Looking for advice on those load assist rollers that stick to the rear windshield of an SUV. My car (Kia Niro) has an obscenely large (and pointless) spoiler that sticks out horizontally from the roof over the windshield. This gets in the way of sliding my boat up onto the roof rack saddles, and it isn’t sturdy enough to rest the boat on it directly. (I am no longer strong enough to lift my boat directly onto the rack from the side, and I can’t afford a Hullivator.)
Best solution would seem to be a roller. Does anyone have experience with these? Recommend a particular brand? Are the suction cups really strong enough? Will they stick securely when the windshield is cold and/or wet? I also need to make sure it keeps the boat far enough off the windshield to clear the spoiler, which stands about 6" from the glass, measured perpendicular to the glass. But it has to hold the boat more than 6" away so the boat can be angled forward to slide it up – and a longer boat will require a shallower angle. Last consideration, which might or might not be critical, is whether the roller itself is shaped right for the hull. This is needed for narrow touring kayaks - P&H Volan (16’, 23" beam) and P&H Cetus MV (18’, 22" beam).
I use an aluminum/ rubber roller loader and it won’t work for your car.
I looked at eBay and found another one that looks promising. Attached is a picture. Good luck!
Another option is the Yakima side load assist bar. With this you load bow of the boat onto the slide out bar and then lever up the stern. You go back to the bow and lever it up and slide the bar back in.
Works best with standard saddles. No issues with rear spoilers.
Yes, I’m considering that as my fallback – in fact I bought Yakima Core bars partly because they are compatible with the load assist bar, just in case. I just think the roller would be simpler and easier to handle.
I use this exact one on my Mazda3 hatchback. It feels cheap and flimsy because it has a lot of play, but it works and it’s been a game changer. The suction cups hold well, but better on the flatter area of the backglass than on the contoured glass areas. The foam rollers don’t really roll and the kayak does more of a slide going up and down the car. And because of that, they don’t do much to keep the boat from sliding to the side.
I use this one on my Volvo wagon. The plastic rollers roll freely, but they are hard plastic, so they have almost zero ability to keep the boat from sliding sideways on them.
The angle to the glass is adjustable, which is great because my glass is nearly vertical, but the keeper teeth are weak and unreliable and I have scratches on my car to show from it collapsing. I eventually put it at the angle I needed and drilled a hole through the middle of the adjustment mechanism and stuck a bolt through it. Now it’s reliable.
Neither of these stick well on ice or a lot of dirt, so I generally wipe the glass off before using them. Temperature doesn’t affect them and being wet helps them stick. I’ve found it’s very important to use two hands on each suction cup to get them on securely, especially on the vertical rear window of the station wagon because the full force of the boat is trying to push them off the glass. And, both require care guiding the kayak up and down so it doesn’t slide off to the side. I hold the boat with both hands, one forward while the other holds the rear handle so I can control the boat side-to-side.
Here’s something that also helps with the roller assist … I use “Malone Sea Wings” with the “Stinger”. The stinger is part of the sea wings, but it reaches out and sits on the body structure above the hatch opening. With it, I run the kayak up the roller and onto the stinger and then onto the sea wings. Going straight from my roller onto the sea wings would not clear the spoiler above the rear window, but with the stinger it’s perfect.
@ JonathanTunik I hope you are finding the answers to your questions and the examples with explanations helpful. I’m interested to know what you end up doing.
Hi Alice,
Interesting idea, thanks - I hadn’t seen one before that attaches to the top of the car rather than the rear glass. Theoretically could work but unfortunately would need to be much taller to prevent the boat from contacting the spoiler (which on my car is very flimsy.
Thanks RiverWay. I’m still looking. The Stinger looks like a possibility if I can’t find a roller that is tall enough to clear the spoiler on its own. But is the Stinger sold separately? Or does it come with the Sea Wings? (I already have a Yak SweetRoll cradle which worked well with my old Civic, and given the cost of these things I really don’t want to replace it.)
You said in the first post that you can’t afford a Hullivator, but I would advise you to keep a close eye of your local sales listings (Craigslist, FB Marketplace, etc.) I have seen Hullivators for sell at very low prices. I bought 2 sets with square rails and towers that fit my car for $200.
Here’s the gizmo I made years ago. It’s on a 2013 4Runner without the load bars. While I definitely wouldn’t hang from the spoiler, it doesn’t seem especially “flimsy” either. Anyway, 1/2 the weight of a kayak doesn’t seem to bother it. Also, I’ve only used it for my longer (15 1/2’ +) boats. Not sure if the bow would rest on the roller and clear the spoiler with a 12’ boat unless the stern was raised somehow (on a cart, for example).
Just noticed from your profile pic - maybe you’re not actually “Alice”? Anyway.
Looks like a very fancy contraption (is that gold?? ). I think the Niro’s spoiler is longer and flimsier than other cars I’ve seen. My boats are longer (16’ and 18’), but because of the longer spoiler, it would be even harder to clear. I’m going to need to dig out my HS trig notes…
). I think the Niro’s spoiler is longer and flimsier than other cars I’ve seen. My boats are longer (16’ and 18’), but because of the longer spoiler, it would be even harder to clear. I’m going to need to dig out my HS trig notes… 
