Ruk Sport 210 cm V Bars Car Transport with Floor Storage

I'd like to begin by saying that I don't normally take the time to write reviews, but when I was considering purchasing this product I realised that there was very little information to be found other than the technical specification that the manufacturer provides, so I thought I'd share the benefit of my new-found experience of using this product to transport a fragile racing kayak that I recently bought. Hopefully, it might help someone else in a similar situation to make a more informed decision.My first impression is that these V bars are great quality, and it was a very straightforward task to fit them to my roof rack, which took less than 10 minutes. Essentially they extend the distance between the supported areas of the hull, which for longer boats like racing kayaks is ideal. They held my new boat absolutely still for the 130-mile drive home, despite my initial nerves about transporting a carbon-composite boat for the first time for that kind of distance... I would add that it is probably a good idea to strap the boat down to the roof rack with some extra straps as well as using the bungees provided, so that the boat can't move around under the bungees when driving over bumps, etc. Definitely only strap very lightly if it's a fragile racing boat, as you will be strapping a section of the hull that isn't directly supported from below. Luckily, when I went to collect my boat, I had some straps with me in the car. It also eliminates the small amount of play that is introduced once the removable V sections are fitted, and makes everything very secure. Personally, I plan on adding a couple of wraps of electrical tape to make the fit of the removable sections just a little more snug. This is only a minor improvement, mostly to ease my paranoia, rather than a criticism about the product. If I could ask RUK Sport to make one improvement to the product, it would be to make the "V"s a little thicker, so that a little more of the hull is supported. Again, not really a criticism; the design is certainly up to the job, but if they ever altered their design to reflect this, I'd almost certainly go for the upgrade.My top tips for mounting the V bars are:- It's well worth taking a few minutes to make sure that the long bar is parallel to the centreline of the vehicle you're using; this will ensure that the boat is as aerodynamic as possible while driving.- The diagram that the manufacturer includes seems to recommend that the U-bolts, used to fasten the long bar to the roof rack, are used open-end up. I decided to use them upside down, in an attempt to encourage rainwater to run off the threads of the bolts, rather than allowing droplets of water to pool and possibly cause the threads to rust sooner. Only time will tell if this was the right thing to do. I did follow their recommendation of ensuring that the back-bars of the U-bolts are not parallel to each other, ie. \ / not / /- Consider mounting the long bar a little (but not too much) forward of centre; this will mean that, with the boat mounted evenly in the bars, less of the boat is overhanging the rear of the vehicle. The forward bungee and strap should prevent any lifting of the boat caused by the air being forced up by the bonnet and windscreen of the car.The convertible floor storage feature is a nice touch; probably something I'm more likely to use between the car and the water to keep the rudder protected, rather than for any sort of long-term storage. The only problem being that both removable V sections attach to a third piece to create the stand, which means that the bow has no support. If you plan on using the floor stand feature to protect your rudder, you might want to consider some sort of foam mat to protect the front of the boat if you're going somewhere where there is no grass/soft ground to set the bow down onto.Overall, I think the V bars are a great product, and a much-needed addition to my boat-transporting options. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking to transport a longer kayak, such as a K1/K2 racing kayak or a sea kayak.

Good quality, great finish, spring loaded catch securing the V cradles to the main bar a nice touch. This easily handled a 21ft, 25kilo K2 racing kayak on a very small car (SEAT Mii-same as VW Up, Skoda Citigo) on a 250km freeway trip- Dublin to Cork. Keep to the speed limit, watch for cross-winds and you can go anywhere.I'd suggest the option of wingnuts on the u-bolts which secure the main bar to the roof racks, for easier removal. Otherwise couldn't be improved on.

Fantastic quality bars, fantastic price. Ordered on the Friday around lunch time and they arrived the following morning! Quicker than Amazon Prime deliver!

great V bars, ideal for my sons kayaks and can just leave the bar on and just remove the V`s. Good quality and don't need any other straps.

Does the job it's made for at a good price I have two sets.