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Hi, everyone. It's Evangeline here at etrailer. And today, we'll be taking a look at the Thule Xadapt11. This is gonna be the water sports or roof rack accessory adapter for your Thule bars that have that T-slot, like the WingBar Evo. We'll take a look at all those different specs and features, and how to install it right here at etrailer. So, as an example, I have the Thule Hull-A-Port here today, and originally we had clamps that did not fit around our WingBar Evo, 'cause the clamps we're too small.
So what we did, is we switched it out with the Thule Xadapt11. Now there's a bunch of different adapters from Thule, depending on your application, as well as what type of accessory you are adapting. So make sure to check out our product pages, which will guide you through that process and make sure you get the right adapter for the right accessory for the right situation. So a general rule of thumb, and there are exceptions to this, is that the Thule Xadapt11 turns your accessory, that used to use clamps, into something that can now fit into T-slots. So if your issue was that your clamps just weren't large enough, you have the Thule Xadapt3 with longer bolts, but this one creates a T-slot part for those T-tracks or T-channels on your crossbars.
Now this issue is gonna be very common with your older kayak carriers. So for your newer kayak carriers, especially the ones from Thule, they've already remedied the situation where they create them with larger clamps to fit around your larger crossbars. Now we're gonna take some measurements to see if this is gonna work for your applications. So one measurement is going to be from one bolt to the other on our adaptor. So that's gonna be 2 3/4 inches from the bolt.
That was where the clamps on our Hull-A-Port used to sit. Now the measurement from one bolt to the other, in terms of the width, is gonna be 4 1/4 inches. Now these measurements are taken from center to center of the bolts. Now you don't have locks with this, but you do have security bolts. So those are T27 bolts, and they have a special hole on the inside to secure them.
So that's gonna be used with your special Thule key. The install process itself is relatively simple. It's just really hard to get things lined up, and then you have to cut the wind strips around on your WingBar Evo, so that defeats the purpose of the easy use wing strips. So let's take a look at that process. So I'm gonna guide you through the install process. So we actually have our Thule Hull-A-Port here, and then we're gonna put the Xadapt11 onto the Hull-A-Port. So notice how I don't have the Hull-A-Port's own hardware, 'cause I'm gonna replace them with the adapter. So first, we're gonna line up our Xadapt11's plate. So this is gonna be a metal plate, and you're gonna have two sides. So you wanna make sure that the insets are facing out, and you want the pointy part facing down. Then you're gonna set up your bolt, your flat washer, and your nut. So this goes into the plate and secures it to the kayak carrier. So this bolt is gonna fit right through, including your hardware, and then just tighten that down with your included tool. Once all four bolts are tightened down, and it would've been easier if there was a hole on my tool, so you're gonna use the included tool to tighten everything down. You're then gonna set up your T-track system. So, that's gonna have your shorter bolt with a split washer. And then, you're gonna have a square nut underneath. So get your short bolt and your split washer from the top, and then very lightly thread your plate on there. In fact, I only rotate it once or twice. So once your kayak carrier is ready, you're then gonna set up your crossbars. So we have the WingBar Evo, so we're just gonna rotate this end cap. And in our case here, since the clearance is so small between the bolts, as well as the flat plates, we're gonna take off the wind strips from our WingBars. So that's gonna fit right into your T-slots. And since they're gonna be at an angle, you may have to really fiddle around with it, as long as you get both of them through. Next is to set up your kayak carrier. So notice how our end cap is actually in the way of our kayak carrier, but I prefer our kayak carriers be at the very edge of the crossbar. So, I'm just gonna push this through, close that end cap, then I'm gonna bring our Hull-A-Port back towards the end. Not all the way, there we go. So you are gonna have to cut your wind strips around your kayak carrier. And then, if you have excess over here on the overhang, just cut out pieces and then fit that over at the end. That way we can help decrease that wind drag and noise. And don't forget to tighten down your T-slot plates in the front and the back with your tool. Once you've tightened down all your bolts, and you've just double checked that everything is nice and secure, that's it for the install of your Thule Xadapt11 adapter. So my personal thoughts about the Thule Xadapt11, is I really like how it allows you to retrofit or upgrade your older kayak carriers that have the smaller clamps. If you like those kayak carriers, but you wouldn't be able to use them with your new and improved aero crossbars, this allows you to do so. Now if you want it to be easy to uninstall and reinstall your accessories, this might not be the best fit for you. You might prefer getting those longer bolts instead, but remember you're gonna have the same downsides as a clamp-around clamp. This also allows you to utilize the top portion of your crossbar, bringing your kayak carrier further out than you used to with just the clamp. So it's not just an upgrade in terms of fitting around those crossbars, but making it easier for yourself as well. And that was a look at the Thule Xadapt11 water sport accessory adapter, for your Thule WingBar and WingBar Evo crossbars, right here at etrailer. My name is Evangeline, and I hope you enjoyed the journey..
Average Customer Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars (15 Customer Reviews)
I recently made a 4 hour trip home after picking up a new kayak while using the following equipment for the first time: Thule Xsporter Pro Truck Bed Ladder Rack, Thule Hull-A-Port Kayak Carrier w/Tie-Downs - J-Style, Thule Watersports Adapter for Aeroblade/Aeroblade Edge Bars and Thule Bow/Stern Tie-Downs. I'm impressed with the performance of all of those components.
Worked well on my Aero bars. The little squares slide into the center channel of the Aero bars, requiring to cut and remove the rubber. I used it with a large, heavy kayak in strong side winds. The front mount slid a little bit, indicating I could have torqued it tighter. But otherwise held strong.
First of all, I can't describe how incredibly supportive the staff was during my order placement, shipment, and answering questions when I got "stuck" during the installation process. Outstanding service.
My one and only regret is that I ordered the Aeroblade racks with the Hull-A-Port Kayak Carriers. The Hull-A-Ports are supposed to be "easy removal" with knurly nobs .... that feature works for the square rack bars. The adapter kit that enables the attachment of the carriers to the Aeroblade eliminates that easy-removal feature. Perhaps I should have done a little more homework and/or asked a few more questions.
In any case, this will work fine for me! etrailer.com is the real-deal and a pleasure to do business with.
Got a new car and put on Thule Probars. I transferred my Hull-A-Port Pro using the old 'under bar' metal strap, but they sat cockeyed. Confirmed with these guys that this kit would work with the Probars, ordered 2 day shipping and they came sooner!!! Now my J racks are on solid!
Easy to install and forms stable platform for the Kayak carriers.
A must have to mount the Thule racks, easy to use.
not needed on 2016 Subaru Forester with factory bars...
installation pic
Great!
It has,worked great tx
Very easy to install
Great product and fast shipping. Thanks!
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