Rhino RackFOLDING J STYLE KAYAK CARRIER (PR), S512

The racks were easy to put on my car, sitting next to racks I already have.Just waiting to use them now.

So I spent many hours trying to figure out which J-Hooks to replace my aging Malone folding brackets that have actually worked out well for the last few years. I just picked up a Yakima Rack and Roll trailer and wanted something flashy to replace my Malone racks and it was a decision between the Yakima Jaylow, Thule Hull A Port XT and Kuat Class 4 V2. I like how all three are (somewhat) lockable to crossbars (though with Kuat, not 100% true). All three look fantastic! Unfortunately, that's where things end. I purchased the Kuat racks and they are beautiful. I reached out to their customer service department about the fact that they're not lockable to cross bars (an allen wrench is all you need to take them off their brackets) and customer service was nothing but helpful to the 100th degree! They agreed and sent out some additional locking inserts (for the brackets because only one (out of 2 per box) come with actual locks). I bought some stainless security bolts to mount the hooks to the brackets so that it would be harder (at least) for someone to take them. The interaction I had with Kuat's customer service was quick, efficient, friendly and extremely nice and helpful.Unfortunately, I returned the Kuat hooks because (I believe) they are flimsy. Everything is plastic (as far as I can tell) and there is so much play between the two components that I question the integrity of the hooks. This is much different from my cheaper Malone hooks, which are actually quite solid (at the hinge). The Kuats have about an inch of play and if (after a long day of yaking) slam a yak against the upper portion, I'm afraid the brace may fail! Look - Kuat offer's a 100% lifetime warranty on their J-Hooks - so there's that. But I want something that feels solid; that can take the beating of me tossing up a 75 pound Hobie.This is there Rhino comes in. I was about to try the Thule or Yakima J-Hooks, but many people have said similar things about them - flimsy! So I returned the Kuat J-Hooks and bought the Rhinos. The Rhinos arrived today and I just spent a few hours installing and configuring them. They are solid and well built. There is very little play at the hinge and I have NO doubt these can take a beating. I took off the row mounts as I didn't want that feature. It was easy to do...one nut.Two things I wish Rhino had with their J-Hooks - dual brackets to the cross bar and some sort of locking feature.I wish Yakima, Thule and Kuat used more metal with their products - people want well built things when it comes to hauling boats down an interstate at 75mph.

Used these racks in pairing with the extension pieces also sold by Rhino Rack. I drive a GMC Sierra AT4 with GMC brand roof racks. These were easy to install, and the metal screws that extend past the tightening knobs were far from my roof because of my roof rack height. These racks were very sturdy and held up going 70 mph on a highway with 30 mph wind gusts, while carrying two kayaks! The straps included are helpful, but I’d recommend another ratchet strap for highway driving to be extra secure. The fact that these fold down is also really convenient. These are worth the cost!

Great product easy to install

Works great and look good.