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Thread: Anyone else who 'NEEDS' to carry a kayak/canoe on their roof?

  1. 5th September 2009, 07:47 PM #1
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    Anyone else who 'NEEDS' to carry a kayak/canoe on their roof?

    Then you might be intersted in the following...

    I like to kayak and one of the major uses of my Defender is to take me and my boat to some idyllic waters. But, I've ruined my back over the years, not the least because I was frequently loading 30kg heavy, 5m long kayaks onto the rooves of 4WD wagons. It got to the stage that my last car was a Subaru station wagon because I was no longer able to safely load a high vehicle on my own.

    Well, now that I have another Defender, I'm not only barred from most shopping centre parking stations, I also have to deal with another 203cm roof when loading my kayak (it's actually worse than that, since my Trayon camper actually brings that to 225cm plus!). However this time I had done some research beforehand. The answer for me was a 'Hullavator'.

    While I had it all worked out conceptually beforehand, it wasn't actually until we installed it that I was certain it would actually work as planned. But now that it's done I'd like to share this with anyone who might have similar requirements.

    Some photos first:






    The Hullavator is basically a gas-assisted lifting system. The cradles mount onto the standard roofrack bars. It's lockable, and the lifting mechanism/cradle can also be easily removed (without tools) in literally 2 minutes when not needed.

    Because of my camper the bars are higher than they would otherwise need to be on a Defender, but even so, it brings the boat down to chest height. And I don't even have to lift the boat into the cradle at once, since I can just place the stern and bow separately.

    Not cheap (about $700 for the Hullavator, in addition to the cost of the roof rack itself), but I believe my back will thank me for years to come.

    slt
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  2. 5th September 2009, 08:08 PM #2
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    I became quite excited as I started to read down your post because not only do I have a Defender and kayaks, but I also have a Trayon.

    However your solution of the bars being high enough to clear the camper is not really an option for me as I have a single cab and the bars would nor be far enough apart.

    So I will have to stick with my own solution to the problem of getting kayaks up onto a 4WD. My solution is to build light wooden kayaks. My 5 metre sea kayak is under 13kg and my TK1 is just over 8kg. I just can't imagine lifting a 30 kg kayak anywhere, especially onto the top of a Defender.

    Yours looks like a good setup, but as you say, not a cheap solution.

    1973 Series III LWB 1983 - 2006
    1998 300 Tdi Defender Trayback 2006 - often fitted with a Trayon slide-on camper.
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  3. 5th September 2009, 08:53 PM #3
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    SLT , what sort of kayaking do you do? I have a Valley sea kayak and run this site... THE SEA KAYAK FORUM • Index page
    You look like you have the ultimate set up. I would also like a defender but worried about the car park problem. Living in Surry Hills most local supermarkets have under cover parking
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  4. 5th September 2009, 09:16 PM #4
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    I've been thinking of creating exactly that kind of device for myself. I also need the kayak to clear my camper on the back but it's closer to 250mm above the racks.
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  5. 5th September 2009, 09:37 PM #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by timax View Post
    SLT , what sort of kayaking do you do? I have a Valley sea kayak and run this site... THE SEA KAYAK FORUM • Index page
    You look like you have the ultimate set up. I would also like a defender but worried about the car park problem. Living in Surry Hills most local supermarkets have under cover parking
    I had a Greenlander III for many years, when I lived up in the NT. Did lots of coastal exploring ... and a few stupid things, like taking a fibreglass boat up Katherine Gorge Lived right on the water for a while ... made it really easy, no car needed for the kayak I then had P&H Quest, but no longer living near the water didn't use it enough to warrant the investment, so I sold it again.

    I don't actually have a boat at the moment, but now that I sorted out the transport, I'll probably be getting a sit-on-top (I want something really versatile that can take a few knocks, so no fibre sea kayak this time around). I like the look of the Hobie Adventure Island, but will probably settle for a Revolution. As for parking ... the plan is to live in the truck for a while, so that won't be an issue for me

    slt
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  6. 19th September 2009, 08:27 PM #6
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    My 100th post, so I thought I better make it useful

    The rack in action:




    Pretty close to the 35kg limit for the Thule Hullavator, but I had no problems getting it up there on my own , despite my crook back I drove the truck from Jervis Bay up to Sydney at 100-110, and it felt rock-solid!

    The boat is a Hobie Adventure Island by the way. It has a sit-on-top kayak hull, so can be used as such, but with the addition of outriggers and sail is a pretty nifty sailboat. Just have a look at the following...

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u1UfkHRoAc&feature=related"]YouTube - Pirate on Hobie Adventure Island at Mallacoota[/ame]
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyuVCWBk-iA&feature=related"]YouTube - Hobie Adventure Island sailing in Moreton Bay May 2008[/ame]
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzfg51JjX5g&feature=related"]YouTube - Sailing the Hobie Island #1[/ame]
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVWiB8cQrOw&feature=fvw"]YouTube - 2 Hobie Adventure Islands - Speed Sailing[/ame]
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztqs54XHdGM&feature=related"]YouTube - Kayak fishing & sailing the Adventure Island Jervis Bay 2008[/ame]
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  7. 20th September 2009, 10:09 AM #7
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    Hi
    thanks for the info on the lifter, some one's using their kidneys.
    It will be on interest to a friend of mine who carries a kayak on her vehicle.
    She has recently bought a 'sit-on' single, and gets it up on top with out much trouble, not too bad for a 66 year old.
    She used to have to park the car on a slope to get her old double on and off, that is one fit lady.

    Incidently, how far up the Katherine gorge did you get the Greenlander?
    Looking on the map is seems to go all the way up into Kakadoo.
    Now that could be fun.

    cheers
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  8. 20th September 2009, 01:18 PM #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by austastar View Post
    Incidently, how far up the Katherine gorge did you get the Greenlander? Looking on the map is seems to go all the way up into Kakadoo. Now that could be fun.
    The Katherine River comes out of the Arnhem escarpment, and indeed briefly passes through Kakadu. However you wouldn't be able to canoe/kayak that far. In the dry season there isn't enough water (not mentioning all the rockbars you'd have to climb over) and in the Wet you'd drown...

    I went as far as the 5th Gorge, which is about 8km in. In a canoe/kayak you're limited to the 9th Gorge (about 13km).

    The foolishness of my taking a fibreglass kayak into Katherine Gorge stems from the fact that there are rockbars between the numbered gorges, each requiring a lengthy portage (some 800m in case of the 4th ). On the way in I actually worried about not scratching the gelcoat, on the way out I no longer gave a rats a#$% about anything!




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  9. 20th September 2009, 01:28 PM #9
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    I saw the roof of a P38A where the car was rusted out around the sunroof from carrying a surf ski. Salt water ain't good.
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  10. 20th September 2009, 02:05 PM #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by slt View Post
    On the way in I actually worried about not scratching the gelcoat, on the way out I no longer gave a rats a#$% about anything!
    Nice Snaps - thanks.

    I would love to get back in there, we just did the 'tourist' thing, we were on a motorbike at the time, and options for kayaks are some what limited.
    If you were interested in light weight canoes for remote areas, there is an American mob making aluminium frames that go on plastic inflatable pontoons.
    I found them whilst googling "plastic welding" a long time ago.
    Yes an 800m portage with a Greenlander would be memorable.

    I tore the skeg out of my North Sea Tourer in the upper reaches of the Derwent River not knowing the river between two road access points.
    It was fine in Lake St Clair though - sure beats walking along the lake side track.

    cheers
    Last edited by austastar; 20th September 2009 at 02:06 PM. Reason: spelling
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