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This versatile watersport carrier lets you transport 1 or 2 kayaks, 1 canoe or fishing kayak, or 2 SUPs on your roof rack. A perfect solution for those who paddle alone or with a friend! Includes load straps, tie-downs, and mounting hardware.
Features:
Specs:
The Malone FoldAway-5 is a great option for paddlers who use a variety of watercraft, and anyone that likes to bring a friend along. With different configurations to fit your needs, this roof carrier can be adjusted to securely transport 1 or 2 kayaks, 1 canoe or fishing kayak, or 2 SUPs or surfboards. When the arms are in the upright position, you can fit 1 or 2 kayaks side by side.
If you fold the carrier's arms down, you can carry 1 sit-on-top, fishing kayak or a canoe. When carrying a canoe, adjust the carrier so the 2 cradle components are spread across your roof rack. This will let you set your canoe's gunwales on the carrier and transport it hull-side up.
While the carrier is in the folded down position, you can add the included foam blocks into the space between each carrier. This provides additional padding to protect your SUPs and surfboards when loading and during transport.
If you park your vehicle in a garage and don't want to remove the carrier, put the cradles in the folded down position and remove the foam blocks. If you have a taller vehicle, you may still have to remove the carrier to park in the garage.
The carrier includes 2 cam-buckle straps and integrated strap holders to secure your kayak to the rack. The strap holders attach to the top of the carrier to keep the straps in place while loading your kayaks. A set of bow/stern tie-downs are also included to secure the kayak to the front and back of your vehicle.
If your vehicle doesn't have any tie-down points, you can get an anchor kit (sold separately) which will let you create anchor points in the creases of your vehicle's hood and hatch.
The carrier clamps to most crossbars without the need for tools. Simply set the rack on your crossbars, slide the mounting brackets over the bolts, and secure them with the T-knobs.
Customer Satisfaction Score:
95% were satisfied with this product
5% of customers were not satisfied
Ratings & Reviews
Great price and very quick shipping. Thanks for the Malone kayak rack. It for and works well with a single or two kayaks.
This J-Style kayak package works fine, but the protector coverings tear easily. That disappointed me, but the product is solid otherwise.
The design of this offers flexible use for us to put our three kayaks up. Easy to assemble, attach and load and confident in enabling us to secure kayaks to the roof. Love these and would buy again.
Malone racks showed up quickly and undamaged. Haven’t mounted them yet but appear to be well made
I really like the Malone Foldaway Kayak and Canoe carrier. It looks to be a real good product and can’t wait to try it this weekend. Super fast shipping was a plus !
The rack works great and was exactly what I was expecting. Fast shipping from Etrailer and great service as always.
Have used on 4 outings. Worked, would have appreciated the option of a round clamp method. My lumber rack has round cross bars and am always re tightening the clamps. Otherwise two Hoo Doo kayaks fit well in the rack.
Odelia was extremely helpful in helping me choose the right product. I had an end-cap that was missing and she sent me whole package of four. This is the kind of customer support one hopes to receive when deciding to spend a few hundred dollars on a product. I will definitely return to etrailer if I need another car rack for our other car.
The rack is easy to install and use. My husband likes the multiple options for how to mount his kayak. And he intends to get a second kayak, so that's why we wanted a rack that can hold two. Some of the reviews suggested that the hardware could break, so I cautioned my husband not to over-tighten anything, and we've had no trouble with that.
Kimberly
10/5/2022
After a year, we are still using the kayak rack and still happy with it.
The carrier itself is a decent design, but the foam padding is already coming off/shredding. I use this in the large kayak/canoe configuration for my SOT. Nylon fabric covers on the padding would help prevent this. I’m also seeing rusting on the screws and plates that go under the roof rails.
This rack is super easy to install. It's very convenient that they fold flat when not in use, but the teeth in the locking mechanism can pinch you if you're not extra careful. I wish the clip for the strap was a little more sturdy - the strap can slide out of the clamp and get twisted behind the kayak. Overall, I'm very happy with this purchase.
Very functional kayak rack! Ability to convert hauling 1 or 2 kayaks safely is a great option. Installation instructions could be a bit more clear. Definitely take your time installing for your particular vehicle properly. All parts and hardware included and fit well. Tie down instructions are a nice bonus. Could be built stronger (use steel or metal parts in place of plastic) but for the price, it works well enough.
l am disappointed as the rubber cushioning has already worn away after one summer of usage
I've had these kayak racks on my 2017 dodge journey for 1 year now and they work great. They're super easy to adjust and stable. When I'm not using the rack I just lay them flat. They don't whistle at all when driving at high speeds. The furthest trip I've done with two kayaks was about 10 hours and the racks had no issue, and a good portion of the trip had a lot of sharp turns.
I would recommend these to anyone looking for a 2 kayak system.
Nicholas
3/6/2023
2 years now, still holding strong. I drove from Oregon to Florida with my kayak attached to my vehicle and I have no complaints. These racks are great.
Very solid construction. Easy to use. They have been reliable. I put 2 kayaks on my roof with them then strap them from the top down.
Overall I like the racks for their ease of use, and multiple loading options. However the foam pads started falling apart on the first use. They should be more durable than the foam they used.
The Malone Fold away 5 Kayak, Canoe and SUP roof roack is made of excellant materials and seems very secure. Shipping was quick and I look forward to using the rack for our two kayaks. I'll follow up after our trip.
This product is perfect for carrying one or two kayaks. It's pretty easy to load and secure as well. I also bought the Malone tire step up which is fantastic when securing my kayaks.
I ordered this Malone MAL38FR multirack kayak carrier to connect to the Rhino-Rack ROC25 roof-rack on my 2019 Ford F150 supercrew.I will be heading out on a long camping trip and will be carrying two kayaks. I’ll post a follow up review post trip. So far after mounting it seems really secure. The kit had one wingnut missing the nut but etrailer is sending me a couple wingnuts to have one as a spare.
This carrier has worked out really well! I paired it with the SportRack Semi-Custom Roof Rack for Naked Roofs - Square Crossbars, and the carrier attached to it perfectly. I drive a 2014 Honda Civic and this carrier has been able to transport two kayaks with no problems. Highly recommend, especially considering the price.
I LOVE this kayak rack! I needed a way to carry three 14-ft sea kayaks on my Telluride, and this is the way. This combined with another carrier creates the perfect system for ensuring I can fit three giant kayaks, and leave plenty of room for adjustment to make carrying two easy, and one even EASIER (LOVE to cradle carrier option - so easy to load on the roof it's unbelievable). I'm in my forties with teenagers and a bad shoulder, so the ease of loading is important for me. I searched a long time to find the right solution, and this Malone adjustable carrier was it. It's really durable too, and I am NOT easy on my outdoor equipment. With proper tie-downs, this rack has allowed me to transport my large kayaks long distances on the freeway, at speeds up to 70-75 mph with no worries about them coming loose. Highly recommend this product.
Brooke M.
7/1/2025
Wow, three 14 footers! That is awesome :) So glad to hear how much this has been a great solution. I have never been sea kayaking - have you ever seen anything crazy while in the ocean?
Very good quality materials for the price point. No tool
Assembly and installation is a bonus. I’ve used them for two weeks now, hailing in both two kayak and single kayak configurations. The lever that you pull
Up/down on is going to break. Period. If you have the rotating level too tight you can’t switch it up or down and if you have it too loose, it will come unscrewed and then you have a hard time longing up that no internal thread to get it back on. Also, it’s a pain to have to move the entire system to reconfigure needs. Would be nice if it had a slide and lock back in option once on the cross bars. Pulling off 16 wing nuts isn’t ideal. The video was great, appreciated that. Do wish they had shown how to tie down when using two kayaks because once you have one on the system when you place the second on the opposite side, you no longer have access to that center rack. Shipping speed was excellent. The quality of the cam straps is impressive. I have a hand injury and so getting the bolts secured was difficult. The fact that they come with two different lengths to accommodate different rack heights was really nice. Make sure you have your cross bars 24” apart as the instructions say.
Sierra K.
7/20/2022
In this video you can see two kayaks up on a Prius and it gives you a good idea how to attach everything:
Helpful Links
tv-install-malone-foldaway-5-kayak-watersports-carrier-2014-toyota-prius-v-mal38fr.aspx
I’ve reached out to etrailer a few times, and I’ve always been pleasantly surprised at the level of enthusiastic support their customer service people provide. Good company and good people.
I've had these for a year so they went through one kayak season. I like them--I use them on my trailer to hold two kayaks parallel. They provide good anchors for the straps.
My only problem with them is that they seem to get loose and I have to check and tighten them down each time I want to put the kayaks on the trailer; if the kayaks have been stored on the trailer, I need to check that they are tight again before I set off. I find that I have to tighten them far more than I would expect. If they stayed tight I would give it the fifth star.
I have not had any other J-racks to compare, so I don't know if that's a common problem or just with this particular type.
James
7/12/2026
Still works great. No complaints. I would buy it again.
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Michael E.
12/12/2021
Had these racks for a year now and theyve been great