Thule X-Adapter 11 Hull-A-Port T-Track Adapter
Thule Xadapter 11 makes it possible to connect the Thule Hull-A-Port Kayak Carrier to Thule Aeroblade Load Bars (load bars and kayak carrier sold separately).
- Thule Xadapter 11 adapter has easy-to-follow instructions
Imported.
View all Thule Car Rack Parts| Best Use | Paddling |
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poor design
First I don't understand why Thule would make a kayak carrier that wouldn't be compatible with a cross bar of their brand. I have the aeroblade and needed this adapter kit for the hull a port pro. The provided wrench only had one "tamperproof" end. The short end of the wrench. Which makes tightening down any of the screws a pain. Especially the screw to lock in the square nut and screw for the T track. It will also require you to use the wrench to loosen the T track screw to take the entire carrier on and off your bars. Wouldn't recommend this adapter kit but if you have an aeroblade bar setup and "happen" to get a hull a port carrier you really don't have a choice but to use the kit or else the carrier will be too unstable on the bar.
It works
I just purchased and installed the Hull-a-Port PRO along with this adaptor. Has not yet been used, so take that in mind when reading this review. Installation was not difficult but not well designed. Tamperproof heads seem like a good thought however only one side of the wrench is equipped with tamperproof head and given the width between the carrier bars and their height, the short ell side may not have been the wisest choice. Not sure why one side isn't tapped, without it it provides no value. Next, the head screws which are used to lock down the sliding square nut to the base of the adapter plate are a little to short to function with the spring locking washer. Once the locking is fully engaged this is not a problem but without the added screw length it is very difficult to engage the square nut, while keeping it loose enough to slide into the T-track of the aero blade. Solution I used was to slide the square nut into the track and then drop the assembly on top, and tighten down from there. Could be resolved with perhaps a 15 mm screw instead of the 12 mm, or a flat washer in lieu of a locking washer. Additionally there appear to be very poor machining tolerances on the square nut. 3 of the 8 include did not provide great thread engagement and one had inside diameter which would slide over the screw with interference. REI was great and they swapped it out for usable square nut. The vehicle this is now mounted to is a Subaru Legacy, sliding the Hull-a-Port PRO just past the end cap door and attempting to firmly tighten the tamperproof screws required a step stool and awkwardly hanging over the vehicle. After spending a decent amount on this adapter and Hull-a-Port PRO, I would have preferred a bit more vetting of this product. All this said, it looks very clean and I'm hopeful that this was only an installation issue and the product will remain secure for a long time. I am giving this three stars because at the end of the day it has done what I need it do thus far.
rating should actually be "incomplete"
Only the mounting hardware was included in my shipment, not the mounting plate. I submitted a support request to address this immediately and have not heard anything back. So, I can't really say anything about the actual product as I haven't been able to use it yet.
Will only work on Thule racks
The square nuts included to slide in the racks are 20mm (0.787") wide. Unfortunately my tracks were 18mm (0.708") wide so this adapter kit didn't work. The size of the hardware is not in any of the Thule documentation.
Great product
Nice adapter, easy to use, great directions. Cannot mount Kayak rack to aero bars without it, should be included in package.
Nice rack
Surprisingly quiet and easy to install.