Malone J-Pro 2 J-Style Universal Car Rack Kayak Carrier with Bow and Stern Lines

I ordered two sets of these for my 2001 Chevy Blazer (2 door) and I was a little worried at first because my cross bars are slanted but I installed them anyway and after the kayaks were on them it was a non-issue. The installation was a little time consuming the first time but it's all really straight forward so it was more of me being cautious and not wanting them to fall off going down the road. The times after that have been a breeze. Due to the slanted cross bars I used two different sized bolts depending on which side of the slant I was on. After the first mount I marked them for the driver and passengers side and left the bolts and wing nuts installed on them so now I just have to unscrew one side, slide it over the cross bar, and put the wing nut back on. It now takes 3-5 minutes to get all of the carriers mounted and dismounted.Once mounted, you can just throw the kayaks up into the carriers without any worries about damaging them. It is a very good idea to follow the instructions and run the straps prior to putting the kayaks up there; it makes it a lot easier in the long run. After you get the straps tightened down over the kayaks (again make sure you follow the instructions) they aren't going anywhere. I usually keep the bow and stern tie downs in the car with me but I have no intention of ever using them because they are unnecessary; you'll understand once you have the kayaks up there. I have used these on five different occasions now and they have seen highway speeds of 90 and even with cross winds from semi's and in heavy storms my kayaks have never budged. The first two trips I would stop every 20 or 30 minutes to check the straps but I no longer have any fear of them flying off so I just keep driving.One thing I will warn you of is that they do have the potential to rub the paint off of your cross bar. I have seen pictures of people using some sort of foam or cloth or duct tape on their cross bar before mounting the kayak carriers. If I had a nice aftermarket roof rack I would be right there with them but the factory ones already look a little sad to begin with so it isn't a big deal for me.These carriers are very light but extremely durable and I am so glad I decided not to cheap out. I have since had the opportunity to look at some of the cheaper options in person and most of them feel and look like garbage so I would highly recommend spending a little extra on these, you won't be disappointed.

Bought two sets from Amazon. Just made our first 6 hour road/camping trip with these so I can now leave a review. They worked very well for our Mustang kayaks on our Lexus SUV, no issues whatsoever. Here are a few tips I would offer to anyone considering these:One, I added an extra ratchet strap over the middle (from rail to rail) just as an added safety. This probably wasn't necessary, but I've always been more of a fan of ratchet straps than the red lashing straps included. That being said, the included straps are very well made.Two, for the front line I used some 12" slings around the hood hinges (an old car mount trick from the film industry, open the hood, capture the hinges with a strap, shut the hood and use each end as attach points). I used one of the black and red lines included to ratchet the fronts of the kayaks (through a sling on each) down for stability (as opposed to going around the bumper, letting lines wear on the paint, etc.).Three, didn't use any back lines at all because I don't see the need. That also allowed me to open the back hatch (with about three inches of clearance) which is really convenient if you've got a full load on a road trip.Four - and this is more important, I think - before I ordered these I had to install cross bars. I ended up ordering a more expensive set from an online Lexus dealer, as opposed to some knock off, etc., and I'm glad I did. The Toyota/Lexus bars are curved with the contours of the roof, and there wasn't much extra space to attach the nuts to the shorter bolts (longer ones obviously wouldn't have worked at all). Without that curvature, in other words, it would have been REALLY tight against the roof.Five, just a tip: I use a towel on the roof that I can slide across for the opposite side. It can be a little tricky attaching the nuts to the bolts (there's a learning curve) and I'm a little sensitive about scratching up the roof, even with plastic coated deals. It's an easy extra step, just an anal safety measure.Sorry for the lengthy review. Bottom line, well made racks that do the trick. I suspect they're probably worth the extra money, compared to the cheaper knock offs being pumped out from wherever. Good quality control from Malone.Anyway, the kayaks were absolutely rock solid.

I’m not sure how I feel about this item. It worked, but didn’t as well as I expected. I purchased 2 sets for 2 different fishing kayaks. The installation was very easy. Everything was fine, but the I started to have problem on a 5 hour road trip with a slight wind between 10-20 mph gusts going about 70 mph.The first is an Ascend FS10, it held that kayak fine without any problems or modifications needed for a 5 hour road trip.The second is an Ascend 12T, this is where I had problems. About 1.5 hrs into the trip I noticed that the kayak started slipping off the holder. All the straps were tight, it was just coming off. I contributed it to the wind gust. I slowed down to about 55 mph, but it would only last for about 30 mins before I’d have to go fix it again and again and again. It also started to wear on the bar protectors which then started to damage my kayak. It was definitely frustrating!!My solution to this that worked was buying some additional ratchet straps once I found a store on the many stops that I had to make. First, place the roof racks close together so they are touching back-to-back (so that the back of the kayaks are touching). Second, use the ratchet straps and tie you kayaks together. , lastly, install how the Malone provided straps how they tell you to. I did this on the return trip and it worked like a charm with higher wind gusts and going about 80 mph.