Hullavator

I know it's an unpopular opinion but...

It's the worst, most expensive purchase since I started kayaking two decades ago. I own a RAV4 TRD. The installer used a Yakima roof rack and mounted the Thule Hullavators on those. The wind noise is like a piccolo. I got no help or suggestions from the installer other than increase the volume on my radio. I'll try different methods to see if I can eliminate or reduce it. Second, I can't enter the garage without taking off the Hullavators. I use a trailer with some of my kayaks and it's always a breeze to simply roll the trailer with kayaks into the garage after a long kayak adventure. So the extra step of removing the arms is a pain especially when it's not that simple to remove them. Yes, it's not overly difficult but still a hassle. Third, over-priced for what you get. I bought my trailer new for a third of the price of the Hullacvator setup.

I purchased my first Hullavator in 2004 and did an upgrade within a year or two. I'm now 84+ years old, and this clever device has made it possible for me to continue paddling. I've experienced the problems others have reported, but I've been able to deal with them; be aware, be careful, read the directions carefully and you'll be all right. UV will degrade the pads, I take them off whenever I'm not carrying my boat, easy-peasey! This has been a great investment; all these years with no damage to me, the vehicle, or the boat!

We have used the Hullavators for the past 6 years. We own a Jeep Wangler which we pull behind our RV. With kayaking into our 70's you have to find ways to assist, this is a perfect answer. We load & unload quicker & easier than many of the young folks. When we had trouble with one of the arms, the company even replaced & gave us 2 new ones.

Beginning my 3rd full summer season with the Hullavator (H). Started kayaking at age 59, fell in love with quiet water transport and wildlife observation. I join a group of older women paddlers each week, mostly within an hour drive and the 1st summer I loaded my 12' Necky into the back of our farm pickup and used lots of ropes and bungees and an Orange flag. Husband bought the H and it's been a game changer for me to quickly load onto my Dodge Journey and now I paddle 2 or 3 times each week. One problem that showed up last summer (the 2nd full season) is the rubbery padding on the cradles have started to sun rot and get black gunk on my kayak. I'd love to have any suggestions about covering that with something that won't fly off when driving with an empty H. No, I'm not going to replace both entire cradles at $75 each.

The Thule Hullavator Lift assist is an excellent kayak roof loading contraption. I watched videos of old ladies like myself operate this ingenious device. It’s a bit pricey, but I was sold on the idea! After installing the cross bars and hooking up the elevator arms, I did a few practice loads before I hit the road by myself. The Milwaukee River was calling my name and off I went. Easy on, easy off and plenty of energy left over to paddle off into the sunrise, or sunset, if you like to sleep in!

I have used the hullavatar for 2 years now..and I can honestly say, I kayak almost everyday because of the ease of use. Most of the time my kayak stays on my car, because I kayak much more. I would have given it 5 plus stars except for one thing....it should load kayaks the other way- with the cockpit facing the car, not the sky....if I forget to put a cover on, my kayak fills with rain at times, and it is a pain to empty the water. Worth every penny, so much so, I have two on my car for when I travel with my sea kayak and my river kayak.

We bought our first hullavator about 12 years ago and its still working, although a little stiff. I should also say that it suffered partial salt water inundation during superstorm Sandy. We purchased a 2nd one about 7 years ago as my wife and are now in our late 60s. Couldn't load my 60 lb kayak on my SUV without it. This item is very expensive, but it's cheaper than another round of back surgery. I do not leave it on the car, so it is protected in the garage most of the time. I hope they continue to serve us well.

Just installed my new Hullavator a few days ago...love it!

I almost bought the Yakima Showdown, but decided to pay the extra money for the Thule since it actually does some of the lifting. Comparing the Thule to a friends Yakima this past weekend, I discovered that I had made the right choice.

Loading my Katana 9.4 onto the roof of my Honda Pilot has gone from being a pain in the neck/shoulders to effortless!

I have had a Hullavator for about 10 years. First used on a full sized 2001 Chevy Express van and later a 2016 Ford Transit full sized van. I am now 71 years old, 6' tall and 160#. There is no way I would be able to get one of my kayaks on those full size vans without the Hullavator. I use it in Michigan so no exposure to sea salt. If I still lived in California I would make sure I cleaned it all the time and sprayed down with WD40 to prevent corrosion.

I do not leave the lift on the roof rack.....there is one pin you pull on each one that lets you remove the assembly easily and no tools required in just seconds. I do have locks on everything but figure by only leaving the rack on the cross arms when needed I prevent wear and tear....especially to the fabric pads.

For those that use in salty air conditions I would make sure to clean salt off the piston struts and oil them with WD 40 also......if those struts get rusty or knicked they can destroy the strut seals and destroy them. Didn't happen to me but I heard that is an issue (also on cars and SUVs that use the same struts for hatch back cars.

Some mentioned that sometimes it would not lock in the down position and snap up. That is because they didn't ensure the unit was latched. The solution is to first make sure the release handle has popped out to the normal unlocked position (lubing the parts makes sure everything works as intended). Next when lowering the kayak or rack into the down position push on the middle knuckle or hinge and listen for the click as it snaps into place.

There are different mounting assemblies for the actual standard rack that attaches to the car so make sure you have the correct one for your car. My old Chevy van had rain gutters.....the Ford has no rain gutters and instead has lugs already factory installed in the roof. When putting the rack on the car select the spread so that you can reach both release handles at the same time....about 3' spread.

The only con for me, other than the high cost, is that unloaded if you still have the rack on the car there is a lot of wind noise generated.

The last issue....make sure the kayak is placed to it is centered over each pad.....you don't want the part to be twisted as it may not lock.

Note that I have locks on the rack plus the Hullavator but the kayak itself is held in place with standard nylon straps so can still be easily stolen by cutting the straps. I found a company that makes straps that are reinforced with two aircraft cables inside them and locks so that is solved....don't know if they are still around but something to think about.

I have had no issues with the rack when driving at high speeds of 70 mph or more.

Locks don't lock. Arms don't lock. Since I bought my hullavator years ago and can't find my proof of purchase THULE WON'T HONOR WARRANTY. Yet thule know of these problems. Can I give a lower rating than a 1.

For seven years, we used special home made steel bar racks built on top of our Class C RV for manual lifting and lowering of two kayaks and a canoe. By climbing up on the rear ladder to the roof I just lifted the kayaks or canoe by line (rope) using a small carpet to guard against any damage to the motorhome. We fulltimed for seven magical years and loved it. Now in our eighties, however, we sold the RV and purchased a new Promaster Cargo Van. A smaller van is so much easier to drive than an RV so that we should be able to continue traveling into our nineties.

We had Rack Attack in Portland, OR attach a kayak rack on top of the van with hullavators for our two 12 foot kayaks. We have tested them thoroughly over the past year with a three month trip across the northern USA on Highway 80, Highway 90, and the TransCanadian to Vermont and Minnesota from Oregon and return. Highway 80 is basically used as a cross-country truck route wth endless 30 mph wind gusts. It's gotta be the worst way to cross the USA. The good news is that Wyoming could power the entire Northwest with wind power. Yet, the hullavators held the van and kayaks as I thought surely the kayaks would fly off the roof.

In summary, I can't say enough good things about this product and the good people at Rack Attack. It did cost us $1200 for everything, and it was worth every dollar. We head out in a few weeks for three months in Baja California camping along the beach as we go. The hullavators are a great Thule product.

Have a had a Hullavator now for 5 years. On my car the whole time. I had L4/L5 back surgery and my 17.5' Dagger Atlantis is too much to lift any more (I'm 66). This device works great and is so easy to use. I would have had to get a trailer. I drive an Acadia and I have it mounted all the way to the ends of the manufacture's standard rack. It's been all over the country and I love it. Getting ready to buy a 2nd for the other side of the car for my wife's boat (55 lb glass). I recommend to any and everyone.

Not worth the money. Go rusty at the first sign of water. Struts do not last for very many uses. Thule do not sell replacements. You have to buy the entire upper sections. Two of these cost more than the complete unit.

Thule customer service is non-existent. I have found a company willing to manufacture replacement struts but Thule will not provide specifications. They claim that they do not have the specifications. My costs to date would be around $100 per use. Best avoided.

The Thule Hullavator has been on the roof of my wife's Subaru Outback for about five years. She is a petite person who would have a problem loading her 39 pound kayak onto j-bars. The Hullavator is a real blessing. It is a worthwhile investment. If only Thule could find a way to drop the price.

After years of debating the merits verses cost of the Thule Hullavator I finally broke down and bought one. I had read a lot of reviews and heard a lot of complaints about difficulty in assembly and operation and noise levels. I experienced none of these issues. It took about a half hour to put together, works flawlessly and there is virtually no wind noise.

It's great I'm pushing 60 and the energy saved loading and unloading equals longer paddling time. Everything thule says about it is true. Don't hesitate like I did.you won't be sorry

I've had the Hullavator Pro for several months now and have used it extensively. I mostly live it, but it has some serious design flaws that need fixed. First, the arms tend to snap up when taking off the boat. Second is the annoying whistle when traveling with a boat on the cradle. Most importantly, however, is the fact that the bottom of the cradle oil cans plastic boats. Thule tells me that the hard plastic humps that come to a point help to grab and hold the kayak in place. I've had to work on repairing oil cans from four different boats that have been on my rack. Even if I don't cinch down the cradle straps, the bow and stern lines add even pressure to touring boats and oil canning is the inevitable result. For a $620 specialty product designed to hold kayaks, I expect the rack to not damage my equipment. Sorely disappointed in this product.

After months of trying to decide I bought the Hullavator, with a 25 percent sale price due to last years model. It is fantastic and I have NO regrets. For a single gal who is not getting younger it is a fantastic piece of gear. No getting hurt putting the kayak on the roof. Easy peasy!! Get one, you won't regret it one bit!

After 4 years of using my Hullavator, I still like it. A lot! It has made my adventures much easier and less taxing on this short, little, ol' lady. I am short and I've learned, once the boat is fastened to the "J's"; to get my shoulders and head just under the edge of the boat when it's down, grab the handles, then lift slightly and it practically finishes the rise by itself. Piece of cake! Much easier than putting a rug on the Explorer, lifting, the 50-60# boats onto the roof, even with Hully-rollers. Works for me and I've had absolutely no problems with this unit. IMO, well worth the money.

What a dull life without the Hullavator. It enables you to kayak when you do not have someone to help you load kayak on car. Only drawback is sometimes rack will return to roof when you are removing kayak from it.
I still rate it a 9 for the freedom it provides.

I purchased a Hullavator 3 years ago and am very disappointed. Bought the rack in April, by November it was rusting. All of the powder coating on the black base bubbled with rust. I now have to sand it each year and give it a few coats of Rustoleum. Not a good time. The pads started fading by the end of the first season and now look terrible. Replacements run about $50/set. The functionality of the lift system has stayed true, otherwise my Hullavator would be scrap by now. My set up cost about $700. Not a lot of quality for the price.

I recently bought a Jackson Rivi-T (tandem kayak) to paddle solo and with my five-year-old daughter. The boat is 76 lbs. and nearly 14 ft. long, so it's a bit massive to handle on my own. The Hullavator makes it a piece of cake! I can have the boat unloaded, car parked, and boat launched in ten minutes. Loading up takes about fifteen from start to finish. I've only used the system three times thus far but I feel completely confident out on my own. I love how quick and easy it is to use!

I purchased my Hullavator from HumblePower for $470, it was shipped free to my home. For a short female doing your own loading, this system is AWESOME!!! Some call it pricey, but hey...you get what you pay for. It makes loading a kayak soooo easy! The only thing I have problems with is getting the loading arms correctly positioned on the frame. It's difficult to line up the holes so one can insert the pins that hold the arms to the frame. I'm 5'4" and have a tall car (Hyundai Santa Fe) so holding the arms up (each one weighs about 25#)and trying to align all the holes can be a little difficult. That is the ONLY drawback for me, but a taller person might not have this issue.

The system comes with a video on how to load it, straps for securing the kayak to the arms and extra fore and aft tie-downs. The roof rack bars have locks, but the arms don't so I bought a couple of long cable locks for when I leave the car to kayak.
Every time I use it I find myself saying out loud, "I LOVE this thing!"

I have one season of use of my Hullavator rack system and I do recommend it. I bought it after tearing my rotator cuff made using my other rack difficult and painful. The rack does what it is advertised to do, and it is quite ingenious. I was very pleased to see that Thule offers an inexpensive adapter kit that allowed me to mount the Hullavator onto the new Thule AeroBlade bars I bought halfway through the season to replace the horribly loud Thule square section bars I had been using.

Mounting the Hullavator bases to the AeroBlades takes a bit of measuring and cutting of the rubber strips on the bars, but it is a one-time thing. Note that with the Hullavator you will mount metal base pieces onto your bars that are not easily removed. Certainly you will not remove them with each use--they are meant to be there semi-permanently. They have some protruding metal tabs on them which I think pretty much rules out using a car wash with your bars mounted, even if you "remove" the Hullavator cradles. Touchless car washes are the ticket.

Also, removing and mounting the cradles is not for the weak as you have to catch a rod in the heavy cradle piece onto a small tab protruding from the base that is mounted permanently on your bars, all the while holding the heavy cradle vertically, trying not to have it come down on you. You then have remove one hand from supporting the awkward cradle to pull the cradle away from the base just slightly to insert a retention pin into some holes, working against the return struts in the cradle mechanism and being careful to pull down the whole time. Lift it even a nudge and the heavy cradle assembly can unhook from the small tab and come crashing down on you and the side of your vehicle. It's not hard, but you do need some strength and you have to be careful. If you want to leave the cradles in place you don't have to worry about this after the first time mounting them, but they are VERY tall and on my SUV they prevent me from going into any garage when mounted. Plus, as expensive as these are, I prefer storing the cradles with their gas struts, linking and locking mechanisms indoors when not in use.

So I rate them an 8. They work and are unique, but they are expensive and in some ways finicky. There is nothing that in my mind is a good alternative if you need or want these, including the competitor product that has you hanging stuff off the side of your SUV for loading to "walk" your kayak up alternating front to back. That might work, but not as elegantly as the Hullavator.

This might be a great rack but don't know if I will ever find out! Bought in early June- many parts missing so couldn't install. Have sent multiple emails and called multiple times to get missing parts. Count on spending at least 30 minutes per phone call. They might act like they are helping and the parts are on the way, but here it is- almost August- empty promises, dreadful customer service and useless rack that cost $550- (not to mention cost of base racking system -over $100)I will boycott Thule forever!!! Consider this before you order!!!

I have had my Hullavator for some time (see early review here; June 24, 2010) and I love it. I have a full sized Chevy van...if I tried to get my yak on it I would probably end up with a hernia or bad back. As far as cracks...and mounting. I have a Hurricane kayak which uses a ABS like plastic and also a Old Town Dirigo fishing kayak. Both have had no problems with damage from the mount. For attaching I just use the straps that come with it front and rear snugged down. I don't need the front or rear straps...it is rock solid and even driving at high speed over all kinds of terrain I haven't had any problem. If you are getting some sliding, go to a hardware store and get the rubber material used to line tool drawers..it is a very grippy material and if between the kayak and mount I can guarantee it won't move. It may be enough to prevent any cracking of the gel coat although if you are getting cracking of gel coat with that little pressure it makes me thing the composite isn't thick enough or done correctly.

We got the Hullavator because my son is leaving for college and my wife isn't tall enough to help lift our tandem kayak onto the roof of the Suburban. The racks work great. The only thing I can't figure out is why the little brackets that hold the racks to the cross bar (also Thule brand) don't fit the cross bar better. The Hullavator wants to twist a little and that makes it so that when we put the kayak up the rack has to be fiddled with to make it lock in place.

I have had the hullavator for 4 yrs now. I been going out by myself..I love it; it's the best thing ever. all you have to make sure the handles are locked. Thats all you have to make sure, and there wont be problem having the one of the arms go up.We are now getting a second hullavator. You can also go on Ebay and find a hullavator.

I have a full sized Chevy Van and getting either of my two kayaks (each 50#) on top wouldn't be possible without causing a bad back or hernia.

I had read the reviews and main issue was the latch issues on earlier releases and key latch. Both seem to have been cured in the current versions and mine has been trouble free. I did want to make an effort to test and report on these two areas for potential future owners.

It works as advertised and it is nice to be able to raise and lower the kayak easily..often with no more strength required than a one hand tug. I did get some advice from others that I think is sound:
First...to make sure the latch mechanism catches in the down position you should make sure that after placing the kayak on the two padded arms that you haven't twisted one or the other arms. After lashing the back side down I slightly lift the kayak front from the arm so it can naturally take its neutral position. Now lash it in place.

After swinging the kayak to the side in preparation for removal make sure each is latched in place. You can check this by pressing the upper hinged part towards the car. Now try raising each arm a bit to see if it is latched or not. On mine that hasn't been a problem but I can see how it could be if care isn't taken. It is also important to place the two basic roof racks square to the roof and equally distant apart to avoid twisting and resultant difficulty in latching. When installing the roof rack itself make sure you don't spread them so far apart that you can't reach both handles and release them at the same time. I suspect that any issues with the latch are more due to user operation than product issues. To make sure I always put the roof rack in the same place I used a permanent marker to make a small dot at the correct location for each rack riser on the car roof at the rain gutter attachment place.

I did check the key locks and they have been trouble free. I have locks on both the Hullivator and the Thule roof rack.

Features not mentioned in other reviews....
When the Hullivator is in the loaded position you can remove the entire unit from the roof rack by removing one steel lock pin...no tools required. This takes a few seconds and means you don't have to leave your Hullivator permanently mounted on your car. WORD of warning though... before removing lock the handle so you and others can't accidentally hit the release handle and collapse the unit. If you do it will swing closed which could be dangerous but even if not...getting it open again requires great care so you don't pinch your fingers, etc.

Finally...the strut used in the Hullivator is a standard strut that is used to hold the hatch open on hatch back cars. They use compressed fluid as a spring/damper. The piston shaft must be kept clean and free of rust. If you use it a lot in salt water environments you may want to clean that strut off occasionally and/or not leave it on the car all the time. If you get rust on the shaft it can cause a failure of the unit...pressure and oil is released by the bad seal.

Final comments...after 6 months of nearly daily use it has been a great device that saves my back. Since it is outside the vehicle it is exposed to weather, dirt etc. so should be kept clean, especially the strut sliding piston shaft.

Yes the Hullivator takes some getting used to. Yes it's assembly and installation takes time and patience. Yes you must be cautious that it is locked in the up and down position. Yes it whistles (tape up some foam and place it under the middle of your boat on the front rack). Yes watch out for your head on a low vehicle.

Yes yes yes to all the complaints, BUT, say no more bad back. Say no more banged up car. Say no more banged up boat. Say that was the easiest I ever loaded my kayak. Say it's a Hullivator to all those people watching on enviously.

Now that I have had the Hullavators for a couple more years since my original review--August 2006--I'm still satisfied with the product and the functionality/service it has given.

I agree with most of the other reviewers that on occasion one of the the supports/cradle arms will release and spring up on its own; but only rarely and never has it caused a problem for me. I recently spoke to a Thule rep at a kayak expo here in NJ, and was reminded that if EVER there is a problem of any kind with the product, there is a lifetime warranty on parts and/or the entire unit and that I could send/bring it back to where it was purchased for a replacement.

Just a couple of more thoughts for potential buyers: these units weigh about 40 lbs.--PLUS the weight of the load bars--so be aware of the load limits of your vehicle's roof. By my putting two Hullavators and two kayaks on my 2005 Ford Escape's roof, I'm probably "pushing it" as far as the total weight on the roof goes. (In fact, I sometimes carry a third boat between the two Hullavators by using Hullaports on the factory crossbars!) I believe most car manufacturers recommend the weight to be carried on factory racks be limited to 125-150 lbs., so the load I carry could cause a problem.

I have had no problem with the Thule system at all, and would recommend the products to anyone. I usually paddle with my son, and we can mount the racks and then load and secure our two boats in 12-15 minutes. (I don't keep the load bars on my rack all the time; I just leave the foot pack(s) mounted in the factory tracks and capped with the TKCAPs. We snap in the load bars on which I have permanently mounted the Hullavator supports; then attach the four cradle "arms"; then load and strap down the boats. We usually also use the bow and stern ratchet tie downs, unless we're just paddling locally.)

Overall, I'm still very pleased with the product and would definitely recommend it. Actually, I think the biggest drawback to the product is its price. It is a very expensive system (as is most everything else that has anything to do with kayaking!)

The hullavator is advertised to be a system that would allow anyone to load a kayak alone. I am too short to reach my roof rack. I am not strong enough to lift my 65lb boat over my head.

The load bars on the hullavator won't lock in the down position. I spent several hours after installing it thinking I was doing something wrong. I let go, it goes flying back up. I can in no way get it to lock. So, I need someone to hold the rack while I remove my kayak. Seems dangerous, and I can't use it by myself.

I called the outfitter and the manufacturer. They had no suggestions. For a piece of gear costing over 400.00 you think this company could provide a product that works.

There are serious design flaws in the hullavator. As everyone else has stated, the locking mechanism needs a lot of work.

This is my second review, first one in 2005. My wife and I love our hullavators. We have had the latching issue and have learned to double check to be sure it's latched.

We also have the whistling issue described in a previous post. I can't wait to test the tape solution. I could not figure out what was making the noise. I didn't realize that there was a new model.

I would definitely buy this again even though I could suggest some improvements.

I bought a Thule Hullavator a couple years ago, and added a second one this year. I'm a paraplegic, so they're very handy in enabling me to get boats on top of my Ford Freestyle.

The hullavators are a fantastic product, but it is true that they sometimes don't latch in the down position. Another annoyance is that they often whistle while driving at highway speeds with a boat in place. I figured out that the whistle came from wind across the slot for the sliding saddle's adjuster. With a boat in place, there is a venturi effect. When the rack is empty, there is no whistle. Anyway, I fixed the situation by adding grey duct tape between the saddles. It matches the grey hullavators exactly.
Just add duct tape. No more whistle.

I gave the hullavators a 9 because they truly are a great product. There's still room for improvement though.

I love my Hullavator XT!! I am barely 5' and to get a kayak on top of a Honda Pilot by myself would be impossible. We have a 65# tandem, and a LiquidLogic 10' boat that I take out by myself. We have not had any real problems with the unit. We plan on getting another one soon for the other side. We have them mounted on Thule LB on our factory rack. One reviewer had a problem with the arms freezing up...all you have to do is push the arms towards the car a little, while squeezing the release handles. I think the Hullavator is a great system!!

I have had my Hullivator for the past 8 months andreally have had no problems w/it. It does fit Yakima racks/bars; I'm sure it would do better on Thule racks but no problems so far. It has been a life saver putting a 65# boat on top of an SUV (Honda Pilot). It hasn't been perfect. The locking mechanism did require a little adjustment and lubrication. I do have a heavy boat and it does require a little coordination between both hands when the handles are released, but...so much easier.

I waited for the new Hullavator XT's to become available and received two sets a couple months ago. I mounted them on my Yakima bars with Q-Towers since Yakima is the only rack for my F-150 Supercrew. The first outing went pretty good until the we were on our way home. When we stopped, we couldn't open the doors without damage to the paint at the top of the doors... The Q-Towers had come loose on the bars and the clips had pulled the bottom of the Q-Towers down over the top of the doors. This was caused by the weight and leverage of the Hullavators twisting around on the bars and the Q-Towers working loose. I called Thule and Yakima. The tech rep at Yakima was both helpful and understanding. My Q-Towers were about a year to a year and a half old and locked on the bars with a cam action turned by an allen wrench. He said Yakima had since changed the design of the Q-Towers and they now held the bars more securely. He sent me an updated set of Q-Towers (my clips and locks transferred from the old Q-Towers). I put everything together and although we haven't been out on the road yet, I can't imagine any more serious trouble. The new Q-Towers clamp securely around the bars without any 'travel'. The twisting/torque on the bars shouldn't have any effect on the bars and towers.

The Hullavator's do what they are supposed to do, you just have to learn to let them help raise and lower the kayak. It takes a little getting used to, so don't panic or be hasty. One area I would like to see improved is a faster tie-down of the kayak to the Hullavator cradle bars. They are also heavy, so you will want to unhook and remove the Hullavator's before removing the rack system. It's actually quite easy. Another advantage of the Hullavator system is that it is easy to drop a boat down to access the cockpit, install covers, or clean the boat.

After our next outing, I'll report back if we have any more problems.

Ordered two sets of Hullavators after shoulder operation in April -- Doctor said I would be able to paddle but "forget lifting kayaks to roof of my Honda CRV."

Had problems with latching in down position, but this has been greatly improved by suggestion from Thule product manager. Grasp top of carrier frame in left hand, bottom of frame with right hand, and rotate by pulling out on bottom and pushing in on top -- you should hear the latch snap into place.

Locking has not been a problem, as we loop a locking cable around the mounting foot of the bar and use bar locks.

I also hope they will extend any fixes to us beta testers. I would not have purchased a new product in its first year, except that the operation would have kept me off the water otherwise.

I have owned 2 Hullavators for about a month now. I was not aware of any problems when I bought, but I am now experiencing both of the main problems people are mentioning. The cradle does not always lock in the down position and must be checked carefully, which I am now in the habit of doing. Also, the locks are of dubious value. I always use Lasso Cables when the boats are on the roof so loss of boats is not an issue. My concern is loss of Hullavators.

In spite of these problems, the ease of loading our boats on top of our Chrysler minivan is just fantastic. The speed and ease of boat handling far outweighs any equipment problems.

I also just got my Hullavator, and I'm thrilled I can get out on the water by myself. Here are my thoughts on it:

Pros

solo loading is possible

cradle unit detaches and attaches easily, so no locking has been required

securely holds my boat regardless of distance

Cons

the lower cradle has scratched up my boat minorly during loading

locking in the down position is not great, but this problem was solved for my by pushing the top of the cradle in to engage the locking mechanism

craftsmanship isn't great, but it does the job for me

sits off over the edge a bit much, but it hasn't caused any problems for me thus far. (and with it sitting so far out, getting in and out of the car can be a head hazard sometimes)

the attachment bracket took some ingenuity and muscle on my Yakima bars, especially with a fairing on my front bars

So all in all it's a great idea, as with new product it has some kinks that I hope Thule will improve on and sort out with defects for existing owners.

I just bought a Hullavatar. I read the directions and I'm taking it back. I'm 5'2". My RV Van is 8'. The directions do not say how far apart the loading bars can be. Mine are further away than my arms can reach to simultaneously squeeze the handles. I'm also not tall enough to reach them. Does anyone know of a system that might work on a tall vehicle with a solo paddler? I'm going to retire in 3 years and I want a system that I can handle alone. It's amazing we can go to the moon and can't design a simple kayak loader.

Hullavator - follow up:
Hullavator is too dangerous to use at this time. Sad to say...but the problem with the arms not locking in the down position is getting worse with each use (about 4). The one arm that had been working pretty good release the other day when I was loading my kayak. (already - had a friend holding the other arm that couldn't be trusted) I almost lost control of my kayak and hurt my back in the process.

Unless you have 3 - 4 people to load and unload your kayak, the Hullavator is too dangerous at this time. Thule states they are aware of the problem and promise a "fix" by October. I think it is irresponsible of them and their dealers to sell any units right now without disclosure of the known problems. Sadly, I am returning my Hullavator.

1) There is a known defect in the lock core holder/cylinder on the Hullavator. Thule confirmed it was a design error, and expects newly designed lock cylinder holders this fall. The lock core spins within the Hullavator and will not secure the Hullavator. This is not an installation problem, but a manufacturing defect. The result, any key will open the Hullavator. And at $379 that is a big risk. Thule is issuing cable locks to customers until a fix is worked out. This is not a lock core issue, but a lock core receptacle issue on the Hullavator.

2) I have found that the hull of my 16 ft Perception Carolina distorts/bends/sags when transported on the Hullavator on a sunny day. And the sagging even occurred without the bow a stern straps attached. This never happened with my J-bars. I have had to lay the kayak in the sun to get the hull shape back.

3) I have a very high vehicle, and the Hullavator makes it much easier to get the 16 ft boat up, but the way it supports the boat flat does not seem to agree with my boat and I will be returning the Hullavator. The Hullavator is a great idea, just needs some more time for improvement.

After being backordered for over a month, I received my new Thule Hullavator side loading system. It came with a DVD manual that does a great job of showing the installation and operation of the unit. After watching the DVD, it took about 20 minutes to install on my Subaru Outback.

The unit swings down to the side of the car and you load your boat into modified J cradles. The unit then helps you lift the boat, still vertical, with gas assist struts. Once the unit is at roof level, you ease the boat down to level and attach the bow and stern lines. I added straps around the load bars as well.

The unit makes loading our 95-pound double a breeze very easy to lift and control. I probably won’t bother using it for our singles.

Although it is expensive at $379, my girlfriend and I are not very tall and not getting any younger. That’s cheap compared to bodywork on the car or an injury from lifting the double over our heads and losing control.