1. The popular J style carrier maximizes load bar space for other carriers
2. Great kayak protection with adjustable foam padding
3. Easy to transfer from vehicle to vehicle with best fitting universal mounting system
4. Includes ratcheting bow and stern tie down and two load straps with buckle protectors
5. Fits thule standard bars rapid aero bars round bars most factory installed racks

Customer Review :

Thule 835 XTR Kayak Carrier

Great kayak carrier. Easy to install on factory roof rack. Holds
kayak very securely.

Rating :

Works great on my 4Runner

The Thule Hullaport kayak rack system was easy to install on my 4Runner's factory roof rack, and it feels stable and secure. I like the quality and ease of use for the cost.

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great product. Great price

These racks are great. A little tough to lift a 14 ft. kayak up on top of the van by myself, maybe rollers and saddles would be easier on a high roof. These work very well though, holds the boat very securely.

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Great Kayak Carrier

I have a Thule Roof Rack on my '08 CR-V and this Kayak carrier fits on it quickly and securely. As far as the kayak, I have a 13' Necky Manitou and it seats very well in the J-hooks. The supplied straps for each J-hook and the two ratcheting straps for either end of the boat really help to secure it down.

There is virtually no movement when traveling over bumps and >70 mph on the highway. In fact, it moves far less than my bikes do when they are on the roof rack. Getting the boat off is a breeze too (assuming it's light enough and your car isn't too tall for you). You unlatch the 4 straps and lift the boat right off, takes all of 45 seconds.

As far as wind noise of the J-hooks when you DON'T have a kayak on the roof - you don't even need to worry about it. Each J-hook fits on top of the rack and a plate swings underneath the roof rack and gets screwed to the J-hook via a thumb screw. And that is the beauty of it... when the kayak isn't on the roof, you undo one thumbscrew, swing the plate around, take the whole J-hook off and toss it in your car/truck. Saves on gas mileage and noise. Putting it back on takes 1 minute. The whole installation and removal of the J-hooks is so fast that getting the more expensive 835PRO with the fold-down J-hooks almost seems useless. Why fold it down and have someone steal it right off your car (these do not have thule locks or any lock for that matter) when you can just take it off in 20 seconds and lock it in your vehicle!

For those worried about locking the kayak to protect from theft while transporting, I have seen specific "Kayak Locks" made for J-hook style carriers that wrap around the kayak and roof rack (which I'm assuming the roof rack is locked to your roof...it should be!). They fit snugly too so you can't lift anything off the rack to get at the J-hooks. They are around $50 or so but they keep your $1000+ investment secure!


Rating :

Pefect solution for carrying your 'yak

I own a 2003 Honda CRV and have the Thule base rack. Previously to buying the Hullaport I had been carrying my kayak right on top of the base rack, hull down, using foam pads sitting on top of the rack bars. It worked just fine that way but it was a real bear getting my kayak on the rack by myself.. and I have a relatively light kayak at 48 pounds (Kevlar Current Designs Solstice GTHV).

I decided to buy the Hullaport and am very happy that I did. Now instead of struggling to get my kayak on my rooftop carrier, I have a much easier time lifting it up and plopping it into the J-style Hullaport. The load straps with quick release buckle are substantial and do the job of securely holding the kayak to the Hullaport. The additional bow and stern lines with ratchets are a really convenient way of giving added security when you're hauling your boat. My kayak is absolutely solid when enroute.

As for worrying about someone stealing my Hullaport racks, no worries. It is a simple matter of unscrewing a single screw to remove and stow them inside my vehicle, or as I more often do, I take the entire rack off and stow the whole shebang inside my car. I just can't be bothered with the whole locking thing and would rather just take the rack off when not in use. It takes about 1 minute and to me, is worth the small amount of time it takes.

Thule racks are of very high quality and come with a terrific warranty. You'll pay a bit more than other racks but I believe that the quality and flexibility of the racks speaks for itself.

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1. Universal Cross Rail system comes complete and ready to install on factory raised side rails.
2. Simple installation on rooftop in minutes with no tools required.
3. Fits nearly all factory side rails. With Mounting Feet
4. Square profile fits most rack accessories.
5. Key locking attachment towers and rust resistant rubberized bar coating.

Editorial Review :

The Malone Universal Cross Rail System comes with two 50-inch bars and 4 locking towers with key. With the tool free installation, the adjustable mounting towers easily install to most factory side rails. The 50-inch bars are reinforced with steel, and coated with rubber to prevent wear. This system is a safe and affordable way to transport your gear and is backed by Malone's limited lifetime warranty program.

Customer Review :

Great deal, great alternative to the big named overpriced roof rack companies

I've owned two sets of the Malone Sea Wings for three years. Just bought a new car and needed a new roof rack. Was all set to spend some money on the Thule or Yakima systems, but happened to come across the new Malones on a car fourm.

What a deal. They hold tightly to the roof and are an incredible value for the money. Very happy with my purchase.

Rating :

1. Four boat maximum capacity
2. Folds down flat when not in use
3. Easy carrier transfer from vehicle to vehicle with universal hardware
4. Includes one pair ratcheting tie downs, two straps and buckle protectors
5. Fits Thule standard, Rapid Aero, Xsporter bars, Yakima and most factory installed racks

Customer Review :

Works out really great!

We had been using the Thule J-style cradles to haul two recreational kayaks, with a third kayak lashed between the cradles. We wanted a 4th kayak, so we bought the Thule stacker. We are able to carry four small recreational kayaks (perception swifty/sparky) on our Chyrysler minivan using the factory roof rack and no additional bars. The thing that we also like is that we can fold the racks down when not in use and don't have to remove them from the car to pull it in the garage. We did have to purchase an additional pair of Thule straps (about $30) to haul four boats. It works really well and we're quite pleased with the Stacker.

Rating :

Stacker Security Problems

This is well made and the straps are great. The only downside is that the kayak will lean or slide down on its bottom unless secured properly. The instructions for tieing down and the pictures are not helpful. Also, it is difficult to secure the boats properly on a high SUV without a ladder. I found the only way to keep the boats on their sides, as advertised, is to put a strap through the top the stacker, over the boat, and back under the boat securing the strap around the bottom of the stacker. You will need additional straps for more than two boats.

Rating :

great product

Very easy to use. Practical. I can get two kayaks on a Ford Escape with little trouble and they look great. Plus when I don't have a kayak on the roof it helps me find the car in a crowded parking lot.

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Worked great!

I bought this for a 500+ mile drive to Minnesota and we had two kayaks (11' and 15') strapped down to it and it worked beautifully! I would recommend buying an extra set of the pulley cords though because those were really handy! It can be done without them but on my next trip I will definitely be buying some more of those! Overall, the carrier worked great! It did everything it promised!

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Thule Stacker

Although not the most ideal means to transport your kayak, it sure is a lower cost alternative to the high dollar options. The Thule 830 Stacker fits onto virtually all roof racks; Thule, Yakima as well as most factory. I purchased this one to fit on the factory rack of my 2006 Toyota Highlander and was not disapointed.

The quality of material and craftsmanship is subpurb. The instructions were clearly written and the diagrams were large enough and easy to transition words to pictures.

The rack was installed in less than half an hour and if you have good strong hand grip, no tools necessary; although I would recommend that you take at least one turn with the aid of a pair of plyers just to ensure that the rack does not slip. If you are going to put this on a set of Yakima round load bars you will definately need to use plyers as I found out when I transfered the stacker to the Yakima bars on my pick up truck. Even after tightening with plyers the racks can be rotated front to back, not so on my Toyota; and I have no experience with the square Thule bars.

I really like the idea of being able to lay the rack flat on top of the roof when not in use. The previous rack that I had stuck up like a mohawak hair cut. So, if I didn't want to look at it I had to remove the entire rack, then re-install it for the next trip. With the Thule 830 you just loosen one nob and lay it down.

The only draw back to this rack is not in the design or the quality, it's in the actual loading of the kayak on top of your vehicle; the boat has to be transported on one of the side edges. Manuvering the boat into a vertical position can be a bit daunting by yourself, but it can be done. Better if you have a helper though to keep it stable until you can get the first strap in place.

Speaking of straps, the ones that come with the Thule are EXCELLENT! The buckle holds fast and the padded cover for the metal does not cause damage to your boat or car unless you are very careless. The fore and aft rope/hook lines are the absolute BEST. The old strap type that came with with my Yakima system always fluttered, made noise and in one instance wore the paint on my vehicle. Not so with the Thule rope style. The fastening device automatically ratchets secure and even after traveling 700 miles in one trip did not come loose.

Securing your kayak to the rack can be a hit and miss proposition. I tried the suggested tie down method that came with the instructions but was a bit doubtful as to the side strength of the rack when hauling only 1 kayak. I am sure that this has been tested by Thule, just me trying to over engineer everything. Anyway I did use the suggested method on one trip, but I found that the side of the kayak resting on the bars "walked" away from the rack 2-3 inches; part of the trip was in high cross winds and I guess I could have tightened the straps more. This trip, however, prompted me to devise my own strapping method which involves a loop around the base of the Thule rack, under the downside edge of the kayak, over the top to the rack. This method I found to keep my boat in place with no lateral travel.

If you are going to haul 2 boats you may wish to purchase a second set of fore/aft ropes, or you will have to devise a way to loop the nose & tail of both with one. You can get by with the single set of straps, but a second set may be more to your liking as well. Securing 2 boats was a bit more of a challenge, but once completed was as secure as hauling a single. What I did was mount the first boat and secured with the Thule recommended method using 1 strap. Then after the second boat was on top of the car I tied both boats together at the second tower, then removed the first strap on the first boat and repeated the double tie. Vola!! Ready to roll.

In conclusion, if you need to haul 2 kayaks and don't have the roof space, or the cash to buy 2 mounts to put them side by side, I highly recommend the Thule 830 Stacker, you won't be disapointed.

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1. Protects vehicle finish and boat keel while loading.
2. Top ¿glide¿ layer is durable, non-fading and sun-resistant. Bottom ¿set¿ layer stays put without sticking to paint.
3. Won¿t soak through or allow sand or dirt to penetrate through to paint.
4. Pad dries quickly and sheds debris with a shake.
5. Integrated, non-scratching straps anchor pad to load bar and secure rolled pad for storage when not in use.

Editorial Review :

Technical mat protects vehicle while loading kayak. Slippery top allows bow to move onto rear saddles while tacky bottom clings to vehicle. Quick-drying and easy to stow, the Water Slide is the perfect complement to your Thule boat carrier.

Customer Review :

Loading my 12 foot Kayak became easy

I have a Toyota Sienna Minivan with a Factory roof rack. The roof rack far enough away from the rear of the van that when I stand up the kayak on the back of the van and lean it at a 45 degree angle, the Kayak is a good 3 feet away from the rack. The only way to load my Kayak on to the roof rack is if I were to slide the kayak on the rear roof edge of the car and use that as a fulcrum.

The problem with sliding a 50 pound 12 foot long Kayak on the edge of the roof is that it will destroy the paint. So you will need to cover the paint with something so that there is not contact with the Car roof and the Kayak. It has to have a low coefficient of friction so that it will not scratch the underside of the kayak. It also must be able to stay in place as you slide the kayak. So the top part must be super smooth for the bottom of the kayak, and the underside must be extremely grippy that it will not slide off the roof, with the kayak. I tried the following:

1. Small Rug - I was going to use it, but I could see how, although it may help slide the Kayak, it will scratch the paint of my car.
2. Towel - A kayakers best friend. Towels have so many uses in roof loading kayaks. It will protect your paint, if it doesnt slide off. I have had an experience when it did slide off and my kayak came craching to the ground. It was a good thing I had rubber mats all over the ground in case it happened. That was when I decided to buy this Thule Water Slide.

This is all you need to do to use the Water Slide.

1. Attach or place the Water Slide on the back of your car as seen in the picture of the product.
2. Put a carpet or rubber mat on the ground behind your car.
3. Put your Kayak on the carpet or mat on the ground behind you car so that it is parallel to your car.
4. Lift up the nose of your kayak and lean it against the back of your car, reating on the Thule Water slide.
5. Go to the rear of your Kayak and just slide it onto your roof rack.

That is it. Very easy. I used to have my family help load my kayak, but now, I can do it myself. Another excellent product from the best Kayak racking system, Thule. Enjoy your life, GO KAYAKING! See you on the water.


Rating :

Really Works

Does not slide off much as the towel I used to use, don't know how it will perform long term, but right now it seems like the perfect answer.

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So much help for so little money...

As the other reviewers say, the Thule Waterslide really does work much better than a towel or rug, and it costs no more. It's a good size and well made with cushioning to protect your car. Your kayak easily slides on it and the velcro straps make it quick to attach with a sure grip. Unlike other Thule and Yakima rack products, the Waterslide is also fairly priced for what it is. It's an essential part of my system to raise and gently lower my Delta 12-10 kayak onto my Volvo XC70 roof using the Thule Roll Model roller with the glide and set saddles.

Because the Waterslide is so slippery, your boat can unexpectedly slide off the back of your car at the wrong time in the wrong direction when you can't catch it. One drop of my boat on the ramp tarmac taught me that lesson. So I now use my bow line rolled over the front roof rack as a guide and a brace to hold my kayak in place while raising and lowering it. I hold the line in my right hand to steady the bow, and then gently pull or slowly release the line to prevent the boat from sliding too quickly off the car. I keep my left hand on the boat hull to guide and support its weight. From my experience, I also highly recommend the Stowaway Kayak Cart for $59 at LLBean to complete a sensible loading system that can be used by one person. This well-built cart easily attaches to the stern of my kayak to support much of its weight during loading, unloading, and rolling my boat to the ramp. I'm a guy aged 62 with tendonitis who isn't planning to get any stronger at lifting boats, but I have used some extra thought to devise an affordable and portable loading/moving system that works for me...

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kayak confidence

Both my niece and I are short and I have a Town & Country van she has a Rav4, which makes it hard to load our kayaks. The Thule 854 water slide has made things very simple for us and we now do not worry about scratching the paint on either vehicle. We can even load the kayaks by ourselves if we have to. what a great little product with a great price.

Rating :

1. Super tough ratchet does all the work so you don't have to
2. Steel hooks attach easily to boat and vehicle
3. Includes 2 ratchets, 13 feet polypropylene rope, steel hooks and attachment strap
4. Bow and Stern tie down required when carrying kayaks or canoes
5. Comes with 2 complete ratchet assemblies, so you can get started right away

Customer Review :

Almost great

Own 6 sets of these tie downs for attaching kayaks on top of the car or on top of a custom trailer. They work great with the car as it is a very rigid surface, but on the trailer the Thule racks flex and thus the kayaks have a tendency to bounce over highway undulations. The Tie Downs have become unhooked no matter how hard I tighten them. If you have this issue I would highly recommend that you make the open hook much narrower (I used pliers). This seems to have solved the problem and I have not had to buy additional replacement Tie Downs. Will see how the modified units work this summer. I wish Thule would put a closing loop, like a carabiner, so this would not happen. These are still the best tools to tie down equipment on the car or trailer. The ratchet system works great.

Rating :

They're nice but there are cheaper options

I looked at these but ended up buying a pair of rope cinchers from Harbor Freight for under $10. They work just as well and since they are one piece heavy plastic with no moving parts there's nothing to wear out. Of course Harbor Freight also sells a quick draw pulley almost identical to the Thule for less money.

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Perfect tie-down

These are the best tie down straps I have ever used. I'm tossing away the bungees, ropes and bands. I use them to tie down my kayaks, lumber, bigger items in the truck bed. Just have to make sure to pull them tight (and I add a little knot to the loose rope against the turnbuckle.

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Great product

Great product. Easy to use - much better than cam straps or rope tiedowns

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Thule 855 Quick Draw

This is the best boat tie downs in the business. Easy to use and very secure. I wouldn't trust my boat to any other system.

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