Can The Thule Hullavator Pro Kayak Carrier Fit Onto My A.R.E Camper Shell Roof Rack?

Question:

My A.R.E. cap has an internal frame and the 48inch roof bars mount directly to it see pictures. I want to add two sets of Hullavators. I think that I need wider bars - can you tell me if I need wider bars? If so, I want them to mount directly to my cap the same way my current bars mount - will a wider set of Thule bars mount directly to my cap? If so, how wide do I need to go? Thanks

asked by: John R

Expert Reply:

It looks to me like you are already setup to safely accommodate one or two Thule Hullavator Pro Kayak Carriers # TH898. The Hullavator requires a minimum of 4" crossbar overhang on each side of the towers, and based on the photos you attached, it appears as though you have plenty of overhang on each side. You will also need to make sure your crossbar is at least 65" long since each unit requires 28.5" of crossbar space and 4" of overhang. Each unit weighs about 40lbs and then you will have the weight of each kayak, so make sure you have the proper weight capacity to handle this. If your setup meets these requirements then you are all ready to install two Thule Hullavators.

If you don't have the necessary 65" crossbars then I recommend using one Hullavator for one kayak and then a different kayak carrier for the second kayak, such as Malone DownLoader Kayak Carrier # MPG114MD. If you wanted load assist then you can add Malone TelosXL Lift Assist # MPG351XL which works with the Malone Downloader. I attached a few demonstration videos.

expert reply by: Andrew N