DIY kayak lift assist? Hullavator? - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

oredith · 08-09-2017, 04:28 PM

did some demo, and managed to find the wife and I a pair of used kayaks that suits our needs for the right price (X-13 for wife, and Stealth 14 for me). after a quick outting though, it was VERY apparent that i'm going to have to come up with a better solution to loading and unloading the Kayak from my Ford Edge.

I'm 5'6", and my wife is 5'0". i bought a pair of cheap kayak J-carriers from amazon for the short term. Getting the kayaks on and off was "challenging" to be very generous about the experience.

it's not just a problem of height either, it's the weight. I can manhandle the kayaks by myself to chest level, but with the bulk, pressing it above my head is pretty near impossible, at least at my current level of practice (not sure if it would get better with more practice?).

my wife is all about going paddling with me, and engaging in some light fishing, but she is totally NOT about the loading and unloading.

are there good tips/tricks to loading/unloading a pair of big kayaks on roof top? i don't think i have enough room for side by side with them flat using roller types?

I was looking at the Thule Hullavator. the mechanics seem pretty simple from what I can see on youtube videos. I'm a handy person with my own welder and have made some pretty complex welds. has anyone done a DIY? or maybe someone with a hullavator that I can come up and check out in person for a closer look?

totally did NOT anticipate loading and unloading to be a semi-large hurdle in kayaking!..

08-09-2017, 04:28 PM	#1
oredith Junior Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 29	DIY kayak lift assist? Hullavator? did some demo, and managed to find the wife and I a pair of used kayaks that suits our needs for the right price (X-13 for wife, and Stealth 14 for me). after a quick outting though, it was VERY apparent that i'm going to have to come up with a better solution to loading and unloading the Kayak from my Ford Edge. I'm 5'6", and my wife is 5'0". i bought a pair of cheap kayak J-carriers from amazon for the short term. Getting the kayaks on and off was "challenging" to be very generous about the experience. it's not just a problem of height either, it's the weight. I can manhandle the kayaks by myself to chest level, but with the bulk, pressing it above my head is pretty near impossible, at least at my current level of practice (not sure if it would get better with more practice?). my wife is all about going paddling with me, and engaging in some light fishing, but she is totally NOT about the loading and unloading. are there good tips/tricks to loading/unloading a pair of big kayaks on roof top? i don't think i have enough room for side by side with them flat using roller types? I was looking at the Thule Hullavator. the mechanics seem pretty simple from what I can see on youtube videos. I'm a handy person with my own welder and have made some pretty complex welds. has anyone done a DIY? or maybe someone with a hullavator that I can come up and check out in person for a closer look? totally did NOT anticipate loading and unloading to be a semi-large hurdle in kayaking!..