i spoke to Thule yesterday. tracks for the 2020 Highlander are not a priority for them. it will be “at least several months” before they are available.
looks like non-thule will be necessary
Thanks for the update. Apparently I should stop grumbling about how time-consuming it is to unmount the cross bars for the flush mount Rav4 rails. At least there is something that handles my Hullivator cradles as intended.
All the parts have arrived now. It will be my Saturday project (4/24) to mount everything and check for fit. I’ll advise then, with photos if all is good. Wish me luck.
I hope it works! Good luck!
My Mazda CX5 came with the flush rails. Yakima has the towers that clip onto the flush rails. I already had the round bars, so it was just the matter of getting the towers.
Okay, the short answer is that the Hullavator 897 WILL work with 60” Yakima JetStream bars on SkyLine feet on the 2021 Toyota Highlander Platinum. (Just as Marshall stated in his post.) I still need to do a bit of tweaking tomorrow, but it is going to work. You will need the 60” bars though, as I’m pretty sure there would not be sufficient clearance to the side of the car with the Hullavator in the lower position using the 50” bars, especially with a heavy kayak. I’ll take some pictures over the weekend and post them here.
2020 Highlander, or 2021? Or does it make a difference? thanks for doing this!
I don’t recall the Jetstream bar sizing but I know that the Thule 135 (53”) are the minimum to take two Hullavators. The Jetstream have more fit range as the slot for the Tower/Foot pack runs the entire length of the bar whereas Thule is slotted for approx 8”-10” at the ends. The T-slot attachment does allow you to mount the bar mount assembly further out than the over-the-bar clamp down not quite as much overhanging bar is needed.
Time for me to get to work, yes Hullavating today.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
9 W. Market St.
Hyde Park, NY. 12538
845-229-0595 main
845-242-4731 mobile
Main: [www.the-river-connection.com]
Store: [www.the-river-connection.us]
Facebook: [fb.me/theriverconnection]
Instagram: Instagram.com/marshall.seddon
Still happy with your Yakima/Hullivator install? Unless you had serious problems, I’m going to put in my orders.
Thank you so very much for doing this experiment!
Yes. Sorry I didn’t get around to taking the photos, but it works and I transported my kayak just to be sure. You should be good to proceed.
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i ordered the Yakima parts but, alas, the hullavator is hulla-hard to get. Thule is backordered until August. It is sold out everyone I can find, in-store and online. I am sad.
Try etrailer.com. I’ve had good luck with them. That is where I purchased the Yakima bars and gear last month.
Thanks! etrailer.com said they backordered the Hullavator until the end of July at the earliers. LL Bean said it was backordered till next week (estimate). My local Thule dealer said their backorder was until August, but that they’d get back to me if their shipment arrived earlier.
Other places just said it wasn’t available, or was backordered until August, or to an indefinite time.
I’ll see what LL Bean can do first!
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My friends did well on Amazon getting their Hulivators.
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Backorders…since things used to be mailed BO items have been kinda handled using the 30 day status rule the post office requires. Thus they are required to give you a status if the item ordered won’t be there by 30 days. So for example, my “side rabbit plane” ordered in January is given a back ordered status in February to March28…then April 28,…then May 28. Notice a trend. So beware of a back order status better than the competition.
I’ve got 8 of them arriving tomorrow. UPS can do the driving.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
9 W. Market St.
Hyde Park, NY. 12538
845-229-0595 main
845-242-4731 mobile
Main: [www.the-river-connection.com]
Store: [www.the-river-connection.us]
Facebook: [fb.me/theriverconnection]
Instagram: Instagram.com/marshall.seddon
etrailer estimated they would ship in late July. llbean said they could ship in June. Amazon says they can ship next week. @Overstreet Thanks for the tip! @Marshall : so we can order directly from the-river-connection? It would be good to support the paddling community.
Also, be aware that you need THREE parts not two for the crossbars. You need the 60 inch jetstream bars, the skyliner towers, AND THE #28 “landing pads”. I was calling the towers “feet” but Yakima calls them towers. I didn’t know about the “feet”. those are also not available from Yakima. I found them at etrailer.com
such drama! Thanks, all.
8 available Hullavators arrive tomorrow
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
9 W. Market St.
Hyde Park, NY. 12538
845-229-0595 main
845-242-4731 mobile
Main: [www.the-river-connection.com]
Store: [www.the-river-connection.us]
Facebook: [fb.me/theriverconnection]
Instagram: Instagram.com/marshall.seddon
The saga continues. etrailer now has an estimated delivery date for the Hullavator in October (!). LL Bean has pushed their date back. Amazon no longer even lists the Hullavator. It looks like it just isn’t available. @Marshall , if you have one for sale and can have it shipped to Idaho, I am interested.