Rhino-Rack Nautic Stack Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Post Style - Folding - Universal Mount

've previously used the Yakima Kayak Stacker (old style), which worked fine but I always worried the straps would slip off the hook at the top while I was loading boats. They also didn't fold down, so had to be removed after use unless you wanted to look odd and cause a whistle while you drove down the road. They didn't have a universal attachment option, requiring adapters depending on the style and make of your crossbars.

More recently I got the Thule "The Stacker", which is a superior solution. You thread the strap through a closed loop at the top, so you don't worry about straps slipping off while you're loading boats. They fold down after use and have a universal style attachment that fits around most styles and makes of crossbars. Good stuff. I really like the straps that come with these, as there is a rubber cover that slips over the metal cam buckle to protect your car's paint while you're tossing the strap over your boats to strap everything in.

In order to shuttle our boats for river trips, we needed stackers to fit on both our cars, so it was time for another set. I had never heard of Rhino Rack before, but the lower price than Thile caught my eye, so I read about them and decided to give them a try. The Rhino Rack Nautical Stack used a closed loop at the top, which I liked better than the Yakima or Malone options, and came with the hardware necessary to install them into the C-channel of my Malone aero crossbars, which I wanted to try. I remember that with the Malone stacker, you had to buy the C-channel mount hardware separately.

I really like the Rhino Rack Nautical Stack. They are a single post design, unlike the loop style of the Thule "The Stacker". I don't know if this cuts down on vortex drag, but it definitely saves you a couple horizontal inches up where the boats stack. The Rhino Rack Nautical Stack has textured rubber strips on either side of the post, which I believe is intended to cut down on vortex drag, but is also quite helpful in that boats tend to slip much less when you're just leaning them up against the post as you load up before you strap them. That's smart.

The Rhino Rack Nautical Stack feels really solid. The mechanism for folding them down and locking them upright is easy to use and feels solid. Installation instructions were good. I tried to install into the C-channels without removing the rubber tubing in my Malone aero crossbars, but couldn't get the little squares to slide into the slots with the rubber tubing in place, so had to cut the tubing, slide the Nautical Stacks into place, then cut down some of the tubing I had removed and replace it in the remaining unfilled crossbar slot. That's not a knock on the Nautical Stack; just a tip in case you're trying to do the same kind of install I did.

The one area in which I was less impressed was the tie-down straps that come with this kit. The metal cam buckles have no covering at all, so I'll probably still use my old Yakima and Thule straps instead and use these as backups.

But overall, I think these are going to work at least as well, if not better, than the Thule option, and for quite a bit less money.1116897

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Jeffrey

8/21/2022

Still happy with these after a year and multiple river trips. Everything is still solid, and I dont worry about straps slipping and boats falling off. The narrow design of these stackers makes it easier to fit all three of our boats on the crossbars than when I tie them to the Thule Stackers I have on my wifes car. If I needed to purchase kayak stackers again, Id buy these Rhino Rack Nautical Stacks again.

by: Andrew 03/26/2024

So much better than the 'C-shape' kayak holders. These things allow you to fit inside a garage, and add up to four kayaks. Very easy to use.1754092

My wife and I purchased the Rhino Rack Nautic Stack to transport 4 kayaks. We considered similar products by Yakima and Thule, but the acceptable weight limit for the Rhino Rack was there deciding factor. Each of our kayaks weighs 38lbs, and the Rhino Rack was the only item that could handle this load. We were very pleased with etrailer's service and advice. George was extremely helpful. I would highly recommend buying the hood anchors and an extra set of the down straps. The tire down straps are far superior to ratchet-type tie downs that you buy elsewhere - they are strong and SOOO easy to use. I highly recommend the Nautic Stack and etrailer. P.s. we use a bike lock for the Rhino Rack and for our kayaks and they work great for overnight theft protection when we take the kayaks out of town.550966

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Choosing a system for transporting my new (to me, they're actually used) kayaks was TOUGH. I love my little 2017 Honda Fit, and I knew I would love my new kayaks when I got them. I don't want anything bad to happen to either! Also, my car is small and the kayaks are fairly large, comparatively. I've strapped a lot of things to a lot of vehicles, but this is going to be a long term relationship, so I wanted to get it right the first time.

I've been researching and reading reviews for months, but I got confirmation that the kayaks were ready for pickup, so I needed to make a decision! I ultimately pulled the trigger on the Rhino-Rack Vortex Aero Crossbars with the 2500 Series Legs and Custom DK Fit Kit for my naked roof car and the Rhino-Rack Nautic Stack Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs.

I placed my order on 09/15/21 at 6 PM. The estimated delivery date was 09/23/21, which made me a little sad. I really wanted to pick up my boats on Sunday, 09/19/21, but I figured I'd waited THIS long, I could probably handle waiting another week. I was very pleasantly surprised to receive an email at 8 PM the same evening notifying me that my order had shipped. AND, even better, the UPS tracking was showing delivery on 09/18/21 by 7PM! I was beyond excited, but didn't get my hopes up because shipping has been pretty hit or miss since well before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, UPS delivered my package just before noon on Saturday, which was amazing!

I got everything unpacked and reviewed to ensure that I had all I would need to assemble the system - check. Nothing missing, which is always an auspicious start. Then I started reading the instructions - UGH. This is (so far) the ONLY thing I have to complain about. I have put together furniture that had clearer instructions. I probably should have gone to Google to find a [online] video, but I powered through with the instructions provided. Since I've never put together or used a roof rack before, I didn't really know what the final outcome should look like, so that made interpreting the instructions very difficult - the pictures were not super clear, and the accompanying text did not improve the situation. Now that I know what it looks like assembled, I get it, but at the time it was rough. I estimated it took me about 2 hours to get the rack assembled and secured to my car, and towards the end my fiancé arrived and helped me to realize that the foot pads were not properly attached to the feet, which made a huge difference! The kayak carrier was much easier to install, taking maybe 15 additional minutes.

The foot pads rest in the groove on the edge of the roof, I assume over the frame of the car. There's absolutely no flex in the roof where the feet sit. The hook part of the clamp rests against the metal of the car, under the rubber seal, so I don't foresee any potential issues with the seal as a result of the rack. The doors close as normal, and the rack has no movement whatsoever once tightened down. I've now used it as a handle to pull myself up towards the roof a few times (I'm about 190 lbs), and I feel totally confident that it's not going anywhere. I now have ideas about how to use the rack to haul around the larger stuff that won't fit INSIDE my car (which isn't much - I HIGHLY recommend this car!).

So, the big question - how'd it go with the kayaks?

In short - perfection! I was slightly concerned about the boats overhanging the front or back of my car, as they're 12.5 ft long and my car is just over 13 ft long. Eeeeek! I needn't have worried. They fit like a dream, and even without bow or stern tie downs were very secure during our trip home. We took local roads instead of the highway because we didn't tie down the bow and stern, so we probably didn't go over 40 ish MPH, but I saw absolutely no lift (I can see the ends of the boats out of the front windshield). I will be using those tie downs in the future, and anticipate no issues with highway speeds under those conditions.

Obviously, only time will tell how everything holds up/works out, but at this stage, I am extremely pleased with my decision and am looking forward to many kayaking adventures to come! I only have one picture at this point, but may take a few more and add them so anyone else considering a similar setup knows what they'll be getting.1157870

Click to Enlarge

Received a repackaged order with oil marks on the tie down posts. After sending pictures of the damaged, unsealed box and product, etrailer was still unwilling to replace the item. I am returning this item and purchasing it elsewhere.1350747

Click to Enlarge

Katrina B.

8/16/2022

I am sorry to hear that you have received this item in such condition. We can assure you that we do not sell used items. Any returns we have, go through a checking process to make sure that no items have been used. We also do not accept returns that have been used or installed by our customers. I have sent your information over to our customer service department for them to provide you with a return label.

by: Brian 06/09/2023

Well made and sturdy still after a year. No problems with them being on most of the winter. I prefer these post style racks over a j-hook style holder or the post style with hooks on top instead of loop holes. The speed at which you can put a multiple kayaks on your car vs the other two options is staggering. once you lace the straps through the loop holes at the top, you just slide the kayaks on and connect your straps around the crossbar. so easy. Coming from strap on crossbars and j-hooks this makes things much faster when getting ready. easily worth the money.1597658

by: Eric04/17/2024

Works well for my specific use 1768340

Using Yakima JetStream bars, and this rack works well. Easy and fast to get the rack on and off the bars. But the straps that come with the rack are no good, and I would suggest you plan on upgrading here (which is why I gave 4 stars versus 5). The buckles for the hull are not padded, and the bow and stern straps do not have loops to wrap around your tie off points. So plan on spending a few more bucks to get better straps.1591093

Works great with Rhino cross bars and the channel option provides a really clean install look.1651926

by: JJ05/30/2023

Overall it works as intended. Sometimes it can be difficult to get tight, but works well for transporting 3 kayaks. Is a good alternative to some of the more expensive racks. I do wish the straps were more if a ratcheting design instead of a tension pull type.1589606

by: Nick06/05/2021

They have really held up after a year of use. I like that when not in use I don't have to set them all the way flat so the antenna in back doesn't get smashed down. Now I just wish I had better cross bars1056441

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

by: Dmitriy N.04/18/2022

Very fast shipping! At various times we have carried, 2,3 or 4 kayaks 10"-14" , always being sure to distribute them according to the instructions and adding extra ties. High quality product, easy to use.1287392

Click to Enlarge

The Rhino Rack products are well designed and easy to install I look forward to many years of service from this product. 653055

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

by: Tim07/25/2020

We received our rhino rack system, and in just over an hour we had it installed, the kayaks loaded and were on the toad.

We have had our rack about a year now. We have had no issues, except perhaps remembering to tighten the mounts every so often but that is us being lax.


856436

Click to Enlarge

Carol researched after I queried about this particular kayak holder. I needed to make sure it would work with my rhino rack that I also bought from etrailers. These work great and I'm looking forward to when my wife and I can get the kayaks out and do some paddling! Thanks Carol C and thank you etrailers!759184

Michael O.

2/27/2021

Live the rhino rack. Its perfect for carrying all 3 if our kayaks in the Nissan rogue. It is holding up well.

by: tnpmommy04/02/2022

We have had these on my 2017 Toyota Sequoia for the past year. We have transported our kayaks quite few times with very little difficulty. My advice is to follow the instructions carefully when tying the kayaks on. At various times we have carried, 2,3 or 4 kayaks, always being sure to distribute them according to the instructions and adding extra ties. One caution I read about which was very helpful was to make sure the bolts that attach the carrier to the car's roof rack are not too long WHEN THE KAYAKS ARE LOADED. The weight of the kayaks caused the bolts to hit the roof of my vehicle and could have caused some serious gouges if we had not been warned! Looking forward to temps warming up so we can out there again.1280795

Seems sturdy and functional. Wish I could try them but still waiting parts of the order.1629801

by: Christine03/03/2022

I have had this rhino rack for a year now and it has served the purpose that I bought it for. I use it as a goal post to load my 14 ft. Tandem kayak so my boat doesn't slide off the roof of my car when loading it. It also secures it side to side but I use my roof railings to ultimately secure my kayak to my car. It is pretty sturdy, although I snapped one of the red levers off while loading my kayak but the lever still works. For me it works great, but i am pretty sure I am not using it like most.1268196

Easy to install and work as advertised 1633661

Just tried out the system on my 2018 Subaru Crosstrek yesterday. It worked great. A Stacking system maybe a little harder to load than a "j" system, but if you're using crossbars instead of a thule or yakama systems chances are that you won't be able to fit more than one kayak on your roof. But the "post" or stacking design will allow it. So its worth the extra effort. Plus, you don't have to buy more holders, like you would if you went "j" style. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture.633548

Very fast shipping and great customer service!
Prior to purchasing this, we were looking everywhere to find a way to transport 3 kayaks on one car. We were very excited when we found this available/in stock at etrailer.com as many places are currently out of kayak related items. We received it within a matter of days after purchasing online.
Overall installation went smoothly and we were able to get out on the water sooner than we planned; however more comprehensive and clearer instructions for installation and tying on the kayaks would have made the process easier.1021609

Just installed the Rhino Rack Nautic Stack kayak carrier on my Ford Escape. very easy to install and I like that there are 2 mounting options included, with hardware for each. Looking forward to using and expect the same great quality of my Rhino Rack Roof rack. Thanks etrailer for a great purchase and prompt shipping.811424

by: Karl K09/21/2019

Love the rack and the ease of use that it offers. I use it mostly for the family kayaks but has come in handy for some other large items when I need them to work. Useful for just about any type of hold down effort since my rack doesn't have many hitch points of its own.706186

They are high quality and work well but I used them on Thule wingbar evo cross bars which they are almost compatible with. They work with the clamp method but they do not have the right length bolts to use the c channel hardware with the Thule bars. I will eventually find the right length bolts and use the channels because I think it looks nicer and should make less noise with less hardwar sticking out.1290039

We just purchased the Rhino Nautic Stack to carry our three kayaks. And the stack and rack gave me confidence that our kayaks were secured to the vehicle very well. Very happy with the product!419730