RackandRoll Trailer

RackandRoll Trailer Description

Never be forced to choose between your favorite activities and gear. Maximize your gear hauling choices by adding a sturdy, lightweight trailer.The RackandRoll trailer is made of lightweight aluminum, and offers a stable, secure ride for *all* your gear. Stores easily upright in the off-season. Shock absorbers provide 4" of independent wheel travel, providing greater stability and gear protection. Carrying handle transforms lightweight trailer into a handcart.


Available in 66" ($2149) and 78" ($2299)

RackandRoll Trailer Specs and Features

  • Material Description: Lightweight aluminum construction

Additional Attributes

  • LED trailer lights last years without needing replacement
  • Comes in two widths: 66” and 78” crossmembers and crossbars
  • Includes Yakima crossbars; spread adjustable to 48"
  • Carrying capacity: 66"=250 lbs, 78"=350 lbs

Yakima Products, Inc.
RackandRoll Trailer Reviews

Read reviews for the RackandRoll Trailer by Yakima Products, Inc. as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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5

Do not understand reviewers…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 3/9/2020
Do not understand reviewers who say you cannot tow a 17 foot long kayak with the standard length tongue. I do it all the time traveling from NC to FL without trouble. I do mount the 17 ft kayak close to the centerline of the trailer but not exactly on the center and I set the kayak fore and aft in the Yakama JayLow cradles just so it clears the hatchback door. I have never had a problem. I also carry a 14 ft kayak at the same time. My trailer is five years old and it has not had a single malfunction. Only a retailers lack of quality control during assembly caused an issue with a crossbar block vibrating out of the tower during a trip. I used rope to lash the crossbar down to finish the trip and made a temporary replacement out of wood when I arrived at my destination.
5

As a 74 yr old lady (of…

Submitted by: mosticKs03 on 9/3/2019

As a 74 yr old lady (of basic skills) kayaker who has difficulty backing a trailer, I recently moved to Fl, This light weight trailer was exactly what I needed to enable me to load two kayaks securely, travel to multiiple input sites & position the loaded lightweight trailer by hand to unload & load it. The trailer was recommended to me by an avid kyaking couple in their 80s who live in Florida 6 months & in Canada 6 months. They have traveled back & forth for three years pulling the trailer loaded their two kayaks without difficulty . I highly recommend it.

4

My wife and I have had our…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 2/11/2019

My wife and I have had our "Rack and Roll" trailer for approximately 8 years and we think it is great. After we retired, we set a goal of kayaking in all 50 United States. We set up our trailer with two Old Town Loon kayaks ( 12' and 13' 8") with a Thule Box in between. At this point (2019) we have paddled in all of the lower 48 states and have done two round America trips starting in our home state -New Hampshire. The first trip was around the perimeter of the USA traveling 10,500 miles in 57 days. The second was out to the west coast and back (8,600 miles) hitting all the states we missed the first time, mostly across the middle of the country. In addition we have done countless kayak trips in all of the New England states. With all of this travel, the "Rack and Roll" trailer performed like a champ. When we bought the trailer we did get the spare tire and kickstand options, and they have come in handy. With all of the miles we have replaced the tires once and we did use the spare tire in Illinois on our first trip. Whether it has been 80 mph highways in Utah or rough dirt roads under construction in the Sierra Nevada Mts, the trailer was easily up to the job. For years we secured our kayaks on the top of our car with Thule J racks .... lifting the kayaks above our heads began to be problematic and so this trailer has extended our ability to enjoy this wonderful sport. My only reason for the four stars relates to some wiring issues and peeling fender paint. I have been able to deal with the wiring (rather fragile and not really water proof) and Yakima did send me a new set of fenders which look much better. We have still to kayak in Alaska and Hawaii and are making plans for an Alaskan Cruise with a kayak excursion included.

5

Absolutely delighted with…

Submitted by: ClanRiffster on 7/16/2018

Absolutely delighted with this trailer!

Many years ago, my only means of hauling my rather heavy sit on top kayak, was to heave it onto the roof of our minivan. The torn rotator cuff which resulted from doing so, was as painful as it was predictable. My wife, being the smarter half of our union, decided I needed a trailer, so this wouldn't happen again.

After a couple weeks of research, comparing several different models, (and a short stint considering building one), I happened across a Yakima RackandRoll trailer, at my local kayak shop. I was immediately impressed, with its sturdy build and light weight, and looked at it seriously, as a contender. I think what sold me, was the fact that the trailer was designed so that the whole thing could fold up, and be stowed against my garage wall. How cool is that?

Yes, I admit, I'm a bit geeky like that.

Other equally important factors are the large, rugged wheels, which allow for highway speeds, without excess wear, and the high clearance, allowing it to be pulled practically anywhere, without fear of getting hung up on an axle.

My only complaint is that Yakima opted to use a round bar. When there is no kayaks resting on the J-Saddles, they tend to flip forward and backward, no matter how tight you clamp them down. An oval bar would have been a much better choice. It's a small annoyance, when you consider you've got a trailer so light, you can tow it behind a motorcycle.

Would I buy it again? Of course!

-Sean

4

I have owned this trailer…

Submitted by: johnheiam on 6/18/2018

I have owned this trailer for about eight years. I have pulled it from Michigan to Florida on Interstates more times than I can count. I have also taken this trailer with kayaks from northern Michigan to southern Missouri a couple of times. I am an active member of our local paddle club and paddle about a hundred days a year so I not only see how my trailer performs, but I get a chance to see how others perform. This trailer is the best I have seen among kayak trailers. What makes it so good is the suspension system. It is the only trailer that has independent suspension that includes a shock absorber. Many small boat access sites are on bumpy dirt roads and this trailer rides better than my car.

This trailer does have some significant design flaws that lead me to only give it four stars. The standard tongue is not even long enough to handle 14 ft kayak if you mount it on the end of the bar. When you try to back up it is very easy to turn sharp enough that the kayak hits your rear fender. I did $600 worth of damage to my car this way. The tongue extension Yakima sells is not strong enough for its length. After eight years of use mine has a significant bend.

The paint on the plastic fenders chips off easily. After eight years of use both my fenders have lost about half of their silver paint.

The most significant flaw is with the standard duty shocks. They will break in normal use which causes the tire to go through the fender and destroy any boat that is above it. I saw this happened on a friends Yakima trailer on a club trip. The trailer was far from being overloaded, and it happened at highway speed. Everyone in our club who has this trailer has purchased the heavy duty shocks and has made a stop on the swing arm so that if the shock breaks, it can not go through the fender up into a kayak.

The last flaw has to do with the wiring. If you disassemble the trailer for storage, it is very easy to cut one of the wires when re-assembling the trailer. After doing this three different times I went to a trailer shop and had them protect the wires with a plastic cover called "snakeskin". I just think that for the price of the trailer, a user should not have to work around all these flaws.

In summary, I think the trailer is a wonderful design that has been poorly executed.

5

Best purchase I ever made as…

Submitted by: petersaenger on 5/1/2018

Best purchase I ever made as far as moving boats. We store all our gear in a cargo box in the center and our boats on either side. When we want to go for a quick paddle, all I need to do is tighten the tie-downs and off we go! Tracks well at high-speed highway miles and back country roads and access roads are taken well since the trailer has motorcycle style shocks. Easy to unhook and handle as a cart to get closer to a launch point or to turn around in a tight remote parking lot. Since it's light, easy for one to do and something you can't do with the heaver type trailers. 5 years, many miles, and very happy; worth the investment.

5

I just bought the Yakima 78"…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 9/24/2016

I just bought the Yakima 78" Rack and Roll Trailer. I live on the Oregon Coast and there are abut 10 of us in my area that kayak together. I am usually the one towing a kayak trailer for us. I had been towing a small boat trailer that had been modified to hold 4 kayaks but its pretty heavy for my Rav4 to tow. I had seen this Yakima trailer at a kayak dealer but it was $5,000 which I could not afford.

But I was looking for something and I saw this KIT and the video showing how to put it together and it was on sale for leas than half the price of the one at the dealer.

I bought it and a friend (who has power tools) and I put it together in 2 hours. I would like to mention that I am a 71 year old woman who is NOT handy. It's perfect. Light to tow, light to move around. I've set it up with the Yakima Hullraiser racks and fully loaded with 4 kayaks it weights less than 400 lbs.

It's beautifully designed to just bolt or clip together. Wiring is already done and you just plug in. EASY!!! Another BEST BUY for me. Even with my Rav4 I don't even notice I'm towing. Fully loaded, its only 400 lbs.

The kayaks I tow are from 14' to 17". The specs on this trailer say you can tow with the regular tongue but that is not true. So once I got the trailer put together, I did buy the tongue extender which is pretty cheap and works just fine. I urge anyone buying this trailer to buy the tongue extender at the same time because unless you're towing kayaks 10' or less, you are going to need it.

Where ever I take it, almost always other kayakers come over to talk to me about it because it's no cool.
Well done, Yakima

4

We purchased trailer in 2011…

Submitted by: Edfeaver on 12/29/2015
We purchased trailer in 2011 and have put approximately 50,000 miles on it mostly carrying two 14 ft kayaks but on occasion 4 kayaks. Trips have included 3 round trips from North Fl to S. Alberta. I love this trailer, but warn you to check the wheel bearings for ware and be sure to grease the axles occasionally (approx every 1,000 miles). The manual does not address this issue. We travel over all types of terrain and the trailer does great, but tires wear out quickly--15-20.000 miles. Harley Davidson is a great place to get tires changed and bearings replaced. Tires have to be ordered along with tubes. We would not paddle nearly as often without this trailer.
5

I had many problems with…

Submitted by: paddler236028 on 10/9/2014
I had many problems with parts arriving broken (dings on fenders, core barrel in key locks broken, lights blowing the fuse, punctured spare tire), and the wiring even had a one-way connection plug that had been wired incorrectly by the manufacturer (the license plate light intermittent with the blinkers on, so half the trailer was wired up-side-down). Fortunately i purchased from a reputable vendor who got me the missing/broken pieces. I was able to fix the remainder myself. Still not a pleasant out-of-the-box experience.
Would have also designed some things better (tongue pinches cables, wiring gets lost inside tongue, tongue is a little long if only carrying bikes, etc). Otherwise it is sturdy and should last a lifetime now that it is set up right.

I agree with another reviewer that it is unfortunate you cannot dunk it underwater; i have a big Hobie tandem kayak which I have to disassemble completely just to pull off the trailer (backing into a boat ramp would have been am easier option), but on the plus side it handles very nicely on the highway.

3

I bought the Yakima Rack and…

Submitted by: paddler235535 on 8/1/2014
I bought the Yakima Rack and Roll trailer to haul and launch two kayaks. The overall design is very good as is the construction. Assembly is not too difficult although the instructions provided by Yakima leave a lot to be desired and parts were missing and a light was broke with the trailer I received.

It does come apart in a few minutes time to store in very little space if desired. The cross bars work with all the Yakima rack items so it can be used to transport boats, bicycles, and a storage bin. I added a conduit carrier under the cross bars to transport the Hobie sales and masts with the boats.

Assembly requires having a variety of tools including a couple of 8" spanners or a 16mm, 18mm, 21mm, and 22mm wrench, and pliers and Phillips screwdriver, 5mm hex wrench, torque wrench, and 16mm socket.

Oddly some of the electrical connections use watertight fittings and others do not. I used dielectric grease and heat shrink tubing to make the fitting watertight. This is the primary shortcoming of the Yakima trailer for boating use. It cannot be put into the water to launch or retrieve a boat the way that the Malone and other true boat trailers are designed to do.

Customer service from Yakima after the sale is non-existent. Every time I phoned Yakima I was put on hold and they do not respond to messages left on the customer service line. Pick a good dealer or you will have no support at all for your trailer.

The Yakima has its positive attributes but the inability to put it into the water is a big drawback and had I realized it had this shortcoming I would have bought something else.

5

I bought this trailer in the…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 6/2/2014

I bought this trailer in the 66 version to replace the Malone that is also reviewed here. It is everything I had hoped for. It was easy to assemble, the manual was great, and its various parts were made of very high quality material. It is easy to see that a lot of thought went into the design and assembly process.

I am not very mechanical but anyone who can turn a screwdriver and wrench can easily assemble this in 3-4 hours. Only issues were annoying but easily corrected. First was that the one of the side light covers was broken during the shipping process apparently as it was loose in the box and I did not see how it was ever secured in there. It was only luck that the other one wasn't broken. Second problem was that the screws for the license plate light were not long enough. I called to get replacements and I received the whole license plate assembly kit, but alas, the screws were the same length. I went to a hardware store and bought new ones for $.30 each. No big deal. I not only received a new sidelight cover, but again, 2 new lights and covers! Thank you Yakima.

This trailer tows and maneuvers like a dream. No issues whatsoever. I agree with the comments about the cotter pins for the wheels and went out and bought a couple hitch pin clips that resolve that issue. Thinking about getting a spare tire but I don't plan on hauling long distance just yet.

As anyone knows, Yakima bars are round. The ad seemed to suggest that you could use Thule J style cradles which fit the square Thule bars, but that is not true. They just slide around the bars and won't stay in one place so I had to buy the Yakima's. The cynic in me believes this is intentional. I would recommend the 78 for a few more bucks too.

3

We bought our Rack and Roll…

Submitted by: paddler235388 on 10/23/2013
We bought our Rack and Roll trailer 3 years ago. Everything about it has been as expected with one very frustrating exception: the wiring. We were heading out on a local kayaking excursion this spring when I noticed that when I touched the brakes the panel lights went out. We pulled over and discovered that the brake and turn lights were operating only intermittently if at all. So we headed home.

After a few frustrating weeks waiting for a new wiring harness, the local Yakima dealer spent a few hours repairing the wiring with success. The wiring harness then arrived and we kept it just in case. Well, guess what. Last week we loaded up to head out with the kayaks and found during a lights test (which I do every time now) that we have the same problem again. Another kayaking day that didn't happen. So I get out the wiring harness only to find that it is too short. Ok, but I thought I would plug it all in outside the trailer tongue to see if the new harness was going to be the fix. It isn't!! So here we are with a trailer that we don't trust and unknown problems.

The main problem is that we can't find ourselves rolling along the freeway at night or any other time with no brake or turn lights strictly from a safety point of view. The local dealer was quite helpful if ultimately unsuccessful in the repairs. Yakima less so. We'll see how this next experience is. I'm not hopeful.

4

I bought my 66" Yakima Rack…

Submitted by: paddler235324 on 9/2/2013
I bought my 66" Yakima Rack and Roll trailer in June, 2012. After assembling the trailer, I initially had an intermittent problem with one of the rear directional/stop lights. The company I purchased the trailer from was very responsive and sent me a new wiring harness and light to correct the issue.

This afternoon (8/31/13), I took the wheels off so I could clean and re-grease the wheel assembly parts. While I had the wheels off, I noticed that one of them was severely deformed ... this is after 1 year of use and less than 1,000 miles of driving at a maximum speed of 60 m.p.h. Unfortunately, due to the holiday, it will be another 3 days before I can speak to anyone - no kayaking this holiday!

4

I have had my Rack and Roll…

Submitted by: djo on 8/16/2013
I have had my Rack and Roll trailer for three years now so I think I am reaching the point I can give a reasonable review. The trailer arrived in 4 or 5 boxes and took a couple of hours to assemble. The instructions were clear and the parts were all of high enough quality and close enough tolerance that it went together smoothly. A torque wrench was the only tool needed that was at all unusual.

Basic design and construction quality were excellent. The only modification I did was to install the tongue extender so that it would accommodate my QCC700. I got the unit with the shorter cross bars which still had plenty of room for two boats on Malone J-racks and a rack for my recumbent bike in between.

I am not a quality control engineer but in three years and many thousands of miles there have been zero issues. I drag it a couple of hundred miles weekly to get to good boating water. Several of my fellow kayakers have borrowed it for long trips to the Great Lakes so that four people and their boats can go together. Again – no issues. One person was sufficiently enamored the he bought one too.

It is very light and easy to roll. I drive into my double garage at the top of a hill and unhook the trailer to pull it into the other half of the garage. Several times I have been pinned into a location where I could not back it up so I just unhook it and roll it to a better spot. I pull it behind a Honda Civic with no appreciable loss of mileage and no obvious impact on drivability of this small car. I use it for 90% of my kayak transport needs and only use the roof rack for unusual situation (like when someone else it driving it across country).

The only down side I can see to this unit is that it is expensive but given the savings in physical therapy on using an old back by not loading boats on the roof and not having to replace a boat because a wind gust blew it off the roof before it could be tied down (I know I am not the only one here) it has been a reasonable investment.

4

I am into my first trip with…

Submitted by: paddler234914 on 3/12/2013

I am into my first trip with my Rack n Roll so these are initial impressions. I also have some experience with a friend's unit.

1. It pulls like a dream. You don't know it's there and it is modest on fuel impact. I went down from about 2 mpg (23 to 21) on a large sedan comparing a clean car (no boats) to the trailer with 2 light 12 ft boats at 70-75mph over 900 miles.
2. It very well built. Strong and light weight. Aluminum construction so it should not rust. 3. Assembly went easily, parts were well machined and fit smoothly - with 2 glitches:
- The wiring in the tongue was faulty (pinched stripped wires making 2 different intermittent faults. This was a pain to find because it was intermittent.
- I did have to enlarge the holes improve the countersinking on the license plate light bracket.
- The kit was missing some of the lock cores. I actually don't use the locks so it didn't matter much.
4. The trailer stores very nicely. I can up-end it and store it in my rather high garage without even unplugging the wiring. Even if you have to remove or collapse the tongue there are plugs so it is pretty easy. A small woman should not have trouble upending the trailer.
5. You can manhandle the trailer around easily rather than doing clever maneuvering with the car. To get the trailer with boats on it in the garage just unhook and walk it in fully loaded. No big muscles required. Parallel parking and the rear is sticking out? Just grab the rear bar, pick up the back end and scootch the loaded trailer over a foot.
6. The trailer is a dream to load. Everything is at a very comfortable height due to the big motorcycle wheels and suspension. So the boat is right at a perfect working, lifting, strapping, and putting height.
7. OK I do wish the bars were a bit further apart for boats.
8. You can easily see over the trailer from a car. On my van the trailer is below my sight line out the rear window one of those $10 plastic wide angle lenses you stick on your rear window is nice.
9. 16ft and over boat owners be aware at both ends. To the front note the review that talks about centering the boat. To the rear note that most states require flags by day and lights at night for loads more that 4' beyond the end of the trailer.

I have the 78" which is nice for lots of boats but if you are using a small car go for the 66. Note that the slightly heavier shocks are NOT standard on the wider trailer. The literature is a bit vague on that point.

Why does it rate an 8?
1. I should not have electrical problems, missing lock cores, and re-drilling a minor part on a $2000+ trailer.
2. I do wish the front bar was further forward.

4

I have had the trailer for a…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 10/17/2012

I have had the trailer for a couple of years and it performs as well as everyone says. However I want to warn people who are thinking of buying the trailer that you probably want to buy the extension even if you don't plan on transporting long boats. Yakima says you can transport a 17 ft boat with the standard tongue. However the only way you can transport any boat longer than 12 ft is to put them exactly in the middle. If you put a 14 - 17 ft boat near the outside of the trailer it is very easy to damage your car and the boat when turning, especially when backing up. I did $600 worth of damage to my van when I tried to transport a friends 17 ft kayak on a shuttle.

The other reason to buy the extension is that it makes the trailer much easier to backup. With the standard tongue the trailer reacts very quickly to any input, and really taxes your backup skills. With the longer tongue the rig settles down and backs up the way most boat trailers do. It is annoying that the extension isn't a no-cost option.

5

This is a great trailer for…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 10/11/2012

This is a great trailer for kayaks and canoes, but there is one thing someone who purchases one needs to know. The tires on the trailer are motor cycle tires and if you have a flat, you will have to go to a motor cycle repair shop to get it fixed. This can be a problem in rural areas. We just finished a 6,000 mile trip from Fl. to Alberta and back--had two flats and learned the hard way. Get the spare wheel and a spare inner tube just to be safe.

4

Bought the 66 inch version…

Submitted by: paddler234686 on 7/27/2012

Bought the 66 inch version of this trailer in April 2012. Have put a little over 1000 miles on it since then. Using it to haul a canoe (Old Town Saranac 146, 14.5 feet long). We have been very happy with this trailer so far.

Assembly was straightforward. I agree with the earlier poster who commented that the use of cotter pins on the wheel axles complicates tire changing if there is a flat tire, although I have not had to deal with that yet. The performance of the trailer is perfect; it tows well over everything from bumpy gravel roads to interstate highways. The trailer's light weight and integrated handle are very convenient in allowing one to unhook the trailer in tight spots and "walk" the boat to and from the water.

The ability to easily break it down and store it against a wall in the garage is reason we bought it. Re-assembly is equally easy. The only disadvantage is price, but I could not find another product that offered the quality and ease of use and storage at any price. We also bought the spare tire and the kickstand.

4

I bought the 78" version of…

Submitted by: paddler234433 on 2/17/2012

I bought the 78" version of this trailer from a local kayak shop in May of 2011 so I could avoid lifting boats onto the top of my camper and/or truck. I also bought the spare tire and wheel, the kickstand, and the tongue extension as one of my boats is 21'6" long and the spec says it can haul boats up to 22' with the tongue extension but only up to 17 feet without it. I usually just haul a single 17 footer but occasionally want to carry two boats and one or two bikes.

On a recent trip of about 600 miles round trip I noticed that the tongue was sagging and when I got home I took the tongue extension out as it was bent significantly. The tongue extension consists of a piece of square aluminum tubing that matches the trailer tongue and a piece of square steel tubing telescoped inside the aluminum. It is installed by sliding the steel tube into the tongue and putting 2 bolts through a pair of pre-drilled holes in the tongue and the steel tube. Assembly was very easy. It was the steel tube that was bent.

I contacted Yakima about a warranty claim on the tongue extension and they asked me to load the trailer as it was when the failure occurred and to weigh each wheel and the tongue to verify that I had loaded it within specs. I did so and found that it was within spec, sent them the info and my replacement extension was shipped to me. When the new extension arrived I felt that the new steel tube was heavier than the old one and measurements with a micrometer verified that the wall thickness of the new one is about 12% more than the old one. I'm guessing that the original extension was manufactured with a piece of material that was out of tolerance. Here's hoping the new one holds up better.

Overall I'm very pleased with the trailer and with Yakima - the trailer is easy to use and easy to store and seems like it should last a long time.

1

The R&R recall kit, supplied…

Submitted by: paddler232442 on 12/3/2010
The R&R recall kit, supplied from the crack government & Yakima engineering team, includes a new longer axle and a slotted nut (sometimes called a castle nut because it resembles the top of a castle) designed to be held in place with a cotter pin. Because some idiot forgot to tighten his axle nut and the wheel fell off, the government issued a safety recall.

The "fix" is a ridiculous engineering snafu. If you ever have a flat tire, you must carry needle-nose pliers and/or metal cutters to remove the "recall supplied" cheap ass cotter pin, which is located on the inside of the frame and requiring you to crawl on your hands and knees under the trailer for access. Yakima supplied the smallest (Made in Taiwan) cotter pin when they should have supplied a hitch pin clip, also referred to as hairpin cotter pins, which are spring-style cotter pins that facilitate rapid assembly and dis-assembly. I went to Home Depot and purchased .093 x 1-5/8 Hitch Pin Clips (~ 70 cents/each) and can now easily remove the wheel and reuse the hitch pin with any new tire. I pity the fool who has the misfortune of a R&R flat tire!

1

I bought a KD78 about a year…

Submitted by: paddler233837 on 10/5/2010
I bought a KD78 about a year before Yakima bought the company. I had a tire failure on a trip, and when back checking the load rating, it became apparent that the company didn't know how to calculate load ratings. The company had initially rated the KD78 at 350 lbs, but quickly reduced it to 300 lbs, and that needs to be reduced further if you attach anything to the trailer, such as a spare time or tongue jack. Making matters worse, the wheels and tires were designed for use on a scooter, and the tires aren't even approved by the DOT for sale in the USA. The DOT numbers on the tires only identify where the tires are made, not an actual DOT approval. These tires are not safe above scooter speeds. When I confronted RAR about this, they concedes the tires were not safe above 55 mph. I tried to get the DOT to consider these issues, but I was disappointed to find out there must first be an accident, and even then accidents without personal injuries are of less interest to them. RAR finally agreed to accept the trailer back for a 90% refund, but then kept stalling until they finally told me they had sold the company. Yakima stepped up to the plate and followed thru on the refund, and now I just found out the trailer has been hit by a SECOND recall! If you want to use this trailer, do not load it up to its full rating, and replace the tires with motorcycle tires. Of course no motorcycle tire company will sanction this use though, trailer use is a special category, passenger cars tires don't even carry the correct "ST" rating.
5

Bought the trailer in early…

Submitted by: agongos on 11/28/2009
Bought the trailer in early spring of this year, '09. I probably have 2000 mile on it by now. Very impressed with engineering and parts. Everything fit together perfectly. Very easy to assemble by myself. No rocket science here. I bought some car mudflaps made of black ABS plastic and cut them to fit the trailer's fenders because mud was being sprayed on our boats, road construction near home. I bought a high quality jack stand wheel for the trailer that works very nice. Just roll the thing by hand across the concrete floor of the barn.

When I installed the tongue extension I drilled out the trailer to accept the same larger sized bolts supplied with the tongue extension. Put our Thule Slipstream car rack on the trailer, nice! I pull it behind our Honda Element and our brand new little Honda Fit. Can't even tell it's there. The best feature of all with this trailer is the light weight suspension. Unlike all other kayak trailers, when you hit a bump or a pothole with a Rack & Roll the boats just rock up and down endo-wise. Sorta like the suspension on an old fashion baby buggy. The trailer's wheels never leave the ground. Most other trailers are design to carry much more than couple hundred pounds, and when they hit a pothole they bounce up off the road and thud back to the pavement. That's tough on glass boats! With a CD Titan and an Impex Currituck, and one of those black body boxes for carrying gear we can't possibly have more than 250 pounds on the trailer. I don't think the tongue weight of the loaded trailer is over 50 pound either.

It costs a ton of money, almost 3 grand, but worth every penny. Make sure you lock the trailer to the ball hitch and the ball hitch to the receiver, then you know the trailer will still be in the parking lot when you take-out. Never have to worry about the boats. It's simple to back up to a boat ramp or turn around, especially with the tongue extension. Our boats are near or at 18 feet long, thus the need for the tongue extension. With two repaired shoulders it so cool to drive down the boat ramp, put the trailer wheels to the edge of the water, lift the bow of the boat up 3' and slide it on the trailer. How cool is that! No more lifting the boats to the car's roof top, and it's so much easier to put straps on at waist level. No more climbing around on the car. I always put 2 Thule straps on the hull and two ratchet lines on the bow and stern. with a red flag clipped to the stern of one of the boats. Another neat thing with this trailer is if you go to unknown put-ins for the first time, or say you get lost on a little two track trial and it dead ends and there's no place to turn around. Simply take off the trailer. Turn the car around and put the trailer back on. It's that light and easy to move around by hand. Believe me, I've done it a few times!

I'll give it a strong 10 outa 10. Couldn't be happier. Only thing hard to do was spend the money, but afterwards, very pleased!

5

We purchased the trailer two…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 8/7/2009
We purchased the trailer two months ago from a local bike shop in the Pittsburgh area. It was delivered to them in less than a week, they assembled it for free, and it has been great. Well built and engineered!

We have two 12' kayaks and two bike racks on it and pull it with a midsized car. It tracks perfectly and handles bumps flawlessly. You have to keep looking back to remind yourself you are actually pulling a trailer, it is so smooth. I can even use it as a cart to hand deliver the kayaks to the shore. I have looked at other trailers, but none come close to the Rack and Roll. It is important to follow instructions during assembly about lubricating the pins for the wheels so they can be removed when you want to change a flat, or remove the wheels for storage.

I would recommend the Rack and Roll for anyone who wants to save their back and not lift the kayaks onto their car roof.

5

Easy to put together(1hr).…

Submitted by: paddler233049 on 3/23/2009
Easy to put together(1hr). Mine is a 2009 so I don't know if they have addressed issues already noted. The directions state to apply grease to the pins for ease of inserting/removing and I have had no problems with them. I would buy again
5

I bought the Rack and Roll…

Submitted by: cathyboje on 10/6/2008
I bought the Rack and Roll trailer online in September 2007 from a company in NC as they advertised free shipping. A little challenging to put it together by myself, but it was well worth it. I have used it quite a few times this year and it is great. As a female kayaker, this trailer is just perfect for me. It is easy to use as a cart and also easy to tow behind my small SUV. I keep my kayaks in the backyard and I can just pull the trailer by hand down to the driveway with the kayaks on it and hook it up to my car easily. I had a few minor problems with the trailer, but the company’s customer service is just great and they sent me what I needed at no charge. Plus... I had not sent in my warranty card back when I bought the trailer and they still took care of me. Make sure you get the extra wheel to support the trailer evenly when not hitched to the car, this is a great asset. I just love my Rack and Roll trailer and I highly recommend it.
4

Initial review - purchased in July 08. We traveled over 700 miles…

Submitted by: solorider on 8/4/2008
Initial review - purchased in July 08.
We traveled over 700 miles to WI to purchase the RAR trailer. Before leaving the dealer we found the spare tire to be flat. Unfortunately, we headed out of town a bit on the interstate looking for a gas station so we could fill the tire as the dealer did not have a compressor. To our dismay, the spare tire did not fill so we were SOL if we got a flat. We continued on to MN and stopped for the night. In the morning a motel guest pointed out that our left tire was flat. So, we had to get both tires patched before completing our trip home. We contacted the dealer and they sent out a new tire plus reimbursed us for the tire patching. The new spare did not match the other tires and the cap was cracked so we just changed the cap out. Thus our initial introduction to the RAR was a little rocky.

That being said, so far I do like the trailer. I haven't tried to conquer the art of trailer backing (let the husband do it) but I feel comfortable unhitching it and I am able to lift it with a canoe and kayak on it. I changed out the square bars for longer round bars. We can also use our Thule Ascent gear box on it. It does drive smoothly and if we don't have any more incidents with it I should be happy with it. It is a good gear solution for me as I downsized from an SUV to the smaller vehicle. Now, I can still carry all my rec toys and get decent gas mileage.

The reason for my rating it 8 so far is because of the tire issues putting us at risk and my disappointment at getting something defective right at the get go. Also, I wasn't sure if the trailer would work with my Pontiac Vibe and I contacted the company twice before making my purchase and received no return email. I also sent the company an email just letting them know about our initial experience with their trailer and how the dealer handled the matter and received no comments or apology for our difficulties. To me that shows a disinterest in their customers. Always carry your tools with you!!!

As for their advertising it as SEXY....I'd rather have it be sturdy and reliable :) .

5

Have had this trailer for a…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 7/14/2008
Have had this trailer for a year and have about 5,000 miles on it so far - NO problems ever. I store it between cars in my 2-car garage simply taking off the tongue and putting blocks under the wheels to keep it upright. Have talked to customer service several time (to purchase extra parts to add 2 additional bars) - always extremely friendly and prompt. A bit pricey but well worth it to me - saves gas when towing, saves my back as I no longer need to lift onto the top of my Jeep. Saves time for trips - load the trailer in the carriage the night before - then simply hand roll it out, connect to the Jeep and off you go. I created a removable stand that connects to the front of the trailer without the tongue installed to make it easier to use in the garage - makes it easier to install the tongue as well.
5

We have a rack an roll trailer set up to carry…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 6/16/2008
We have a rack an roll trailer set up to carry 2 16" Hobie Kayaks on J carriers on the outsides with a Thule cargo box on the inside. To accommodate the 16' kayaks without adding a tongue extension we added an extension to the hitch.

So far it has been great, we have used it 20 times, 45min to 1hour each way at highway speeds. You really don't know it is there. The kayaks are strapped to the trailer, not just the jay carriers and we have the fronts of the boats tied to the tongue, which adds stability. It is very nice not to have to unload and load the kayaks at the house and move them to a storage area. We just put the trailer in the garage, they are nicely stored in the shade and we can just hitch up and go in minutes. AT the launch,it's nice that we don't have to lift the heavy boats very high.

The company service has been excellent. They told us about the recall, supplied the part and gifts for installing it. Nice people.

3

The trailer looks nice but it…

Submitted by: paddler232638 on 6/12/2008
The trailer looks nice but it is poorly constructed. The parts do not fit together properly. One critical metal locking piece broke in two pieces during assembly when very light pressure was applied. For the price they could definitely build it better. I notice they had recall due to a safety defect (see 4-02-08 posting).
2

I have to agree with…

Submitted by: paddler232638 on 6/11/2008
I have to agree with xwarrior26 about the Rack and Roll. It is not made well. I found pieces broken that had to be replaced. The product seems to be made cheaply which is a surprise considering the high cost. I know this trailer looks great but it is not made that great.
5

I bought a Rack N Roll…

Submitted by: bdouglasj on 6/10/2008
I bought a Rack N Roll trailer to tow behind my 2005 Goldwing Motorcycle and so far I am very pleased. I have towed my kayak on it a couple of times and our mountain bikes. I plan on buying a Yakima Box for it and leave room for one kayak so I can take some extended trips. Towing it has not been as difficult as I thought considering that there's 17 feet of kayak behind me - I just need to remind myself to take wider turns. I get a lot of looks as I'm going down the highway too. My gas mileage drops a bit from 41 to about 35 but then it's a heck of a lot better then the 15 mpg my truck gets
4

This is an update of my review from 5/5/2008. After a couple…

Submitted by: xwarrior26 on 6/4/2008
This is an update of my review from 5/5/2008.
After a couple more phone calls to Rack and Roll they finally addressed the issues to my lock issue by sending me replacement locks. I'm a little peeved that they didn't bother to send instructions to replace them but I did get it figured out myself. Also, I finally received the parts I needed to apply the part required for the recall they announced for the KD trailers. That wasn't too bad to install and they gave their customers some comp stuff to make up for our time and effort which was highly appreciated. My dealer did have to replace a fender that was scratched and cracked when I took delivery of the trailer and when the part finally arrived they discovered that the pre-drilled hole for the lights on the side of the fender were much, much smaller than the original fender hole but that was a pain for the dealer to deal with not mine but still - it's an FYI for those of you that may need to get replacement parts for them. Make sure to ask if the parts are the same circumference, measurements etc otherwise - you'll have to perform "surgery" on your replacement part.

Now that everything is finally done and good to go - I ordered the trailer in March but didn't get it until May - I will have to say that its a great trailer. In my opinion, yeah, it is very expensive but the trailer is made with good material. You get what you pay for....

Here's some tips -

  1. The holes where you put the pin in that allows you to join the trailer and tongue needs to be filed down per Rack and Roll. This makes it easier for the pin to be inserted. I just sanded mine down using sandpaper made for metal and a dowel.
  2. Another tip I learned is in order to make it easier for everything, like the pins and locks to fit together you would definitely want to insert the pins in and secure it in place before you lock them down. There's three locks, one to join the tongue and trailer and two to join the wheels and shock absorbers.
  3. Finally, the wiring on the trailer isn't perfect so you'll definitely want to use either electrical tape or even better, liquid electrical tape to protect the exposed wires - not the connectors of course.
3

Pros - There's no doubt that…

Submitted by: xwarrior26 on 5/5/2008
Pros - There's no doubt that its a great trailer. I took it out yesterday and used the foam blocks for now to test it and it worked great. It was a dream to finally not have to wrestle my kayak off and on from the top of my truck. And yes, I can barely tell that I'm pulling the trailer behind me. Storage? Oh my gosh - yes it does store flat against the wall - I have a truck and car in my garage and this trailer stores in there with no problem.

Cons? I have a few, if you've visited the Rack and Roll website before they have a video of this woman who seems to have no problem breaking the trailer down. When I did it, I had lot of trouble removing the pin that connected the tongue to the trailer, I also had trouble removing the pins that connected the wheels and the shock absorber to the main trailer although it wasn't quite as bad as the tongue and trailer. There are locks that connect the tongue to the trailer and the wheels and shock absorber to the trailer. Those were a nightmare to remove, you have to push down on the handles really, really hard to unlock them. Yesterday, it took me about 30-40 minutes to put it all together because of the lock and pin issue I mentioned earlier. It almost seems like the holes on the trailer are just a tad bit too small for the pin and yes, I made sure they were aligned properly. On the storage side of things - the license plate doesn't quite align to the pre-existing holes on the trailer so I had to use zip ties to attach them - what does that have to do with storage? Well - if you store the trailer upright - when you attach the license plate its about ankle height so if you're not looking where you're going you can easily scrape your ankle/leg against it. And yes, I definitely emailed Rack and Roll about this. We'll see what they say.

5

NOTICE: A defect relating to…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 4/2/2008
NOTICE: A defect relating to motor vehicle safety exists in certain RACKandROLL KD model trailers made in 2005, 2006, and part of 2007. The trailer’s Center Rail (behind the tongue) may break due to metal fatigue with overloading or after extreme mileage and stress. If the Center Rail breaks without warning, your trailer will separate from your tow vehicle and could crash, causing property damage, injury, or death. Please contact us immediately at 888-935-9350 for a free Safety Upgrade Kit.
http://www.rackandroll.com/RACKandROLL_KD_Recall.pdf
5

As a female paddler the Rack N Roll has been so…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 1/15/2008
As a female paddler the Rack N Roll has been so easy for me to use, I can lift it and stow it myself. The incline it takes is great for the lagoons around here and I have never had a problem maneuvering it! The large wheels grant me the opportunity for a little "off-roading" where my previous trailer couldn't have handled the terrain based off of height alone. I have carried bikes, Thule luggage boxes and up to 6 kayaks!!
5

I purchased the Rack and Roll trailer earlier this spring. I…

Submitted by: bnelsonr on 9/15/2007
I purchased the Rack and Roll trailer earlier this spring. I carried 2 kayaks on my roof rack for 1 week, then looked for a trailer. The main 2 reasons I purchased the Rack and Roll was the 16" tires and it solved my storage problem. It's great! After I assembled it there was a crack in the right fender. I didn't know if I did it or it happened during shipping. I call the customer service and right away she said they have had some problems with the right fender. I received another one in a week.

The license plate protrudes out further than the trailer. This was an issue in a earlier post. I purchased a brass hinge and mounted it using an extra square headed bolt in the slot. Drilled holes in the furnished bracket, it now it folds up against the frame.

With the 16" tires you can roll the trailer and boats to the water. It's surprising how much of an incline you can get up and down. You get what you pay for and for me it's worth the price.

5

I bought the RackandRoll KD trailer approx one year ago and…

Submitted by: dekayaker27 on 9/11/2007
I bought the RackandRoll KD trailer approx one year ago and it has been an excellent investment of my recreational dollars. No more lifting kayaks up onto the roof of my Jeep! Loading and unloading is so easy and convenient. Everywhere I go kayaking, people stop to admire this trailer and all of the features it offers.
5

I decided to wait till I got…

Submitted by: psherman on 7/30/2007
I decided to wait till I got back from a recent trip with this trailer to write this review. I had used the trailer perhaps half a dozen times to go to local rivers before taking it on a 1300-mile trip (Florida to North Carolina), during which the trailer was connected for all but perhaps 100 miles, over both interstate at 70 mph and rutted, ill-maintained 2-lane roads, as well as both dirt roads and gravel inclines.

I am 5'2. We bought a Nissan Xterra. Obviously, carrying the boat on top of the car was simply not an option for me. I researched trailers and it seemed that in terms of durability and road-worthiness, the Rack and Roll was the only choice.

It made the trip to NC and back in great form. The manufacturers make it clear that if the trailer is going to fail, it will fail in the tires, so I was very particular about checking the pressure and inflating every morning that it was being driven. One tire held the pressure pretty consistently, the other was always down by 7 lbs after sitting overnight. We will be taking that tire to be checked for a leak. I'm sure it can be fixed, and given that this trailer was a year old when I bought it (it was a demo), this cannot be held against the manufacturer.

It follows the car very closely so there is no need to compensate with wide turns, etc. I normally take a 14-foot kayak on it, but for the NC trip I had a 15' boat on it.

Yes, this trailer is expensive, but isn't reliability on the road, and therefore your safety, worth a little extra expense? I highly recommend this trailer.

3

Now that we have three…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 6/8/2007
Now that we have three kayakers in the house, we needed a way to transport them all at once without using two cars. We decided on a Rack and Roll trailer. The purchase has been quite an adventure.

The nearest dealer was about 100 miles from our home, so I arranged for the purchase by telephone. The dealer offered us a floor model, which included an optional spare tire, for a significant discount, so I paid for the trailer and arranged to pick it up after work one day the following week.
When I arrived at the dealer's, the trailer was waiting, a little shopworn but as described. The "fun" started when the trailer was hooked to my van and blew several fuses. In the process of deciding whether my wiring or the trailer's wiring was at fault, they hooked the trailer to someone's truck, and of course several of their fuses blew. By this time it was getting dark, and I had to drive a long way home, so they came up with replacement fuses for me and I left, sans trailer. (Hint: if you tow a trailer you'll probably need spare fuses at some point, so buy a kit and keep it in your vehicle.)
The dealer called a few days later to say that they'd disassembled the trailer and found several of the wires pinched between elements of the frame. The trailer essentially was a dead short, which of course led to the blown fuses. It took them a week or so to "fix" the wiring. (Hint: if you assemble one of these yourself, be very careful not to pinch the wires when assembling the frame.)
Back we went to pick up the trailer. We were happy to see the lights come on and stay on, and at our request one of the dealer's employees escorted us to an inspection station to make sure the trailer passed inspection. We drove home.
Somewhere between the inspection station and home some of the lights stopped working. No way we were going to drive 100 miles back, so I pulled out a multimeter and started checking the wiring. Sure enough, the wire that powers the left turn / left brake light was open somewhere inside the trailer.
I called the dealer, who instructed me to take it to a local trailer shop and send him the bill. The bill turned out to be $80 - when they opened up the trailer they found that several of the wires were scuffed up, so they replaced the entire wiring harness.

So, would I recommend the trailer? I would, but make sure you buy from a reputable dealer. Even despite the problems I felt that the dealer did try to resolve our problems, but perhaps some of his employees were less than competent with mechanical/electrical assembly. I also recommend buying from a dealer as close to your home as possible (in our case the next closest dealer was 200 miles away.) As for the trailer itself, it does work very well, and there are really few alternatives if you want to transport 3 or 4 kayaks. Towing the trailer is very easy as it is very light weight. (Hint: you'll want to tie red / reflective flags to the back of your boats since they will stick out several feet behind the trailer's lights - this will also help you when passing other cars.)
My rating would have been 9 had I not had the problems with this particular trailer.

5

Last Friday my wife and I…

Submitted by: Xtempore on 4/16/2007
Last Friday my wife and I took the boats with us to work so that we could put in as soon as possible that afternoon. With the trailer packed in the garage the night before we can easily get an early start. The mechanical engineers at the plant were all over this trailer. They were blown away with the high quality welds, the suspension system, the gorgeous wheels and the modular construction.

I've had my RackandRoll out a couple of times now and am completely delighted with the performance. So far I am down to five minutes break-down time. This includes removing the wheels and securing the trailer to the garage wall. The securing levers at the break points all have key locks.

I really enjoy having a trailer and am thrilled to have my RackandRoll, but I never write a review without finding something negative to say. I'll do what I can to nitpick, but it's a stretch! Probably brings my true rating down to 9.9.

The bars only separate by 4 feet. Probably a good tradeoff between spacing and trailer weight/cost, but if all else were equal, I would rather have 5 feet for my sea kayaks.

The wiring for the taillights was dressed in a simple loop with a cable tie. I felt the need to dress it up with a couple more ties. The butt connectors in this wiring are exposed to road splash, so I covered them with some liquid electrical tape.

The license plate is just a stainless bracket with a couple of holes for the plates top holes. License plates are thin these days, at least in my state. And when the trailer is stored in my garage, the plate sticks out at ankle height. I bought a license plate frame to protect the plate and passersbys. And I added a some aluminum plate to the back of the frame for a little more strength. The trailer, license, locks and Thule gear are expensive. But you really get what you pay for in this case. Or, sometimes, what your wife pays for and gives you for your birthday! __big grin__

By the way, I agree with the previous review that the manufacturer's customer support is absolutely SUPURB! Fast and very effective, even with questions that have to be referred to engineers. You wind up feeling like you have a friend looking out for you!

5

Wow! I purchased a…

Submitted by: Franklin on 12/4/2006
Wow! I purchased a RackandRoll Kayak Trailer. It is a work of art and belongs in my house. Of course my wife won't agree so I'll leave it outside...for now. It's too pretty and too cool to use. The fit and finish is as close to perfect as anything I've ever seen and finding flaws is what I do for a living, as well as for fun. It has an independent suspension and dampened shocks with coil over springs, awesome. It probably has a more comfortable ride than my truck. It's prettier too. I have the 66 inch cross bars, which came with the trailer, on the trailer right now. I am still thinking about getting the 78 inch bars.

I have Yakima Mako saddles in the middle with Yakima Hull Raisers on the outboard sides. I can carry three boats. If I get the longer bars, four boats. It was a great idea marrying The Thule and Yakima systems to a trailer. These systems really coddle your boat and are a perfect addition to a kayak trailer. The trailer is totally foldable and even has wheels on the leading ends of the trailer in order to help you move the trailer around in the garage once folded.

This trailer has it all and is very well thought out. It is very light and is very easy to move around with it's sixteen inch aluminum wheels and wide tires. I purchased the spare tire, complete with the same "bad to the bone" wheel (not like my truck which came with a metal wheeled spare). I have also ordered the trailer extension so that I can pull my 22 ft. tandem. The trailer is a roof rack that you pull. Bringing it home from the dealer's shop, I didn't even know it was back there. It pulls that good. I am tired of lifting boats onto my tall SUV and then climbing all over the truck in order to tie them down. RackandRoll is just that. The owner, Patrice, was/is a delight to work with and made my puchase experience even better.

I guess I'll have to use my trailer but it seems like a shame to use it...I still think it belongs in the house. My kayak buddies are going to be green with envy but I know they'll smile real big when I tell them I am going by their houses to pick them up. The trailer, it's not cheap, and I think I may have cried that line to Patrice more than once, but the trailer is in a class by itself.

5

We picked up a Rack and Roll…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 9/22/2005
We picked up a Rack and Roll trailer to haul extra boats with our smallish cars (Toyota p/u and Honda CR-V). The trailer has a capacity of 250 lbs or 4 boats. It comes with Yakima style crossbars (Thule fits too) and accepts the standard kayak stackers and other accessories. The stackers and some foam pipe insulation and we were set to go. I got the optional tongue extender, for boats over 18', and it made it real nice, allowing the back door of the Honda to open even with the trailer online. It looks a lot like a kayak rickshaw!

Traveling down the road you don't even know it's back there. It is very well designed and quite sturdy. Shock absorbers, mag wheels, lifetime bearings, anodized aluminum construction, etc. sweet! And when you are done it all takes apart and packs away in the garage! I can't think of one thing I would change.