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The Hullavator by Thule is the next generation of roof racks! Equipped with gas assisted shocks that do all the work, while you lower down the rack from the top of your car to the side of the automobile. Load your boat, strap it in, then push the rack back up to the top to secure the rack and boat for travel.
Wow! is the reaction from most people that have used this or seen the Hullavator. It reduces lift height required to load and unload your boat by 40".
And if your concern is it seems like it may just be too much or too big for your car, it isn't. You can mount side by side with other accessories - the Hullavator only needs 25" of load bar space for mounting.
The Hullavator comes ready to go with its lift system, padded support, mounting hardware and all the straps necessary to secure your boat.
The Thule(r) Hullavator rooftop kayak rack reduces the lift height required to load and unload a kayak by up to 40 in. It also reduces the effort required to lift a boat with gas assist shocks that help raise the boat onto your vehicle's roof. The integrated padded support accommodates kayaks up to 36-in wide and 100 lbs.
This description was also provided by: Dick's Sporting Goods, Modells, Sports Authority
Thule® is always looking to raise the bar, but this time they've lowered it!
Thule's Hullavator is an elevator for your kayak. Instead of wrestling to get your kayak above your head or just sitting on the couch eating Potato Skinz when you can't get the neighbors to put your boat on the car, the Hullavator does the work for you. All you have to do is hoist your kayak up to about waist height, and the gas-strut lifter provides the extra muscles to make loading and unloading a breeze. It can be attached to any Thule rack system and takes up 28in of load bar, so you'll still have plenty of room for your bikes and luggage. Now if you could just get the neighbors to help with the bikes, you'd be all set.
The award winning kayak lift system has been enhanced and now offers greater boat capacity and protection with a more robust latch mechanism.
FEATURES
Accommodates kayaks up to 36 wide with improved cradle design.
More robust, user-friendly latch mechanism ensures carrier stays down when loading/unloading, and securely on roof for transport.
Reduces lift height required to load and unload a kayak by 40.
No need to reach top of vehicle to secure boat to carrier – boat strapping is easily done with carrier in down position.
Improved boat protection with oversized, integrated padded support.
Mount side by side with other accessories as the lift system only requires approx 25 of load bar space for mounting.
Fits Thule square, Xsporter, Aero and Yakima round load bars.
Thule has designed the Hullavator thinking about making loading onto your car easy and quick. The Hullavator is like an elevator for your kayak. Instead of wrestling to get your kayak above your head or waiting for help to arrive. All you have to do is hoist your kayak up to about waist height, and the gas strut lifter provides the extra muscles to make loading and unloading a breeze. It can be attached to any Thule rack system and takes up 28 inches of load bar, allowing you to still have plenty of room for your bikes, luggage, and other gear.
| Country of Origin: | Taiwan |
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| Thule part number: | 897 |
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View other products from Thule classified in Cycling > Racks. View all products from Thule.
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It's Kept Me Kayaking!!! | |
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I am 5'2", 120 lbs, 52 year old female who started kayaking a few years ago as good exercise for very bad arthritis, and fell in love with it. In the beginning I could, with great effort, lean my 48 lb kayak against the back of my suv and then push it up on top of factory rack, and then climb up on step ladder to tie it down. But this year I could no longer even manage that, and since I am single with no strong guy around, kayaking would have come to an end for me. I went to my outfitter and they showed me a new kayak just out by Swift - the Kiwassa 12.6. It was only 31 lbs, but at 12'6" even though lighter, still unmanageable for me to load on top of suv. They had solution for that too. The Thule Hullavator! They had a demonstrator set up. I would only have to lift the 31 lb kayak as high as my waist, lay it on the cushioned arms at front and back, wrap the straps around and cinch them up, squeeze the two handles and she lifts up and then lays over on top of the suv rack all by herself. I just guide her up. I can load the entire kayak by myself no matter where I am within 10 minutes tops!!! It has saved kayaking for me. Without it I would have had to quit just because I couldn't load and unload the boat anymore. I've read reviews where many people accuse those who have the hullavator of being lazy! I'll bet they are all tall, young and healthy and predominantly male folks making such comments who live in a bubble where they think everyone is as fortunate as they are and were all born healthy and strong and tall. Well there are many, many kayakers out there who are short, lightweight, older folks, handicapped folks, female and without the requisite upper body strength that men have, especially when they get into their fifties and sixties. But we are out there, and we love kayaking too. We aren't lazy. We would not be able to kayak if not for a rack like the hullavator. I can't say enough for it. And it looks and operates like it is very expensive. I had one guy remark that my rack probably cost more than his car. Wrong!!! It was very inexpensive. The largest part of the cost for me was that I had to have my outfitter install it for me, but the rack itself was not expensive. It just seems like it should be. I had to have it installed because if I could get up there to install it myself, I wouldn't have needed such a rack. I've already been kayaking more times in the past month than I did for the entire summer last year. That's what it did for me. I can't say enough to promote this rack!!! | |
| oreo72752244558 at Backcountry.com on 06/25/2008 | |
Buy it! Wish I had done it last summer... | |
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I love the hullavator. It would not attach to my vehicle's factory rack, but with this website that was no problem. Even with the Thule website down, the gearhead pros on this site looked it all up and actually emailed back to me everything I needed. That's perfect! The hullavator works so perfectly for me ----at 5'2", loading an 11 ft. boat on top of an SUV alone was challenging at best. I have been able to paddle more this summer already than I could before---because no one has to be around to help. The install of the hullavator was simple with the directions and it works smoothly. My advice---- if loading your boat gets in the way of you getting on the water---buy it! I feel it is worth the investment. I used the Thule Aero bar package---perfect match! To do this you need: Thule Rapid Aero Bar package, Thule TK1 tracker kit and the Thule Rapid tracker. Of course, check it out for your car 1st. Get the hullavator and hit the water! Thanks you guys------best experience buying gear ever! | |
| lblaze.bla2218787 at Backcountry.com on 06/20/2008 | |
Hullavator! Buy it! | |
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Must admit I was not initially excited by this product once I got it put together and installed: big and heavy. But I decided to try it out, and it is outstanding. Made loading my 17.5 foot composite by myself a snap with no damage to either boat or van. Especially like the fact you can lash the kayak down while the hullavator is down at chest level, then rotate to top of van and not have to climb up on car to accomplish. Great rack system. As others noted, took a time or two operating to get the hang, but it is outstanding. Backcounty had best price plus free shipping, great service, will shop them in the future. Excellent all the way round. | |
| tmo100266108 at Backcountry.com on 02/05/2009 | |
It's a thing of beauty. | |
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I finally got to use my new hullavator. I was able to put it together and install it on my Honda Pilot without difficulty. I have a 75 lb. Tandem kayak, so you can see why I would need a product like the Hullavator. It works great. The first run was a little tricky to put it up. | |
| cgrabert622091208 at Backcountry.com on 04/14/2008 | |
Hullavator is all it's advertised to be | |
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I do a lot of solo kayaking. The challenge has been getting a 16.5' kayak on the roof of my minivan. After watching another paddler use the Hullavator, I rushed out and ordered my own (Backcountry's great sale price was another incentive). The Hullavator has been a great addition for my aching back and my peace of mind. It takes a little bit of caution the first time using it. Follow the instructons in the enclosed DVD. The two parts of the Hullavator need to be coordinated, but after my first time or two it has become a natural process. For anyone who has struggled to safely get a kayak on top of a tall vehicle, this is the answer. | |
| Paul F at Backcountry.com on 09/24/2007 | |
Love it! | |
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| I love this kayak lift. I'm 58 years old and weigh 110 pounds, and have a retirement/parttime work schedule...so I often can go kayaking at odd times when others are at work. This system is perfect for me. I can load and unload my 14 foot Wilderness sea kayak on the top of my mini van, without any assistance and with no difficulty. This piece of equipment is well worth the price and has given me the freedom to get up and go whenever I wish without worrying about or needing someone else to help me. I highly recommend it for anyone...but especially for women who are kayaking single. Choloe1011 | |
| choloe1011 at REI on 09/24/2007 | |
FREEDOM | |
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I finally feel like i can go kayaking and load it without having my husband do it for me, i have only used it a couple times so far, it has worked great i hooked it up to my ford explorer myself, my one concern was if i had to keep it on all the time but it easily comes on and off with a pin on each one, my kayak is heavy so it does need an extra boost to get it started, and i researched the price and the product and got the best price and advice from this site. | |
| ameripro021577063 at Backcountry.com on 05/28/2008 | |
Works On Small Cars! | |
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| I have a Ford Escort and it works great with it. The only downside is that because the loading arms and the kayak are closer to the ground you have to be almost in a crouching position in order to get the kayak to lift to the upright position. It is very easy to use and it gets my kayak onto the top of the car easily. | |
| Rev Man at REI on 11/21/2008 | |
Great product for self loading kayak | |
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| This works great to lift a kayak onto a roof rack on a SUV by yourself. I struggled to get a kayak onto a roof rack that used typical saddles. Installed the Hullavator and no longer have a problem lifting the kayak onto the roofrack. Highly recommended for loading a kayak onto a roof rack by yourself, specially onto taller vehicles like SUV's & vans. | |
| rnak at REI on 03/08/2009 | |
Great! | |
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Easy to load by yourself. The rack is a lot cheaper than back surgery....that's what I tell my patients. Nice that you can remove the main portion of the rack and save a few bucks on gas as well. Easily adjusts to your kayak and it's a lot easier to strap since it's at lower height. Great design. | |
| Stephen Tam at Backcountry.com on 03/20/2009 | |
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