Malone Downloader Folding J-Style Universal Car Rack Kayak Carrier

The Malone Downloader Folding J-Style Universal Car Rack Kayak Carrier is practical, but has a low profile when not in use. To maximize overhead clearance, the racks can be folded flush with the crossbars. So, it’s not necessary to uninstall it before parking in low-clearance garages.

The car top kayak rack set includes bow and stern lines, and has plenty of padding to protect the edges of kayaks and paddle boards. The installation hardware includes options for the most common factory-installed roof racks. It works with round, oval, and square cross rails. The Malone Folding Universal Kayak Rack racks mount on the left or right side of vehicles, and has convenient built-in features to help load kayaks, such as the boarding ramp.

What Customers Like About this Kayak Rack

1. It’s really easy for one person to load, and secure, a kayak.
2. It can carry stand up paddleboards as well. No different SUP rack required.
3. The fold-down feature makes it low-clearance.
4. It’s more solidly constructed than the competitors’ models.
5. The foam padding can be replaced when it wears out.
6. The crossbar attachment is steel, not plastic.

What Customers Don’t Like

1. The racks are difficult to mount on contoured, or round, crossbars.
2. The red straps pop out of the J-bracket guides.
3. The thumb screws are hard to reach.
4. The brackets slide just a little bit as the kayak is being set in place.
5. The release-buttons became stiff, then broke after a while.
6. Large kayaks need the crossbars to be set at the maximum distance apart.

FAQs

Q. Can this set hold two kayaks?
A. No, this is for one kayak.

Q. Do you have to use the bow and stern lines?
A. It is recommended to use the bow and stern lines to avoid an accident.

Q. Is there a locking system on the racks?
A. No, there is no lock. If you are worried that they might disappear, it’s probably smart to uninstall them.

Q. Does this work on a roof rack without crossbars?
A. No, to install the kayak racks you need two crossbars.

Q. What size kayak can this hold?
A. It can hold my kayak which is 12 feet long and weighs about 50 lbs.

Q. Do these racks also lock in at a 90-degree angle, or just the leaned back position?
A. They only have two locking positions: the closed position, and the open-angle position, which is greater than 90-degrees.