Talic kayak racks SUCK!!! DON'T BUY THIS CRAPPY PIECE OF CRAP!! The wood is of poor quality and the thing looks and functions like it was designed by an 8 year old. MAKE YOUR OWN BEFORE YOU SHELL OUT $ FOR THIS CRAP. I will never reccommend this product to anyone EVER.
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EDIT: OK, people so it seems that this post has stirred up some "turmoil" on this message board so I'm going to post this edit with some more constructive info on my experience with my Talic rack.
First of all, to specify, I have the "double bunk" designed for kayaks (they also offer a larger canoe version). All of their freestanding wooden racks are constructed in a similar fashion. My specific problems with the rack are as follows:
1) Although the wood itself is of decent quality, the design of what holds them together is not sturdy enough in my opinion. It may be because the wood is a bit too thin for it's purpose, or that the design just needs to have a front brace added to stop the thing from bending when it is loaded with boats, but it just doesn't keep its shape.
2) The way you assemble it is by spidering the webbing around as it is supposed to lay on the structure and either screw it in (literally, the screw pushes the webbing into the holes on the sides) or pound in wooden dowels (of which mine are beginning to rot and crumble and come out) for the part of the webbing that lays on top. It is not a very accurate or well designed way to set something like this up. I had to figit with that a few times and pull out the dowels and screws and tinker too much. You spend $250, that thing should go up without all that mess. Furthermore, they are coming out left and right so I have to constantly maintain the rack.
3) The design of how you put the long screws that hold the entire piece together is ridiculous. There are tiny holes drilled so you can fit your fingers in to get the nut on (and you'd need to be an 8 year old to fiddle around with the nut in the hole) & to get it to line up. And I don't know if it is the shape or size of the hole, but it's really hard to get the screws in completely tight w/out a good fight. I'm pretty good with builing things and with using my hands and this was a real annoying struggle. I'm talking real annoying, not just I can't handle a two second attention span and can't deal with it annoying, but for real.
So, Talic, if you want to hire me as your design consultant I definitely feel as if I can make some improvements on your idea. Your intent is there, but I think you have some refinements to do. I was let down on this one. Based on factors I believe are important in a product such as this, I feel I cannot recommend it to fellow paddlers.
On another note, I did receive an email this morning from Tim @ Talic who offered to send me some extra parts to help fix my issues. On no mistake of his own, the parts offered were for a different rack I don't have and wouldn't solve my issues. As I've filled in more meat to the story here Tim, I welcome suggestions with the double bunk. The gesture is much appreciated though. (I've sent an email notification for him to look at this repost so I will update if necessary.)
Five times 10/10 = 50 out of 50 = 100%
http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=1731
By the way, Hudson, I like the kayaking pics on your website. Nice shots, and nice paddling.
http://www.myspace.com/saltyfresh
If wkerriganoh liked them, I’ll take his
word for it.
I have a set
wood great quality. delivered on time. good value for money.
I wonder if the disgruntled poster acrually talked to talic about his problem or does he just want to scream his frustration?
3-18 foot plus boats on the set and it works great! Gonna get another one soon.
Paul
Maybe he is a fine woodworker
who is too busy with other peoples stuff and business to even make something nice for himself. So he bites the bullet knowing he can do something nicer but is looking @ how much time it will take away from work and it is a time saver to ‘just get it’ … now something not right on the parts and he is disgusted with how everything plays out from all angles.
Pat, you should be in politics…
or he should spend a little time in your corner of the world… 
I have a wall mount set.
And I am very pleased with them. Two 17/18 foot kayaks on them for several years.
Can I borrow you the next time
I want to tell some no good SOB what I think of them!
Cheers,
jackL
Worth every penny
I have the wall mount two bunk and three bunk. I think they are great! Well built, well-designed, easy to install, sturdy.
Mine Still Strong after 5 years
True, they are a little expensive.
But, mine has been storing 3 full size boats for 5 years without a problem with the rack or the boats. Easy to put boats on and take of solo. Very stable, even with rollers on the base.
I think it is a great product, even if expensive.
I don’t know about Talic racks but I…
see you’re a big fan of my favorite place to paddle- the Hudson from Annsville to Bannerman’s. I usually paddle out of Annsville Sat. or Sun. afternoon/evening till after dark. I should be there this Sunday. If I see you I’ll introduce myself.-----Rich (battered red plastic Tempest 170)
Huh, odd…
I have had 3 big racks for a year and a half now, showing a dozen composite boats 14’-18’ long and never had any issues. Have enough worries without worrying about racks failing.
See you on the water,
Marshall
www.the-river-connection.com
Are they really expensive?
I thought they’re about $100, plus discount of 10% with Paddling Perks, and shipping – so overall a tad over 100 dollars for three kayaks. $33 per kayak. Is that expensive? How do Malone wall racks and Martin cradles compare? When I shopped those were more expesnsive options than Talic. And of course making them would be cheaper, but by how much? Maybe $20-$25 worth of wood, saw blades, nylon webbing slings, lag bolts, etc? I find it well worth the extra few bucks, literally, per kayak to save my fingers from a trip to the ER and microsurgery to reattach.
Hey Hudson?
How about a little more detail?
Just curious…
Paul
Can’t speak for the storage racks
as I do not own them. But I do have a set of Seahorses. Over-priced? Probably. Handy as a pocket on a shirt? Absofreakinlutely. More compact than any home-built systems I have seen.
I would surmise that Talic’s rack quality is as good as their Seahorse quality - but maybe I’m stretching.
Jim
Is Hudson’s real last name “Talic”?
He sure is going to bring them more business based on the 100% positive replies here.
Emotionally charged verbiage + bogus claims = TROLL.
I’ll add my own positive, as I love my Seahorses. Could I make some thing like their racks? Sure (Actually I did - with metal arms - as a SoloFlex attachment). Could I design in some improvements? Maybe (but the simplicity is the best part). Would it be cost effective to make instead of buy for me? No.
Maybe Hudson is just assembling/using them incorrectly? I mean really, how bad can a web sling with support arms be?
TALIC CONDO???
I bought the triple Condo to store my two Manitou II’s and a Tsunami 145. Only the Tsunami will fit in the rack but only on the top space. The Manitou’s are too wide and the end of the arms digs into the bottom of the Manitous and the kayaks are too tall to fit between the arms. I would have to space the uprights to within a foot or two of the ends of the kayaks for them to fit on the webbing. Before I purchased the Condo’s I called Talic and was assured they would fit. I called again after installing the rack thinking somehow I installed them incorrectly. They were fairly indifferent and the only suggestion they had was to stand the kayaks on their sides. That would work okay if they were individual racks. The racks are well made and would work well on kayaks that are under 24” wide but their ads say they will fit kayaks up to 28” wide.
How far apart are the arm sets?
Sounds like not far enough if the kayaks are hitting them.
Fat kayaks will need wider spacing. Tandems become problematic here as they maintain wider beams over more of their length.
Try moving them apart one or two more wall studs, if that doesn’t get them too far toward the ends. With standard 16" OC studs, 5 = 80", 6 = 96". 7 = too far I think for the lengths of your kayaks.
Note that the arms on all these system are less than the max recommended beams - and narrower beam at the bracket location (moving away from center) is assumed.
You might have been better off with individual pairs of the Penobscot brackets, or the canoe version of the double bunk. Those are what the fit guides typically recommend for wider boats.
Something simple like the SlingSet will fit anything and could work too.
My three bunk holds 2 Otters and
a Wavesport Godzilla. My two bunk holds a Pygmy Arctic Tern and a Walden Vista.
I have my eye on the seahorses
Seem pretty pricey, but the quality of my wall mount condos leads me to believe the seahorses are probably worth it. They do look useful.