Does The Thule Hullavator Kayak Carrier Or The Yakima ShowDown Make It Easier To Load Kayaks

Question:

I want to transport a 12 ft F and S Kayak on top of my 2019 Rav4 Limited SUV. I am considering the Hullavator or Showdown. I realize that I cant use the factory crossbars because they dont stick out on the side of the suv. What cross bars would I need to include with each? I want to cost it, ease of removal not of cross bars, and ease of loading kayak.

asked by: Jim

Expert Reply:

It is correct you will need at least 4" of bar overhang to use the Thule Hullavator Pro Kayak Carrier # TH898 or Yakima ShowDown Kayak # Y04081 so that the lift assist does not touch the vehicle during the loading process.

For the roof rack on the 2019 Toyota RAV4 I recommend the Malone AirFlow2 Roof Rack # MPG216 which are aerodynamic bars that attach to the raised side rails of the Toyota and measure 58" long so will provide plenty enough overhang for the lift assist features. The Malone is the best aero bar rack that allows for enough overhang.

I recommend the Thule Hullavator Pro Kayak Carrier and Lift Assist with Tie-Downs part # TH898 over the Yakima ShowDown Kayak or SUP Carrier and Lift Assist w/ Tie-Downs part # Y04081 since your major concern is ease of loading the kayaks. While both options allow for easy side loading of the kayaks the Hullavator has gas struts that eliminates most of the weight of lifting the kayaks up onto the roof. The ShowDown does not have the gas struts so most the upward force to get the kayaks on the roof is up to you which can be hard on your back after a while. I have attached a video of the Hullavtor in action. Although the Hullavator may be a bit more expensive the ease of loading and quality of the product makes it worth it. For example the Hullavator has padded cradle arms to avoid scratching the kayak.

I recommend to add locks to protect your investment with part # TH450200.

expert reply by: Heather A

Lee S.

5/18/2020

From the photos, it appears that the Yakima j-bar portion of the rack folds down and requires less overhead clearance (for garaging) than the Thule Hullavator. Is this correct? Do you know the actual height of the two units above the rail to which they're attached?

Chris R.

5/20/2020

You're right that the Yakima ShowDown # Y04081 can fold into a more compact design when not in use, thus making it a much more low-profile system compared to the Thule Hullavator. With the arm folded down it features an overall height of just about 9".