How to Tie Down a Kayak on a Thule Kayak Rack Hull-a-Port 835XTR

Transporting a kayak on top of your car often involves foam pads and easy-to-mess-up rope setups. One wrong attachment could send a kayak tumbling end over end down the road behind you. Luckily, roof rack systems make car-topping simple and safe. Thule's Hull-a-Port 835XTR, a J-cradle-style kayak carrier, requires just two cam-buckle straps to secure the kayak to your car. The Hull-a-Port mounts to Thule's roof rack system, round bars or many factory racks. It support one kayak up to 34 inches wide and 75 pounds.

Things You'll Need

  • Two cam-buckle straps
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Instructions

    • 1

      Mount the Hull-a-Port onto the roof rack following Thule's instructions.

    • 2

      Pass a cam-buckle strap through the top of each cradle. Pull the ends of the straps even and drape the rear straps down the rear windshield. Drape the front straps down the front windshield.

    • 3

      Place the kayak into the rack; it sits vertically on its side and centered in the cradles. Place it in the rack so that the bow points to the front of the car and the stern towards the back.

    • 4

      Pull both sides of each cam-buckle strap over the kayak. Adjust the length until the cam buckle rests near the center of the kayak.

    • 5

      Pass the side of the strap without a cam buckle (the loose end) around the roof rack.

    • 6

      Slide the loose end through the cam buckle. A cam buckle allows you to pull the strap only one direction. It locks in the other direction until you releasing it by pushing down on the cam. To set it up correctly, pass the loose end from the cam buckle's bottom (the flat side) through the cam to the top, or rounded, side.

    • 7

      Pull each cam buckle tight. Wiggle the boat to make sure its secure in the rack, and then pull each cam buckle tight again.