THULE 897XT Hullavator Kayak Lift System

Comments about THULE 897XT Hullavator Kayak Lift System:

I have owned two sets of Hullivators for three years and use them year round in Florida and in the North East. I belong to two kayak clubs and when the members saw how easy it is to load a kayak, many went out and purchased them. They all rave about them and now call me "Hullavator Bob"!
The units go on and off the roof in seconds by pulling out a single pin, leaving only the thin support brackets attached to the Thule rack. Some wind noise is the only thing that remains.
The paint on the support brackets is the only weak point, requiring a seasonal wire brushing and re-paint if it bothers you. It does not effect performance. Make sure the bars are in perfect square alignment and the arms will go up very easily and lock into place. Save your back and buy a set or two!

Comments about THULE 897XT Hullavator Kayak Lift System:

I own the Tarpon 160i Angler…16 feet long weights 70lbs, not heavy but difficult to maneuver if you have a tall truck. With the Hullavator makes it easy and effortlessly to transport a Kayak.
The Hullivator not only is a superb product but also looks awesome... when in top of any SUV van, or truck... Specially For all the kayakers with a tall truck or vans, this is the perfect Instrument to safely and secure transport your Kayak.

Comments about THULE 897XT Hullavator Kayak Lift System:

Could not handle getting kayak off and on car by my self. Now it is no problem. Have been ask at least 20 times were someone could get the unit.
Poor written instrutions the DVD is much better.
Not easy to remove from cross bars so I remove them also and will only take it apart when ski season starts.

Comments about THULE 897XT Hullavator Kayak Lift System:

It makes hauling my husbands 13' 61 lb kayak so easy!

Comments about THULE 897XT Hullavator Kayak Lift System:

I'm 5' tall and have back and mobility issues, with this product I'm able to load and unload my pungo 120 without help. Kayaking is one of the few sports I am still able to partake in and I get out as often as I can. I use to have to wait for help with my kayak, now I travel the country by myself. this product has given me freedom I thought I had lost. I drove over a thousand miles this past summer without problems or worry. Renting a kayak is not a good option for me because of my physical problems and I have my kayak tuned to fit me. Now I can check out waterways that I haven't been able to paddle in the past without assistance.

Comments about THULE 897XT Hullavator Kayak Lift System:

I bought this for my wife - so she can load her boat solo. And she can. We have 14' boats that weigh 50+ pounds, and after a few practice runs to find a technic that works for her - it works great.
Only after installing the unit did we find that locks are an accesary, and so we had to buy them after.

Comments about THULE 897XT Hullavator Kayak Lift System:

The perfect system to prevent me from visiting the spine center. As I get older, I like to work and play smarter, not harder and the Hullavator provides one of the avenues to achieve this!

Comments about THULE 897XT Hullavator Kayak Lift System:

Does exactly as promised, but lift rate (spring strength) varies per hullavator. Seem to have more drag without my sea kayaks on board, so it pays to remove them when not needed. That is fast and easy to do if you remove the Thule load bar with it, with a helper. It is pretty heavy.

Comments about THULE 897XT Hullavator Kayak Lift System:

Easy to install and operates smoothly. Simple to set kayak in cradle when lowered and does the lifting for you to lift the kayak onto roof. Easy to remove racks between uses (each cradle comes off as a single piece). Only con - cradle is a bit hefty for a small person to set in place in the pivot mechanism on the roof rail when replacing a removed rack on car.

Comments about THULE 897XT Hullavator Kayak Lift System:

I am blessed to have a hubby that puts this unit onto my SUV, and adjusts the space between the two sections to fit my arm width, making it easier for me to raise and lower the kayak. I am a 17 year veteran of kayaking and wish I had had a Hullavator in the beginning, but they weren't available at the time.
There have been other paddlers that will come up to me while I'm fueling my vehicle and ask if I'll demonstrate it for them. They are amazed and impressed. The quality of the Hullavator is very good. As long as I kayak, this unit will be put on my car for transporting my boats.
We liked it so well we purchased 2 from EMS.
I absolutely recommend this item to kayakers, especially of short height or with back problems, wanting to save their body and/or vehicle from harm that can be done when trying to use other types of carriers.
Love my Hullavator. When going kayaking away from the river by our property, I don't leave home without it