Care and transport

Loading a Kayak Alone: Rollers, Load Assist, and Lift-Assist Carriers

by Akayak Editors

Choose a method that fits your vehicle and a lift you can control. Rear rollers support one end; side extensions provide a rest; ratchets raise the boat in stages; lift-assist carriers lower their supports beside the car. All require lifting or pushing.1234

This page summarizes published safety guidance. It is not a substitute for instruction, and conditions on your water may differ. Check the current rules for the state and water you paddle.

Key Takeaways

  • Include the rack, accessories, and kayak in your vehicle’s roof-load total.2
  • Check vehicle, bar, and kayak compatibility before buying.52
  • Equipment capacity is not your personal lifting limit.14
  • Complete the carrier’s securing steps before driving.67

Check the car and rack first

Crossbars are the bars across your roof that hold the kayak carrier. Bar spread is the distance between the front and rear crossbars. Rack feet, also called towers, support those bars on the vehicle. Accessories can require a particular bar type, spread, or amount of bar extending beyond the feet.52

Use the Thule vehicle selector, Yakima Fit Lookup, or Malone Fit Guide, then check the accessory’s current instructions. Ask the maker about unresolved kayak or carrier compatibility.

Check your vehicle manual’s roof limit for the rack, accessories, and load; accessory capacity does not replace it.2 For accessory limits or the ShowBoat chart, use your exact kayak model’s “Weight,” not its carrying capacity, “Max Weight Capacity.” Perception’s specifications separate these. See the roof-load limits guide for the calculation and roof-rack comparison for carrier types.

Rear loading: lift one end and slide forward

Rear loading still requires lifting each end in turn. REI advises bending your knees and keeping your back straight when picking up a kayak, and identifies a helper as the easiest way to load onto a roof.1

REI’s roller method

This method uses the bow—the front end—then the stern—the rear end—and finally the front rack cradle, the support that receives the boat.

For a rack with built-in wheels that let the kayak roll forward, REI gives this sequence:1

  1. Set the bow into the rear rack cradle.
  2. Pick up the stern.
  3. Roll the kayak forward into the front cradle.

REI’s alternative uses a towel or blanket over the top of the vehicle’s rear: rest the bow there, then lift the stern and push the boat up and forward onto the rack. Check your vehicle and equipment instructions before relying on contact with a spoiler or rear glass.1

Rear-loading accessories have their own conditions

The Malone Channel Loader uses suction cups. Clean the cups and mounting surfaces, use windows or firm surfaces, and avoid plastic spoilers or wings. For sedans, Malone recommends two loaders, mounted on the trunk and rear window. For hatchbacks and SUVs, follow the manual’s separate mounting instructions.8 Malone’s product page lists a 75-pound (34-kilogram) load capacity.9 The manual’s loading method uses a separate roof rack and kayak carriers for transport. Malone does not publish a Channel Loader-specific bar spread; follow your rack and carrier’s spacing and vehicle-fit requirements.8

After mounting the loaders as shown in Malone’s manual and confirming that the suction cups hold to the mounting surfaces, gently place the bow in the lower roller while holding the kayak against slipping. Move to the stern, lift, and walk the boat forward across the rollers. Remove the loaders before strapping the kayak under the carrier’s instructions.8

The rack-mounted Yakima ShowBoat 66 ties permitted boat weight to both bar spread and roller extension. The manual’s chart gives these combinations:7

  • Boat weight: up to 35 pounds (15.9 kilograms); bar spread: 24–28 inches (61–71 centimeters); maximum extension: 34 inches (86 centimeters).
  • Boat weight: 35–50 pounds (15.9–22.7 kilograms); bar spread: 24–32 inches (61–81 centimeters); maximum extension: 30 inches (76 centimeters).
  • Boat weight: 50–80 pounds (22.7–36.3 kilograms); bar spread: 30–38 inches (76–97 centimeters); maximum extension: 24 inches (61 centimeters).

Use the chart for your boat rather than treating its largest weight as an unrestricted rating.

Keep a hand on the boat while loading. Watch for contact between the hull—the boat’s body—and rack hardware. After securing the kayak and both ends, retract the roller fully and close its levers before driving. Check whether the installation restricts rear-hatch opening.7

Side loading: a rest or a gradual raise

Yakima BoatLoader EVO

The BoatLoader EVO is a documented side-extension option for CoreBar and RoundBar only—two Yakima crossbar types. If you cannot identify your bar type, ask Yakima to confirm it before using this accessory. Its manual specifies an 80-pound maximum (36.3 kilograms) and at least 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) of uncovered bar—bar length not covered by a rack foot or clamp—for installation. Follow the bar-specific instructions, including the special restrictions for Q Tower, a Yakima model of rack support, rather than moving rack feet to create space.2

Extend it slowly and tighten the knob. Pad vehicle contact with a towel, lean the kayak against the extension, and work it onto the vehicle while preventing it from sliding or falling. Retract and tighten the extension, then center and secure the kayak under the carrier instructions, including both ends. The extension provides a rest; you still move the boat.2

Malone TelosXL

The TelosXL has two upright lifting assemblies beside the car, attached to compatible roof carriers. Each has a leg extending to the ground, a foot pedal at its base to step on while lifting, a cradle that supports the boat, and a lock at the top. Vertical ratchets—stepped lifts that hold each raised position—raise the cradles in stages. Malone lists a 75-pound accessory capacity (34 kilograms), separate from the DownLoader carrier’s rating. The bundle requires a roof rack.10

Its manual lists attachments for Malone AutoLoader MPG106, DownLoader MPG114, J-Loader MPG118, and SeaWing MPG107 carriers. Secure the carriers directly inside the rack towers. Malone does not publish a numeric TelosXL bar spread in these instructions; follow the compatible carrier and rack instructions and Malone Fit Guide for the required spacing. Lock the legs against the ground and deploy the foot pedals. The assembly should stand nearly vertical without touching the vehicle; SeaWing has additional fit-kit conditions.3

Lower the cradles, fold the mirror, and lift the kayak into them with the cockpit—the opening where you sit—facing outward. Raise one cradle while pressing its foot pedal, then alternate ends gradually until the top locks engage. Push the boat up and inward into its carrier, remove the TelosXL, and secure the kayak. Stop if the boat does not fit.3

Lift-assist carriers: assistance and capacity are different

Thule Hullavator Pro

The Hullavator Pro supports loading and strapping at waist height. Thule publishes assistance with up to 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of the kayak’s weight and a separate kayak capacity of 75 pounds (34 kilograms). The 40-pound figure is assistance, not the weight you lift; 75 pounds is the kayak capacity, not a personal lifting limit.4

Its installation requirements include:5

  • At least 24 inches (610 millimeters) of bar spread.
  • On Thule square bars, equal lengths of bar extending 4–8 inches (10–20 centimeters) beyond the feet.
  • On Thule T-track bars, at least 4 inches (100 millimeters) beyond the feet. A T-track is the slot that accepts mounting fittings.
  • A vehicle able to carry 130 pounds (59 kilograms) of total roof load.

Keep at least 4 inches (10 centimeters) between the lowered arm and car; heavier boats may require more. Thule does not publish an extra-clearance figure or a boat-weight threshold for heavier boats. Fold the mirror if possible, lower slowly, and clean the kayak’s underside before loading. Keep the kayak from touching the vehicle during loading or unloading to avoid damage to either.5

After installation and clearance checks, lower both arms until latched. Lift and balance the kayak in the cradles, adjust the upper supports, and strap through the cradle loops, avoiding the cockpit rim. Raise straight up using both handles, then gently rotate onto the mounts until the locks click. Do not let the boat slam onto them; finish with bow and stern tie-downs.5

Yakima ShowDown

Yakima publishes an 80-pound boat/board capacity (36.3 kilograms), a lowering distance of 26 inches (66 centimeters), and 30–45% weight assistance depending on boat width. Yakima does not publish which boat widths receive which assistance percentages.11

ShowDown requires at least 24 inches (61 centimeters) of bar spread, 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) of bar extending beyond the rack foot, and a 4-inch (10-centimeter) gap between the lowered arm and the car. The clamp nearest the bar’s outer end must sit within 4 inches of the rack foot, except under the manual’s rule for OverHaul HD, Yakima’s truck rack. Follow its adapter requirements for RoundBar.6

If your vehicle has folding side mirrors, fold them in first. Then remove the safety pins, slide out and tilt down, open the support hoops—the supports that fold out for the boat—and load the balanced kayak. Adjust the saddles—the pads supporting the kayak—so they fully contact the boat, and route and tighten the straps through the saddles as diagrammed in Yakima’s manual. Do not fasten straps to the support hoops. Raise by the handles, push onto the vehicle, replace the pins, and attach bow and stern lines. Use caution on slopes; the pins must be installed before driving.6

Yakima’s page lists carrier weight as both 21 and 23 pounds (9.5 and 10.4 kilograms). Confirm your unit’s weight with Yakima before calculating roof load.11

Reaching the boat and securing it

REI suggests a small stepladder for reaching straps on a tall vehicle.1 Malone recommends a small foot stool for the TelosXL’s final transfer when needed, while keeping the angle between the boat’s ends controlled. Follow that product-specific guidance.3

Once loaded, use the kayak tie-down guide. For moving your boat over ground before loading, see kayak carts compared. Return to care and transport for related guides.

Footnotes

  1. https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/transporting-kayak-canoe.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  2. https://assets.yakima.com/product/instructions/8004085/1 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  3. https://maloneautoracks.com/dealerimages/pdf/MPG351XL%202020.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  4. https://www.thule.com/en-us/water-racks/kayak-and-canoe-racks/thule-hullavator-pro-_-898010 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  5. https://www.thule.com/-/s/approved/std.lang.all/35/78/483578.pdf?rev=6.4 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  6. https://assets.yakima.com/product/instructions/8004081/1 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  7. https://assets.yakima.com/product/instructions/8004068/1 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  8. https://maloneautoracks.com/dealerimages/pdf/MPG367.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  9. https://maloneautoracks.com/Channel-Loader-TM-Load-Assist-Module-MPG367.html ↩

  10. https://maloneautoracks.com/Telos-TM-XL-DownLoader-Bundle-MPG352.html ↩

  11. https://yakima.com/products/showdown ↩ ↩2