Can I Carry 4 Kayaks on Malone MicroSport Trailer?

Question:

Hi- I bought a new car 2019 Toyota Highlander that is just too tall for me to get the kayaks on and off the roof. I bought a Yakima Showboat roller system, which helped with getting the kayak up on the roof, but I still have to use ladders to strap them down, and the factory crossbars are only wide enough to carry one kayak horizontally, the second has to be vertical, and forget about a third kayak! I looked at getting after market crossbars, but for the money I would spend on that I could instead put it towards a trailer that could carry four kayaks easily and be much easier to strap them down. I am looking at the Malone Microsport XT trailer. I really like that it has the retractable tongue, and I know from the other posted questions here that the trailer standing on end is 8 feet 2 inches, which is probably still a little too tall for the garage, but at least it is shorter even if its is in the horizontal position. My questions are: Will our Thule Hull A Port Pro XT carriers fit the trailers crossbars? We have three sets of Hull A Port Pro XT carriers, and would like to get a fourth. Can this trailer hold four kayaks on that type of carrier? Are the standard bars 78 wide enough for that or would I have to upgrade to wider bars? What are the widest bars that can be accommodated on this trailer? I dont have a garage and the trailer would be stored outside. Im worried about it getting stolen. What security measures would you suggest for the trailer, mostly at home but also when we leave it at the put in spot along the river while kayaking? Thanks for all your help!

asked by: Heather J

Expert Reply:

I'll start off by saying that it isn't recommended that you add longer crossbars to the Malone MicroSport XT Trailer # MPG460XT because adding too much weight outside of the wheels will effect the stability of the trailer when cornering. With that being said, the crossbars that are included on the trailer will allow you to use your Thule Hull-A-Port XT TH848 spread out to acommodate the 4 kayaks you're wanting to carry without any issue.

However, I believe I have a better solution that you may want to consider; I recommend looking at the Malone MicroSport Trailer for 4 Kayaks # MPG462G2, which is the same MicoSport XT trailer but it includes 4 Malone J style kayak carriers already integrated into the trailer. This gives you the option to still use your Hull-A-Ports on your 2019 Toyota Highlander for those instances when you're only carrying 1-2 kayaks; you could also sell them to defer the cost of the new trailer that comes with the J-style carriers.

If you're going to continue to use the Thule Hull-A-Port XT's I would recommend looking at the MicroSport trailer and following that configuration in order to maximize the space that you have to carry your kayaks.

To keep your new trailer secure, I recommend using a coupler lock like the Fastway # FA86-0015-316, which will prevent theft by keeping people from being able to couple the trailer to their own vehicle. I would also recommend using something like the ToyLok Retractable Cable Lock # LC337120 which comes with a 15 foot long cable that will allow you to lock the two wheels of the trailer to just about anything and will add an additional layer of security for your trailer. The ToyLok could also be used on the kayaks and carriers when traveling.