Pricey, but worth every penny. Next to the kayak, the Hullavator is the best product you can buy. Easy to load and even easier to tie on. With this product you don’t need to be a Charles Atlas or a contortionist to load or unload any kayak. The only problem, if you can call it that, is beating the onlookers away while loading or unloading. When others see how easy it is to use they want one. GREAT invention. I have used it for 5 years and have no regrets.
To begin, if I could, I'd give 4 1/2 stars, because it's "almost excellent." I am an older paddler with a physical issue in one of my shoulders that precludes my lifting evenly above my head; so the Hullavator is a huge help in loading a kayak onto the roof of my SUV. (In fact, I have 2 Hullavators mounted to Thule load bars that I keep in my garage and then just "snap" the units into place when I go paddling.) We use them for all lengths of trips and have never had a problem with the boats shifting as we ride. One thing I have found is that on long drives the front and rear tie downs are annoying to have in my field of vision, so I have bought locking cables that wrap around the ends of the boats and loop through the roof rack bars to keep the boats from shifting front to back, and also provide another layer of protection from theft when leaving the boats on the roof overnight in a hotel parking lot, for example. The only real problem I've had is that sometimes one of the units does not stay in the down position when unloading; as the weight of the boat is removed, the unit wants to swing up. We kayak almost exclusively in salt water, so after EVERY trip I hose down the boats and all equipment, and then give them a quick wipe down to re-move excess water. A couple of times a season I also spray the Hullavators with WD-30, so I think the combination of indoor storage and maintenance has kept my units from showing any signs of rust--although I do have a couple of spots where the paint finish is starting to lift. In conclusion, someone reading this might think, "Do I really have to go through all this to keep up these contraptions?" Well, that brings me to the only negative aspect of the product: they are EXPENSIVE! So, I suggest that one does take care of their investment in order to get the maximum usage lifetime from it.
I use this on a pick up truck in conjuction with Thule Xsporter racks. I concur with the other review, the hullavator is susceptible to rust. I leave the hullavator attached to my Xsporter rack and remove the rack posts when not in use, so not a problem for me. I only use the hullavator for short hauls (< 20 miles). If traveling longer distances or high speed, I use the hullavator to raise kayak, then transfer over to a pair of saddles. Saddles are far more secure. I've got a fiberglass comp touring kayak. I've found that the hard plastic rests (the point where the hull rests in the craddle) do not fit well and apply to much pressure on too small an area. To remedy this, I've installed ~6" pieces of pool noodles across the tubes (where they curve upward). I used nylon cable straps to secure the noodle to the carrier. It's a one size fits all sort of carrier so did have to improvise for a custom fit. But once done, it makes for an incredibly easy load. As recommended by the manufacturer, always use the front and rear tie ropes to prevent kayak from shifting forward or back due to wind pressure or hard braking. Videos on youtube are definately worth watching. Just type in Hullavator in search box. Much better than video at Thule website.
With 2 bad shoulders, this hulivator makes it possible for me to still be able to go kayaking. I can load and unload by myself. Without the hulivator, I would have had to give up kayaking. My only unhappy detail is that it is starting to rust.
