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# 1
Yakima JayLow Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On
Highly recommend etrailer.com. This is the second time I have used them for a product either for towing or roof racks and there service is excellent. Also they are always on the mark with regards to fit for the vehicle. The staff is very knowledgable and friendly. Would highly recommend them. I like the Yakima product I ordered and I think it looks great on the 4Runner. It was easy to install with the exception of one confusing piece of the instruction. It was not clear in the fit kit instruction manual what was being referred to adjust the spacing of the foot piece now attached to the bar (in Step 2 of installation). In addition to this etrailer video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQhsOY7zvuE this etrailer video shows it better at about minute 1:50 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IZFFJnUWc4 That screw needs to be loosened and THEN the foot will slide easily in and out when it is pushed upon. I am pointing to it with a pen in the picture in my review. Hope that helps others avoid some frustration I had. I would definitely recommend.
The JayLow kayak carrier is easy to install and does the job nicely. Great, on-time, no hassle service from etrailer. Better than that other online site!
# 2
Thule Hull-A-Port Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Fixed - Clamp On
The J-Style kayak carrier worked well for my 4Runner. I was easy to put on with the simple knob and I felt like it held securely to the aeroblade bars. I was concerned about how securely it gripped since it was on the outside of my bars, but it was solid and I felt good about it. The J shape, as opposed to carrying the kayak flat, frees up some roof space. Putting it on the outside gave me room to get the paddleboard and paddles on the roof also. No water toy left behind for the river trip. It rode well. I checked it about 100 miles into the trip and everything was still tight. I really liked the ratcheting bow and stern hooks. They were quick to put on and gave me a bit of extra warm and fuzzy, nothing is going to end up on the highway, feeling.
Perfect ... easy on, easy off and held beautifully!!
# 3
Rhino-Rack Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On
Easy to install. Used it the day it arrived. I love how easily it adjusts and folds down. It looks sturdy and durable. The straps are heavy duty and easy to use. I especially like how the strap ratchets are coated in rubber to reduce scratching or denting the kayak and car.
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.
# 4
etrailer Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On
Rack was as described and works great. etrailer customer service is the best. Was missing end cap on cross bars and they sent a set out with in 3 days. Nice when a company makes things right in a timely manner.
I've had the racks for a year now. Nothing has broken yet, even though I've place lots of lumber on top of them when folded in addition to using the racks for their intended purpose. The racks come with a ton of straps, but the hood connection things are brilliant! I can't see why you need to spend a butch of money to get some name brand when these are more than adequate. Being used on a 2011 4Runner with factory crossbars.
# 5
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.
# 6
Rhino-Rack Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On
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.
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!!!
# 7
Swagman Contour Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Fixed - Clamp On
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.
Loved the racks, seem very durable. Only downside was that the groove made for the crossbeam was quite a bit smaller than my crossbeams, but they still secured down great. You'd have to have a pretty funky set-up for these racks to not work on your vehicle. Having all the straps/tie-downs included was awesome too. Reccomend!
# 8
Malone DownLoader Kayak Roof Rack w/ Lift Assist and Tie-Downs - J-Style - Clamp On
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.
About a year ago, I purchased one set of the Malone Downloader w/Lift Assist (MPG114MD-351XL) and second set of Downloader J-Style Folding Racks (MPG114MD) for use on a 2014 Subaru Outback with standard Subaru roof racks. I had no issue with installation and use of any of the parts using the enclosed instructions and online videos. Everything seems to fit properly and securely; no broken, unusable, or missing parts. Over the past year we've use the racks extensively for our 10.5 ft recreational kayaks on both short local trips and longer highway trips. We augmented the roof racks with T-handle hood and tailgate tie-downs and some locally purchased camlock tie-down cords. Everything working great with 10's of racking/unracking episodes. We've only used the Lift Assist maybe 1 of 10 trips when there's only a single person lifting, so can't provide as much feedback. However, the Lift Assist does work exactly as advertised and we're happy with the results. In addition, the friendly and well-informed folks at etrailer.com were a huge help with answering tech questions. Well done!
# 9
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.
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