# 1
Thule The Stacker - Rooftop Multi-Kayak Carrier
We needed a better way to haul around 3 kayaks and after looking at a number of options, we settled on the Thule Stacker setup. Installation is simple and the stackers provide a sturdy option for hauling multiple kayaks. One of the best features is that they fold down when you don't need to use them. My shopping experience with etrailer was smooth and shipping was prompt.
This carrier allowed me to easily carry 4 kayaks, it was easy to install and even easier to use. The etrailer team was also very easy to work with, following up a few days after rack arrived to ensure I was able to install and see if I had questions. They also provided the same support and follow up on the trailer hitch that I purchased before too.
# 2
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
# 3
Rhino-Rack J-Style Kayak Carrier - Folding - Universal Mount
We purchased two sets of the Rhino Rack J Style Kayak Carrier since we have two kayaks. They work great and were easy to install. We were particularly impressed with the quality of the tie down straps. We bought them a year ago and used them quite a bit since then with no problems.
These racks are so great! The option to fold them down means I can leave them on the car for a few days between kayak trips. They’re very sturdy and we love that they come with the tie down straps, but I wish the hood/trunk anchors were included. Just another order I guess!
# 4
Thule SUP Shuttle Stand-Up Paddleboard Carrier with Tie-Downs - Roof Mount - 2 Boards
With a little help from youtube, this was one of the easiest things I've ever assembled! LOVE my new SUP rack!!
This is a very thought out design; hence it works on my GMC Yukon SUV. The carrier extends to match the width of your board to have more of a snug fit. The brackets that attach the carrier to your vehicle work facing down or up. At first I had them facing up and I thought this rack would not work, as the rack was still too loose. Then I learned that the brackets can face down as well, which makes it work for my rack. I'm using the factory racks from GMC, which aren't the greatest, and are a little thin, but the carrier fits snug. I get a much better fit for my boards now and feel safe traveling at higher speeds, as my boards aren't going anywhere, once I use the tie downs. I haven't used the extra hook tie down, as I don't think I need it, but if I ever travel a long distance with the boards, I will definitely use it. There are a couple videos from etrailer showing how to mount them. Once you get the brackets facing the way you need for your vehicle rack, it's a quick install.
# 5
Yakima JayLow Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style or Post Style - Folding - 1 or 2 Kayaks
The product seems great but I have not figured out how to get it safely attached to my bars. I have an Agricover Adarac on the bed of my truck and the crossbars are 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 inches square. I thought this would work well since it's for up to 3-1/2 x 1-11/16" crossbars, but it isn't secure on these. I'm going to try and figure out an alternate method for attachment though. Thule Hull-a-port Pro's are the perfect (mounting) solution but don't seem to be made any longer.
Easy to install. On my first trip, they fell open instead of remaining upright in carrier position, it might have been an operator error. I like the idea of being able to use them for two kayaks, however, I have determined that this would be too much weight on one side of my factory roof crossbars. I do like they are sturdy and look better than standard J hooks. A bit on the pricey side unless you only have to buy one for the job of carrying more than 1 kayak. Easy to Secure to cross bars, nice that they fold down.
# 6
Swagman Tajo Wall Mounted Kayak Rack
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.
# 7
Rhino-Rack Nautic 581 Rear Loading Kayak Carrier - Saddle Style - Rear Loading - Channel Mount
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.
Buying from etrailer is the ONLY way to go. The customer service is excellent from start to finish and afterwards if you need. This rack is a simple install and adjusts to many types of kayaks. Much less expensive then the others and high quality. I just completed a trip through a bad storm with no issues. So easy for me to load and secure
# 8
Thule SUP Taxi XT Stand-Up Paddleboard Carrier - Roof Mount - 2 Boards
Great other than having to fix straps so they are stiff enough to feed through locking mechanism. Had to cut, glue and melt so they are rigid enough to feed easily. Otherwise awesome
I love my Rack it came when promised and etrailer was great believe me I will be going back to them for anything else I need I am giving them a well deserved 5 stars
# 9
Rhino-Rack Nautic Roof SUP or Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - Side Loading - Clamp On
After attempting to mount the individual rack pieces using the “burglar proof” button head screws with the pin in the recess and the short hex wrench with the hollowed out end I discovered that no real burglar would want the rack but would rather have the kayak so the first thing I did after spending 10 minutes trying to insert the hex into the button head screws with the pin inside the recess and attempting to turn the bolts and continually being obstructed by the support pieces and the paint interference on the bolt heads with trying to get the wrench into the recess I knew it was going to be a long frustrating process so I threw them away and purchased new button head stainless steel bolts and a 4mm extended handle hex wrench to turn them. Smartest thing I ever did. You not only have to mount the rack initially but then you have to put the kayak on the roof and remount all pieces again to fit your boat. All kayaks are different to one degree or another. Having to move the individual support and retighten them with the boat on the rack is even more difficult to do than the initial mounting with these “burglar proof” bolts and hex wrench and you will be happy you threw them away before you started the entire process. Try it for yourself at first and then go get the alternate ones. Worth the little investment and stainless steel will not rust away when you want to remove the rack system in the future. Once the rack is on your vehicle and kayak in rack the tie downs supplied are very good quality. Make sure you use the recommended tie down locations and directions, two kayak body ties and ties at front and rear. Due to numerous kayak hull designs it would be nice to have each support pod have a horizontal swivel built into it so it readily conforms to the hull shape. The overall quality of the system should be the last rack you will have to purchase. I only had issues with the supplied bolts and hex wrench. I gave this rack system a three star because of the bolts and hex tool and the individual pods not swiveling and I haven't at this point transported the kayak anywhere so I am waiting to see how it handles long trips with wind loads and constant loading and unloading performances.
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.
# 10
Yakima SweetRoll Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Rear Loading
The Sweet Roll will not support my Old Town Topwater 10.6. The brackets spread out on the crossbar under the weight. This year I will try a Yakima Big Catch. The Sweet Roll works fine with our Old Town Loons.
Nice product. Put them on my Yakima HD tundra truck rack. hauling two kayaks with a trailer. Use a T-Bone bar to help push the kayaks into the carriers and to unload them.
# 11
Rhino-Rack SUP and Surfboard Pads w/ Tie-Downs for Crossbars - Universal - 33-1/2" Long - Qty 2
Combo review - the trailer is PERFECT (MMalone MicroSportXT Trailer - 78" Crossbars - Retractable Tongue). I put it together over several evenings after work. Directions and online videos were helpful - pretty easy build. Have used the trailer several times and am so happy with it. Lightweight, easy to load the boat. I added the kickstand, which is handy for keeping the trailer level and for pushing the trailer around. So happy with this trailer and etrailer.com - very responsive.
The product came quickly and was so easy to install on my existing roof rails! It is absolutely perfect to fit many needs above and beyond my kayaks and paddle boards. They look so good on my new 2019 Jag F-Pace I might leave them on all the time.
# 12
Thule Portage Canoe Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - Gunwale Brackets - Side Loading
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.
Very versatile and easy to install. We fit the brackets so that they seat the inside of the gunnels. Works well! Ordered these from Etrailer at the same time we placed an order for crossbars from Thule. This arrived and we are still waiting on the new crossbars.
# 13
Swagman Exo Aero Rooftop Kayak Carrier System with Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Universal Mount
I have (2) Wilderness Systems Pungo 120 kayaks and was looking for something better that the cheap J-Shape kayak holders that I purchased elsewhere. Unless you are tall enough to lift the kayaks and install them from the side, the loading of a kayak on it's side is unwieldy and somewhat frustrating to keep the kayak from flipping to a horizontal position. I am using the factory racks with crossbars on my 2006 Toyota Highlander. I was looking for a solution that would allow me to load 2 kayaks with the keel down. Using a large bath mat to protect the paint I was able to load the kayak by myself and I am 5'6". The one thing that they could improve is that the rubber pads on the wings are very tacky. Once that you set the kayak onto the wings, the kayak will not move back and forth. You will find it very hard to move the kayak front to back once it is set in the cradle. This is a good thing since the kayak could slide off should a strap fail. The Pungo 120 has multiple angles so the contact with the wings are very minimal. The rubber does keep it in place before strapping them down. Once you load the kayak onto the wings, it will stay where it is.. it is a kind of a struggle to move the kayak.. a solution is to throw large beach towel on the wings before loading your kayak and you can position the kayak with ease. Once you have centered your kayak, lift the kayak one end at a time and remove the towel. Bow and stern tie downs are necessary to completely secure your kayak. The wings are 28" across and will rise 6" above your crossbars that you attache them to.
Bought two sets for two boats. Installed on a 2020 Forester and will be able to carry two boats side by side. Sturdy racks and easy to assemble and install and will be easy to remove when not in use. They will also fit on truck racks so the ease of install/removal will be a real plus. Side by side mount on this vehicle required placing the racks a little more outboard than I like but should not cause any problems. I will strap the boats to the crossbars as suggested in the instructions for additional stability. PS. one set was returned merch. Got a better price and can't tell that it was ever out of the box. Yay me.
# 14
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
# 15
Thule DockGlide Kayak Carrier with Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Rear Loading - Universal Mount
Easy to deal with. Had an issue with what I ordered. Etrailer quickly resolved in a very satisfactory manner
The Thule DockGlide Kayak Carrier and the Tie-Downs that came with it are a very functional High Quality Product. Once the DockGlide Carrier was properly positioned on the Cross bars it attached easily and solidly with the associated hardware. The Kayak slides on and off the Carrier very easily and is quite secure once properly tied down. I enjoy Kayaking and the DockGlide Kayak Carrier enables me to get where I want to go.
# 16
Rhino-Rack Nautic 580 Side Loading Kayak Carrier - Saddle Style - Side Loading - Channel Mount
I paired this side-loading rack with Thule Aeroblade bars and Rapid Traverse Feet to carry a 14.5' poly kayak on my 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT (with panoramic sunroof, so my options were limited). This review is based on one 400 mile weekend trip at interstate speeds with some head- and crosswinds. The saddle construction seems solid and locks into the aero bars' C-channels. The key locking feature is nice. The bumper tie-down straps are maybe not as rugged as I would have expected, so I will keep watch for any abrasion from wind vibration, but the cinching mechanism seems more than capable. Wind noise and a ~5mpg decrease in gas mileage are obviously going to be noticeable, but I found that installing the rubber strip in the aerobars' channel did the most to eliminate any annoying whistling. I chose the side-loading model over the rear-loading RR581 model because I felt the extra pair of rubber pads would grip a little better for side-to-side motion. Depending on your kayak's hullform, the pads likely won't make full contact, but everything still seems solid for my setup. Installation takes a little trial and error but is no more difficult than installing bars. Solo loading/unloading my 60lb kayak isn't too strenuous on my mid-height hatchback. Once it's up there, you can "walk it" into place. Overall, I am very happy with my purchase and I would recommend Rhino to any other first time buyer without an unlimited budget.
Looks great got em on today, rock solid. I put them on an adarac ladder rack system. With light modification, they slide into the track. Very nice they include sooo many straps too. etrailer fast shipping and always great information. Thanks!
# 17
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).
# 18
Yakima JayHook Kayak Carrier with Tie-Downs - J-Style - Fixed - Side Loading
easy to install...very haPPY WITH YOUR SERvice
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.
# 19
Rhino-Rack SUP and Surfboard Pads w/ Tie-Downs for Crossbars - Universal - 21-1/2" Long - Qty 2
I love this rack! I don't think I'll ever take it off my car. Cool and functional. I've used it for my snowboard in the winter and my surfboard and camping gear in the summer.
The product very well made.. I have owned for a year now.. stays in place.. protects my paddle board
# 20
Rhino-Rack J-Style Kayak Carrier - Fixed - Universal Mount
I purchased the Rhino legs, cross bars and J-style kaya carriers together and could not be more pleased with the combination. The system was installed in an evening and used the next day. Assembly is straight-forward; the racks are easily mounted and removed. I am 6' tall and found it helpful to use a 4' ladder to mount the racks on the cross bars as well as load the kayaks in the carriers.
Kayak carrier has performed exactly as expected. Has been a solid mount point for my kayaks.
What our customers are saying:
"Very fast service. Shipped out an hour after I ordered it.Thanks!!"