I looked it up, and Malone’s current version is the “Channel Loader”
It can be screwed into 3 different positions, it has 9" of reach, it has a nice looking conical roller, and I’ve been very happy with my current Malone equipment. That’s the roller I’m getting next time.
I bought that one after looking at the options available. But I have not used it yet.
Looks like a good option for many, but I’m skeptical that the 9" reach is enough to overcome the long spoiler on the OP’s Niro (or my 4Runner, for that matter).
I love this website! Really appreciating all of the suggestions.
@arks, because of it’s size, the one you found on eBay might be the most promising, but I couldn’t find it. LMK if you happen to know the manufacturer and I’ll search for it.
@GrahamJordan, the old Malone K-rack might work (maybe I can find it on eBay or something), but the piece on the rear windshield would have to tilt up and back significantly to clear my stupid spoiler. Is it adjustable?
@Riverway, I’ve been looking at the Malone Channel Loader as well. Conical shape looks more promising compared to the issues you’ve had with other models not keeping your boats centered. I’ll have to do some trig to figure out if 9" would be big enough! (Or just buy it from somewhere I can return in 
)
You should be thankful for manufacturers including a spoiler because it will assist in keeping you car on the road when going over 145 mph or so.
Oh, so that’s what they’re for.
I met a guy who drove a Porsche. He said the only time he had experienced it engaging was on a trip the Vegas when he could legally drive fast enough.
My rooftop crossbars are the Yakima round bars, which allow temporary insertion of a 30" section of 1/2" threaded steel pipe. It’s a cheaper version of Yakima’s Side Load Assist bar discussed above. Remove the end plug and replace it with a black rubber stopper for travel.
@rstevens15, starting to look more like I may need to go this route, if I can still find one. Do these bars have any protective covering? or just steel? Wondering if it would scratch up my carbon kevlar.
(I guess I could just slip some pipe insulation over it)
The bars are unpadded and polished plated steel, as they have to fit inside the crossbars rather snugly. I doubt if they would scratch a composite hull, but f you wanted, a foot or two of split closed foam pipe insulation or a split section of a pool noodle would provide additional protection.
Thanks, that’s what I figured
My previous two cars—Scion xA and Chevy Sonic—both had spoilers. I thought this was going to be a huge problem, but in the end I found that using the right rug to protect the spoiler was the simplest solution. The best mat I’ve ever found is a closed-cell rubber mat (not foam) about 3/8" thick that is sometimes used to relieve foot pain (“anti-fatigue” mat?) These are cheap and they don’t compress over time. They stick to the car roof well, yet the kayak slides over them pretty well. They’re heavy and sticky enough that they don’t blow off in the wind. They protect the car better than the commonly recommended rubber-backed bathroom rugs.
The question is—and I think this is your main worry—will the weight of the kayak bend the spoiler? On my two cars, there was no damage to the spoiler. My kayak weighs 45 lbs, but the spoiler doesn’t really bear the full weight of the kayak, or for very long, if you load it right.
Rather, the spoiler becomes a brief pivot point just long enough to tip the kayak up onto the rack. (I use Thule saddles, not J racks.) Procedure:
(1) If material is other than rotomolded, place a 6’ rubber mat about 6’ behind the car (or father back for a longer kayak like yours) to protect the stern
(2) Set the bow as close as possible to the rear of the car.
(3) Pick up the kayak by the coaming, pull it forward (making sure the keel is on the rug), and lean it lightly against the spoiler.
(4) Bring the keel a bit closer to get the kayak as vertical as possible.
(5) Lift the keel and push the kayak onto the rack. If you’ve placed the kayak as vertical as possible, you’re not really pushing it against the spoiler. You’re just tipping it up onto the rack.
With a shorter kayak (mine is 13’5") you can also place the kayak on the ground parallel to the rear of the car, lift it by the coaming, and tilt it up so the bow clears the right rear corner of the car.
The KIa Nero has a bit of an odd shape in the rear—the spoiler looks to be set fairly far forward while the rear of the car protrudes outward. That is, your rear is pointed rather than square. A spoiler on a square back is easier to deal with. You will want to make sure that the rubber mat is long enough to cover about 16" of the car roof, the spoiler, and the rear window.
My main point is that spoilers aren’t always as fragile a you might think, and the contact between the kayak and the spoiler could be lighter and briefer than you imagine. I even carried my bike on a rack by protecting the spoiler.
I tried other solutions—a Malone rear loader, Thule roller loader, and homemade contraptions. In the end the closed-cell rubber pad protected the car the best and was the simplest and cheapest device.
Caveat: If you carry a bike, kayak, camping gear, etc. on your car very often, eventually you’re going to have dents, scratches, and worn paint no matter how careful you are. This is the price of carrying stuff on your car.
Waterbird’s mention of scratches and dents reminds me of something. How about the obvious and practical solution of simply removing the spoiler from the car?! It’s nothing but a useless bit of frilly stylism anyway, so does it really matter to you if the car might look a bit ragged once it’s gone? There will probably be some mounting holes that are exposed afterward, but some snap-in plugs of the proper size and a bit of sealant will take care of that problem. With the spoiler removed, loading and unloading will surely be easier, and most likely you will be able to lift the hatch higher when the boat’s on the roof too.
Honestly, this is something I’ve thought about often when I think about what to do if I ever need to get another car, since EVERY utility vehicle in existence has a lift-hatch now, something which already makes access into the back of the car difficult when there’s a canoe on the roof, and that problem is magnified with with these stupid spoilers which keep getting bigger and bigger as the years go by. It’s worse with canoes, which for a various reasons, intrude much farther into the zone of a lifted rear hatch than is usually the case for a kayak (thank goodness my own car pre-dates the time when the lift-hatch was the only choice, and so I have unrestricted access into the back, even with a boat on top).
Some spoilers have stop, backup, and running lights integrated into them, even cameras or proximity sensors. Not so easy or advisable to remove.
@rstevens, that is exactly the case with the Niro. It is a stupid design flourish but cannot be removed.
I wonder if you could use one of the suction cup devices pressing up under the spoiler, to provide extra support for the spoiler. Then go with the rubber mat or rubber-backed bathroom rug on top of the spoiler. The suction cup device would just serve as a brace to prop up the spoiler.
Hmm, interesting idea. But I’m not sure what’s under there
Have you measured how far the spoiler is off the glass, to estimate how tall a roller assist needs to be for the kayak over the spoiler?
I’m laid up in bed after hosting family for Christmas dinner, at which someone must have been sick, so I have time on my hands and I sketched the concept in the Mazda3 picture above … (suction cup rollers in blue, stinger in blue, sea wings in purple)
If I didn’t have the stinger on my Sea wings, it would not clear the spoiler.
You asked if the stinger can be added after the fact … yes, I see them online as a kit to add to sea wings. BA’s roller above performs the same function and isn’t tied to any kayak saddle brand.
Sorry you’re laid up - I hope it isn’t too long term.
Nice sketches; this is in fact exactly the kinds of measurements I’ve been trying to figure out. Turns out it’s extremely complicated to figure out on paper (at least given my level of geometry/trig skills). So many variables: distance of spoiler from glass, length of roller shaft, angle of roller to glass, height of saddle, distance of saddle from spoiler, possible distance of kayak from ground to contact point on roller (depending on length of kayak)… I think I’m going to need to rely on trial and error. Your diagram helped me visualize though that simply putting a second roller on top of the car (in lieu of the stinger, if the latter isn’t compatible with my saddle) might solve the problem.
Happy and healthy holidays!