I’m redoing my transport system as I’m getting a new vehicle. For several reasons, I am interested in the Rhino-rack Universal Side Loader but on the manufacturer’s video there are no saddles (they’re just getting a plastic boat up on the crossbars). Anyway, I am wondering if anyone here knows whether or not it is difficult to use the side-loader with saddles on the crossbars.
Thanks
I wasn’t going to reply to this topic since all I’ve done is look at pictures on Rhino’s website, but as I look at this first reply, it occurs to me that the true nature of the OP’s question might not have been precisely stated. I fully agree with rstevens15 that the basic method of loading a boat with the assistance of an extension bar always works, in principle. But it appears to me in this case that there might likely be an issue with the attachment clamp for a cradle preventing proper attachment of that Rhino loading bar. If this is not the basis of the OP’s question, then feel free to discount this whole post.
While the Yakima loading bar telescopes out from inside of the cross bar of the rack and is thus unaffected by whatever attachments on the cross bar might be present, the Rhino bar uses a pair of opposing hooks on the loading bar to connect it along one edge of the cross bar, with the two bars seeming to be in very close side-by-side contact along the entire span of overlap. It appears that there will be no space between the loading bar and the cross bar for such items as the vertical bolts for the clamping system used to attach a cradle, and perhaps also not for much of a “wrap-around” shape of the clamp itself. Maybe there’s something about these modern aero bars that I’m overlooking, but this issue with clamping bolts (or even the clamp) for the cradle getting in the way when trying to attach that loading bar is what comes to mind for me when I look at the pictures on Rhino’s website. It would be nice if their pictures were more clear.
Yes, that is the problem I was alluding to. I use to have the Yakima extension bar that telescoped out from the crossbar itself and it was very handy (I did end up however putting some helicopter blade tape on my vehicle because the boat would occasionally rub against my truck when angling it down from the extension bar, causing scratches). An unfortunate incident with a falling tree limb ruined my last one and now I am buying a new vehicle so I need to refresh my car-topping solution. The problem with the Yakima bar (I think it is called the Boatloader EVO) is that it is no longer made! However, I did manage to find a few internet retailers who have some left so I have ordered one and will be going back to that system.
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