Roof Rack System for Thule Hullavator Pro Load Assist Kayak Carrier

Question:

Hello, I have been watching your videos for a side mounting lift assist Kayak roof rack system. Looking at the Yakima Showdown and Thule Hullavator. My old body says go for the gas assist Hullavator. My question is I drive a 2010 Infiniti QX56 currently and we are in the process of deciding between a 2021 Suburban/YukonXL or a Kia 2021 Kia Telluride. My current car has factory roof rack with embedded cross bars. Meaning that they do NOT extend over the edge of the vehicle the necessary 4-6 recommended for the above racks. Could I get a price quote for both systems with EVERYTHING I would need to have this installed. As far as I can tell this would include 2 cross bars and the system plus whatever I am missing, do want to be able to lock it on!...lol. Would love to order from you guys as I have found your videos the best out there ?? I just need to make sure I order everything at once. I appreciate your time and THANKS in advance!

asked by: Cynthia L

Expert Reply:

Both the Thule Hullavator # TH898 and the Yakima ShowDown # Y04081 are great kayak carriers but I prefer the Hullavator. Regardless of age, after a day of paddling the lift assist is awesome when it comes to helping you load your boat on top of your roof.

You do need 4"-8" of overhang on your roof rack for this carrier to work. Your current roof rack on your 2010 Infiniti QX56 will not work. The only confirmed fit for your vehicle is a Thule Roof Rack system like Thule WingBar Evo Crossbars # TH711400 with Evo Raised Rail Feet # TH710401. This will be really close when it comes to the 4"-8" of overhang required for the Hullavator. With this roof rack on your current car I would go with the Showdown because it only needs 3.5" of overhang. That 1/2" of difference is a lot when considering the potential setup on your Infiniti.

There are no confirmed fits yet for roof racks on the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon XL or the 2021 Kia Telluride. Previous generations of the Suburban/Yukon XL have Yakima Crossbar systems that would work and once the vehicle is released they will make a fit that is compatible. With the KIA Telluride being a newer model vehicle I don't anticipate the fits changing in 2021 model year. I can not confirm this until the vehicle is released but Yakima has a roof rack that works on the 2020 model year for the Telluride.

The 2021 Kia Telluride has two different roof options. One has flush mounted rails that run front to back. The Yakima JetStream Crossbars # Y00426, SightLine Towers # Y64AR and SightClip Fit Kit for Kia Telluride # Y34UR.

If the Telluride has a bare or "naked" roof then the Yakima JetStream Crossbars # Y00426
BaseLine Towers # Y28TR, BaseClip Fit Kit # Y06125 Qty. 2 and BaseClip Fit Kit # Y06165 Qty.2 .

The bars for both systems are 60" # Y00426. This would give you the necessary overhang for both kayak carriers.

Keep in mind both of those roof racks are for the 2020 Kia Telluride and they have not been confirmed to fit the 2021 model year yet.

In order to lock the Yakima Roof Rack you will need to use The Yakima SKS Lock Core Kit # Y07204.

The Thule Hullavator requires locks. The Thule One-Key System # TH450200 fits the Hullavator. The Yakima Showdown would require the same locks as the roof rack. The reason that these carriers do not come with locks is because it allows the user to customize all of their accessories to use just one key.