One Side Of My Thule Hullavator Is Not Lining Up With The Rail When Lowering Kayak

Updated 05/18/2026 | Published 05/04/2026

Question:

Thule hullavator not aligning up with rail when lowering kayak on one side only.

asked by: Sabrina

Expert Reply:

Hey Sabrina, thanks for reaching out. That’s a classic Hullavator issue, and it almost always comes down to alignment or uneven tension side to side, not something being broken.

First thing I’d look at is whether the bars are perfectly parallel and square to each other. If your crossbars are even slightly off, one side of the Hullavator will travel differently than the other, and when you lower it, it won’t line up with the rail evenly. Same goes for the mounting clamps, if one side is a little tighter or sitting at a slightly different angle, it’ll throw the whole motion off.

The other big one is the gas struts and pivot arms. If one side has more resistance, or one strut is starting to weaken, it’ll drop uneven and twist as it comes down. You can test this by lowering it slowly and watching which side lags or pulls ahead. Also check that nothing is binding in the pivot points, dirt, corrosion, or a slightly bent arm will do exactly what you’re describing.

expert reply by: Jesse M