Thule 887XT Slipstream Kayak Rack

[hrhpj1]

Hello Everyone!

Last weekend Wild Bill and I were totally loaded and ready to head out for a new adventure at Lake Bruin---a magnificent lake that I have not paddled before. Needless to say, I was fired up and ready to go....yaks were loaded, lunch made and in the ice chest, all accessories in the back of the truck....10 minutes before we left, he got called to a rig in North Louisiana. Oh my, can I begin to tell you the hollow look in these big blue eyes of mine!!!

Not his fault, not my fault, not anyone's fault, but boy was I not a happy camper! I wasted an entire day pouting, because he asked me not to go by myself, since it was somewhat chilly outside and the water is not real warm, yet. (I dare say he's still having visions of my one and only--so far--Folbot Baptismal) An hour after Wild Bill left, my cell rang and it was him apologizing, which he did not need to do, but he had no doubt as we unloaded everything that I was remarkably sad and he felt extremely bad. The phone call was actually a good thing, because after seeing how I reacted, he called to tell me to do whatever I need to do to be able to load both yaks easily onto the 14 foot tall Explorer Sport Trac I bought (I know I'm stretchin' it a bit much, but that's how high it seems) so that I could join the Lafayette Paddle Club and go with them on some of their shorter runs.

I'd been researching and pondering for quite some time and had just about settled on one Thule Hullavator for that monsterous Native Ultimate of his and something simpler for "Nessie," the Yukon, since she's relatively easy to lug around. However, because I still had a niggling doubt about the scenario that the first fella I talked to at Thule proposed, I called back, again. This time I got a very nice, patient man named "Mike" who appeared to be very knowledgeable and most helpful, mainly because he had been a dealer in a former life and genuinely understood what I wanted to do. He told me to start over...he was not comfortable with the choices and felt a different solution would be much better in the long run and would give me safety and ease of loading and unloading for 2 yaks, instead of just 1.

The Thule Rep talked me into purchasing 2 - Thule 887XT Slipstream yak carriers, so, for roughly $50 more, both yaks are totally taken care of, instead of one. Yes, it is a substantial investment, but they will fit the majority of vehicles out there today, so they can be moved from one to another, assuming I trade down the road. I had been worrying a little about "Nessie," but now I feel better about the whole thing. Plus, this purchase enables my very short friend, Gayla, and I to wander where we like without Wild Bill, so he can go to work without feeling guilty. Also, when I finally save up for that orange Cooper, I can easily haul it put together, too. Wouldn't it be just bloody awesome to haul both a Cooper and a Yukon at the same time???? Louisiana is so doggone hot in mid-summer and I just didn't relish the thought of getting somewhere and spending 30 minutes in 100 + heat putting "Nessie" together...I can if I want to, but now I won't have to.

So, all this virtually meaningless info leads to a question. Just for curiosity's sake, "Does anyone out there have any experience with the Thule 887XT yak rak?" I've seen one bad review, but it was with a super long, extremely light weight, very expensive composite yak and I think they were trying to load and unload too quickly. The rest have been great.

Anyway, I'm pleased, I just have to get it in and get it on. I don't mind the wind drag, since I seldom go anywhere else, as work and school take up so much of my spare time. When I go, I'm typically headed for the water. Plus, I can always remove it, if I'm going on a long trip and just leave the load bars up there. I'm also pleased, because this is one step closer to being able to load by myself, if I need to, and head to Lafayette to paddle with their club.

Oh Lord, you bunch of Folboters have just turned me into such a dreamer....It's a good life, isn't it?

Happy Paddlin'!

[texnomad]

Due to my rain encounters, the only boats I will carry topside up is SOT type with self draining scuppers. All others are carried topside down. Cockpit covers I have seen in actual use have not done the job when in use. Most vehicle roofs cannot handle very much water in a yak before they permanently fold inward. Others on this forum will disagree. Your state does get a bit of rain sometimes.

[hrhpj1]

Texnomad:

You have a very valid point there, which I did consider, but ease of loading and unloading won out. No matter what I came up with, somewhere in the scheme of it, there was a negative aspect. Because I have very limited time to paddle, the majority of days that I paddle are sunny, or partly cloudy; however, you are very correct in that Louisiana is famous for it's summertime tropical downpours. I guess worse case scenario is that I'll get caught unaware in a torrential rain and cave the roof of the Sport Trac in . Oh Boy, I wouldn't want to see the look on Mr. Homan's face if I did that . I do have a Folbot cover for "Nessie," though it doesn't really appear to be sturdy enough to keep out a ton of rain. I've used it in light rain and it worked fine...dry as could be under there, but have never been caught in heavy rain before. I don't have a cover for "Sasquatch," which is probably the one that I really need one for. I have the bow and stern spray skirts for "Sasquatch" and I did see that there is a cover available; perhaps, I should look into that soon.

So, the moral to this story is...Oh well....I'll just do the best that I can do. I guess if I get caught in a downpour, with no cover at all, I'll just pull over, crawl up on my short step ladder, and bilge pump it out ever 2 miles . Somehow, I'll manage to make it work.

[Ken Hartlein]

I have used the folbot storage cover on my Yukon and Citibot while trailering the boats. No trouble at all, you just have to make sure you get the front of the cover on the front of the boat and tie it down properly. I have not been in really heavy rains with the rig like this but in light rains I didn't have any troubles.

[hrhpj1]

What a day I picked to go get the racks installed---a deluge of rainfall . Oh well, at least the Sport Trac, the installer, and the racks were inside a nice, brightly lit shop. The fella appeared to have no trouble at all figuring out the Slipstream, even though he'd never actually installed one before. He had previously installed several other Thule products, so he had no fear, and I have to say that he was most pleased with himself and the construction of the racks. However, I have to tell ya that he really had a very blank look on his face when the shop foreman first told him he was installing kayak racks......then, all of a sudden, his face lit up like a Christmas Tree, and he said, "Oh Sha, you mean two o' dem fancy pirogues." It was all I could do not to giggle.

Yes, there is some wind noise, but it's easily tolerable to me, especially in light of the benefits, but no whistling....I will get the Fairing next week, which will help with that some. All in all, the appearance is not near as bad as I expected it to be, though I know without a doubt, living in small town Jena, I will get some very strange looks, indeed. . That's okay, because I'm a big girl and I can handle it. As a matter of fact, it will actually please me, because when they are stuck at home watching TV, I'll be out making wonderful memories with huge smiles upon my face .

It will be Saturday, before I can play with the racks and adjust the saddles. It looks incredibly easy to do, so I'm not worriedat all. "Sasquatch" is like an elephant compared to "Nessie," so I suspect I'll have to set the saddles different, but that's what they're made to do....you get what you pay for and you pay for what you get. Who knows, Sunday might turn into a bayou adventure . Wild Bill is set on doin' a little fishing at Duck Lake and Cowpen Bayou, so I might just follow along and get a little practice in. It all depends on when my next exam is.

I'll let ya'll know how well the racks work, once I try them out, but for now I'm most pleased (even if I do look like the CNN Television Truck goin' down the road...all I need is a satellite dish and I'm in business .

Happy Paddlin' Ya'll!

[PeteS]

Juanita, a friend of mine has that setup on her SUV. Her kayak is 18' and over 60 lbs. She slaps that kayak on the roof in no time. The kayak lives on the roof all Winter, here in Florida. I hope you got the locks, those varmits are gold. I looked into one for myself but the cost kept me away. I only use the Cooper which pops together in no time at the water's edge.
I will start trailering the GII when the weather breaks. The only reason is that I will be sailing. That requires installing the rudder and the sail rig. Takes too long at the water so I'll put it together at home the day before.....except for the mast & sail....

[hrhpj1]

Pete:

I was originally looking at the Thule Hullavator, which might be the one that your friend had. By the time I bought the converter feet, the 65" load bars (wide enough for 2 - 30" kayaks) and the one Hullavator, it was quite pricey, and that wasn't getting anything at all special for the other kayak. I still just wasn't sure, so I called Thule, again. The nice gentleman there said he would feel much better with my going down a notch to the Slipstream 887XT and buying 2 of them, so that both kayaks would be safe and secure, which ended up being $50 more, but much easier in the long run for dealing with two. With the Hullavator, he was concerned about my mirrors getting konked and also that I would never be able to put 2 Hullavators, because of the weight. All in all, I actually got what I did for about $100 less than I could from any of the rack websites by dealing with a local place that is a Thule distributor. Still quite an investment, but so much easier than crawling up in the bed of the truck and loading 2 kayaks, especially since the Native Ultimate is so unwieldy and heavy---substantial "back" savings for sure, and much easier for 2 crazy women to handle.

And, yes, I did get the 4 lock system, so noone can easily steal the load bar system itself; however, now that I've looked at how it works, someone who had time, energy and patience could undo every butterfly bolt and still swipe the rack systems themselves. Thule also has available some 6' steel cables with locks that you can run through something on the boat, through the rack system and around the factory rails, too for added security. I intend to purchase them for peace of mind. Fortunately, they aren't too expensive.

Anyhow, I can't wait for a day off to fiddle with it. It might be a little too cold to go Sunday...I'm hoping for 60 + degrees. Billy has had a very bad head cold and it might not be a good idea for me to haul him out on the lake....we'll just see how it goes. At least I'm one step closer to being more self-sufficient.

Happy Paddlin'!

[hrhpj1]

Good Mornin' Fellow Folboters, and a good one it is indeed!

Nothin' like a POSITIVE ATTITUDE to get ya'll up now, is it??? So Who Dat wants to box my ears right now....I know, I know, it's just a wee bit early in the mornin' for too much energy, but believe me, I'll take it when I can get it. Just thought I'd check in and let ya'll know Bill and I survived the Super Bowl along with the pre-parties and the post-parties! What about dem SAINTS! They sho nuff not AINTS no mo!!! Seriously, we were very thrilled for our state to win the Super Bowl championship and for those of you that watched, it was definitely an exciting game. 'Round about the time Porter STOLE that ball from Mr. Manning, ole "Wild Bill" in the back room shook the roof roaring and the cats literally took flight and ended up under different beds...poor fellas are never gonna be the same! I ran in there wondering if I still had a roof over my head....Lordy, that was nervewrackin', but nice nevertheless!

Now on to boatin' business, or at least dreams of boatin' business---We finally headed out to the Barn Camp last Sunday, where "Nessie" and "Sasquatch" live, to practice a dry run and make any adjustments that needed to be made. Well, as usual, "Nessie" the Folbot was no problem at all; it was that dadgum monstrosity of my husband's, ole "Sasquatch", the wide glide of the two, that took a little patience and ingenuity . After a little bit of HOLLERIN' back and forth, Mr. Homan settled down and realized, once again, that patience is indeed a virtue! The saddle pads just needed to be adjusted to fit up in under the tunnel hull with each fitting tightly into the almost vertical portion of it on the right and left. Perfect fit, if I do say so myself! The only thing that would make loading the Folbot a little easier would be to change the front pads of the inner portion of the saddles on "Nessie's" rack from rubber to the felt type that is already on the back pads. I fully understand why the front pads being made of rubber to eliminate slippage is an excellent idea, but the fellars that designed it obviously haven't run across many "rubbery" hulls, (for lack of a better word). Once "Nessie" is sittin' in place, she ain't a goin' no where, unless I tell her to, and it would just make it a little easier if the front pads were felt, too, so I can easily slide her into position right where I want her to be. I will remedy that soon.

All in all, it's a very nice system---when you reach up there to unlatch the racks for loading and then slide them back, they extend probably at least a foot behind the cab, which makes it really simple to position the boat onto the roller without any risk of damage to the vehicle at all. When you reach down to get the stern end of the boat and slide the bow up in the air and then let it down onto the roller, it really slides easily and you never have to bear the brunt of the weight of the whole boat at one time. It is actually the perfect system for an SUV type vehicle and substantially less expensive than the Hullavator. Though it is not absolutely perfect for my set up, it's SO much easier and less danger to our backs than having to lift those boats and manage to get them upside down on the top of the other rack. As a matter of fact, had it not been for all the arguing back and forth, I'd say it worked like a charm. I practiced and was able to get my beloved "Nessie" right on up there with relative ease all by my little ole self---which was MY ultimate goal!

Now, the worst problem I am currently encountering is that the weather is refusing to cooperate with my plans---the Folbot withdrawals are eatin' me alive, inside and out . For goodness sakes ya'll, did ya watch the weather this weekend!!!! We got six inches of snow!!!!! Virtually unheard of in these parts and when I tell ya the whole town came to a standstill, I mean to tell ya it certainly did. Schools closed, businesses closed, electricity out in many areas, all because we just aren't prepared to deal with the likes of that beautiful white stuff fallin' outta the sky! Excitement was raging---and I had to work! Ole Bank of Jena is gonna be open come rain, sleet, snow or shine---and that's what we did. I have to admit, though, as I was headed to the Burger Barn (videoing I might add) to get the skeleton crew some sausage biscuits, and myriads of fluffy white stuff coated my windshield, I was having the ultimate vision of Nessie and me paddlin' along with light snowflakes floatin' all around us. I had the strongest urge to go grab her and hit the water.....My boss wouldn't have been the least bit surprised, either. I'm gonna do that one day, one way or the other. Common sense prevailed, though, and I did what was expected of me, which totally goes against my nature, indeed!

Just for your perusal, I am attaching a couple of pics of the Thule 887XT Slipstream Racks on the truck on what appears to be a rare Louisiana Snow Night and Day. My husband says, "Who Dat, Who Dat, Who Dat Moose Comin' Down dat road!" I told him to shut up; he's just jealous 'cause I'm gettin' all the looks....

Happy Paddlin' Ya'll!

[PeteS]

People are going to start wondering if you are a kayaker.....

[redguy]

Nice moose, Juanita!
Maybe you could send some of that snow up here to the Olympics: they look like they're ready to start the waterskiing and wakeboard events shortly!
Actually, they claim to have that stuff under control (LOTS of truckloads of snow)
Good thing it's WAAAAY less work to enjoy our sport of choice!
Enjoy your "moose"...looks great!