# 1
Rhino-Rack J-Style Kayak Carrier - Fixed - Universal Mount
Overall good product. Works well with the rhino roof rack bars purchased.
Kayak carrier has performed exactly as expected. Has been a solid mount point for my kayaks.
# 2
Rhino-Rack J-Style Kayak Carrier - Folding - Universal Mount
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.
Excellent
Jim - 08/24/2019Very easy to install on my Rhino rack cross bars. Easy to adjust cradle angle. Kayaks fit nicely. Also purchased extension bar for second kayak.
# 3
Thule The Stacker - Rooftop Multi-Kayak Carrier
The Stacker worked perfectly! We needed to haul 2 kayaks, and when we began to suspect that my 2014 CR-V cross rails weren't wide enough for the Thule J-Style carriers I kept looking. Well, The Stacker was the perfect solution. Mounted in the center of the rails, to accommodate two Kayaks. Watching the video provided on etrailer page was very helpful, as we have never tried to use anything like this before. These brackets are so very sturdy, and with kayaks attached, were so stable. The straps provided were sturdy too, and easy to use. Being able to use these two brackets, instead of having to buy two sets of J-style hooks was a huge money saver. Thanks to etrailer.com I was able to figure all of this out, using descriptions, reviews, videos and Q&A's available as I was trying to work out a solution. Thank you etrailer.
Wow. Very fast service. Thank you. Can't wait to install my rack.
# 4
Thule Hull-A-Port Kayak Carrier w/Tie-Downs - J-Style - Fixed - Side Loading
I recently made a 4 hour trip home after picking up a new kayak while using the following equipment for the first time: Thule Xsporter Pro Truck Bed Ladder Rack, Thule Hull-A-Port Kayak Carrier w/Tie-Downs - J-Style, Thule Watersports Adapter for Aeroblade/Aeroblade Edge Bars and Thule Bow/Stern Tie-Downs. I'm impressed with the performance of all of those components.
these kayak racks work great and comes with all the needs and just bought my first kayak
# 5
Thule Hullavator Pro Kayak Carrier and Lift Assist with Tie-Downs - Side Loading
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).
The hullavator makes it possible for us to continue kayaking. We only need to be able to lift the kayaks halfway and the hullavator does most of the work from halfway to roof by lightening the load. An awesome product!
# 6
Yakima JayLow Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style or Post Style - Folding - 1 or 2 Kayaks
Got exactly what I ordered and on time. Great email follow through with tracking numbers . Know exactly when I was going to receive my product . Definitely will use etrailer again in the future .
This is exactly what I wanted. The product was configured to fit my Honda CRV which has oval racks. Ordering and delivery were on point.
# 7
Rhino-Rack Nautic Roof SUP or Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - Side Loading - Clamp On
I found the rack mounts were easy to put on my CRV. I took my kayak out for the first time yesterday. The RR570 product did what they said they would do. The mounts and the four straps held my Kayak tight against my roof rack.
All Rhino-Rack products were excellent. But I was afraid to tighten them up too much and risk breaking them on the tubular Darby single bar roof rack. They kept sliding outboard due to the downward pressure of the kayak. So I put a towel between the bottom of my lightly built kevlar kayak and the bar. The kayak wasn't held up by the Rhino brackets but was safely held from moving side to side, and the towel protected the bottom of the boat...10 hour road trip with some potholes, no damage.
Have only used it once for carrying my kayak. See my previous comment. Now my kayak sits comfortably in the Rhino-Rack cradles fastened to my floating dock. All is covered by a fitted tarp, so theres no water in the boat or sun damage to the boat or cradles. So easy and safe to launch and retrieve a lightly constructed kevlar boat!
David S - 10/04/2021# 8
Swagman Contour Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Fixed Arms
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.
I have never had an expensive set of kayak racks but i assume they work just as well as these. These are very affordable. They are easy to use and install. I am throughly pleased with my purchase
# 9
Rhino-Rack Nautic Roof Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - Rear Loading - Clamp On
I found the rack mounts were easy to put on my CRV. I took my kayak out for the first time yesterday. The RR570 product did what they said they would do. The mounts and the four straps held my Kayak tight against my roof rack.
This carrier is perfect for someone that needs to load and unload a kayak by themselves. Comes with nice straps that won’t scratch your car or your kayak.
# 10
Thule Portage Canoe Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - Gunwale Brackets - Side Loading
Good product and fast shipping!
I ordered the Thule Portage from etrailer after some availability issues with another seller. Great service, I even asked to have my 2 item free shipping in 2 shipments to avoid a wait and it was at my door within a week. etrailer is my goto supplier, they always seem to have items not in stock elsewhere. The Portage works great on the Rhino Rack I bought from etrailer also.
My Thule Portage has worked great with my Rhino Roof Rack for my Old Town 133 Canoe on top of my Pickup Truck Camper Shell. I have taken it on some rough mountain roads and windy stretches of freeway doing 70 mph with no problems. Very Quiet and stable. I always check the torque of the attachment Bolts as suggested by Thule, but since the second outing they have been a rock. I like the way the Thule Portage can be mounted slightly skewed to match the contour of the Canoe Gunnels. Makes it lock in even better to keep it from sliding back and forth. Very clean attachment with the adapter kit for Rhino Racks.
Ken Keeler - 12/13/2021# 11
SportRack Kayak Carrier with Tie-Downs - J-Style - Fixed Arms - Roof Mount
Excellent quality carrier, easy loading and unloading, very happy with the purchase. Thanks a lot Patrick!!!
I have found the roof rack/kayak rack equipment that i purchased last year to be quite satisfactory and worth the purchase price. The problem was when we tried to tie on a paddle board. I realize the rack was not designed specifically for a SUP so it was not necessarily the fault of the rack. Otherwise i am happy with my purchase.
# 12
Swagman Tajo Wall Mounted Kayak Storage System
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...
Mounted the kayak rack yesterday and wanted to offer some feedback. In general, a pretty easy process. The screws do seem to be pretty soft; easy to strip a bit, even with 1/8" holes drilled. No disaster, but could be improved. What is wrong is that the straps seem backward. The clamp is mounted so that you must pull up to tighten the strap. Would be better/simpler to pull down on the strap. I see why the longer strap is at the top, but still bad mechanics. I mounted my rack pretty high on the wall, and not being tall, will have a problem using the strap as oriented. In addition, the clamp strap has no means to adjust its length. My kayak (a Poke boat) is pretty slim in cross-section, which makes tightening the strap very difficult unless I get on a ladder. I realize that some of this issue is due to the height that I mounted the rack, but I had to make sure that it put my boat completely out of the way of the car, bikes, etc., with which it shares the space. Would give the rack a good rating, but the odd engineering design and lack of a way to adjust the strap length are disappointing. Overall, does what I need though, just could be a killer rack with some slight changes.
# 13
Rhino-Rack 2 Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Side Loading
Good quality product , very easy to install. I am 5 ft 9 and it is not easy to toss a kayak on a small suv. Beware of over-estimating your abilities is you Are a senior
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!!!
# 14
Yakima KeelOver Rooftop Canoe Carrier with Tie-Downs - Universal Mount
Easy to install and very secure.
Very good
Ned - 05/11/2022I've been using the product for two summers now and it is perfect for what I'm using it for. My canoe is an Old Town Discovery 133, it's very wide and I initially had trouble fitting it in the brackets with how relatively narrow my Rav4 is, but the instructions that came with them mentioned I could just flip them around. That worked perfectly. I only use the brackets and the tie down straps from the kit to tie the boat to the crossbars, and then use the painter lines I put on the bow and stern of the boat to tie those to the car. That rides on the highway very easily with no shifting. With two people, the load/unload time is around 10 minutes as long as one person knows what they are doing. This kit had exactly what I was looking for, seems built to last, and if I ever need another kit to help tie a canoe to a car then I know I can trust this product to get the job done safely and reliably.
1 year later and I havent even taken the brackets off of my car. They are still in perfect condition, dont slip, and Ive never had an issue hauling my canoe on the highway. Easiest way to transport a canoe without an actual canoe trailer.
Chad - 07/25/2020# 15
Malone DownLoader Kayak Carrier with Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Side Loading
received product in timely manner, all materials were in package. took only 10 minutes to install, is very sturdy and seems very well built, glad we purchased this product to haul our kayak.
The Malone DownLoader is very good value for the money. The J-style cradle is nice when you have to muscle a kayak on top of a tall crossover or SUV. You can hook the edge of the cockpit onto the base of the cradle and flip the kayak up onto the metal hoop support. Carrier installation and removal is easy and doesn't require any tools. Materials are good, but not great and that's what prevents this product from getting 5 stars IMO. The foam padding is nice enough and has been durable, but the metal plate that attaches the carrier to the roof rails is plastic coated steel and the plastic cracks over time, and leads to rust on the steel plate beneath. Not a big deal, but it might compromise the plate over time. I also wish that the provided nylon straps were longer, and that the ratchet buckles were covered in rubber to protect the roof of the vehicle and the windshield when you're trying to get them around the hull of the boat. We quickly replaced these with longer aftermarket straps that have rubber covers over the buckles. Those minor points aside, the Malone DownLoader kayak carrier gets the job done easily and safely, and does so at a very affordable price point.
# 16
etrailer J-Style Kayak Carrier - Folding - Universal Mount
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!
A year later, still looks and works like new! Kept the cradles on the roofbars over the winter and didnt see any rubber cracks. The only accessory which did age over time are the straps. Definitely recommend the product and am considering purchasing a second set for another boat.
Pierre D Rieunier - 06/24/2020Got the product installed. Haven't got the Kayaks in them yet. So far they seem like they will work well. They look nice. The only thing that I am concerned with is the tightness of the plastic handle you turn to lock and unlock the fold down feature. Very tight and nervous it could break as it is plastic. So far so good.
# 17
Yakima JayHook Kayak Carrier with Tie-Downs - J-Style - Fixed - Side Loading
Have only taken it out once so far but it was easy to put on and use. Could be easy for someone to steal, I put bike locks on mine to prevent that.
Looks good. Seems easy enough to put on and take off. Can't wait to take kayak to the river
# 18
Rhino-Rack SUP and Surfboard Pads w/ Tie-Downs for Crossbars - Universal - 27-1/2" Long - Qty 2
I recently purchased the PERFECT ski rack for my car from etrailer after unsuccessfully searching locally and online from traditional retailers. I was so pleased with my purchase that when I decided to upgrade my makeshift paddleboard rack to a more structured system, I went right to etrailers. I was not disappointed. They had just the system for someone looking for an economical, but trustworthy rack for paddleboards or surfboards. Great prices, great service, and speedy affordable delivery! Next up....kayak carriers!
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.
# 19
Rhino-Rack Nautic 581 Rear Loading Kayak Carrier - Saddle Style - Rear Loading - Channel Mount
Well made product,fast shipping
Works great on my Ram truck. I pull a 5th wheel RV so I can’t use the truck bed for my kayaks. I bought the Rhino Rack roof rack from etrailer, as well. It is very easy to slide the kayak onto the roof with this carrier. Then I slide my second kayak on top of the first one. It is easy to do by myself, which is what I was looking for. I’d also like to give a shout-out to etrailer for their great customer service! They had both of these items in stock, and actually beat the price on Amazon.
Perfect. We RV full time and we’ve driven thousands of miles with 2 kayaks on the racks. We have had zero issues with the racks and they still look like new. I can install or remove the racks in less than 10 minutes.
Enrica - 07/13/2021# 20
Yakima Kayak Carrier with Tie-Downs - Saddle Style with Rollers - Clamp On
Appearance is as described on the website, fits the 2007 Gmc envoy factory cross bars. Planning to load Hoodoo 120p kayak this weekend to test for fit and function.
This roller and pad setup allowed me to get a 68 lb kayak on and off my car by myself. Could not do that with the Jlow racksI
etrailer Watersport Carriers Review - 2015 Honda CR-V
Adam: Hi everyone. Adam with etrailer.com. Today we're going to be taking a look at etrailer's J-hook style kayak carrier on our 2015 Honda CRV. For this kayak carrier, it's really simple to install. It does mount on anywhere you want to mount it to. I put it as far out as I could just so I can put up my kayak by myself so I don't need an extra set of hands.
Thule SUP Taxi Stand-Up Paddleboard Carrier Review - 2013 Honda CR-V
Today on our 2013 Honda CR-V, we're going to be test fitting the Thule SUP Stand-Up Paddleboard Taxi, part number TH810. Our CR-V already has a factory roof rack system on it and our SUP Taxi is already preassembled, so we're ready to go ahead and fit it to the vehicle. We'll start with the front carrier. Securing it on the front crossbar, we'll bring the rubber coated straps around underneath the crossbar and reattach them to the carrier where we can tighten down the gray wing nut on either side. We'll then move to the rear crossbar. We do want to make sure that our front and rear carrier line up with each other to make it easier to load our SUP.
Still working out well.