Recommended Roof Rack To Carry A Thule Hullavator On A 2018 Ford Escape

Question

Question:

Im looking to purchase the thule hullavator for my 2018 ford escape. The roof has the factory side bars. I will need the crossbars and required feet to attach them, along with the hullavators. How do I know what length and kind of crossbars I need? Thank you!

asked by: Lisa M

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

The Thule Hullavator Pro Kayak Carrier and Lift Assist with Tie-Downs - Side Loading, part # TH898, requires between 4" and 8" of crossbar extension beyond the tower, foot , or leg. It also needs, at minimum, 24" of crossbar spread. I recommend going with the Thule roof rack because it has a maximum weight capacity of 165 lbs. My roof rack recommendation will consist of the following parts:

Thule WingBar Evo Crossbars - Aluminum - Black - 60" Long - Qty 2, part # TH711520
Evo Raised Rail Feet for Thule Crossbars - Factory Raised Rails - Qty 4, part # TH710401
Thule One-Key System Lock Cylinders - Qty 4, part # TH450400

I included the 60' crossbars because that guarantees you will have between the 4" and 8" of needed space. This roof rack has a maximum weight limit of 165 lbs.

I have included product description links, a video of this rack being installed on a 2018 Ford Escape, a video review of the Hullavator, and a diagram that shows how much room you will need to install a Thule Hullavator below.

expert reply by: Mark Smith

1

Thule Hullavator Fit Requirements
(click to enlarge)

Answer 1

The channels on the undersides of the Thule Square bars like part #TH711520 are both a total of 65 centimetres which translates to 25-1/2 inches roughly. That means at the narrowest portion of the bar the feet can install at 35 inches a widest is the…

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Answer 2

Yes! The Rhino-Rack Nautic 581 Rear Loading Kayak Carrier #RR581 will have no issue fitting the T-slot channel on top of the Thule WingBar Evo Crossbars - Aluminum - Black - 60" #TH711520. I attached a helpful demonstration video for you to…

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Answer 3

There are two options for your desired black Thule Crossbars on your 2018 Ford Explorer. Option one is to use the Thule WingBar Evo- 53" #TH711420, Podium Foot Pack #TH460R, Fit Kit #THKIT3151, and locks #TH450400. Option two is to use the Thule…

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Answer 4

It looks like the 2020 Ford Explorer comes stock with the raised rails. For this, I recommend the Thule WingBar Edge Crossbars - Silver #TH53RE or Black #TH69FE, coupled with the Raised Rail Feet #TH69SC. The fact that they have a t-track on top…

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Answer 5

Yes, the Thule AeroBlade Load Bars #TH711520 that are 60 inches wide should hold two 30 inch wide kayaks as long as the weight of the kayaks does not exceed the capacity for the roof of the vehicle. You could use a J-style carrier like the #TH834…

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Answer 6

With the Thule Hullavator part #TH898 you have to go with a roof rack that has a bit of overhang past the feet of the rack. So for a roof rack that fits the raised side rails of your 2002 Honda Odyssey and will work great with the Hullavator you will…

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Answer 7

The Thule Hullavator Pro Kayak Carrier #TH898 can certainly be installed onto a roof rack that is not Thule brand. To determine what size crossbars you need, you will want to measure from the center of one roof rail to the center of the next roof…

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Answer 8

The slot on the underside of the Thule SquareBar Crossbars, like the 50" #TH712300, extends out to 9-1/4" as you can see in the attached photo. If you let me know what the year/make/model is of the vehicle you're wanting to install…

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Answer 9

The opening on the underside of the 60" Thule SquareBar Crossbars #TH712500 measures right at 9-1/4" as you can see in the attached photo. This is actually going to be the same for all of the Thule SquareBar lengths.

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Answer 10

Yes you can trim down the ends of the Thule ProBar Evo Crossbars #TH713600 that you referenced to shorten them as needed.

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Answer 11

The solution for you is to use the ProBar Evo instead of square bars because as you stated the bottom slots of the square bar won't accommodate your fit. The Thule ProBar Evo has the slots that run the full distance of the bars, so the bars can…

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Answer 12

I went out into our showroom and measured the dimensions of a set of discontinued Thule square load bars and found that they are 7/8 of an inch by 1-1/4 inches. This is identical to the Inno square bars like #INB137.

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