I bought the hully rollers…
Submitted by:
paddler443012
on 6/18/2018
I bought the hully rollers and left them installed on my suv, which is normally parked under direct sun light. They worked fine for a year or year and a half, then after this time the plastic of the tires (white color) started degrading and the material got very sticky, to the point that the tires were sticking to the bottom of the kayak and left some residues sticked to the kayak, Then I had to change those for another system.
I have to admit, I like the…
I have to admit, I like the Hully Rollers. They do have their faults. The 'flopping' was an issue at first for me, but I have a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 100. It is not a long kayak, and it is also a SOT. The bottom has the channels that most SOT's have. I have the Mako paddles on the front of my SUV rack, and when I position the rollers on the channels of the bottom of my kayak they do not tend to flop. I also use the straps for the bow and the stern. That eliminated the issue. I think bow and stern straps should be listed as a must have. I don't mind the extra few minutes to make sure my investment-in-fun is secured!!!
Here is the solution to…
Submitted by:
paddler235263
on 8/7/2013
Here is the solution to HullyRollers sliding on the round Yakima bars: First, for the skeptics, it is NOT the bars rolling in the towers. In addition to the kayak rack, I have 3 bike racks that make it impossible for the bars to move. The rollers are moving due to there not being enough friction between the clamps and the bars. It is a design flaw. Here is the solution: Put a 2 inch piece of Loctite Outdoor Mounting Tape on the bar where each clamp will go and then install the clamps and tighten. Done. Problem solved. I hope someone from Yakima reads this and starts including some of this tape with the roller kits.
The hull raisers are great!…
Submitted by:
paddler235191
on 7/27/2013
The hull raisers are great! It makes loading and unloading my kayak a breeze by myself. They hold tight to the bars and the wheels lock to help prevent the yak from slipping. I can't imagine not having them with my roof rack.
I attached the Hully Roller…
I attached the Hully Roller to an Outdoorsman 300. Since the rack is on a truck, the rails are quite high off of the ground and I needed something to assist getting my Kayak onto the rack. While they have helped, they tend to get loose easily and rotate down when trying to load it, no matter how tight you fasten them. There is no locking system, so they could 'disappear' if someone was inclined. They also need to be adjusted a lot for their final placement under the Kayak.
Overall they are helpful, but not everything I was hoping for in an assist system. I purchased 2 of them (we have 2 boats) and will also have to move them to another rack on our SUV - I am not sure how easy they will be to take on and off and given their adjustment issues it might be easier to buy 2 more. Given that the SUV height will be lower, they might work better on it.
I too have found the rubber…
Submitted by:
paddler234792
on 9/28/2012
I too have found the rubber substance on the rollers to be deteriorating. It is actually gooey and is sticking to the kayak. Yakima customer service is uncooperative in replacing them.
Apparently, the new management has changed their stance and will not stand behind their product. Rack Envy?? More like Rack Ridicule!!!
I purchased one set of the…
Submitted by:
paddler234300
on 9/26/2011
I purchased one set of the Hullyrollers about four years ago for the rear rack of my vehicle. I found no matter how I adjusted them I was not comfortable with the small area of the wheel that was actually supporting the kayak. I fashioned two pieces of construction foam that I placed on top of the wheels that then supported a much larger area of the kayak.
My problem now is the rollers are actually shedding material on to the kayak as I roll it up. This is leaving streaks of rubber like material all along the bottom of my kayak. Right now I've wrapped the rollers in duct tape but this does not allow proper grip to allow them to roll, so it pretty much slides up there which is not doing the kevlar hull a lot of good.
After contacting Yakima directly they have agreed to replace the set of hullyrollers at no charge. You have to love a company that backs their product. There apparently is some special care that is needed to keep the rollers from deteriorating...
I have had my Hully Rollers…
Submitted by:
paddler232146
on 7/2/2007
I have had my Hully Rollers for 6-7 years now and am about to switch to something new. Not only do they flop forward when loading, but they flop forward when driving with a loaded kayak. I now have to "Pre-flop" them after loading to assure correct belt tension.
What is more, I have contacted Yakima tech support several times. Each time the rep states they have never heard of this issue. He then offers to send me a new bracket set. I think Yakima Corp. are just playing the consumer as a bunch of fools.
Hully Rollers make a fairly…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 6/13/2007
Hully Rollers make a fairly easy task even easier. Cut my load up and unload times in half after just a few tries. And it all slides under the carport, too, with no perceptible drop in mileage (I commute a minimum of 90 miles per day, mostly hwy).
Previously I was cartopping my kayaks (41 & 44 lbs, 13.5 and 16 feet, respectively) to the roof of my Toyota Matrix with an old mat for finish protection, blocks, tiedowns, etc.
First came Qtowers with Qclips on round crossbars. - Save the debate on square vs. round & do more paddling! - Seriously, make sure the bars are tight in the QTowers before putting on anything else. This will keep your Hully Rollers from pivoting awkwardly as they roll around a loose bar.
Then came Hully Rollers: Good instructions, easily installed in 10 minutes for the pair. They were paired w. Mako Saddles and Yakima SSK locks. All were very easy and took minutes to install.
The whole lift and glide was a beautiful thing. After test drives of 15, 90 and 180 miles, I'm liking these more and more.
And OF COURSE I keep using bow and stern tiedowns (Thule 833s with the ratchet). Hulleys and Makos strap down just fine, but the tiedowns are the Early Warning System if the kayak load is going awry.
If the Hully Rollers hold, then they are a solid ten as far as ease of use and perfection of design for kayaks. For now I rate them a 9.
Thanks Yakima!
I recently noticed the Yakima…
Submitted by:
paddler230269
on 5/1/2006
I recently noticed the Yakima website shows the Hully rollers installed with a set of Mako saddles. This is a change from when Yakima previously showed only Hully rollers installed. This must be Yakima's recognition of the problem of kayaks free rolling off the vehicle when only Hully rollers are used.
I have the rollers paired…
Submitted by:
paddler231313
on 9/13/2005
I have the rollers paired with saddles on a Ford Ranger pickup with a canopy. I have similar difficulties as the previous reviewer in that the optimal distance for setting the rollers for loading is not the same as the optimal distance needed for travel. I have an 18'5" Seaward Chilco - narrow bow and stern. I move the rollers close together when loading, and then move them apart afterwards for travel. Because they are so close together when loading, it can be difficult for the chines to track along the rollers, and it can be a bit of a struggle to load the boat safely. While I think the rollers do help a bit with loading, I think two pairs of saddles may work at least as well.
I've heard of mini-rollers that can be purchased to sit between the Hully Rollers and solve my problem, but I may first try some PVC pipe between the rollers and see how it goes. I've also noticed that when my boat or my rollers are wet, the rollers do not actually roll at all, and the boat just skids along the rollers. Truth be told, it will still load this way, so skidding or rolling, the boat does end up where it's meant to go. The rollers are not a bad product, but I am only giving them a six because they will need modifications/additions to do the job well.
I have had hully rollers for…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 6/22/2005
I have had hully rollers for several years and have found them to be quite frustrating. Originally I had two sets, front and back, and that was a disaster. I never felt like I could get the kayak to be well-seated. So I got a "set-to-go" cradle for the front (my local dealer was no longer carrying Yakima), which worked OK.
I still find, however, that the optimum distance for using the rollers to load the boat is different than the distance necessary to hold the boat stable. I have a 17' Looksha IV, quite narrow bow and stern. I finally ended up with the rollers close together, so when loaded the boat sits on top of the locked rollers rather than being cradled by them. And they are close enough together that I can place the bow of the boat on the rollers, not the bar, when loading (I have a mini-van, not a car, so that makes things more difficult).
I have recently bought a Riot Stealth, which is shorter and lighter, which means that I can actually muscle it onto the roof of the van by myself (I'm a middle-aged woman with skinny little arms). The problem is that I can't seem to get the rollers to work with the Stealth at all. The stealth is only 12.5', and as I push it across the rollers and the width of the boat above the rollers changes, it slides from side to side across the chines. The boat does not have a flat bottom, either, so I can't really rest it on the bottom easily. I was ready to give up on the silly things, but reading other posts here, I figure there's got to be some way to make them work. I am going to try again with the rollers set wide, with a towel duct taped to the bar, figuring I can slide the boat across the bar and up onto the rollers as it gets to the wider portion of the boat.
Any suggestions humbly accepted!
I use the rollers on the…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 8/23/2004
I use the rollers on the roundbars. When I first used them, I had the same issue that many of you have stated here. The roller assembly turned on the bars, and when loading the boat they basically turned on the bars towards the front of the vehicle, becoming useless. I have them on my Expediton - it is taller than I, so I really need them to work. I can't load my Carolina 16 too easily by myself! I was pretty frustrated the first couple of times using them. However, after lubricating the "tires" on the rollers, the problem was solved. The lubricant decreased the resistance, and therefore the roller assembly did not rotate because the tires easily turned as the boat was pushed foreward. They work great now, and I lube them every three or four months with a spray lube called HHS 2000. It is a water-resistant lube that works great! I deducted a point for the lack of emphasis on lubrication by Yakima.
I have the same "rolling on…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 6/4/2004
I have the same "rolling on the crossbar" problems on my Explorer when I transport my 70 lb Klepper tandem and I either go very fast (70 mph+) or off road to get to some far off spot.
To the person that suggested that the rollers do not actually rotate on the bar but rather the bar rotates on the post, this is only partially true. I have had the entire bar rotate on the stands. But I also made kayak rod racks for my 30' Proline boats hard top. The cross rods on them are welded to a single post (the rod cannot rotate). I put my Klepper on one of them and my Feathercraft on the other one and they both pushed the whole roller structures either one direction or another when I encountered moderate (3-5' wind chop) swells crossing to Catalina Island. This action totally gnarled the Hypalon hull material of my Klepper! I tend to remedy the situation by reengineering the design of my racks to included removeable anti rotating pins to the centerine of the rod. But as another reviewer stated, you really shouldn't have to modify a product for it to work well. I'm just lucky that I own my own machine shop.
I was surprised that Yakima didn't mention the possiblity of rolling on the package. I plan to try out the mako saddles as a substitution to one pair of the rollers and see where that leads to....
I have been using my rollers…
Submitted by:
paddler230194
on 6/16/2003
I have been using my rollers with a pair of mako saddles for three years and have no complaints. Without the rollers, I'd be in big trouble. I'm able to put a 17' Dagger on top of a Ford E150 van by myself, and I'm not very tall. I overload the boat and drive too fast and have had no trouble to date.
After reading the problems…
Submitted by:
paddler229906
on 9/5/2002
After reading the problems everyone is having with their Hully rollers this review may also be looked upon as tips for those who are having trouble. I transport a 79 pound 13' tandem kayak. Sometimes I load the hull with several wetsuits, PFDs, tackle boxes fishing poles, paddles, seats and anything else I can stuff in the hull which makes the total weight considerably greater.
One of the first things I learned with the rollers is that the mounting bolts need to be attached on the side of the bar that is toward the front of the car and never the rear. If you fasten them on the rear side the grip is not strong enough and the back rollers will rotate when taking your kayak off. Also make sure to tighten the tower bolts that synch down the cross bar. Next, the spacing between the rollers is critical. The rollers on the front bar are spaced 12 inches apart and the rollers on the back are spaced 12 inches apart as well. My kayak is 33" wide so the rollers sit right under the scupper holes on my kayak. This configuration keeps the deep keel on the back of my kayak off the cross bar. I have never had my kayak roll off my rollers and at some of the lakes I launch at there is a dramatic incline at the launch ramp. I simply push the kayak on the racks, I don't lock the rollers, get the straps, fasten the kayak, run my cable lock through the scuppers. I push the kayak back and forth, adjust the strap tension and then set the locking pins on the rollers. I bought my rollers on eBay with no instructions. I figured this out on my own. I did have to transport the kayak a few times to work out the procedures, but the system is not as difficult everyone is making it out to be.
The round bar system on Yakima racks is strong and can handle some serious loads, however, the compression system used on the Hully Rollers to attach to the crossbar needs some redesign. I have my Yakima Hully Roller system installed on the factory roof racks of a 1989 Jeep Cherokee using Rail Rider 1 towers and 48 inch cross bars. I have driven with the load on top as fast as 75 mph and I have driven on the highways with some pretty heavy crosswind without any problems. Since I have been able to use these rollers without instructions and they have eased my loading and unloading procedures my rating is high.
I originally installed Hully…
Submitted by:
paddler230269
on 8/7/2002
I originally installed Hully rollers on both cross bars. There is a problem with doing this. When a kayak is loaded onto the Hully rollers. The kayak will continue to roll off the rollers and will roll off the end onto the ground. You have to hold the kayak at all times. There are no good grip points for a kayak on a rack. Holding onto the kayak is not easy on a high rack. This free rolling is a big problem if the vehicle is on an incline.
Using Hully rollers on both cross bars presents another problem where the kayak will not be centered. If the kayak is not kept centered during loading and unloading it will roll off the edge of the rollers. These problems are amplified if you have a high vehicle like an SUV.
After almost losing a free rolling kayak I took one pair of hully rollers off and replaced them with saddles. I roll the kayak up on the rollers, tilt the kayak on the rollers onto the saddle and the saddle keeps the kayak from free rolling off the opposite end. The saddle will also center the kayak. When you use Hully Rollers you always have to carefully keep the kayak centered during loading and unloading to prevent the kayak from falling off the side.
Yakima should increase the…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 8/6/2002
Yakima should increase the height of the rollers above the rail by no less than three (3) inches allowing non flat bottom boats to rest on the rollers and off (above) the rail.
Kayak bottom(front or rear…
Submitted by:
paddler230269
on 8/5/2002
Kayak bottom(front or rear narrow ends) will drag and scrape on the cross bar between the hully rollers before the kayak is pushed onto the rollers where the rollers are fully supporting the kayak. You have to cover the cross bar between the rollers with foam to protect your kayak. When you load or unload the kayak, the kayak will creep to the side of the hully roller as the kayak rolls on the rollers. The result will be that the kayak will creep off the hully roller and fall off the vehicle to the ground or fall on the cross bar. You will sustain major damage to a fiberglass kayak. There is no warning in the instructions. You have to center the kayak once it is fully loaded. The rollers do make it easier to load a kayak but you have to be careful about the above.
I have two plastic sea…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 8/5/2002
I have two plastic sea kayaks, the Perception Eclipse and Carolina. I use the Mako saddles and Hully rollers mounted on a S10 Blazer. I use the round bar for the saddles and the Blazer equiped non-round rack for the rollers. No special equipment or padding. I've also used these for my WW/SOT Torrent. I get the straps as tight as possible on the saddles and "snug" only on the rollers. Never have any problems hitting the rails, bars or cross members. The only times, twice, the boat fell off to the side was when I was either putting a boat on or taking a boat off the roof too quickly and wasn't careful. My fault both times. Also on both times, the boats had been either waxed or had 303 applied to bottoms. Very slick. I think this is a very good set up.
A good idea from Yakima but…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 7/1/2002
A good idea from Yakima but obviously not tested well by them. The biggest problem is that a load on the rollers will put on enough leverage to rotate the bar within the towers. See my 6-29-02 post on the advice board for a set screw fix for this. Also mwendlings 4-09-02 review post below for a similar fix. Once the bar rotation problem is gone they work great and make for easy loading. On glass boats especially, do not cinch the strap down extremely tight with these as this will cause undue stress on the hull. I've used them for over a year with no problems.
These are really a pretty…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 4/15/2002
These are really a pretty inadequate system for getting your boat on the rack without scraping, gouging and rotating of the bars. Very light boats or plastic ones work ok but for the price you pay for these plastic goodies you shouldnt have to modify them so they work properly.
Here’s a tip for those owners…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 4/9/2002
Here’s a tip for those owners who think that their Hully Roller’s are rotating on their round crossbars - that’s not what is happening. What’s actually occurring is that the crossbar is rotating in the Yakima tower. To permanently correct the problem, drill a 1/8" pilot hole through one tower and the approximate center of the bar with the bar/tower combination mounted and centered on the vehicle. Now remove the bar/tower combination from the vehicle, disassemble, and drill out the pilot holes with a 17/64" bit. Reassemble the bar and tower with the holes aligned and install a 1/4" pin with spring wire retainer (available from farm or hardware stores) or a 1/4" bolt with a nylock nut through both tower and bar. This will prevent the bar from rotating.
Hully Rollers are a great boat loading aid, but have been known to cause stress fractures in some larger/heavier composite kayaks when tie down straps are excessively tight. For this reason, I use them in conjunction with two pairs of strategically located saddles when carrying tandems. I have the Hully Rollers mounted on a third bar supported by a trailer hitch receiver.
I agree with previous…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 2/1/2002
I agree with previous reviews: they are great for loading and unloading your kayak alone. I also had a problem with them rotating on the crossbar, but got new clips and they work fine. My big complaint about them is the oilcanning issue. These rollers are fine for short drives, but if I ever had to kepp my boat on the car for extended periods I'd use two sets of saddles and hope someone would help me load/unload the boat.
The Hully rollers, like all…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 10/29/2001
The Hully rollers, like all of Yakima's products are well built and designed. I have two sets on the rear of my Yakima racks with the Mako saddles up front. I find this combination works very well for me and I can load & unload my kayaks very easily by myself with the rollers.
My only complaint is that they were rotating on my round Yakima bars when I first bought them. I switched the mounting clamps (which were designed to be used with round or square bars) with my older style (round bar only) clamps and solved the problem.
I picked up a pair of hully…
Submitted by:
paddler229507
on 10/24/2001
I picked up a pair of hully rollers for my rear cross bar, saddles on front.I needed to roll my boat on as i'm by myself most of the time. The first few times the I used them to load my old town loon the whole roller assembly would turn on the bar. I made the clamps as tight as I could, but they still turned, I was upset!. I went to my dealer for a answer. I should mention that it was 99 degrees outside. The dealer had found that a batch of the snapover clamps may have been oversize and with the extream heat they wouldn't stay tight to the round bar. They replaced the new clamps with new old-style clamps and it works great.
I bought a pair of Thule…
I bought a pair of Thule hydro-glides (see my review) and am glad that they broke a spring after one year. I took them back to the retail store and got Hully rollers. They are great so far. Very grippy soft rollers. More stable with no straps than the hydro-glides were with straps!! Yes, they fit thule bars. I assume no liability for them. rely on your own judgement. Check them out. If they last 5 years I'll give them a ten.
