Customer Reviews

Thule 830 The Stacker (4) Kayak Carrier

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Installed it basically to put 2 kayaks on top of the car instead of just one. Installation was pretty easy and it is nice the way it can be folded down for convenience. Handled the job just fine. Put two 15 ft sit-on-top kayaks on the TrailBlazer's factory installed rack with the Stacker.

Before I bought the Thule 830 I looked at the 835XT which is extremely popular around New England. Retail price for two 835s (to hold two kayaks) is well over 250 bucks as of this writing. Sure, it's probably easier to load a kayak on the 835 instead of the 830, but it's not just the price, it's also the added wind resistance and possible drop in gas mileage that could result.

The Thule 830 is a little bit more complicated to use, but it's more versatile than more expensive models. The two center rests fold down when not in use (and thus reduces drag) and it can handle up to four kayaks if your roof is big enough. It's a little more difficult to use than the 835 because there's no cradle for you to just plop the kayak into. Instead, you have to sort of balance the Kayak against the two posts while you tie it down. Also, the other drawback is that the straps provided are really only intended for one kayak. You could perhaps push it and use them for two, but another set of straps is probably best.

Installation on a Honda factory installed rack was easy. From the looks of the instructions, the 830 should be adaptable to most car roof racks. But check with Thule if you're in doubt.

I'm definitely pleased with this model. There really was no other choice given the price and versatility.

I have two kayaks, and the Stacker works great. Everything you need comes in the kit. The ties are long enough for two boats.. not sure you would be able to get 4 boats in , but it might be possible. I gave it 4 stars... the only down side to the system is trying to slip the tie into the stacker while it is on the roof. I have a SUV and trying to get my arm over the boat to slip the tie in through the hole on the stacker is a bit difficult. Now that I think of it.. you could just put one boat up first, then put the tie in before you put the other boat on.

Anyway, this is the cheapest way to hold two boats on the roof....and it works well.

Although not the most ideal means to transport your kayak, it sure is a lower cost alternative to the high dollar options. The Thule 830 Stacker fits onto virtually all roof racks; Thule, Yakima as well as most factory. I purchased this one to fit on the factory rack of my 2006 Toyota Highlander and was not disapointed.

The quality of material and craftsmanship is subpurb. The instructions were clearly written and the diagrams were large enough and easy to transition words to pictures.

The rack was installed in less than half an hour and if you have good strong hand grip, no tools necessary; although I would recommend that you take at least one turn with the aid of a pair of plyers just to ensure that the rack does not slip. If you are going to put this on a set of Yakima round load bars you will definately need to use plyers as I found out when I transfered the stacker to the Yakima bars on my pick up truck. Even after tightening with plyers the racks can be rotated front to back, not so on my Toyota; and I have no experience with the square Thule bars.

I really like the idea of being able to lay the rack flat on top of the roof when not in use. The previous rack that I had stuck up like a mohawak hair cut. So, if I didn't want to look at it I had to remove the entire rack, then re-install it for the next trip. With the Thule 830 you just loosen one nob and lay it down.

The only draw back to this rack is not in the design or the quality, it's in the actual loading of the kayak on top of your vehicle; the boat has to be transported on one of the side edges. Manuvering the boat into a vertical position can be a bit daunting by yourself, but it can be done. Better if you have a helper though to keep it stable until you can get the first strap in place.

Speaking of straps, the ones that come with the Thule are EXCELLENT! The buckle holds fast and the padded cover for the metal does not cause damage to your boat or car unless you are very careless. The fore and aft rope/hook lines are the absolute BEST. The old strap type that came with with my Yakima system always fluttered, made noise and in one instance wore the paint on my vehicle. Not so with the Thule rope style. The fastening device automatically ratchets secure and even after traveling 700 miles in one trip did not come loose.

Securing your kayak to the rack can be a hit and miss proposition. I tried the suggested tie down method that came with the instructions but was a bit doubtful as to the side strength of the rack when hauling only 1 kayak. I am sure that this has been tested by Thule, just me trying to over engineer everything. Anyway I did use the suggested method on one trip, but I found that the side of the kayak resting on the bars "walked" away from the rack 2-3 inches; part of the trip was in high cross winds and I guess I could have tightened the straps more. This trip, however, prompted me to devise my own strapping method which involves a loop around the base of the Thule rack, under the downside edge of the kayak, over the top to the rack. This method I found to keep my boat in place with no lateral travel.

If you are going to haul 2 boats you may wish to purchase a second set of fore/aft ropes, or you will have to devise a way to loop the nose & tail of both with one. You can get by with the single set of straps, but a second set may be more to your liking as well. Securing 2 boats was a bit more of a challenge, but once completed was as secure as hauling a single. What I did was mount the first boat and secured with the Thule recommended method using 1 strap. Then after the second boat was on top of the car I tied both boats together at the second tower, then removed the first strap on the first boat and repeated the double tie. Vola!! Ready to roll.

In conclusion, if you need to haul 2 kayaks and don't have the roof space, or the cash to buy 2 mounts to put them side by side, I highly recommend the Thule 830 Stacker, you won't be disapointed.

This is my first Thule product after having used Yakima racks for bikes, kayaks, and a canoe for over twenty years. Yakima makes fine stuff, but as you would expect from a system based on round bars there is sometimes a rotational component when various forces act on the load. This can be overcome, but sometimes requires tightening the hardware to a point you worry about stress damage. From a hardware standpoint, the thule square bars make a lot more sense. I purchased the stacker 830 for various reasons, but it supposedly worked well with Yakima bars as well as factory racks. It attached to Yakima without a problem.

In the world of guys trying to tie things onto the car top, I would say I'm about average. I have never (yet) had anything come flying off but its been close. The thule is probably fine for smaller kayaks, but one of mine is an old Torrent(a large, wide boat-- great for kids) and I had trouble keeping it from leaning. I tried several configurations before I found one seemed to work and eventually it leaned also. I finally just accepted it and stopped worrying. Failure to tighten the straps enough was not the problem. I found myself at a gas station standing on the roof on my SUV pulling with both hands. I don't think it could have been tighter.

The front and back tie downs are great and the system works reasonably well, but if I had to do it again I would probably go with two J-Shaped rigs.

Attached easily to a 2003 Honda Odyssey with factory bars. Only bad aspect, the Odyssey doesn't have easily accessible rear tie downs, so the rear tie down melted by being too close to the muffler.

I bought this for a 500+ mile drive to Minnesota and we had two kayaks (11' and 15') strapped down to it and it worked beautifully! I would recommend buying an extra set of the pulley cords though because those were really handy! It can be done without them but on my next trip I will definitely be buying some more of those! Overall, the carrier worked great! It did everything it promised!

We had been using the Thule J-style cradles to haul two recreational kayaks, with a third kayak lashed between the cradles. We wanted a 4th kayak, so we bought the Thule stacker. We are able to carry four small recreational kayaks (perception swifty/sparky) on our Chyrysler minivan using the factory roof rack and no additional bars. The thing that we also like is that we can fold the racks down when not in use and don't have to remove them from the car to pull it in the garage. We did have to purchase an additional pair of Thule straps (about $30) to haul four boats. It works really well and we're quite pleased with the Stacker.

These units work great. I secured them to my jeep cherokee luggage rack and with them I can carry both of my kayaks (13 ft each) on the roof in a secure and safe mode. The stackers work great and I highly recommend them.

This is a good deal for someone wanting to carry a couple of Kayaks, without spending a small fortune.

The only problem was, the instructions were a little vague, and no pictures to guide you. There are drawings, but leave a lot to be desired.

They claim you can carry four kayaks, but until I see a picture of how to do this, I would only carry two.

Still, it is a good deal to take your kayaks to the water.

I'm glad I made the purchase, and the dealer was great, and the price is reasonable