Thule Kayak racks

[JRT]

Does anyone have any experience of the Thule Hydroglide 873 or Thule Kayak Carrier 874? Or should I just use padded rollers on the cross bars?

I will be kayaking on my own so an easy on/off system would help.

 

Thanks

 

JRT

 

[ 04. August 2005, 11:14 AM: Message edited by: JRT ]

[Artfulfisher]

Hi JRT,

 

just a quick reply to you query...Yes I use the Thule hydroglide system with the rubbery 874 up front...one word..Brilliant! Expensive, but worth it. I've used it on a Passat estate and now on my wife's vectra estate. It's a one man job, offer up the yak and push it over the hydroglide till it's happily positioned on the front.

 

I regularly have two malibu 2 kayaks stacked on mine...steady as a rock once leashed down by the excellent thule tie down straps. I've literally driven thousands of miles with both on top at motorway speeds, no trouble.

 

Best price came from the guy who owns Bournemouth Canoes...he also runs www.car-roofracks.co.uk or something with a similar name and was doing amazing discounts...I saved a load

 

Hope that helps, Art

[Simon Everett]

Yes, don't bother with the upright loop thing - the roof bars are fine but the upright is unecessary - unless you are carrying more than one yak - I use the loop and stack a kayak on each side. The upright loop provides suppor for the kayak to lean against. As ART says, the Thule stuff is excellent - it should be, they make the Volvo own brand stuff!

 

No gripes about it, just that the upright loop isn't needed for one yak - lash it on upside down. I do find that at about 80 the strain in the two yaks does start to bend the upright back though - it does say that it is only rated for 65mph.

[JRT]

Thanks for replies chaps, Thule it is then.

 

Cheers

 

JRT

[Murph]

Hi JRT,

 

I wish I had the hydroglide system. Just went for the Thule yak carriers (no loops)fitted on a Thule Rack system. The Hydroglide would have helped no end as its hard work putting a Cobra FnD on top of a Nissan Patrol at my age (wimp). Quality wise Thule are good. My only compaints have been some deterioration of the rubber face on the yak holder and a cracked plastic tightening screw on the mount. I put that down for the most part to the climate and extreme heat over here.

 

Otherwise no probs apart from getting the yak up there in the first place.

 

Murph

[richsurfer]

Hi Simon

I notice you said you fit two yaks on their sides with one of the upright attachments for bars. I need to fit a couple on but was worried with the sit on tops that they wouldn't be stable on their sides as they are so wide and would stick up a long way - have you had any problems?

Alternatively do the sit on tops stack well, or does it depend on the model?

[SpeciMan]

Hi Rich

 

I recently bought upright attachment bars so I can fit two Capers on my roofrack. They are the Palm ones from Bournemouth Canoes about £27. Capers are quite wide and they extend further than the height of the bar however they were strapped down tight enough. You can pay twice the price for the Thule ones which are quicker to fit although the Palm ones don't take that long to take on and off (just use a spanner to tighten 4 nuts... ouch ). If you get the Thule one make sure it includes straps for TWO yaks.. I think they only come with one strap as standard. The Palm one doesn't come with straps although Halfords sell them at a reasonable price.

 

Some kayaks are stackable it does depend on the model. The ones which stack tend to the ones without front hatches. Capers don't stack... I think Frenzys and Scrambler XT's do.

 

BTW I also bought a Halfords roofrack the other week which seems good value. Its no Thule but it does the job and was less than half the price when I bought mine.

 

Simon do you have any tips on positioning and securing the yaks with straps when using upright bars. I have only used the bars on a few occassions and am still fine tuning how I load and tie down the yaks.

[***oLLy***]

Hi RS

I Carry 3 yaks(1 mambo 2 P13) on my car with 1 set of uprights with no problems if you are only carry 2yaks put one each side and fix with 2 sets of cam straps for added surecurity use bow and stern straps

[Simon Everett]

I use the scupper oles to pass the straps through. That way the yaks don't move at all.

 

I go through the upper hole (yak on side) first, the loop upright is nearly in line) through the rack upright, from front to back, under the cross bar and back through the lower scupper. Then around the cross bar again this side and up to the cam fastner. Then I do the same with the rear end of the car and use the loose ends of the straps to tie the paddle to the cross bars, hard against the kayak where they don't get any wind. Has worked happily up to 80mph - but it does start to take a huge amount of strain then from the windage.

 

You will find a massive (like 15%) saving in fuel mpg if you keep to 70 or below - this is because the air builds up ahead of the car/load and as you go faster more fuel is used in trying to push this air out of the way.

[richsurfer]

Sounds like carrying the yaks using uprights is fine - now I just need to find some that fit my roofbars. These are factory fitted and a hefty 6cm wide - too wide for the uprights in the shops I've checked so far.