Thule Hull-a-Port XT Kayak Carrier for Rooftop Transport

Amazon Customer: For transporting my kayak but it should have come with the key system. Doesn’t seem right for me to buy the key system afterwards when it could easily be added to the unit even if you have to raise the price.

Canada on Aug 05, 2021

Austin: One of the best kayak racks that you could get within a reasonable price range. I got a deal price of 199.99 and thanks to Amazon for that timely deal. This is a solid built rack & you have to make sure you do not tighten the torque screw more than 3 Nm. So always keep a handy torque meter and you will not go wrong. It has held my 75lb as well as 52 pound kayak tied for long distances. Just attached the nylon wraps at the two rack spots and didn’t require to tie the front and rear as long as you are not speeding on the high speed lane.

United States on Jul 11, 2021

Dinomac: We LOVE our Thule Hull-a-Port kayak carriers! We have two on our Subaru Crosstrek. We needed something easy for us 60 year olds to use and load and the Hull-a-Port is nice because it is lower than most J carriers to get the kayak up. I can do it by myself or with the help of my wife. It is also nice, because they can be folded down when not hauling the yaks. They are very secure on our roof rack and lock (although you have to buy the locks separately). We've been using it for a couple months now and we are getting used to loading and unloading. Once in awhile the straps get tangled and can't be pulled through, but we are figuring that out! We would definitely recommend this kayak carrier! They are spendy... but I think, well worth it!

United States on Jul 03, 2021

Pierre Boisjoli: Easy to install.

Canada on Nov 11, 2020

Rachel: Even just in your hand, you can tell that this is a high-quality product. We had no problems with the Hull-A-Port XT itself, but getting it set up properly is definitely tricky.

Especially if you are using this with 2 kayaks, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. It took us a couple of tries before we got all of the tie-downs right and felt comfortable with it on the highway. (We had a removable, thin SportRack roof rack on a Camry, which definitely made it harder - thicker/wider roof racks will be much more stable.) Make sure you tighten the Thule onto your roof racks; on a windy highway at 70 mph, one gust shifted the Thule. We got out, pushed it back and tightened it further, and had no problems after. Don't be afraid to add more straps if you're traveling on a highway, and do a shorter test drive beforehand.

TL;DR - This product is great, but you absolutely have to make sure you are using it correctly.

United States on Aug 04, 2020

Eric: It's great! We are very happy with my purchase

Canada on Jul 28, 2020

plam891: Après un été d'utilisation je peux dire que ces un très bon produit. Petit conseil, serrer très bien les vis! A mon retour des îles de la madeleine j'ai pu constater que mon kayak s'était déplacer, heureusement vers le centre.

Canada on Apr 06, 2020

Amazon Customer: Easy on holds kayaks well tools included.
Kayaks do not slide easily on the rubber.
And the front one whistled so loud I could not believe it, I had to wrap tape over the waffle part to stop the racket.

Canada on Jun 21, 2019

SchnautzSchnautz: EDITED after two weeks of use:
I just got back from an interstate trip with a single kayak loaded on this rack. I had to stop quickly 3 times (about once every ten minutes) to adjust the kayak, as it was about to roll off the rack! I've added photos showing the position I put it in, and every time I got a gust of wind from the side, it would roll some and slide further off the rack.

Eventually, I had to add a ratchet strap over the whole assembly to keep it from rolling out of position. That helped, but it still dug into the side of my kayak, warping the hull.

Please note: Your mileage may vary. I think it is partly due to the spacing of my crossbars, which puts the rack at the weak points of the kayak. The sides give way as it rolls, and the rack doesn't support it well. It may be better with a larger or smaller kayak or with different crossbar spacing.

I'm returning this, as it's not worth the liability.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
This works great for a single recreational kayak - (29" wide, 14" tall), loading isn't difficult, once you get the hang of it.

But when attempting to load two kayaks, you are supposed to move the support beam to a...

United States on Aug 19, 2018

Deanna Greco: I got this to hold two 13ft kayaks. I have a 2016 Jeep Patriot and this fit perfectly on the crossbars. They are light weight but durable. Pretty easy to assemble and install. I really like that they are collapsible, I was worried that they would be an eye-sore on top my car but they are very sporty and sleek looking. They are easy to use, I am not too keen on how they strap the kayak in. The strap slips through a spacer at the top of the bar, but the strap easily pops out of the slot if the strap is not held with tension. You definitely need two people to secure the kayak. It does hold 2 kayaks. One sits in the holder, the other sits on the crossbars. It only comes with one set of straps, so you need to buy additional straps for the 2 kayak. I would suggest buying two holders, it is just easier to secure, load, and handle. They are not noisy at all when driving, I traveled two hours with two kayaks on my roof and they didn’t budge or make wind noise. I really like this holder and would highly recommend it. If you’re short like me, I would suggest buying a milk crate or something that height to stand on when securing your kayaks.

United States on Aug 06, 2018