Changing to the Thule Hullavator Pro Kayak System

[@thetravellingwelshman]

I always love seeing peopl pass by in cars which have been completely modified for a day of activities! hahah! i always feel so happy for the people going out for a day of adventure! Travelling Welshman here!

[@c.a.shirley7938]

I just installed my Hullavator and discovered that I had the bars on the roof rack a little too far apart, which made it awkward to lift up and pull down. After matching the spread of the bars to a distance more comfortable to the spread of my arms, it works like a charm. Now, I'm free to load and unload without help! YAY - well worth the cost...(I'm 5 feet short and 68 yrs old, I can do it!)

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

So glad you figured out how to make it work for you. We agree. It is well worth the cost. You’ll definitely get to use them more often now that it’s easier to get them off the roof. 👍🏼

[@jayspot4]

Great install video ~ straight forward and well described! Thank you bro for taking the time to show how it’s done!

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Thanks for watching glad you enjoyed. We love this thing.

[@andrewpolloni1080]

Love the video. The bow strap and suction cup idea is just brilliant! Many thanks :)

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Thank you. It has worked out really well for us. The suction cup slips occasionally. We just pull over and fix it. No biggie and doesn’t happen often. 👍🏼

[@caseypulham4128]

The Hullavtor is a great system. It's pricey, but it makes it so easy to get on and off the water. I have an 18' sea kayak, and after 6 to 8 hours of paddling, getting the kayak back on the roof of my Westphalia was something that I would never have enough energy for. But the side loading and lift assist struts make a world if difference.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

They really do. We love it. We’ve had the kayaks off the roof and into the water so much more than we ever did with the other system, and it’s only been a few months.

[@reventon4547]

Wow. I bet that glacier lake was beautiful.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

It was amazing.

[@Avacarho]

Great video showing what all is needed for installing the Thule Hullivator. I currently have 2 sets of the Malone J-Cradle racks, but due to a shoulder injury a few years ago, lifting a 50 lb. kayak onto them is getting harder the older I get. Thanks for sharing your video.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Thanks for watching. Glad it was helpful. Yeah, a 50 lb. kayak would not be good for the shoulder.

[@Avacarho]

@@LivingtheSilverLife Another shoulder injury (the other one this time) and I just bought 1 Hullavator for my kayak with a set of Thule Wingbar Evo 118s and the Crossroad landings set. I can’t wait til I get them on my 2012 Subaru Outback. I’ll keep a set of the Malone Downloader J-Cradles and buy the Malone Telos lift assist set for anyone who goes with me. I’m really looking forward to getting back on the water. Happy trails!

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

This will definitely be a help in dealing with shoulder injuries. Good luck.

[@davidwood5007]

I’ve had the hullavator for years, and don’t even bother with bow straps on either side. If you have the kayak strapped in as tight as can be, and the arms bolted on properly there is nothing to worry about.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Thanks. We've run it several times without the bow straps, and you're right, it seems really secure. -Bill and DeAnna

[@wilmanopwasky3816]

A mishap, especially at highway speeds can be fatal to others. If you aren’t using the manufacturer’s recommendations (bow & stern tie downs) it is willful negligence & your insurance won’t cover the damages. Thule is the best & wind tunnel tests their gear. Watch the video series flying kayaks of actual accidents. Be safe out there.

[@johnmesmer451]

Love the video, I have several sets of Hullavators and plan on purchasing the Pro as well. I have Hobie's and sometimes the width needs that little extra. Thule warranties the gas struts and anything that fails over time. I would recommend you moving the racks closer as this will permit easier movement of the assemblies. The cost overall will outweigh the body stresses. I use these on a Chevy Suburban so keep the step ladder handy. You will now be the talk of the campground and boat ramps as you have the sweetest system out there! John

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

John Mesmer Thanks for the idea. We will give it a try. Looking for ways to pull it in. Sorry I didn’t answer you earlier. We didn’t realize we missed it. Appreciate you and your advice. 👍🏼

[@andersjonsson7218]

I am considering buying Hullavator and when I saw your great video I was convinced. You tried these suction cups, is Stanley the supplier? Very nice that you speak slowly, I'm Swedish and have a better opportunity to keep up.... What beautiful places you have the opportunity to paddle in, I understand that you love kayaking. May I ask how old you are? We are 62 years old and about to start paddling ourselves. Best Wishes Regards Anders

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

We love it. It has been very helpful in getting the kayaks on and off more often to get into the water. We have paddled in some gorgeous places. Yes, the suction cups are a Stanley product. I’m 60 and Bill is 65. We are right in the same age category. Be safe, Bill and DeAnna

[@randomstuff53078]

I just intalled the 53" Thule wingbars on my new 2023 Honda CRV. Tomorrow I will add the Hullavator, but I'm really worried it's not going to work as I only ave 3.75 inches of overhang on the bar. I know they say 4 inch minimum, but I'm hoping I can squeek it out!

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Good luck. Hope it works out cause it’s so nice.

[@CharlesinGA]

I just purchased a Hullavator system from a lady who decided to use a trailer for the short distances and racks on a popup camper for long distances. These were brand new, made last December, and never installed. I have a Leer topper on a standard cab RAM 2500 with an 8 ft bed and it has Thule rails and square crossbars (LEER markets the Thule system factory installed) (I pull a 23 ft fiberglass travel trailer). The crossbars are presently spaced 67 inches apart, as far as I can get them, and the aft crossbar is 79 inches off the ground. I do not have a kayak yet and have been looking for a used Eddyline Skylark or Sandpiper due to the light weight, and I discovered the Hurricanes when I bought the Hullivator as the lady had one on her trailer, do I have included the Santee in my searches also. The ABS thermoform kayaks are much lighter than rotocast kayaks. I am 65 years old and don't have the upper body strength I used to so I figured these would be the cats meow for getting a kayak on and off the truck. You illustrate the process well, and I was glad to see how they really work.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Thank you. We have thoroughly enjoyed our Thule Hullevators. We find we get them down off the truck more. And yes, it’s so much easier and doesn’t require as much strength. Our kayaks are ABS plastic so very light in weight. We’ve been very happy with their performance.

[@marybachmann]

Use a tennis ball to hold one handle latch open while you use both hands to release the second one.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Great idea. Thanks for the tip. 👍🏼

[@heatherboonstra3585]

This was very helpful. Thank you.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Thank you. We’re glad it helped. 👍🏼

[@loricollins3163]

Wow! Awesome!

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Thank you. We really enjoy having it.

[@Fremulshmat]

Do the Hullavators create much wind noise? Thanks for posting this video…trying to make up my mind whether or not they would help me much. I note that it still took two people to lift the kayak up to shoulder height so it would fit in the‘cradle’.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Sorry, we just saw this. No, we don’t notice a wind noise with it. We are usually pulling an Airstream as well, but not always. Bill can do it himself, but it’s harder. A tennis ball was suggested for someone trying to do it themselves. It will hold one open while you work the other.

[@bobmurphy5946]

Thank you for sharing the video! We're planning a similar setup and this reassures us that we're on the right track. I have a question: with the Hullavators mounted on the shell, which pushes the kayaks further back, are there any concerns about the clearance between the stern of the kayaks and your Airstream? Additionally, how much overhang is there between the back of the shell and the kayak?

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

No, it’s never been a problem. We even recently went to a 14’ kayak and still had plenty of clearance. Not sure what the overhang is cause we don’t have anything mounted right now. Of course it would depend on the length of your kayaks too. Great questions. Thanks. Hope you enjoy the Hullevator system as much as we have once you get it.

[@grounds4life]

Good Info! Thank You!

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Grounds4Life You’re welcome. We have had it now for several months, and we’ve already been on the water a lot more than in the past.

[@karldillenkoffer4860]

Thanks for the great video. Now that you’ve had for some time do you have any regrets or recommendations. I’m also thinking of making the same purchase and would love your feedback. Stay safe and enjoy your paddling.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

No regrets. It is still one of our best investments for our kayaks. It makes it so much easier to get them off the top of the truck. We use them so much more.

[@nathanmennel]

Nice setup!

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Thank you. We really enjoy it.

[@gerrysherman2007]

Enjoyed your video. My wife and I are in our 70's. We both have Hurricane Santee 116 Sport kayaks. We saw some people recently when we were in Alabama that had two kayaks on their pickup using the Yakima Showdown. We have a Thule TracRac on our Fl50 with Malone saddles. We don't use bow straps because the boats are short and the racks are five feet apart. I ordered the Showdowns to be here when we got home to New Hampshire a couple of days ago. The Santees are narrow in the front and wider in the rear. Only the top saddle is adjustable so the boats are cockeyed. Not acceptable. I'm hoping Etrailer will take the racks back in exchange for hullivators. Do you think the bow straps are really necessary?

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

We really hope they will do that. We love ours. We traveled without it this past winter and really missed having them with us; especially when we ventured into Florida. No, we don’t think the tow straps are absolutely necessary. We’ve traveled without them before. I think they give Bill that extra sense of comfort they aren’t going anywhere. Ours are longer too so it makes a little difference. We hope they will make that exchange for y’all. We find with the Thule Hullivator we get them off the roof a lot more. Be safe, Bill and DeAnna

[@travelingsisters7134]

Great video. Where did you get the cockpit covers for the Santee?

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

We got them where we bought our kayaks. They had them in stock at Mountainman Sport in the Adirondacks. If you go to any kayak supplier place, they can steer you in the right direction to find some. ❤️. Hope you guys have a great holiday.

[@travelingsisters7134]

@@LivingtheSilverLife thank you. When we bought ours they didn’t have any. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

[@roymacdonald6774]

Like the previous poster I would say you'd find it easier to tip the Thule Hullavator over with your kayak on it if you had the bars closer together as your arms wouldn't be having to stretch so far. I have a small sports car so I know it's a lot easier when you don't have to have your arms so far apart. You know you have to have the weight of the kayak centred between the Hullavator bars when you put it onto the cradle?

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

So far we haven’t had any issues simply because there are two of us. Bill doesn’t usually do it by himself. He was just checking to see if he could. The reason we had to put them so far apart was because of our shell, but you are right if we could have put them closer together it would be easier. We have been told about the tennis ball trick too. If we ever have to do it alone, that’s probably what we will do.

[@bug512]

Thanks for the video.. Looking to get this setup for our Chevy Express van, what do you think of them ?

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

We have really enjoyed them. We are going to put out a Thule review in a few weeks. But basically there are mostly positives with very few small negatives. We can getter kayaks down in about 45 seconds. Where before it took about 20 minutes. So much easier.

[@bobkurmis5347]

Greetings from Rochester NY. My wife and I are going to order a set of the Thule Hullavator racks. We also have Hurricane Kayaks. I have the Santee 116 and she has the Skimmer 116. We love the quality and weight. Are you still pleased with the Thule set up? Any issues? Thanks. Bob K.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

We love the set up, but we did notice that the pads began to rub and cracked one of the kayaks. We ordered some self adhesive foam pads and kayak/canoe foam blocks. The foam blocks worked the best. If you will send us an email to [e-mail], we will send you some pictures of what we bought. However, Bill recently read on line that Thule changed the pads because of this issue. You might want to call Thule and see if that's true. We love the system, but you will want to do something about the pads if they haven't changed them to address this problem. Bill had to fix my kayak from the cracking. His didn't crack.

[@bobkurmis5347]

@@LivingtheSilverLife Good Morning. I sent an email off to you last night. Please let me know if it does not come through....Thanks

[@ChasingOurSunshine]

Great video and very useful for anyone wanting this system. Really like the side lift- Glad Scout sat in the truck making sure you didn't leave him lol Chasing RV Sunshine Joel, Deb & Maya

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

You would think he gets left a lot because of the way he’s always so ready to get in the truck. Like we are going to leave without him. He’s a mess. We love this system.

[@vanchanay854]

Great video of the install. Wondering how far apart your mounting tracks on the camper shell are located from each other and from the edge of the shell? The hullavators clear the the side of your truck by how much when lowered? How wide are your kayaks and how much clearance between them on the racks? How has everything held up in your travels?

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

We will get back to you on most of those questions. Bills going to do some measuring for you. But as far as how well they have he’s up: Excellent!! We have really gotten more opportunities to use them now that they’re so easy to take off the roof.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

So sorry it took us so long to get back to you on you other questions. We honestly kept forgetting to go take the measurements. Mounting tracks are 45 inches oc. From the edge of the shell-1-2 inches, but it is a rounded shell. Clears it about 4 inches. The kayaks are 28 in width and approximately 10 inches apart. The cross bars are 60 inches. It has performed beautifully. No complaints. Hope that answers all your questions, but if you have anymore let us know.

[@vanchanay854]

@@LivingtheSilverLife Thanks for the detailed info. That really helps put it all together.

[@vanchanay854]

@@LivingtheSilverLife Actually I have a couple other questions. How far above the roof of the camper shell are your rack cross bars? And how far above the roof does the hullavator extend? Really affects vertical clearances..............Thanks!

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

We won’t be able to tell you for a while cause we’ve put everything in storage for about 2 months cause one it’s two cold right now to use them here in TX and two we are moving our daughter in March. We will get you the numbers as soon as possible.

[@ritawilson8762]

Is your camper shell made of fiberglass? Did the installation cause any leaks?

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Yes, it is a fiberglass shell. We bought and mailed the tracks when we were having the shell made. The manufacturer of the shell installed the original tracks that we mounted the new Thule system to. So far we haven’t seen any leaks.

[@rosemariebanks3116]

This is so helpful! I have a Hullavator that is still in the box. I wanted to be able to transport 2 kayaks so I got the Thule Compass, which were pretty easy to install by myself. The Compass has been easy enough to load my kayak by myself, however, I purchased a Bonafide EX123 & it seems more cumbersome to load, it feels wider. It also feels heavier than my other 2 kayaks. So, with that being said, I really need to get the Hullavator installed. BTW, I have never had to transport more than 1 kayak. The suction cups are genius! Do you have a link to the ones you are using? Thank you, Rosemarie

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Happy New Year Rosemarie. Thank you. We don’t have an Amazon storefront. I was going to send you the link, but they are currently out of stock. It was a Stanley S4004 Heavy Duty (200 lbs.) vacuum suction cups. Maybe you can find them somewhere else or something similar. We’ve found that it works great and we don’t have to have all the straps running over the front window to tie to the bumper.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Check them periodically by taking them off and cleaning them and the hood. That way they don’t come off going down the road. We have that happen occasionally. But we just pull over, clean them, reduction them, and we are back on the road. But ours stay on all the time cause we full time RV. 👍🏼

[@rosemariebanks3116]

@@LivingtheSilverLife thank you!

[@theundead1600]

The 6 + hundred dollar price is a bit to choke till you see real world use. Ill be getting a set. Thanks for the video

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

the undead1 You are right about the price. It’s an investment, but we’ve already had the kayaks down three times as much as we did with the old system. Takes about 45 seconds.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Bill wanted me to say we got ours at REI cause you can’t hardly find them on sale any where. This way we’d get 10% back in March. If you’re a coop member at REI, you might think about buying them there. If you’re not a member, now would be the time to join-before you bought the Thule system. 👍🏼

[@JP-ks3cd]

What length bars did you use? 60" is the longest Thule offers and I feel like that's not enough to use the hullivator on my Silverado.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Bill says he thinks his are 60’s he thinks. He’s going to measure to make sure. But they were plenty long enough.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Bill measured it, and it was definitely 60 inches. He felt it is plenty long enough.

[@roymacdonald6774]

Thule do Pro bars in longer lengths. Up to 86.6 inches.

[@kristavthatsme3178]

How wide are your kayaks? I think my yaks might be too wide to fit 2 side by side on my SUV

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Our kayaks are 30 inches wide at it's widest point so about 60 inches all together which leaves us a couple of inches in between them. I don't know how wide yours are, but if it would work they are a game changer for kayaking for us. Hopefully it would be for you too.

[@kristavthatsme3178]

@@LivingtheSilverLife mine are 30.5 at there widest point. Thanks for getting back with me . This info is very helpful! I did think I would get a response seeing that this video's been out for some time. I just thought I'd take a chance! 😀 I appreciate you! ✌🏾🙏🏾❤

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Glad it was helpful. ❤️

[@donnaseaman9385]

Do you still recommend the suction cups?

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

We do. We recommend that you take them off and clean them and the roof of your car at least once a month or more so they don’t come off as your driving.

[@Upforthejourney]

Hi guys. I'm doing a kayak and bike rack video setup for our F250. May I put a like to this video for others to see the hull a vator option? Thank you! Scott& Renee

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Sure. That would be fine by us. Let us know when you get it up and running. We’d like to see yours. 👍🏼

[@Upforthejourney]

@@LivingtheSilverLife that k you . We have regular racks, but I was using the Hullavator as an alternative, and came across your video

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Up for the journey sounds good.

[@alexdobie1808]

There is a serious flaw with this system, the rubber/plastic supports the kayak sits on will put dents in to a plastic kayak and will crack the hull of a carbon fibre one if you tighten up the straps to any degree, this is fact. The supports need to be redesigned and the peaks/ridges removed.

[@LivingtheSilverLife]

Alex Dobie Thank you. We will keep an eye on it. Our kayaks are ABS. We haven’t seen an issue yet. We agree the pads could be better designed.