Thule 881 Top Deck Rooftop Kayak Carrier, Black

I got this carrier after using a THULE Hull a Port carrier for 5 years. Picking up a kayak and having to step up on a cooler to reach the Hull a Port got to be a little laboring and after pulling my back once doing the clean and jerk move and overextending to reach the carrier on top of my Xterra, I decided this design may be a better option for me hauling just a single kayak as I can slide it up from the back and use the SUV roof as leverage. It works somewhat well, but I didn’t expect both sets of the carrier to have rubber on them which stops the kayak from sliding forward once you have it half loaded. The rubber grabs and even started to roll up from the friction of trying to load it so I end up climbing up and semi-lifting and sliding it into the final position.It’s not that bad if I put up a towel and use the roof as a lever and drop it down but it’s still a tad trickier than I would have liked. After I bought this carrier I saw another brand of carrier with a similar design but the back set actually had little rollers while the front set had rubber to keep it from sliding. I think that design would have been perfect for me. This isn’t an issue if you have a car or lower height SUV, so if you are buying for that type of vehicle, these would be 5 stars for sure.Overall another good product from THULE.

I have a Rav4 and needed a rack for my kayak that was sturdy, safe, easy for me to get my kayak into, and would fit into my meager budget. This fits the bill in every way. It came with two solid straps and tie downs, however I just use the straps. Once you strap it in and the fact that the saddles have rubber grip material, your kayak isn’t going anywhere. In fact the bigger challenge for me is getting the kayak off the saddles once I get to my destination. I’ve learned that it is easier to just loosen the saddles on one side of the car and then pull the kayak off the saddles and gently slide it down the back end of my Rav4. I did purchase the Thule 854 water slide to help me with sliding the kayak on and off my car and to protect my car from getting scratched. I’m a 56 year old women who is not overly strong but I can handle this just fine. Happy kayaking everyone!