SportRackMooring 4-in-1 Kayak & SUP Carrier

I bought this hoping it might fit between two big-ass Yakima Cobra bike racks on my Focus. Almost! Another inch or so of bar available, and I could've done it. In the end, I sacrificed one of the bike racks. Have had two kayaks and an MTB on the roof with no problem. And it's low-profile when not in use.It works well, though it could use a couple of design tweaks. The knobs that tighten the universal clamp on round/square/etc. bars are small, and they're tough to really tighten by hand, particularly when you're reaching. The rack initially tilted on the round bar when mounting boats. Bigger knobs or a straight one like I have on the rear of the Cobra would be better. Can probably be replaced, and/or I'll tighten more when I take the rack off for winter. (I've seen a more expensive Thule version that looks very similar; not sure if it has better components.)The straps can get jammed a bit when two kayaks are up; it takes some trial and error to get a good sequence of steps when loading. I think the strap guides on top of the rack might be better enclosed rather than open; being open lets you get the strap in without threading it, but I think it allows for more shifting and jamming of the straps together.Raising and lowering the rack is pretty easy, though you almost have to thread the knob off completely to loosen it enough to adjust smoothly. (The bottom hits my Yakima fairing and bends it down a bit.)All in all, a good rack and a reasonable price.==============September 6, 2023I'll leave it at 4 stars, though 3.5 is more accurate in light of what just happened.Warning: you can torque the knob for the vertical bar too much!Since we can haul the kayaks down to the beach pretty easily with bikes, I haven't strapped them on the car too often. I'm guessing 4-6 times in the last year. Last night, after returning the middle bar to reclining position, I tightened the knob, and the nut in the fitted area inside it popped out. A minute later, it happened again with the second bar. I don't know if it was the heat, the fact that I'd torqued it pretty tight when it was vertical, or just bad design. (Well, it's bad design.) I removed one of the bolts altogether (there's a lock nut on the tip of the bolt), and had a look. I also pulled up the manual online. I'd thought that maybe I'd installed something incorrectly, but was reminded that this part came already assembled! The nut had ripped out of the tiny plastic flange that held it in on the tighten side, but you couldn't just shove it back in.Solution (aside from getting Sport Rack to replace them for you:1. Thread the nut as far down as it can go on the bolt.2. Place the handle inside up on a piece of wood or other firm surface with a hole below the center.3. Position the bolt with the nut sitting in proper position over the hex-shaped grip area.4. Heat with a heat gun. I needed to use the high setting on mine and hold it close to the nut.5. Stop, grip the bolt, and whack the top with a rubber mallet. I had to try this about three times before I got it to seat, and the bolt was starting to get a bit warm. Gloves may be an option.6. I'm not going to bother replacing the lock nut. I don't mind if the knob pops off; at least you know you've reached the max loosening, which is necessary as you really need to spread the bars to make it rotate.7. Don't over-torque any more! (It's not necessary based on the rest of the design and the way the bars sit.

Finally, I am able to load 4 full-size sea kayaks with minimal hassle.As you can see from the pictures, mine are mounted on the cap of my truck which does make them challenging to get to but that's the nature of the truck. I'm still working through the best process, but so far I am loading the inside boats by walking them up the back of the bed, and the outside ones by standing on a 5-gallon bucket.Pros:- The racks come with extra long straps AND high-quality rope to secure the bow and stern to your bumpers. Also, the rope is a very soft weave so it is less likely to mar your paint. And, the ropes come with a quality hook to tie to one end.- They seem pretty tight and well constructed. I've had mine for a few weeks and had to load them 4 times so far and they seem like they will last.- Included are two sizes of carriage bolts to fit (I would imagine) any size crossbar.- The uprights fold down for when they are not in use- The wind noise exists but is very minimal- They actually make my truck look kind of cool (compared to the standard j-bars).Cons (depending on how you look at it)- The thumb screws that attach the brackets make them easy to take on and off (or perhaps steal). I replaced mine with regular lock nuts "just to slow 'em down."Worth noting:- My kayaks pictured are 15' and 16 1/2" long- My pictures show three kayaks, but what it's actually demonstrating is the versatility of the units. On one setup the dividing bar is vertical to carry two, and the other it is folded out of the way allowing you to lay the boat down. I like it upside down for the wind. I've seen people load them rightside up and although I think that's not the best way, these would handle it perfectly.I'm a big fan and highly recommend these racks.

I almost never take the time to write a review, but I have been using these racks for 2 years and they are absolutely perfect for what they are designed to do. We just bought our fourth kayak and I had no problems fitting all four on the top of a 2007 Toyota Highlander (see pictures).The people who leave bad reviews are either not using them correctly or are not tying the straps down securely. For anyone who stumbles upon this, the "T" structure is designed to push the kayaks down onto the rubber to prevent the kayaks from sliding. Technically, you are not strapping the kayaks onto the racks. It sounds counterintuitive, but it is correct; I learned from doing it wrong once. The straps must always thread through the "T" and then back over the kayak(s).Secure these correctly and you will get no slippage and no wobbling even going 70 mph down the highway. I don't even know they're up there most of the time!

Updated 2018.12.10 I filed a warranty claim and the company sis sending out a fix. That is really nice. I still think they should redesign the handle and nut so it doesn't strip out. The plastic handle acts as plastic wrench to a tiny nut. It could work, but the nut needs to long and threaded threaded more so the plastic can grip better. Up to 4 stars.The plastic handle has stripped off from the nut and now no longer tightens the middle bar in the correct position. This is poorly made and poorly designed. I expected it to be of quality and to last. But it appears not. In my opinion, they should use a dowl (small rod) to insert and secure the middle pole into its position. That would more secure. They're use of plastic knobs makes this a poor a product.

The adjustable arm that allows you to change the angle of the kayak has an nut that must be tightened. The nut is contained in a plastic handle and it's easy to strip the nut from the plastic handle in which case you can no longer tighten it enough. There are other reviews that mention this issue. For a $200 item there are poorly designed parts like this.Luckily I was able to use this with my kayak flat. I contacted their support on July 22, 2021 and as of Aug 13th have had no reply even after replying to the email ticket a few days ago mentioning that no one has contacted me. Tried calling they 800 number and just sat waiting for an agent until they eventually end the call. Let's see if I get a callback or maybe I just need to return it.Update: support called back and is sending new parts although the design is the same. He was unaware of the issue. My advice is to buy a different product. At this price the quality should be better.