I purchased these racks last December and installed them on my van. After a while I noticed that the arms that support the rubber slings that are designed to support the kayak would drop down, resulting in the kayak resting more or less on the rack cross bars, instead of being supported by the slings. The problem is made worse by the fact that the sling material is very grippy-great for holding the kayak in place, but making it very difficult to actually get your boat into the racks. With 2 people loading a boat, you can drop the kayak from above, but the kayak needs to be raised up off the grippy slings to adjust its position fore and aft. The boat will absolutely not slide while in the racks. The only way to load a kayak by yourself is to put a towel on the rear saddle (slings), so the boat can slide on the towel, and shove the boat forward with a strong heave. Again, to adjust fore and aft, you need to haul down on the rear of the kayak to get it off of the front rack in order to re-position it.
I was pretty much resigned to dealing with these shortcomings using the work-arounds noted above, until the weather turned hot. Now when I strap the kayak down, the ill-fitting racks push into my plastic boat, deforming it. This is a known issue with roto-molded plastic boats, which is why I bought $140 racks in the first place. I have contacted Thule; they said talk to Amazon, because I bought the racks from them! A very conscientious Amazon rep is going to talk to Thule to try to see what can be done. Incidently, I talked with an employee at my local kayak shop, and he just rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I get the same complaint from everybody that buys this rack." I recommend potential buyers look at Yakima products before buying.
And now the rest of the story:
The conscientious Amazon customer service rep called Thule on Friday, couldn't reach the appropriate person, and called me back to let me know that she would try again on Monday. She called me Monday morning, after reaching Thule with the rep's name. I called him, and he seemed surprised to learn of the problem. He said he could not refund my $$$, but would happily send me another of their products. After re-visiting Thule's site,I picked the 835 Hull-a-port Pro as a replacement. Thanks to Amazon and Thule for helping me correct the Problem!
Mike
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Thule 878XT Set-to-Go Rooftop Kayak CarrierProduct Description: The Thule 878XT Set-to-go Rooftop Saddle Kayak Carrier provides the perfect combination of hull conformance and lateral stability. The Set-to-go Saddle's easy-load design provides for quick loading, but user's should note that this set requires another pair of saddles to be a complete kayak carrying system.
The Thule Set-to-go Saddle utilizes flexible yet durable saddles to achieve its easy loading characteristics, and fits Thule standard and Xsporter load bars, as well as Yakima, and most factory-installed racks. These saddle kayak carriers provide maximum kayak protection and transport stability with their soft, adjustable saddles. Sold as a pair, the 878XT Set-to-go carrier includes a ratcheting tie down, and a strap and buckle protector, although an additional tie down is required for safe boat transport.
What's in the Box? 2 x Set-to-go Saddle assemblies, 2 x metal brackets, 4 x knobs, a strap, a buckle bumper, 4 x 50mm carriage bolts, 4 x 60mm carriage bolts, a ratchet with hook, a hook, an attachment strap, a 0.25-inch rope, and instruction guide
Manufacturer's Warranty Limited lifetime warranty
Buy cheap Thule 878XT Set-to-Go Rooftop Kayak Carrier now Get 10% OFF
The Racor Hoist Monster and the Kettler Bicycle Lifter are the competition for this product.I have tried all of the hoists that I mention.The Racor and Kettler have one continuous rope that routs through all the pulleys--so they have 4:1 mechanical advantage.This product has 2 independent ropes, so it only has 2:1 mechanical advantage.YOU CANNOT LIFT 200 POUNDS WITH THIS PRODUCT--with only 2:1 mechanical advantage you have to be a strong person to lift 50 pounds.The advantage of this product is that you can control the front and back pulley independently.If you don't need this capability, buy the Racor for $21 if you don't mind a bit of a cheap feeling product (but it works fine), or buy the Kettler for $50 if you want a super slick product that works beautifully and has the best locking mechanism.
