: I got the Yakima set up from REI.
: Even with the 20% off (plus 6 1/4% mass sales tax) it got up to $575
: (including the showboat roller loading system) for just one kayak.
: The round bars are PART of the problem, the various clamping mechanisms are
: another part. Bottom Line; I couldn't shove a 12ft plastic kayak on from
: the back without pushing one of the J-racks over, sometimes two.
: The J-racks {"Bow Downs" in Yakima sales-speak} are very grippy,
: which is good for holding the kayak once it is there, but BAD for trying
: to slide a kayak on or off lengthwise.

: So, next day I took it ALL back and for the time being I will use a horse
: trailer(-: I may try again; if I can find something like the Bow Downs,
: but with ROLLERS that have a grippy surface to hold the kayak vertically
: but allow fore/aft loading/unloading - plus BRAKES to set for actual road
: travel.... that would probably work.

: To be fair the vehicle I am using is quite tall, a lower vehicle might make
: things more manageable, i.e. I could probably provide a bit of mid hull
: lift to jostle the kayak into the cradles if everything was a bit lower.
: {I'm 6' 2" or so and the vehicle is Dodge Durango}

Problem of buying this stuff from a non-kayak dealer (REI is a non-kayak dealer), they don't know what they are selling. The roller and the J racks don't work together, arn't intended to. It's alot easier with a taller vehicle to use normal saddles then the roller would work fine.

I've got both saddles and J racks and now only use the J racks with the trailer that's at waist height so I can just lower the boats onto the saddles, the way they are intended to work.

When I'm car topping I only use saddles and carry the boats on their bottoms.

Bill H.