Malone Sea Wing Carrier

we sell malone stuff. it is good. They also make a vertical style saddle that works well too.

Really, Thule, Yakima, Malone all have similar stuff. only thing that stands out to me is that Yakima bars are round, and if you plan sliding the boat at any time, the saddles will roll over and the boat will hit the bar.

Thule doesn't do that because the bars are square. Most factory racks are oval or flattened out, so they don't allow rolling either.

J

I currently use that exact rack kit on my Highlander.  It works ok IMO, but it's a bit cumbersome without the bars extending out.  I'm talking about loading it by yourself.  You literally have to lift the kayak up and away from yourself and hope you don't drop it on the car.  I keep meaning to upgrade to a real rack, but haven't yet, so it's not that bothersome to me that I've rushed out and fixed it.

I have a 1998 Mercury Mountaineer up in Seattle that I hope to drive down to CA in November.  It has a set of Yakima bars on it that I may be parting with.  They'd probably fit your Explorer.  But that won't be until November and I don't know exactly what weekend I can make it up there yet.

I think all those Icoms you listed are submersible.  The 34 and 36 float.

-Allen

I'm considering it....I'm thinking of purchasing the Thule 881 top deck system, would need to research to see if they would fit? What would you let the bars go for?

Chuck

I have some Thule saddles that I've used with these Yakima bars ... http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,2341.0.html

I'd let the bars and saddles go for whatever reasonable offer you made me.   

-Allen

I was looking at the Malone Stax Pro on their website. They say it's only good for boats up to 32" wide. Does anyone know if this is true for the Thule or Yakima stackers as well?

When my second yak comes around I've been thinking about going with the J-Cradle design like the HullRaisers. one pair on each side of my wifes Saab

I was originally thinking of the stackers like Zee mentioned, but after seeing that they suggest putting both kayaks on one side of the bar, I opted against it.  I think it'd be easier to get to the kayaks from either side of the car, not just one...

You can use both sides of the stacker.....I can cary 6 sea kayaks on 58" bars with a stacker vs. two for hullaport or j-cradle. That's really the point of the stacker...carrying 4 or more boats. you either need to put surf board pads or pipe insulation on the bar itself to pad the boats. I also put foam between the boats to keep them from rubbing each other.

A stacker is the hardest on the boat, but there's not another option for carrying 4-6 boats unless you have a trailer or a custom made roof rack. That being said, most manufacturers recommend less than 125 pounds on a roof rack. 6 sea kayaks =240lbs.

Padded crossbars do very well, but they don't allow for two kayaks when you only have 48" bars...

the other option with stackers and SOT's is to stack the SOT's......most SOT's nest well. That's what I do. Stack the SOT's on top of eacj other with the hull of the boat on the padded bar. The stacker gives you enough verticle height for to get the strap securely over two stacked SOT's.

or just nest them on the bar without the stacker, that works fine too.

J

Actually it's one of the best positions to store your yak. Yaks are stronger on their side. If you put down some good cushy padding you can fit a lot of yaks on your car. If it is just one then flat and upside down is all good. As always a lot of cush will keep the yaks secure.

Z
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Good to know. That would also save me a few $$ by not having to buy two cradles.

Thanks Z
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The only problem with going straight to the bar hull or deck down, is that in the summer, when it's hot and sunny, the polyethylene get's soft, and it will dent and warp on the crossbars alone...which is why saddles were invented, it distributes the weight over a bigger area than just the bar. Doesn't matter too much when they are on their side like with a stacker, as that's the stiffest part of the boat.

Cheapest solution for going hull or deck to the bar is foam kayak saddles. $19.95 for a set of two and your good to go, much more padding than pipe insulation or surf board pads, and they're v-shaped for a secure grab onto the hull of the boat.

I was looking at the Malone Stax Pro on their website. They say it's only good for boats up to 32" wide. Does anyone know if this is true for the Thule or Yakima stackers as well?

The stacker is only limited by your cross bar spread. It's just a bar that sticks up in the middle vs. saddles etc.