2015 AI: Anybody Loading To Roof via Thule's Hullavators ?

I am assuming that the pre-2015 AI main hull can be loaded on to roof racks by one person using Thule's Hullivators.
viz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkzGnx7q6AA (the Outback, at 81# is only about 5# lighter than the 2014 AI's 86#.)

But how about the heavier (larger?) 2015? 105# "Fitted Hull Weight"...

Anybody actully doing it?

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2015 AI in "Dune" - "The Grey Pig"
2017 Trailex 450 Trailer
Pre-September 2015 cradles
(anybody want to buy a slightly-used AI SpinKit?)
eMail: [email protected]

No I haven't tried my AI15 on them because I bought a new car but I might be able to give some experience.

Firstly the Hullavator can be Lowered easily by One person even with an AI1 hull loaded, the issue may be with Raising the heavy AI.
The bare hull weight of the AI1 is 39.24Kg, the new AI is heavier at 47.45Kg.

On my Toyo Hi-Ace Van the Hullavator worked well with the AI1 because it has a high roof but if your car is not high or even medium high you may find the cradle difficult to raise alone when it loaded and is in the lowered position.
Also when in the lowered position on a high car the cradle is at chest height for a tall man so you still have to lift the Hull up into it somehow.
This can be done on your own if you are capable of lifting the AI1 hull with a snatch but it is a bit of a wrestle, or one end can be raised and loaded first.

To lift you have to use both hands to pull the release triggers on the lifting handles before you can start pushing it up.

The triggers can only be grasped one way and they are under and behind the cradle/hull when it is lowered which means you have to squat and reach under the assembly to squeeze the triggers and lift at the same time whilst your forearms are not in a natural palms-up lifting position.

This is fine with the tall cars and lightweight kayaks you see on the Hullavator video but with a 47.5Kg AI2 hull I would not like to try to lift it into the cradle alone and raising it the first 2 feet before the Gas shocks start assisting would be a bit of grunt.

However if you have someone to help you do that phase it will be easier than all the other car topping load methods.

IMO the Hullavator is a quality bit of kit and very easy to use with ordinary 25Kg recreational kayaks but is still a load to lift alone from a crouching position when you put twice that much weight on it.

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Fair Skies, Max.

I would advise a rear loading Tbar or side loading bar for a hull that long and heavy. And solid racks!

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

Just finished giving it a try with a dummy load: a bunch of windsurfing sails/masts plus a rather heavy SUP.

Total weight 40 kg/88#.

I crawled under the load and then stood up between the vehicle and the load facing the load.

Then I managed to pull the release triggers, semi-squatted/bent over, got my upper back under the load and lifted it by straightening up.

Wasn't pretty, but it worked and I did not feel injury-prone while doing it.

But now we beg the question of how it would go with another 8.4 kg (18.5#) of weight.

I think I will take it on faith that the two-step loading on to the cradles is going to work physically. Works for my surf ski....

Worse comes to worst, I'll remove the Hullavators and do the side-load or T-bar thing.... anticpated use is not that often...hoping to keep the main hull, at least, on the beach.... maybe the amas/iakos too... and schlep the rest.

Main thing is avoiding a trailer...

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2015 AI in "Dune" - "The Grey Pig"
2017 Trailex 450 Trailer
Pre-September 2015 cradles
(anybody want to buy a slightly-used AI SpinKit?)
eMail: [email protected]

..and a hernia.

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

Lol I like your ingenuity, there wasn't enough room on my setup to get behind it so I never considered that
With the Hullavator a main pro is that you can strap the boat on to the cradle at convenient chest height and not have to stand on the 4WD Step and reach over to tie it onto the racks.

For my new Hyundai SUV I bought a BULLHORN slider bar which suckers on to the rear spoiler and I just lift the REVO16 bow on to that and push/slide the boat up into the rack cradles, its no more work than using a Hullavator. Here is one being used with a TI..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcZ7uKQNfVM

But an AI2 hull being 8Kg heavier bare would require more grunt to lift/slide up than the Revo, a strong man could do it.

I bought a Trailer because I had garage storage for it and my health was not good enough to schlep the AI around the beach anymore.
The upside to the Trailer is all you have to do is step the mast and deploy the AMA before you go sailing and the hulls are well supported when not in use in this hot climate.
Also I can pile another Kayak and a Recumbent Bike, Cooler etc on top of the trailered AI2 when I go on my week-long expeditions

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Fair Skies, Max.

I have confirmed that the Hullavators do not work for me and an AI-2. Two tries.... both scary, and now I think the Hullavators are slightly bent because the release handles are very hard to squeeze and the the lockdown tends not to engage.

For me, it's just too much of a lift from too close to the ground...... For the Hullavatiors, I think it's too much weight/twisting.

OTOH, I dummied up a side loader and managed to get the the main hull up on my racks without abusing it *too* much....... Not something I would want to do very often, but I did manage it.

All that being said, I saw the light this morning and pulled the trigger on a 66" Rack-and-Roll trailer.

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2015 AI in "Dune" - "The Grey Pig"
2017 Trailex 450 Trailer
Pre-September 2015 cradles
(anybody want to buy a slightly-used AI SpinKit?)
eMail: [email protected]

I think you made a good choice.

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Fair Skies, Max.

What I do with my 2011 AI is once I've loaded it into the Hullavator cradles, is wrap some Velcro tape around the realease handles. This locks them open so I don't have to get in some awkward position to hold them open and lift.

So I basically lift from a standing position doing a bicep curl motion, and raise one knee under the hull to give it a boost. I'll try this same method when I get my AI2 to see how it goes. I normally transport on a trailer, but if I'm going away towing my caravan, then I roof top.

Ok, so I gave loading my AI2 onto my SUV with the Hullavators a go.

First thing is the AI2 is damn awkward to pick up. My old IA I used to pick up with the hull on the side. One hand in the mirage drive well and the other by the rear cross bar.

Now on the AI2 the rear cross bar is right behind the seat and you can't get you fingers around the bar. So it tied some rope through the scuppers and fed it through a bit of pvc pipe to use as a handle.



Yup this boat is heavy and I wouldn't want to carry it too far. Luckily the Hullivators sit a good height on my car so I can just plonk the hull into the cradles.



Now is the time I hold the realease handles in the unlock position with a bit of Velcro wrap.



So standing in front I lift with a bit of knee assist and its up on the roof.



After I packed it all back in the shed I realized that I would normally strap the sail to hull before lifting. So the sail would have added a bit of extra weight.

So the verdic.

Having done this with both old and new AI hulls, while the AI2 is heavier, it is still doable. The Hullivators provides 18kg of lift assistance so you need to be able to lift the balance. I wouldn't want to do this every time I took my AI out, but every now and then would be ok.

Both hulls exceed Thules recommended max weight so you would have to wear any damage that may be caused.