Kayak Loaders

[letsgo]

We were wondering if any one has had any experience with the Thule Hullavator Kayak Loader  http://www.thule.com.au/thule-897xt-hullavator not cheap but you can get them a lot cheaper on eBay. They seem like they would be easy to use and a lot easier than lifting a tandem kayak onto roof racks by yourself.

We want to know if they handle corrugations ok?
And do they secure the kayak well?
In general how robust are they?

Open to other suggestions but we can't load the kayak from the back due to the fact the trailer maybe hooked up when we want to load and unload the kayak. The Kayak isn't too heavy, Chris loads it onto the roof himself, using a ladder which makes it a bit dangerous. So we are looking for something a bit easier. Has to handle corrugations and not come loose. It goes up onto of the roof canopy so it's fairly high.   

Thanks in advance
Chris and Kate

[KingBilly]

Seen one used at a boat ramp once and it looked like a good idea.

Couldn't you jack knife the trailer to load form the rear?

KB

[Brutus]

Have seen them about on numerous vehicles so they must work?

I have been thinking about using the suction caps on the rear of the vehicle, they might be worth a look for you?

[letsgo]

The ute is high so we will still need a ladder to tie the Kayak down. We have a rear door on the ute canopy so we need access to that too. It really won't work from the rear for us.

Thanks for the replies

[DrewXT]

Ask the guys over at KFDU.com.au ... There are quite a few threads about this device

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[WilSurf]

I had a look at the video and it doesn't look that stable on the roof?
It isn't good for me as you need two hands to release the handles at the same time.
I am looking for something to get the kayak on the roof single handed.

[xcvator]

You want a good, cheap, easy to use loader then have a look at http://www.rackandroll.net.au/ then go out and get the following items and make your own

1 standard steel tent pole
1 standard steel tent pole with a spreader bar end ( flat with a hole in it)
1 pool noodle
6 or 8 heavy duty cable ties
6 light cable ties
1 chair
2 stubbies

Step 1/
 secure the female end of 1 of the poles to your front roof rack bar using the heavy duty cable ties, leaving the end with the locking bolt flush with the end of the rack on the passenger side ( make sure you can screw the locking bolt in and out)

Step 2/
Slice the pool noodle in half length wise, then slice out a "V" length wise in each half to fit a tent pole in

Step 3/
Attach the pool noodle to the spreader bar end with the light cable ties. Leave about 100mm of the pole exposed at the round end

Step 4/
Insert male end of spreader bar into the pole attached to the roof rack and do up the lock bolt finger tight

Step 5/
Insert pin on the standard tent pole into the spreader bar, adjust length of upright pole so that it's just supporting the spreader bar

Step 6/ Sit on chair, open stubbie and admire your $30.00 kayak side loader

I load a Hobie Revo 13 on my own onto the Jackaroo and it's a piece of cake,not quite 1 handed, but close 

[WilSurf]

When did you use the second stubbie? 

How secure is the female end of the pole to your roof bar?

[xcvator]

When did you use the second stubbie? 

That's for me for helping 

How secure is the female end of the pole to your roof bar?

It's moved about 5mm since I installed it and that was because I tried to use it without the support pole  You could use s/steel cable ties if you really wanted to be sure.
I thought I might get some wind noise from it but it's almost nil

For the price and difficulty level of installation I'd rate it 
For ease of use 

Apart from the cost of a hullivator don't forget you have to lift the whole kayak up off the ground to get it into the rack 

[letsgo]

Nice idea for some but that won't work for us. As I said the kayak goes onto the canopy of the Ute which is a lot higher than the vehicle shown in that picture.

Great idea to make one though, thanks

[chester ver2.0]

With the height of your roof you are still going to need a ladder to get up there and tie it down anyway, i have a mate with a similar ute and if you want to get away from the ladder he does it this way i have helped him and it is quite easy

1. Insert a roller on the roof across the back

Method as follows to load kayak
1. As said above jack knife the trailer to acess the back (it can work with the trailer straight as you are lifting upwards from the rear)
2. Tie a long rope to Kayak
3. Lean Kayack agains the back
4. While one person raises the kayak as hig as they can the other from the front drags it up on the roof he puts the rope under the bullbar for levage
5 Open side gull wing doors and step up on corners of tray to tie down.

To get it back off do the reverse but put a second rope on the rear of the kayak so one person drags it off the back whilst the other controls with the front role

Use a soft towel and some duct tape and tie this to the rope for areas where it contacts the vehicle paint when getting on and off

[Tim - Stratford]

I am looking for something to get the kayak on the roof single handed.

A bit slower than some lifters but this one could definitely be a one-handed operation. It also has possibilities for putting kayaks on top of caravans or on tall utes with canopies.

Not sure on cost but could be easy to 'simulate' your own version...

Rhino Nautic Kayak Loader

Tim

[letsgo]

Thanks for posting the video, we just heard about this Kayak loader today. We were told it's not available yet, maybe June.

We went to Roof Racks Galore to have a look at the Thule Hullavator. It won't be suitable for us with the canopy on the ute. The racks would need to come about a foot out on the side to then be able to flip the unit down and not have it hit the canopy as the top sides on the canopy lean inwards, it's not a straight canopy on the sides. Also he said Thule don't really make off road stuff.

We had also emailed Thule who said that they don't recommend the product for off road use.

So we will look at some of the other options suggest here in more detail and if they aren't suitable, Chris will make since own.

Thanks for all the suggestions