Best 2023 Ford Ranger Watersport Carriers

I really like these j-style folding kayak roof rack mounts. They are very low profile and I am able to leave them on while I drive a standard 5th generation 4Runner through a standard 7 foot garage door.

I rarely leave reviews but I have ordered a few items from etrailer lately and will say that I am impressed with how quickly they get my order shipped and how quickly it gets here.

The product seems great but I have not figured out how to get it safely attached to my bars. I have an Agricover Adarac on the bed of my truck and the crossbars are 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 inches square. I thought this would work well since it's for up to 3-1/2 x 1-11/16" crossbars, but it isn't secure on these. I'm going to try and figure out an alternate method for attachment though. Thule Hull-a-port Pro's are the perfect (mounting) solution but don't seem to be made any longer.

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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.

The Rhino-Rack 2 Kayak Carrier I ordered from etrailer was easily reviewed and ordered from their website and ALL communication relative to order confirmation and extreme detail included in their tracking was nothing short of phenomenal! The items were packaged with care and arrived intact. These fit our basic Lexus crossbars and is the perfect product for carrying our two (2) kayaks. My hat goes off to the great folks at etrailer -- It doesn't get any better than this!!!

These work great and I was able to install them on the OEM rack for my truck. The only downside is that the threads for the clamp hang down a little too close to the roof for comfort.

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.

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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.

Excellent trailer.

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My kayak holder works exactly as it should. All parts were included and it was an extremely easy set up. etrailer’s customer service department was on top of everything and extremely helpful in placing my order.

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The Rhino Rack cradles, straps and hardware are all good quality and I have no complaints. The only issue I have, and the reason for only a 4 star rating, is the supplied M6 x 40mm Security Head screws are too long for the factory cross bars on my roof rack. When I first installed the cradles if I had tightened the screws all the way, the ends would have dug into the roof and paint, even before I added the weight of the kayak. In checking, I can purchase some M6 x 25mm Security Head screws from Amazon, but frankly part of me feels that for what I’ve already paid for this kit I shouldn’t have to spend another $15 for the correct length screws, plus the package has 20 screws and I only need 8. However, it appears that is exactly what I will have to do. At least they will be stainless steel, rather than the cheaper material the current screws are. Plus I will have extras for when/if the head strips out. I would suggest Rhino Rack consider included in their kit two sets of screws to meet this need. Keep the length they have, Judy add a set of 25mm. I’m still happy with the purchase but not 100%. I do like how the kayak slides easily on the rear felt lined cradles. Plus Rhino Rack includes every tie down strap that you will need, e.g. one each for the bow and stern in addition to two straps intended to secure the kayak directly to the roof rack cross bars. I would highly suggest you get in the habit of using all four straps, you really don’t need to have a gust of wind lifting the nose and tearing the roof rack off your vehicle. Can happen! My brother-in-law lost his roof rack exactly in this manner. So happy yakking and safe travels down the road. By the way I have paired these cradles with the Rhino Rack RTL002 T-Load Hitch Mounted Load Assist and Support Bar for 2” Hitches also purchased from eTrailer. I’ve attached some photos showing my first and second attempts to solve my dilemma. I need to order the replacement screws. First attempt after dark was a large flat washer, then the next day I added some nuts under the large washer. NOTE: Photos may post in reverse order.

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This product was very easy to install. I had it installed in about 15 minutes and my kayak on the roof a few minutes later. The only issue I had was one of the tie-down straps was broken (stitching was not complete or something). Other than that, this product was great! The customer service (Carol and Neil) were great also, helping with the strap problem. Thank you again!

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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.

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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!

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I wanted to share the items I used to be able to haul two Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 kayaks on my 2006 Scion xB. This may help others who struggle with deciding what to use. I am pleased with my purchase and hope this helps. I originally thought I wanted the Thule Hull-A-Port Aero, but they discontinued making the fit kit for their roof rack systems and I ended up going with the Kuats. I am glad that they didn’t make the fit kit for approximately $[XX] and so they missed out on the rest of my business. Here are the items I used for anyone interested – pictures included. Custom DK Fit Kit for 4 Rhino-Rack 2500 Series Roof Rack Legs - Naked Roof #DK138, Kuat Class 4 V2 Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - 1 Kayak - Black #KU53VR and these are really cool, Rhino-Rack 2500 Series Legs for Vortex Aero Crossbars - Naked Roofs or Fixed Mounting Points - Qty 4 #RRRLKVA, Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero Crossbars - Aluminum - Black - 54" Long - Qty 2 #RRVA137-B2. The 54” crossbars fit really well and the perfect length in my opinion and it doesn’t stick out like the longer ones would. Also purchased two sets of these Malone QuickLash T-Style Hood Loops for Bow and Stern Tie-Downs - Qty 2 #MPG308.

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This review is based on my experience installing these racks and using them to carry my boat on one trip. I bought these because a previous review praised their low air noise, they appear to be quick to mount, and came with locks, and were $100 less than major brands which did not come with locks. The process of mounting them went well. I chose to use the straps because this would be easier to put on and off than the T-slot. I found the strap a little tricky to engage, but anticipate this will go away with practice and as I get the tension adjusted. However, I have two concerns. Most importantly, the but of metal that covers the key slot is stiff. On one lock, I find it quite difficult to fit the key into the lock because this cover does not move easily. I'm worried that this will become more difficult with time, rendering the lock inoperable. At best, it is a nuisance. Secondly, there is more slop in the hinge than I expected. The upright end can wiggle about 1.5 inches. In practice, this may be a non-issue. When closed, magnets keep the upright in position. Once I loaded my kayak, I didn't detect any wiggle. The saddles did a good job of holding my kayak. The kayak was more secure than with the "Stackers" I have been using. There are some nice touches: On the up-right there is a slot for the strap so it is always in position. The bottom cradle also has slots for the strap to keep them secure (for those who's cradles are position such that the strap is not captured by the cross-bar upright). The cradle came with straps for the cradles plus bow and stern. I must give these a mixed review. They have a good buckle that does not let the strap slip so that is great. But the strap itself is lighter weight than most others. OK for now but I anticipate it will fray with use. The end of one strap was not well melted, making it difficult to pass through the buckle. I'll have to re-melt that. So, a little more care could be put into the straps. Summary: Great product at a good price. I deducted 1 star because of the stiff locks and light weight straps. This is all based one one use. I wrote this review because etrailer asked and I have the impression this is a new product and needs more reviews. However, I can't say anything about durability or annoyances that appear after multiple use. If no significant problems arise, I'll eventually purchase a second set.

Wry disappointed in such an expensive rack and kayak carrier. It is extremely difficult to reach the carrier to place two kayaks. We are very uncomfortable transporting the kayaks for longer and highway travel. I would not recommend these to others. We likely will purchase something other in the future. I’d rather put the kayak in a car or pickup truck that they would fit in.

We bought this Kayak rack for my mom to put on her 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee so her and my dad could haul their kayaks easier. The mounting hardware was a little tricky at first but once we figured it out, it wasn't bad at all. It holds the kayaks in place nicely. Had no issues with them getting loose or moving around. Seems to be built well and they're very happy with it so far.

I love the racks and the add-on surfboard carrier. It's so convenient to take my surfboard and other equipment like ladders for my work on and off with this system. It's reassuring to know that they are safely secured on the highway without any additional hassle with ropes or other tie-downs.

Just used them for the first time, wish I knew of these years ago. Boards are held in place securely and extremely easy to secure using the ratcheting mechanism. The crane is a fantastic idea, wasn't sure at first but it raises the back cable enough so the board can slip under it. No more going to the other side of the car to pass the strap under and over, as one must do with buckle style straps. Great product and recommend to all surfers looking for an upgrade to a faster system to secure boards to roof racks with some built in security. Thank You INNO.

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

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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.

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Great product. Super easy install. Quick shipping. Works great!!!

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This carrier is exactly what I needed. Quality appears to be excellent. Will try it out soon.

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 …

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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!

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These are great. I had trouble finding a system I really liked but then on a trip one of our friends had these and loved them. They are simple, secure and low profile. I use them with 18’ sea kayaks. The pads flex to fit the hulls just right, the boats are super secure, no wondering around and you don’t have to strangle them into the saddles. I was worried maybe the boats wouldn’t slide easily onto them when loading but it’s no problem. One note, the slugs were just a shade too big to fit in my older TracRac slot. It took just a little work with the grinder, no big deal. Very happy.

Easily adjustable. Very happy with them after 1 year. I carry 10ft and a 12ft kayaks.

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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)

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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).

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The Yamika BigCatch Kayak met all my expectations in both quality and how easy was to install it, my kayak fit like a glove and did not moved at all from my 2 1/2 trip from Ct to my house in NJ. I first contacted etrailer through email about the specs of my SUV and Kayak, George Jiggs answered all my questions 1 day after and he recommended the Yamika for my needs. Overall it was a great purchased!

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The thing I like most about them is their shape works well with different kayak hull shapes. My old Yakima mako saddles worked well for my wildy tarpon but seemed akward with my next yak; a wildy a.t.a.k 120. The Big Catch saddles did not have that problem and fits the atak very well while still working well with the tarpon. So much so I bought a second pair to go on the trailer I just bought.

I love my Rack it came when promised and etrailer was great believe me I will be going back to them for anything else I need I am giving them a well deserved 5 stars

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The only thing better than the quality of the product was the quality of etrailer’s customer care. I had to return the Thule SUP Taxi because it was too difficult for me to tighten the straps with my arthritic hands, these wonderful folks were completely obliging, helpful and courteous!

Mounted nicely. Instructions were a bit vague, but easy enough to figure out.

My OldTown Sportsman PDL120 was shifting around to much in very windy conditions. I bought the large Yakima kayak saddles/supports from etrailer.

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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.

've previously used the Yakima Kayak Stacker (old style), which worked fine but I always worried the straps would slip off the hook at the top while I was loading boats. They also didn't fold down, so had to be removed after use unless you wanted to look odd and cause a whistle while you drove down the road. They didn't have a universal attachment option, requiring adapters depending on the style and make of your crossbars. More recently I got the Thule "The Stacker", which is a superior solution. You thread the strap through a closed loop at the top, so you don't worry about straps slipping off while you're loading boats. They fold down after use and have a universal style attachment that fits around most styles and makes of crossbars. Good stuff. I really like the straps that come with these, as there is a rubber cover that slips over the metal cam buckle to protect your car's paint while you're tossing the strap over your boats to strap everything in. In order to shuttle our boats for river trips, we needed stackers to fit on both our cars, so it was time for another set. I had never heard of Rhino Rack before, but the lower price than Thile caught my eye, so I read about them and decided to give them a try. The Rhino Rack Nautical Stack used a closed loop at the top, which I liked better than the Yakima or Malone options, and came with the hardware necessary to install them into the C-channel of my Malone aero crossbars, which I wanted to try. I remember that with the Malone stacker, you had to buy the C-channel mount hardware separately. I really like the Rhino Rack Nautical Stack. They are a single post design, unlike the loop style of the Thule "The Stacker". I don't know if this cuts down on vortex drag, but it definitely saves you a couple horizontal inches up where the boats stack. The Rhino Rack Nautical Stack has textured rubber strips on either side of the post, which I believe is intended to cut down on vortex drag, but is also quite helpful in that boats tend to slip much less when you're just leaning them up against the post as you load up before you strap them. That's smart. The Rhino Rack Nautical Stack feels really solid. The mechanism for folding them down and locking them upright is easy to use and feels solid. Installation instructions were good. I tried to install into the C-channels without removing the rubber tubing in my Malone aero crossbars, but couldn't get the little squares to slide into the slots with the rubber tubing in place, so had to cut the tubing, slide the Nautical Stacks into place, then cut down some of the tubing I had removed and replace it in the remaining unfilled crossbar slot. That's not a knock on the Nautical Stack; just a tip in case you're trying to do the same kind of install I did. The one area in which I was less impressed was the tie-down straps that come with this kit. The metal cam buckles have no covering at all, so I'll probably still use my old Yakima and Thule straps instead and use these as backups. But overall, I think these are going to work at least as well, if not better, than the Thule option, and for quite a bit less money.

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So much better than the 'C-shape' kayak holders. These things allow you to fit inside a garage, and add up to four kayaks. Very easy to use.