Can Two Thule Hullavators Be Used on Roof Rack

Updated 05/22/2020 | Published 09/11/2019

Question:

I purchased a second Hullavator for my 2015 Ford Escape. I was told by the rep at LL Bean that they could not install it after all because Thule rep said the cross bar will not support the weight. I see all these pictures of cars with two and saw a car on the road with 2. It is true that the Thule cross bar does not have the capacity to hold 2 Hulluvators and 2 12 foot kayaks? One store told me to come back when I wanted a second one put on and another location told me they wont install it because it is not safe. Which is correct?

asked by: Kristine F

Expert Reply:

There is not a general restriction from Thule that says two Hullavator Kayak Carriers # TH898 can't be used on a Thule roof rack. As long as the crossbars on your Ford Escape have the required length for two sets and a sufficient weight capacity (if you have Thule, weight capacity isn't an issue) it can be done. With that being said you should also verify the capacity of the roof itself by referring to the owner's manual for your Escape. You also just need to make sure that the crossbars extend past the mounting feet by at least 4 inches (since you already have one Hullavator mounted I assume your roof rack meets this requirement).

The Thule Hullavator requires approximately 28.5" of load bar space. This means the crossbars on your Escape need to be at least 57 inches long for them two accommodate two carriers. If you have shorter bars please let me know what particular Thule system you have and I will be happy to recommend longer units that will be compatible.

expert reply by: Chris R

Marty

5/19/2020

Can you please tell us what Thule parts we need to mount two kayaks on a Subaru 2013 Outback? We want to use two Hullavator sets. Which crossbar parts? Which mounting brackets? If we were to upgrade to a newer model Outback would same mounting brackets work? Thank you!

Chris R.

5/22/2020

I can definitely recommend a crossbar setup for your Outback, but I honestly think it's going to be really difficult to mount 2 Hullavators without using crossbars that extend past your mirrors (which isn't legal in most states). I think your best option will be standard J-style carriers at each end. For the roof rack I recommend the Thule WingBar system that consists of parts # TH711220 and # TH710401. Then for a carrier I really like the etrailer # e98878.