Thule  Hullavator

This is the best rack for our needs! With two kayaks and a high profile Honda Element, I looked at all of the possible racks that would accommodate us. My wife and I are in our 60's and did not want to struggle to lift the kayaks to the roof or slide them up the back end of the car. This rack is so easy to use and lowers the kayaks to waist height. An earlier REI reviewer mentioned an issue with the rack's stability on Yakima round bars. Thule may have revised the mounting brackets and under bar bracket to better accommodate round bars because once I tightened the mounting brackets they simply did not move.

Is this expensive? Yes! Is it worth it? YES! Easy to install and remove when not using. Makes placing my kayak on a somewhat tall SUV extremely easy. No fears of damaging my vehicle. No fears of hurting myself. I can easily load my kayak by myself.

It was easy to install. I have used it for sit on top and sit in kayak. I also have used for a heavy tandem sit it kayak , ( which is the reason I got it) and it worked great - easy to lift and put on roof and take off again. I installed it on square bars attached with crossroad mounts to my factory mount. Because I have seen some review concern about rust- I take off the arm assembly when not in use ( which is easy to do) and leave the bar mount assembly on my car. The hullavator is expensive but if you have a heavy boat and want to be able to mount it on your car or SUV and do it without help - it is worth it!.

I love this kayak lift. I'm 58 years old and weigh 110 pounds, and have a retirement/parttime work schedule...so I often can go kayaking at odd times when others are at work. This system is perfect for me. I can load and unload my 14 foot Wilderness sea kayak on the top of my mini van, without any assistance and with no difficulty. This piece of equipment is well worth the price and has given me the freedom to get up and go whenever I wish without worrying about or needing someone else to help me. I highly recommend it for anyone...but especially for women who are kayaking single. Choloe1011

I bought the hullavator in the spring of 2014. My wife and I are in our late 60s. We were getting pretty tired of lifting our tandem kayak onto the roof of our SUV and looked for an easier way to transport the kayak. The Hullavator fit the bill perfectly. This summer we took a trip from Richmond Virginia to Sunriver Oregon stopping several places along the way. When we first started out we had the kayak loaded with the top up and used a cover for the cockpit. After a few rain episodes we found this approach to be problematical. Eventually we just turned the kayak over and had no problems on the rest of the trip. The Hullavator performed exceptionally well the entire trip.

It was great when it was working. I really liked not having to lift the boat above my shoulders. It made loading a boat really fast. It started to rust a few months after I purchased it before it had had any exposure to sea water. We will see how Thule customer service works. May be bringing it back to REI. Thule should really have better quality control for an item this pricey.

I got this rack so that I could go kayaking whenever I wanted to, even if no one else wanted to tag along. It works! I have only used it a few times, and the first time was awkward, but now it is pretty quick and easy. It seems durable, but I haven't had it long enough to know. The construction seems good and everything connects and fits well. I am glad I bought it. I just wish the water was a little closer.

As a single kayaker, I knew this would be the only way to load my 50 lb. kayak onto the top of my SUV independently. After having REI install the Hullavator (about a 2 hour process) they happily demonstrated its use and made me practice how to load and unload my kayak onto the Hullavator. I have used it the last month or so and it is a dream!

I am 5'3" and this lets me load and unload myself.Glad I had REI figure out the installation b/c rack has to be installed just right to clear side of your car. And have to get used to avoid hitting head on rack extending over side of roof, as you get in and out of car on that side. So I put colored tape on the rack ends as visual reminder.Had to go back to store for help getting the hang of operating it but REI customer service is great and patient instructors and now I do it right each time.And people are intrigued watching it work. S

I am a 5' mid-fifties woman with not a lot of arm strength. I tried Thule's Slipstream and could not muscle my 50 lb. kayak to the roof of my Toyota Highlander. The Hullavator makes it fairly easy. The only issue I have is that my garage is too low for the carrier so I have to remove the arms each time I use it. I had it installed at REI because I also needed crossbars.