Best Mazda 3 Watersport Carriers

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.

Just installed it. So far so good. Ran 2 bike cables side to side with 4 pad locks to secure it for the summer,

4 on canoe rack only because of supplied lower bracket for cross member attachment.

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.

These pads worked well on our Yakima RailBar Crossbars- Item #Y00448-0449 that we also bought from etrailer around 2020/2021. Not sure if etrailer carries the exact Yakima Crossbars anymore, but think they have a similar model. Both the pads and crossbars work well to haul our kayak on our 2019 Subaru Forester. etrailer's customer service rocks! We had a lot of questions purchasing both items and they were great to talk to!

The product came quickly and was so easy to install on my existing roof rails! It is absolutely perfect to fit many needs above and beyond my kayaks and paddle boards. They look so good on my new 2019 Jag F-Pace I might leave them on all the time.

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.

Incredibly easy to install and adjust for a perfect fit. If you’re at least 5’9” you will have no issue hoisting your kayak up onto the rack. The rotation makes this very easy. Absolutely no noise while driving. Secure, tough — I’m very pleased and would recommend this product to anyone!

They fit well and I feel my Kayak is safe tied down correctly.

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.

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!

Arrived quickly and was very easy to assemble and attach to the roof of my Jeep. Now that I have the initial setup complete with the proper placement of the entire system, attaching and removing the kayaks will be a breeze. Will definitely make hauling our kayaks much easier and safer.

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.

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)

The Hullivator was for my wife to give her the option of loading and unloading by herself. It couldn’t be better. She now goes kayaking anytime she wants with little effort and no need for me to help her. Excellent product that’s worth every cent. Was super easy to install too.

better than AAmazzon

Price was good and customer service was excellent!

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...

Good product, easy to install though as one reviewer mentioned, the heads of the phillips head screws easily strip out and I did so, even when forewarned. The only improvement would be if the angles were adjustable to better fit individual boats. Never-the-less the brackets are working great.

Here are some more pics. Very happy with the racks, tie downs and pads. Easy to install, very secure. Love the straps. They have protection around the buckle to protect the board and built in velcro to hold the straps together when not in use.

A few more pics to shown the board on the racks. Easy to install. Feel very secure.

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.

High quality materials, great design and the directions to install were excellent. The design of the product is great, I can now carry both of my kayaks on my car. And I have the advantage of carrying them two different ways. I love this pro

On my second attempt to find a carrying rack for a Pelican Mustang 100x recreational/fishing kayak, I took great care seeking out a rack that would provide at least six contact points for the boat. The kicker is trying to get good contact points to securely cradle the shape of the Mustang 100x "twin arched multi chine hull" while also cradling the edge of the deck. Delta kayaks calls a similarly shaped hull a "fusion hull". After doing a ton of google advanced searches for images for a racked up Mustang kayak model, I concluded a J-Style carrier seemed to be a secure solution. The etrailer J-Style - Folding carrier has solved the equation, and for a very reasonable price. Paired with a Sherpa Boat Roller, my 5' 4" wife can load and un-load her Mustang 100x kayak on her own for her afternoon paddles on nearby waterways. Now she needs a cockpit cover to keep out the rain, and her carrying system is complete. And etrailer made it an easy return of the first rack system I tried. Thanks etrailer!

We purchased the carrier for our 2011 Sienna to add to our factory installed roof rack. My 15 year old and I manage using it all the time with no issues. We’ve put both our double and our single kayaks up top with no issues. We leave our rack on all the time and have noticed some sun damage to the foam and plastic, so will it last forever in the TX heat? Probably not, but for the price and ease of use, I’d gladly buy another in a few years. Thank you. I reference the YouTube video whenever I forget exactly how the toe downs go, it’s so helpful. Happy customer.

These kayak J-style racks worked great, AFTER I went to the hardware store and spent $20 on bolts that actually fit my truck rack. It comes with 2-5/8” mounting bolts that aren’t adequate for a heavy truck rack ( mines a Best.Wyle). I had to buy 4” bolts, lock washers, and nuts). I also wish the locking teeth were mitered instead of square. That would make them less prone to breaking and easier to align.

In the meantime, that boy is not to be in this house ever again These kayak carriers are fantastic! They combine with downloaders to make it possible for my wife and I in our advancing years to get our kayaks on top of our car.

Jeep wangler 2024 4xe with skyone touch top .Amazing the setup for my fishing kayak 12 feet. Everyone was looking at my setup on the road , and it was secure. Big thx to Kurt w & Paul B to recomand this kayak setup 10/10 www.Etrailer.com

I can't lift my kayak onto my roof rack like I could when I was younger. This looked like a perfect answer to keep me actively using my kayak. It is simple to use, but it does take some strength as you have to lift your kayak onto the loader and must lift the kayak up onto the roof rack as it only loads to just before the top, so keep that in mind. The legs need to be about 6" - 8" longer as mine don't touch the ground at the connectors. I can only reach the ground with them lowered to where they are almost out of the holder. They also touch the Jeep, so I am going to have to carry something to fit between the loader and the Jeep to prevent scratching the door paint. I think if the legs were longer and they fit with both the holder/connectors then I think they might not touch the Jeep. I would have given 5 stars if the legs were long enough. It works with both my moulded J rack and my fold down J rack. It works with both style of kayaks, rounded and straight hulls.

I used the rack to carry my wind surfing board for a ten hour trip to outer banks. Installation went well and easily.Loved design and ease to load and unload as well as to secure rack. One caution though. After riding for about 30 miles I stopped to check cable and had to retighten the cables which had slackened slightly due, I think, to amount of cable on source spool. Had to tighten about two clicks. The board was not in jeopardy of becoming separated from rack.

My representative who helped me was the most helpful representative that I have come in contact with. All representatives are very helpful, but she stood out as she assisted me from start to finish on my order. This is exactly why I use e-trailer for my shopping experiences.

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.

Unfortunately I did not have the best of luck with this product . I spoke with the company multiple times to ensure this would work with my rack. It did not. This system is made to work ONLY on a roof rack . I have a truck with a rack and a slot in the middle . We had to make different bolts and holders to install this. For using 2 Paddleboards we also had to modify the back of the racks holders to actually touch the boards to hold them in place . After the modifications and many many adjustments we have it working and it does hold great.

'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.

My wife and I purchased the Rhino Rack Nautic Stack to transport 4 kayaks. We considered similar products by Yakima and Thule, but the acceptable weight limit for the Rhino Rack was there deciding factor. Each of our kayaks weighs 38lbs, and the Rhino Rack was the only item that could handle this load. We were very pleased with etrailer's service and advice. George was extremely helpful. I would highly recommend buying the hood anchors and an extra set of the down straps. The tire down straps are far superior to ratchet-type tie downs that you buy elsewhere - they are strong and SOOO easy to use. I highly recommend the Nautic Stack and etrailer. P.s. we use a bike lock for the Rhino Rack and for our kayaks and they work great for overnight theft protection when we take the kayaks out of town.