# 1
Thule Hullavator Pro Kayak Roof Rack and Lift Assist w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Universal Mount
I've had the Thule Hullavator system on my RAV4 for one year now and am totally satisfied! I kayak alone so I needed a system that would allow me to get my kayak on top of my vehicle. As I am almost 70 this system helps me out a lot and I appreciate it every time I load the kayak! Makes loading/unloading "easy peasy". Still works great one year later!
The instructions were a little confusing. The use of MM was not something I was use to using in a product. I was able to find a ruler that measured in MM. I had to measure each bolt in order to find the correct set. Another concern is how each product was dependent on each other. This was not clear in the instructions. I feel that part of the problem was that the instructions were in multiple languages. This resulted in the English instructions being too brief.
# 2
Rhino-Rack Nautic SUP or Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
INSTALLED AND WORKS AWESOME,,THANK YOU,, I SELL AUTOMOTIVE TIRES AND SERVICE AND OWN MY OWN SHOP AND E-TRAILER HAS BEEN AN AWESOME PARTNER TO HAVE !!
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.
# 3
Thule SUP Taxi XT Stand-Up Paddleboard Carrier - Roof Mount - 2 Boards
looking forward to using my new racks. Thank you E Trailer.
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
# 4
Yakima ShowDown Kayak or SUP Roof Rack and Lift Assist w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
Wow is all I can say. I put the Malone cross bars on and then this went up in less than an hour. For an older very petite woman, It went up very easy. Yes, be aware shorties: you need a step stool to be able to get the rack up. I have a folding one that will go in my car. Yep so glad I did this. Thank you Paul B for the help in getting exactly what I needed.
Boxes were in rough shape from shipping but racks were in perfect shape inside. Seems well made and hopefully will be a good replacement for my hullavator which have broken gas shocks.
# 5
Yakima Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style w/ Rollers - Clamp On
Looks good. Fits good. My truck is tall. I am small. The rear roller rack makes loading the kayaks easy enough. I have not traveled with them yet.
This combo makes loading and unloading a quick and easy one man job.
# 6
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.
Our kayak club has many members that use this carrier. Since I have back issues, I will use mine on a Malone Eco Light trailer toted from to/from the water using a kayak carrier. Note: Being on a low trailer and so 'accessible', instead of the wingnuts, I bought metric hex nuts to double-nut the bolts to add some security.
# 7
Lockrack Adjustable XL Watersport Carrier - Canoe, Kayak, or 2 SUPs - Side Loading - Universal Mount
It works just like it was described. It locks tight, and the kayak does not move at all. I never have liked working with straps, now I won't have to.
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.
# 8
Thule Compass Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On
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.
# 9
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.
# 10
Rhino-Rack Nautic Roof Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
INSTALLED AND WORKS AWESOME,,THANK YOU,, I SELL AUTOMOTIVE TIRES AND SERVICE AND OWN MY OWN SHOP AND E-TRAILER HAS BEEN AN AWESOME PARTNER TO HAVE !!
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.
# 11
Inno Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
Decent tie-downs but a bit of work to tie everything down and get the kayak settled, especially with a heavier kayak around 50 pounds and 12 feet long. The rubber pads do their job a little too well in that case!
I purchased a car rack system as well as the kayak carrier and it arrived in only two days! It was easy to put on and fits my 2013 Hyundai Tucson Limited perfectly. I picked up my new kayak the next day and mad it home with no issue what so ever. I am very satisfied with this product.
# 12
Thule DockGrip Kayak and Paddle Board Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
Installed it today on my Thule rack. Great product!
The problem: How to transport kayaks with smaller vehicle as weight of cross & kayak racks plus kayaks was above vehicle roof weight limits. So I shopped for a "kayak" trailer. The people at etrailer made the ordering process easy and successful to complete this project. Great trailer, impressed with the size & strength of frame, and assembly went together as instructed. Installed bunk boards and mounted Thule DockGrip for Kayaks. This for me is an easier and safer way to transport kayaks. Thank you etrailer...
# 13
Thule SUP Shuttle Stand-Up Paddleboard Carrier with Tie-Downs - Roof Mount - 2 Boards
Very easy to install on roof rack. Just be careful not to lose one of the rubber pieces that help protect your board. They can easily fall off of the rope when tying your board to the rack.
With a little help from youtube, this was one of the easiest things I've ever assembled! LOVE my new SUP rack!!
# 14
Inno Locker Watersport Roof Rack w/ Crossbar Pads - Locking - Clamp On
Heavy duty. Easy enough to install. Instructions aren't great, but you can figure it out. The crane is a good idea in theory, but could use some design refinement as it only lifts just enough to tuck a paddleboard underneath. The rachet system is great and the rubber coverings for the wires are super helpful for preventing scratches.
This company couldn’t make these products any easier to setup! Had my roof rack built and installed in roughly an hour (double checking on measurements). I’ll gladly do business again if I need any trailer/roof rack needs. Quick to email notifications for updates as well.
# 15
Swagman Exo Aero Rooftop Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
Hi Carol, I emailed my feed back. Out here in the sticks your website couldnt load properly. It a great product. Perfect for this light duty purpose.
Works well for me. As other reviews have mentioned, the rubber pad is quite grippy which makes it hard to slide a boat once it is on the racks. However, that grippiness also means the boat stays put and it doesn't take much strap tension to lock things in place. This rack eliminates any concerns of the boat twisting from wind even without bow or stern lines.
# 16
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.
# 17
Malone SaddleUp Pro Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
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.
# 18
Malone MegaWing Fishing Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
Great product for my kayaks. Great experience with etrailer as usual. I recently restored a trailer and converted it for kayaks. Purchased all hubs, bearings, races, lights, etc from etrailer. It's the go to place for trailer products.
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.
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