Over the past three years, I have bought and tried different kayak loading systems. I had thought the Hullavator was too expensive. But if I could turn the clock back, I would! The best part about this is being able to strap the kayak down while it is at waist level on the side of the car and knowing that it is secure. Then securing bow and stern tiedowns before lifting it makes stepladders obsolete! I am 5'1" and have a smaller SUV (Mercury Mariner) and don't have a problem raising or lowering the Hullavator. I never need to balance on a stepladder while loading and strapping down, I don't need to hope for a taller buddy to help me and, best of all, it is SO easy! Although I like to shop from local shops, I bought this during the 20% off sale and LLBean's warranty makes me feel secure about its future.
The Hullivator kayak rack makes loading/unloading my kayak a much easier one person endeavor then a regular rack. However, as a 5' 2" woman, I am unable to reach up far enough to get the kayak in place on my Explorers roof. I need to have a stool in my vehicle to be able to load the kayak. The design is great, but would like to see it user friendly for all heights of people and vehicles.
No matter how tall your car is, the hullavator is the way to go to load your kayak onto your car. It is easy to load and it flips the kayak on top the car easily. No ladders needed to tie it down or extra people to help load your kayak. Worth the investment.
