (it's a 52 lbs boat). I really recommend that product and I'm glad I went for J-Style cradles!
# 11
Malone SeaWing Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
Easy loading with a secure tie-down. This is the kayak carrier you should get the first time. I've used flat bars with foam pads - they deform the hull of plastic boats. I've used J-hook style carriers which work well and hold the boat securely without hull deformation, but they increased the windage and are too hard to load on the top of a 4WD pickup. The Malone SeaWings let me slide the kayak on from the rear of the cab while standing in the pickup bed. I use an old bath mat to protect the cab and I can have the boat loaded and tied down in about 5-10 minutes. I also think the load is much more secure than any of the other carriers I've used, especially if the tie-down strap is wrapped around the load bar. The design of the SeaWing puts the main load out on the curved portion of the hull rather than across the flatter area of the bottom and totally avoids deforming the hull. In 90-100 degree heat this is very important to me. Great product. I'll probably get a second pair so I can load two boats on the truck.
We are very pleased with this product. My wife's 12.5" and my 17" kayaks are easy to load, tie down and, hold them both securely for highway speeds. Once we are at the launch site, kayaks are just as easily offloaded. Great design, simple and elegant.
# 12
Malone SeaWing Kayak Roof Rack w/ Load Assist and Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
I am happy with my purchase of the Malone SeaWing with the load assist feature. I use it a lot and it is holding up well. I have square crossbars, and the wing base can be flipped over during assembly to fit square bars perfectly. The load assist really does make it easy to get my 14 and 16 foot kayaks on the car by myself. Another reviewer stated that the load assist feature put black streaks on his thermoformed kayak, and I had the same experience. I fixed that by wrapping heavy duty, double sided Velcro around the areas of contact, and that has worked fine. They are still in place one year later. Four stars because Malone should have covered the load assist sliders in a non-marking material.
The lift assist would not work with a skin on frame kayak. Repeated use would damage the skin. You can see in the pic that the load assist pushes in on the skin, and would not slide all the way into the storage position without lots of pressure on the kayak. Etrailer would not take retuttome inern since I installed the rack, but there was no way to know without trying. So bottom line - don't try to use this on a skin on frame kayak. And don't count on etrailer for returns when they sell a product that doesn't work as advertised.
# 13
Rhino-Rack Nautic SUP or Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
After attempting to mount the individual rack pieces using the “burglar proof” button head screws with the pin in the recess and the short hex wrench with the hollowed out end I discovered that no real burglar would want the rack but would rather have the kayak so the first thing I did after spending 10 minutes trying to insert the hex into the button head screws with the pin inside the recess and attempting to turn the bolts and continually being obstructed by the support pieces and the paint interference on the bolt heads with trying to get the wrench into the recess I knew it was going to be a long frustrating process so I threw them away and purchased new button head stainless steel bolts and a 4mm extended handle hex wrench to turn them. Smartest thing I ever did. You not only have to mount the rack initially but then you have to put the kayak on the roof and remount all pieces again to fit your boat. All kayaks are different to one degree or another. Having to move the individual support and retighten them with the boat on the rack is even more difficult to do than the initial mounting with these “burglar proof” bolts and hex wrench and you will be happy you threw them away before you started the entire process. Try it for yourself at first and then go get the alternate ones. Worth the little investment and stainless steel will not rust away when you want to remove the rack system in the future. Once the rack is on your vehicle and kayak in rack the tie downs supplied are very good quality. Make sure you use the recommended tie down locations and directions, two kayak body ties and ties at front and rear. Due to numerous kayak hull designs it would be nice to have each support pod have a horizontal swivel built into it so it readily conforms to the hull shape. The overall quality of the system should be the last rack you will have to purchase. I only had issues with the supplied bolts and hex wrench. I gave this rack system a three star because of the bolts and hex tool and the individual pods not swiveling and I haven't at this point transported the kayak anywhere so I am waiting to see how it handles long trips with wind loads and constant loading and unloading performances.
Works great. I’m 5’6” and the pivoting cradles make for easy loading and off loading. I do need a stepping stool to install the carrier on the roof rack.
# 14
Thule Hullavator Pro Kayak Roof Rack and Lift Assist w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Universal Mount
Bought a pair of these to go on 59" rhino rack bars on our Outback Wilderness and am really pleased. I left the bars full width - they are not a head banger on the car - and mounted the Hullavators as far outboard as possible which means the kayaks clear the side of the car and wing mirrors without folding them in. I did have to modify one Hullavator to make the Hobie Lynx fit (36" wide Lynx = 36" max Hullavator width)
2018 Ram 2500, wanted a way to travel with 2 sit on top kayaks, With my wife and i in our late 60's it was taking a LONG tome to get the kayaks on the roof of the bed cover. With these i can do it with a short stool. Also carrying the kayaks upside down keeps the top cleaner and stops the water from getting trapped in the kayak (and raining down on me when I unload them).
# 15
Yakima SweetRoll Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
Excellent product, easy install, secure on the crossbars, a bit lower ride height and a simple rolling mechanism. A significant improvement over my older Yakima Handroll racks.
The Sweet Roll will not support my Old Town Topwater 10.6. The brackets spread out on the crossbar under the weight. This year I will try a Yakima Big Catch. The Sweet Roll works fine with our Old Town Loons.
# 16
Swagman Contour Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Fixed - Clamp On
Have not received yet
The product is of good construction but probably due to how it fits on my crossbars it needs additional support. The crossbars for my Honda Pilot are wide blade type and these racks seem more appropriate for narrower square type crossbars. Even with the rack fastened very tightly, the rack can twist back and forth. Last year on a trip across Montana the wind was pretty gusty and it caused the front one to pivot quite a bit and we had to pull off and apply a ratcheting strap over the kayak and under the factory rails to ensure it was held tight and wouldn't move again. This year on the same trip we had bad winds but had a roof rack mounted behind these racks giving it support on the tall side. We had to strap it real good to make sure it didn't move. If we hadn't had that additional support behind it and add'l straps we probably would have had more problems. I think if the top metal bracket had a wider channel to fit our crossbars it would be much more stable. The way it is now it just sandwiches 2 metal plates between my crossbar which allows it to pivot under stress.
# 17
Rhino-Rack Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On
First experience with purchasing from etrailer. Absolutely felt that my order was personalized which is a nice touch. The Rhino Rack S512 folding JStyle Kayak holders arrived boxed impeccably with no damage whatsoever and the price was great! Fantastic first time experience. Looking forward to using them. Thank you.
Sturdy cradle and easy to install. Difficult to keep tie down strap looped over top of "U" bar while trying to get it over the kayak, keeps slipping down. We made a channel out of foam to keep the strap in place and now it is easy.
# 18
Curt Kayak Roof Rack - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On
Well made, decent price, free and fast delivery. My only complaint is about how awkward it is to get the straps up and over the kayak. But that is true of most carriers of this design.
Good quality materials and easy to install - and uninstall. Two changes would give this product 5 stars: Some type of strap holder at the top of the back rack would make it easier to strap down the kayaks and some type of security lock so someone doesn't borrow your new racks while you are out kayaking. One unique thing to remember for the 2017 Toyota RAV4: the back OEM cross bar is about 3" shorter than the front cross bar - this takes some adjustments for the placement of the racks to fit 2 kayaks and still open the rear hatch.
# 19
Thule Hull-A-Port Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Fixed - Clamp On
This product is excellent. I have transported my kayak on these J Hooks several times going 70+ mph down the highway. It never moves. The bolts that come with it are short. If you have a thick roof rack, you will need longer stainless steel bolts. Make sure you you orient the blue straps with the buckle on top so you can pull down to tighten it up.
I think the Thule Hulaport kayak racks are the best, most secure way to transport your kayaks. I had these on my Xterra and hauled two kayaks up to Cape Bretton park in Nova Scotia, Canada from Connecticut, USA no problem. We were even able to store gear in the kayaks for the trip. I’m so excited to have them for my Crosstrek. Highly recommend these!
# 20
Thule Surf Pad - Crossbar Pad for Square and Round Bars - 24" Long - Qty 2
The product arrived in a timely manner with specific information as to where it was all of the time. There was a credit card issue in the initial order and when I called I was pleasantly surprised to talk with a person who expressed sincere interest in my experience with the company The product is of high quality and is heavy duty, something which I was concerned about. It exceeded my expectations.
Product arrived in timely fashion as advertised. Easy to install. Perfect for my two kayaks.
What our customers are saying:
"Very easy process, good prices and my products were shipped on time and were delivered on time. The instructional videos online helped make installation easy!"