Can Hullavator and J-Style Carrier be Used to Carry Two 40 lb Kayaks on a 2003 Honda Odyssey

Question:

I have a 2003 Honda Odyssey LX model. I have purchase the Thule Hullavator for one kayak, and the J rack for a second kayak. Does the Honda rooftop provide enough support for the combined weight of these items plus two kayaks 40 pounds each? What rack system from Thule should be used? What size should the crossbars be? My husband doesnt want to mount the kayaks on the Odyssey for a long road trip because he says they will make the vehicle unstable with crosswinds and the added weight. What is your opinion about this. Also, he says that the system with 2 kayaks will create a lot of wind resistance noise while traveling. Do you agree?Thank you.

asked by: Sue

Expert Reply:

We do have an option for you to use a roof rack to carry your kayaks but I am unsure as to the weight capacity of the roof of your 2003 Honda Odyssey. The Inno roof rack that we carry has a weight capacity of 140 lbs which would allow you to use the Hullavator # TH898 and the Hull-A-Port # TH834, but if your roof itself doesn't have a weight capacity of at least 135 (weight of the kayaks and both carriers combined) then you will be overloading your roof.

The Thule roof rack options for your Odyssey do not have weight ratings that would allow you to hold 80 lbs of kayak along with the 45 lb Hullavator alone so it is best to us the Inno option. This consists of the 46" Crossbars # INB117, and the Inno Feet # INFR. Since the Hullavator requires at least 4" - 8" of clearance outside of the towers it would be better to use the 50" # INB127 or 58" # INB147 crossbars.

Even the nicer AeroBlade crossbars from Thule create some wind noise and a little wind drag when nothing is loaded on them. Since the round bars are not as aerodynamic and neither are the kayaks it will cause you to experience crosswinds a little more as well as wind noise.

If the crosswinds and wind noise are something that you would rather not deal with then you might be interested in using a kayak trailer like the Malone # MPG461G2 instead. You may still experience some crosswinds but it will be different than them being loaded on your roof and this way it is much easier to load and unload them. If you would like to go this route and your Odyssey isn't equipped to tow just let me know and I can make some additional recommendations for you.