and I suppose
…if one had j cradles and round yakima bars, one could always rotate them down to horizontal.
I wish there were money in a rack company run by and with components designed exclusively by…kayakers and canoeists!
Got the RollerLoader Today
And this looks to be the perfect solution to the problem. Easily attaches and I’ll be able to lift the bow up to it and roll it on with no issues. I did also get 2 padded cradles to load the sea kayak onto instead of the J-rack. I’ve kept the J-rack on the other side of the roof because it works fine for the 12 foot plastic kayak we also have.
thanks so much for the feedback and advice. Your personal experiences are more valuable than hours of researching product materials and company claims.
Brand of rack
With Malone, you can use the Telos loader.
run a pole
into your rack that extends a few feet past the car.
Pick up one side of the kayak, lift it onto the pole.
List the ground side of the yak onto the j-rack.
lift the fiorst side from the pole tothe j-rack.
Strap the yak down and remove the pole.
I have the Telos load assist unit
It worked pretty slick for loading a kayak into the Malone J-cradles mounted my Subie Forester.
Towing bolt
On my Subaru Outback 2013, there is a towing hook (eye bolt)located in the spare tire compartment. That towing hook gets attached to the vehicle either in the front bumper or rear bumper. There is a square plastic cover over the attachment points. Remove it, and screw in the bolt. This is a good and solid attachement point. http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/Fortech/Subaru%20Photos/IMG_2368.jpg
Info from: http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f102/2014-premium-recovery-points-247138/
