Bolts Included with Thule Hull-A-Port Kayak Carrier Barely Fit Toyota RAV4 Crossbars

Question:

I recently purchased a Thule Hull-A-Port Kayak Carrier and successfully used it to bring home a new Kayak. When I installed the Hull-A-Port to Thule roof crossbars, I could barely get the caps screwed on to the 65mm bolts the longer of the 2 sets of bolts that came w/ the Hull-A-Port. Question: Should the bolts be long enough that the ends stick out through the screw caps e.g., the 80mm bolts, or am I ok as long as I get a few turns on the screw cap? Per the car guidelines, the 65 mm bolts were the right size for the Toyota Rav4 that the roof crossbars are installed on. Thanks,

asked by: Mike S

Expert Reply:

It sounds like the Thule crossbars on your Toyota RAV4 are just a bit too tall for the included 65 mm bolts to securely tighten the Hull-A-Port # TH834 J-style cradles onto the roof. I do recommend going with the longer M6 x 80mm bolts # THXADAPT3 for your application to ensure a safe and secure fit.

I spoke with my contact at Thule and he stated that the bolts should go all the way through to the other side on the end cap/knob for a proper installation.

expert reply by: Chris R