Malone cross bars

Advice
#1

Just majorly downsized from a Yukon to the Jetta Sportwagen TDI…I need to get some crossbars to attach to the side rails. Anyone have experience with the much less expensive Malone vs. Thule or Yakima? Are Malone crossbars less than half the price for good reason?

Thanks for any insight, FYI I have Malone Seawing cradles which I used on the Yukon’s factory rack.



http://www.maloneautoracks.com/cross-rail.php



http://www.thule.com/en-US/US/Products/Base-Racks/Feet/45050-Complete-Crossroads-Railing-Rack-

#2

Malone quality is good
I was a dealer for Malone and Thule and found Malone products to be as good if not better than Thule in design & quality, and much better on price point. $280 for the 45050 set of Thule footers & crossbars is ridiculous!



Plus, Malone is a small family-owned business in Maine; I’d much rather do business with that kind of company than an international conglomerate. They’re great folk.

#3

Or, skip the crossbars. Tie your kayak
on crossways.

#4

why even bother?
Just drag them along behind you.

#5

Happy with my Malone bars
I have had Malone cross bars and a j cradle for two plus years and am very happy with them. I also like that the Malone bars come with locks for free.



The only complaint I can make about the Malone’s, is that the straps that came with the j cradle were rather chintzy. The bars are great.

#6

I am
quite happy with my Malone set-up. I have a small trailer that I wanted to use to haul boats with and discovered that the saddles that come with the rig fit ¾” schedule 40 pipe perfectly. I went and bought some more saddles to attach to the trailer and discovered that they (Malone) have changed the bottom of the bracket holding the saddle to the bar. It’s thin and flimsy. Not a real problem, they just sometimes tend to slip when I load and unload. Also, since the bar is a standard ¾” pipe, I can replace the original bars with longer ¾” pipe when I want to haul 3 boats on top of my truck. Anyway, I would defiantly buy Malone again.