just bought a set
to take to Brazil. Friends and relatives cars don’t have racks so this seems to be a perfect alternative. Only real downside woudl be that they would leak into the car by virtue of the straps when it rains but you can create a low point using a piece of string that would divert most of that while stationary.
I like the attachment points right on the rack itself and also agree that just like foam blocks, you will need to have front and rear tiedowns for bigger boats.
Hey they are better than nothing and can do double duty as a luggage rack if you position them a little closer together.
Paul
HandiRack
Don’t buy one yet. Since I’m planning on marrying the girl in the video maybe I can get you a discount.
Split Tube
Randy,
Please call 1-800-295-0042 and we will arrange for your HandiRack to be replaced.
Thank you for your continued support of this product.
Technical Assistance
MALONE
Great Customer Service
I spoke to the Larry at Malone yesterday. Not only did he offer to replace the set that split, he offered to replace the first set that started leaking around the valves after 3 or four years of frequent use. Even more impressive is that Malone was not the distributor at the time I bought the first set. That is a first class operation.
Trust me I know good customer service…I paddle a QCC ;o)>
SYOTR
Randy
the leak is not just the low point…it
is also that i seriously doubt if those are water resistant webbing straps…water will get wicked up in between the fibers of the webbing and come in that way all the time…more so than just water running down the strap…
and there is no cure…except for water resistant webbing which has the spaces filled in…
Wow!
Now THAT is going above and beyond! Kudos to Larry and company.
I received two brand new sets of racks
today to replace the two sets, I had returned. So Malone does stand behind their products, that is worth a lot.
They were a class act all the way Larry was very friendly when I spoke to him. They sent a tracking number as soon as the racks were shipped so I knew they were coming. I was pretty satisfied with their product before. Now that I know they’ll stand behind their product like they have I’d recommend them anytime.
SYOTR
Randy
Hey Randy, You Owe Me One Of Them
Literally, for having started this post that led to your receipt of the 2 new racks. Actually, I ended up ordering one and should receive it in a few days. I hope to get some good use out of it. Happy paddling.
Thanks MM!
I agree that I never would have gotten them otherwise.
I considered them just worn out and well beyond what I’d expect a warranty to cover so I had never pursued it.
How about the hearty thanks from a fellow kayaker and if you come to Missouri I’ll take you boating ;o)>
SYOTW
Randy
You Are Welcome Randy
If I’m ever in Missouri I’ll take you up on the offer.
I have one and it works great
I bought it to use while traveling with rental cars and rental boats.
I used it in Canada on a rental Chevy Impala and carried two Boreal Designs 17 foot kayaks. We drove at Freeway speeds of about 70 mph. Bow and stern lines were necessary and I added a third strap that went around each boat as well.
I would buy this again in a heartbeat.
Soak some SeamGrip into the strap,
just for a short segment near the wicking entry point. It will stop the wicking, but the strap will remain somewhat flexible.
Handiract review
I do like it. It actually works. I have used it with a Heritage Featherlite Angler - It does only weigh 30 lbs, but it seems as if it will handle much more. The only issue is you better have your car completely clean or the friction from the weight of the canoe/kayak rubbing on my nice black paint was not too nice on my new car. I tried it again with a fleece blanket underneath and it seemed fine. You definately need to make sure it is tight and you have it positioned correctly on hte roof. I found this out when I was going 50MPH and the back of the kayak was bouncing off the back window, it had not been positioned right and not tight eough and was standing up pretty high. After finding the correct fit it worked fine. It is very easy to use and set up. just lay it in the position, run the strap thru the car and tighten it. I use rachet straps to secure the kayak to the rack. Probably good to run a bungy cord to the front to hold it down too. Overall works great and easy to use, but not the best for your paint job (but my car is black??)
Bungies and ratchet straps are the worst
things to use to strap anything down. The ratchets can deform your boats very easily and bungies don’t hold tight, they stretch and then break!
Use cam lock straps or ropes. Personally I use the cam lock straps.
Hey ALG, ah’ seen her foyst…
Ah’ plan on livin’ in sin wit Miss Crabtree an’ have Miss HandiRacks as a concubine at me Luton estate.
FE
Another thing to consider
Is if you can place it on the roof there the roof is strong enough. On my particular car, the roof would yield and bend down with anything more than a 40 lb boat, especially after some mild tightening. Might not be able to hold as much as hard racks installed in strong areas just for this reason alone.
But if you drive an old-school heavy car with a solid roof that does not compress down from a jug of milk put in the middle of it (exagerration!), may be it will work well -
Ratchet bad!
My oldest and strongest son once ratchet strapped my $300 climbing tree stand to the trailer, bent it and cracked a support weld! Hard to judge how much pressure you are applying with them.
Tom
Soft car roofs may be an issue
– Last Updated: Feb-05-09 11:25 AM EST –
If you place it on the roof where the roof is not strong enough, especially if the roof is curved up.
On my particular car, the roof would yield and bend down with anything more than a 40 lb boat (only 1/2 of that is on the rear where the roof line is particularly is soft). Might not be able to hold as much as hard racks installed in much stronger areas, even though the inflatable rack itself will be fine.
Paint removal from your roof in dusty conditions or sand is also almost guaranteed over time but with care it can be minimized.
But if you drive an old-school heavy car with a solid roof that does not compress down from a jug of milk put in the middle of it (exaggeration!), may be that won't matter -;)
Malone Handirack on 2001 Honda Civic
Just tried this thing out for the first time this weekend. I have a 2001 Honda Civic Sedan and two 12’ sit-on-top Ocean Kayaks. They’re also stackable which helps immensely. After I inflated the rack and secured it to my roof I stacked the two kayaks upside down on top of each other.
I took it up to speeds of 65 mph on the highway but quickly exited because it was very windy and I was afraid one of my tiedowns might slip off. When it’s windy you can really feel the wind pushing on your car and the kayaks. I’d recommend this rack to anyone who doesn’t want to spend money on a metal roof rack or don’t want to modify your car. They work just as good and you can find them for around $80 on Amazon. Even if you have a small car it will still work. Again, I have a 2001 Honda Civic and it carried TWO 12 foot kayaks. Here is a picture of it. http://i.imgur.com/JkhKU.jpg
Malone handi racks.
These are sold in 2 versions: the approx $70 version for max 50lbs., the approx $100 version for max 180 lbs. I have the $100 because sometimes I use it for other than my 50 lb kayak. Works great, better than foam blocks, but like foam blocks the water wicks in from the straps in the rain.