TMS Kayak Roof Racks for 2 Kayaks - Dual Universal Fit Carriers Include Two Sets of Straps for Cars, Trucks and SUVs - Easy to Mount J-Bar Style Carriers for Kayaks Canoes Paddleboards and Surfboards

I've used these racks for over a year (bought in 9/2015, used about a dozen times or so total since) to carry my kayaks on my 2004 Honda Odyssey minivan, and they've worked great for me, with a couple of caveats: 1. They were easy to put on the cross bars I bought (separately here on Amazon: CargoLoc Roof Top 2 PC. 47" Aluminum Cross Bars - Lockable ) to use with these, but when I went to take them off the first time the bolts started to strip, so I re-tightened them and left them on the cross bars. I keep the J-carrier/crossbar assembly put together and take the cross bars off the car (with J-bars attached) and store them in my garage when not using them. This works for me because I only use the crossbars to carry my kayaks, not for anything else. 2. When I first got the racks, several of the bolts had bad threads -- I called customer service and they immediately put more bolts in the mail, I received them two days later. I was impressed by the responsiveness and appreciated the good treatment I received over the phone. 3. The straps that came with the rack work fine for me, I'm still using them a year later. I bought additional straps here on Amazon to tie down the boats at the bow and stern. 4. The padding isn't very durable, it has ripped in a few places but I used duct tape to reinforce the padding, that has worked fine for me. Very happy with these racks, they work well for how I use them!

O.k. - straight up; this is VERY inexpensive for 2 kayak racks. it's not going to have extensive padding or any bells and whistles. However, this is a very well built set of racks for that price. The assembly is easy and the parts fit together with the minimum of fuss. I have no clue what is confusing people about the assembly process. Yes; there is only an exploded schematic to guide you through assembly, but if you have ever assembled a blender you should do fine lol. The carriers where not a perfect fit for my 2018 Honda CRV with factory rack and rails, but fit tightly, securely, and with plenty of clearance to work the bolts and adjust the spacing. The padding will probably not last that long, but if you have access to a dollar store with pool noodles that shouldn't be a deal breaker. First trip was 189 miles each way at highway speeds (65-80 mph). Checked the racks at 20 and 90 miles and they were as secure as the day was long. Use ratchet straps in place of the provided straps to secure the kayak and use the ones provided as Bow lines back to the carrier, since I would think a more secure connection is optimal. One 15 foot ratchet strap allows a figure eight around the set for me. Don't be a gorilla cranking down the ratchet strap(s) - obviously. Remember...it's a kayak, not a chest of drawers. Very pleased - friends buying them also after taking a look.

First of all, these are a good value. I am pleased for what I paid for these J-bar racks. But, I am going to give them four starts for three reasons; assembly is miserable, and they are not easy on easy off. They could use different hardware and make them easier to put on. The third reason is that they really should come with some kind of padding so that the metal brackets do not tear up your cross bars. Assembly: These were not impossible to assemble, but they were a pain in the butt. I couldn't figure out whether it was better to put the plastic pads on the larger piece and then add the smaller or vice versa. Both were miserable. But, I managed to get them together, smacking them around a bit and taking my time. Also, I was missing four washers with my set, which isn't the end of the world. Installation: These installed well on the Whispbar crossbars I put on my 2013 Highlander. I didn't want to ruin the metal on my cross bars with these steel plates, so I cut up an old yoga mat into four strips that were the width of the bracket and wrapped all the way around the top and bottom of the bars. That helped a lot. It is a tight fit between the roof of the car and the bolts to tighten these on, so I also had to put a piece of yoga mat on the roof so that I didn't scratch up my paint. I ended up alternating between 13mm regular and long sockets depending on how far the nut was threaded on the bolts. I didn't use the provided hand-crank nuts, as I thought I would get them much tighter with regular bolts. The directions call for both, but I don't see the point. With the regular bolts cranked down I didn't need the hand nuts. Once these were installed they were tight and didn't move around with either of the kayaks. We have a 50-ish lb and a 60-ish lb kayak and both were fine. The provided straps did a good job securing the kayaks to the rack. If I were going to go on an interstate trip with the kayaks, I'd probably use a heavier duty strap instead of the ones provided. For local use around town, however, the provided straps seem fine to me. If you're struggling to figure out how to strap them on, I ran the strap down the left side (as you face it) of the rack on the back side of the kayak and down the right side on the front of the kayak, crossing it right between the bolts on the bottom of the rack itself. That allowed it to really hold fast to the rack. Concern about durability: The foam padding on the rack itself does not seem like it will hold up over the long term. One of the pieces is already pretty mangled from the friction of getting one of the kayaks on and adjusted to the right position. I hosed my down after use since the kayaks had been in brackish water. We'll see how the finish holds up over time. If these were easier on/off the car, I'd probably give them five stars. I have an Inno rack for our paddleboards which is a quick on/off and also secure. It also cost more! For the price, these are decent, basic racks. If we start using the kayaks all the time I may upgrade to a different manufacturer. For now, I'm pleased with this purchase.

Some of the reviews say these are cheaply made and hard to assemble. I have been watching for kayak carriers for quite some time noticing that the name brand carriers run from $100-400 for 1 pair of J-racks. I paid $60 for 2 pairs including shipping with this set and was a little skeptical for being that cheap but decided to give it a shot anyway. They take a little elbow work to get them together, but that is also what makes these good solid racks in my opinion. Took me about an hour and a half to assemble and install on my vehicle and I must say they are awesome! I was able to carry 3 kayaks with the J-racks installed at the outside edges of my crossbars allowing for the 3rd to ride up the middle of(in between) the J-racks. The straps that came with it are cheap and I will most likely upgrade those at some point, but they have worked just fine so far. You will notice a difference in your gas mileage, obviously when hauling kayaks, but the J-racks themselves produce some drag while empty as well. It takes about 10 minutes to put them on or take them off but it's probably worth the time to save the gas mileage so I won't be leaving them on all the time. Definitely worth the buy if your on the fence or doubtful! Best $60 I have ever spent and they work just as good as name brand racks!

For the love of god please change how you package your hardware. Absolutely atrocious to deal with. I spent more time removing these washers and nuts 1-by-1 than actually assembling the product and installing it onto my car. Thanks.

These work great on my 2003 4 door blazer. It fits. The kayaks that we have are an Ascend FS10 and a Future Beach Fusion 10. It was easy to assemble. Some people say that it's hard. Don't let them scare you. If you can build a small legos set for kids ages 10+ then you'll have the mechanical prowess to put these together and install them on your car. Times for everything assuming you are using all four J-bars for two kayaks and only one person doing the labor: -First time assembly and installation to the roof: 1 hour -Loading two kayaks first time: 30 minutes (to figure out how you wanna strap them) -Unloading two kayaks: 5 minutes -Re-loading two kayaks: 10 minutes -Removing the J-bars from the rack: 10 minutes -Reinstalling the J-bars to the rack: 10 minutes They don't require full disassembly to be removed from the roof which is why removal and re-installation is so fast. They are extremely sturdy. I loaded and strapped down my kayaks and then shook the kayaks and watched the crossbars of my roof bend up and down.There was ZERO play in the kayak and the J-bars. Now for the bad: I didn't trust the cam straps. I loaded the kayaks, strapped them in, and then shook the kayaks and was able to pull the straps loose. Considering how much more expensive brand name J-hooks are versus how cheap reliable straps are, I can't in good conscious knock a star off. This is still a 5/5 star product for the money, but you need to order better straps. I use cheap tow strap that I had lying around in my garage but I don't recommend those since people warn that tow straps can warp plastic kayaks. I've used tow straps the past few outings but this season I plan on investing $15 into a better set of cam straps. EDIT TO ADD LINK TO REPLACEMENT STRAPS: I replaced the straps that came with this product with these. I was able to carry my kayak on a 4 hour trip averaging a speed of 60 mph to 70 mph, using these J-bars and those cam straps. I left my review of those. They are a 5/5 product. SmartStraps 146 Green 10' 900 lbs Capacity Cambuckle, (Pack of 4)

Reviews of this product are so polarizing because of the amount of variables each end user adds to the equation, but these are my experiences on a 2017 Ford Escape with two 44Lb 10' Kayaks. First off, the pre-installation assembly is awkward, downright frustrating, and tedious. The only "instruction" is a picture/diagram depicting where every nut/bolt goes which while providing enough information does little to increase the ease of use of these mounts. The individual parts are "saran-wrapped" in bubble wrap allowing for the most annoying time for part removal as possible. I do not understand why the top mounting plate/J cradle assembly could not have come pre-done. This decision likely led to a reduction in shipping costs by the manufacturer, but leaves you (the user) in charge of tightening four nuts (The locking ones with the circle on one end) and bolts on to EACH of the four J cradles. There's also no clear indication of "how tight is just right" as the bars will seemingly let you tighten and tighten. And as explained down below, no matter how hard you tighten, they will still come loose. Once you have the first step done, it's time to mount these onto your car. The easy part, right? Nope. Now back to the whole variables thing and in a effort of full disclosure, I am using Ford's OEM cross bars. That being said, I placed one of the J-Cradles on the crossbar and attached the under mounting plate before struggling to afix a washer and a nut to the end of the long mounting bolt (when I was standing on the tire, this was pretty easy, but when I (5'10") was standing in the door this was much harder). You have to get both sides on first (and the hand screw knob) and then your can begin to tighten them down. Rinse and repeat for all four cradles. The problem with this mounting system is the length of the bolts included paired with the infinite tightening as described above. The result is you will have uneven middle bolts, meaning the distance between the end of the bolts and the roof of your car will differ with some being closer to the roof while others are a bit farther. Now I understand the length of these bolts is to maintain wide compatibility, but the lack of rubber bolt caps is almost inexcusable. Despite being fine before and after loading the kayaks, the mounts ended up coming loose on axis (causing them to swivel) causing three blemishes in the paint of my roof as the long middle bolt made contact. A simple problem that could have been prevented with some cheap rubber caps, but that one's on me I guess. As I mentioned above, the mounts came loose during transport on the highway no less. The front passenger side cradle shifted downward on the crossbar despite being tight before I left causing a kayak to shift out of the cradle. Luckily someone alerted me and I was able to pull over and fix it. Oh, and don't even think about using the included straps, they're garbage. You NEED (for both your safety as well as the safety of others) high quality ratchet tie down straps. It is with those straps that I was able to make it home safely before promptly removing these cradles at which point I noticed that because the mounts are pretty close to bare metal they scratched into the crossbar's finish, further tarnishing their appeal. This could likely be fixed with a more rubberized coating (I was thinking about coating them in flex seal before I saw the paint damage). The reason I looked at this set in the first place was the cost. These things are cheap. Not cheap enough to accurately gauge their low quality just looking at the surface(50 bucks is still 50 bucks), but a hell of a lot cheaper than the 150-200 PER KAYAK alternatives. I can say without a doubt that the tool less installation and superior build quality of those other mounts are worth it. I purchased a tool free mount for two kayaks from Yakima and I love it. The mount is still only half the battle as good quality tie down straps are a necessity. Yakima JayLow Folding J-Cradle Rooftop Kayak Rack with Tie-Downs The golden rule of "You get what you pay for" applies here as well. Don't cheap out on your investment to SAFELY/SECURELY transport your more than likely multi hundred dollar investment(s).

I bought the two set deal to carry two kayaks. They all come without damage and with all parts and straps included. What needs to be addressed is how easy the assembly instructions are. It is actually quite alarming that people say that putting them together is a nightmare, or that they had to do it a different way or even BOIL rubber parts. The assembly instructions is a simple picture. We are talking about mating two opposing metal tubes together inside of a rubber pad, and then pressing some carriage bolts through it and bolting it together. That is it. Of course you have to wiggle the rubber pad around and line up the holes. It takes all of ten seconds. Compare it to having to turn your socks so the heel aligns with the heel of your foot. If you can accomplish that, then you should be able to put this together. What alarms me is the thought of the numerous people who could not figure out how to put these together. Or worse, the idea that they do not understand that a strap needs to go through and around the J mount, as opposed to simply around the kayak (bypassing the very mounts you purchased in the first place). If this is stumping you, you have no business putting a large object on top of your vehicle. Great product, clear directions, works very well. Save your money and skip the name brand J-racks. Grab these they work great.

Not used them yet but have assembled and being bespoke steel worker I can honestly say they are made very well! The straps they come with will be upgraded but I can't say anything about them as I didn't know they came with straps which was a bonus because they will come in handy

Muy resistentes y cómodos para subir los kayaks al capacete del automóvil, el envío llegó muy rápido.

Very happy so far, I've test fit them to the car and got the kayaks in them. They're ROCK solid in these cradles! We have a 2009 Honda Pilot with factory load and cross bars, the cross bars are maybe 2.5 inches across and pretty thin (1/4inch?) slightly curved also. These clamp on perfectly, super solid. The straps feel pretty good as well, but our kayaks are pretty basic Pelican no storage 8 footers maybe 30lbs each, so they don't need much. Assembly wasn't super fun, but there's videos you can search for showing people struggling but giving you some helpful tips (ie: yes it WILL eventually go on...). The only thing I don't really like is mounting the racks onto the car and dismounting them anytime I need to use them, as they aren't collapsible. But I was willing to save the $150 or so that a collapsible set would have cost over and above this, for the time inconvenience. One trick I can offer so far is you only need to fully unscrew one of the sides for the rack mounting plate, at least for our scenario, as you can just pivot the plate under the crossbar and pull it up over the other screw, saves a bit of time fiddling with TWO washers/bolts/spinners. I have high confidence in this holding my kayaks firm over long distance higher speed drives! Update after a long trip: These are AWESOME. We took them camping, it was a total distance of around 700km's half of which was driving at highway speeds up to 100kph, the other half was low speeds on bumpy gravel/dirt roads. We did have bow lines tied down to the hood but I really don't think these were needed at all, just for safety sake. The cradles held the kayaks SO sturdy. I'm normally super paranoid about stuff I tie to the roof racks, oh I hit a bump did it move? Should I pull over?? But these were like no budging at all the entire time. Even in some high winds, barely any flex seen in the kayak bows through the sunroof. Still they're a bit of a pain to screw on each time and unscrew afterwards. The nature of the nuts lock against each other and you can't get a normal sized wrench in to loosen them, need a thin one if your fingers aren't making it turn. But still, totally worth, especially if you don't have to take them off all the time like I do.

I bought these for a kayak trailer. They exceeded my expectations in build quality and functionality!

Tricky to set up the first time but once you know what you're doing its fairly easy, product seems sturdy and well made. Just waiting to be able to try it out