Rhino Rack T-Loader Canoe and Kayak Rack

I would like to thank all those folks that take the time to write product reviews. After reading your reviews I chose the Rhino Rack to haul my canoes on top of my SUV and I am not disappointed! Every part of this rack is well made and the design makes loading a canoe by your self possible and the transporting a lot safer. It is a little heavy getting it into and out of the hitch but the quality of the rack makes it worth it. And it is much lighter than picking up a canoe and putting it on top of your car. The bolt or pin that holds it in the hitch screws in. This takes a little bit more time than some racks but it absolutely holds the rack secure without straps or extra bracing. The tilting mast makes it possible to open the rear glass or gate to get out your other gear, paddles, life jackets, coolers and the like after you unload the canoe without having to remove the rack. and it helps in the loading and unloading of the canoe when you are by yourself. You tilt the mast, lift one end of the canoe and rest it on the rack, then lift the other end and slide it in position and strap it down. It is fully adjustable so you can use it with any boat you would haul on top of your car. I use a set of Malone Big Foot Pro racks on the front roof rack cross member to support the front of the canoe. Great set up! Go ahead and buy the Rhino Rack locking hitch pin RBCAO19 so no one steels your new rack.

Update after using it 4 years and more than just loading kayak. Can't live without it! I have used this to hold (not just load) lumber loaded through the rear window of my 4runner. Also I took a part from a bike rack and simply stuck it into the small vertical bend of the lower pipe - and that made for an easy to remove bike rack on top of the kayak loader ! I leave the kayak loader on pretty much all the time--- original review below ---Works great on my Toyota 4Runner. I am short and have a heavy, 13 ft, two person kayak pelican espirit 136T. I am able to load the kayak using this without anybody’s helpThis is built solidly!It takes about 20 minutes to assemble. The instructions are missing a couple of steps like installing the lock that comes withThe give you everything you need including wrenches and Allen keys.It takes a couple attempts to figure out the best position of the adjustable “legs” and how to operate with easeI am disappointed though that height adjustment requires using the provided wrench. I wish I could adjust the height with a leverIt’s a bit expensive but the only device that has worked for me and beats towing the kayak. Highly recommended

I purchased a 2015 Toyota Highlander with factory cross bars, only to find out that Thule and Yakima do not yet make a fit kit for the vehicle, rendering all of my Thule kayak carriers, including a Hullavator, useless. Rhino Rack to the rescue! If you have a two inch trailer hitch mounted on the car, this device works better than anything I have ever used (including the Thule Hullavators) to assist in loading a kayak onto the roof of your vehicle by yourself. It is capable of lifting the heaviest and longest kayaks with ease. There is a bit of a learning curve getting it adjusted for your vehicle, but once you start using it, you'll be amazed how fast your boat loads. It comes in two versions - one fits over an existing hitch ball and the other slides directly into the receiver. I purchased the latter, and I am very happy I did. Check out the videos on the Rhino Rack website to see the T-Loader demonstrated.UPDATE 5-2015 - Thule now has a fit kit for the 2015 Highlander, so Thule racks can now be used with the vehicle if you purchase the fit kit along with the proper feet. The cost however, will exceed the Rhino Rack T-Loader! Therefore, the Rhino Rack is still a good choice, in my opinion.

The end caps for the aero bar both arrived broken. No instructions as to assembly. Seems weak side to side when loading Hobie fishing kayak. Difficult to adjust height. Retaining pin on hitch assembly is weak and deformed first use. Replaced with higher grade steel pin and its ok now. Overall, it helps quite a bit to load my kayak onto my vehicle.

I love this load assistant. I have a heavy fishing kayak and loading and unloading with the Rhino T loader is a breeze. The loader is very well made and very sturdy. I wish I had this sooner. I highly recommend it.

It doesn't work as advertised. My kayak is 15 ft and weighs 58 pounds. I have a 2011 Nissan Pathfinder with factory racks. I am 5' 4" tall. Problems I incurred: Because of my height, when I place the front of the boat on the T-rack then lift the back of the boat, the boat is at an approximate 45 degree angle. When I go to push the boat toward the truck to get the boat at least half way on the T-rack before pushing it onto the truck, the T-rack moves forward which elevates the boat ever higher where I can't reach it. Also, the T-rack doesn't fit snugly into the truck hitch so it wobbles. Other things I didn't like is the T-rack is VERY heavy and has a lot of parts that are put held together by bolts so you need to take your tool bag with you anytime you use the rack. I went on a week long kayaking trip, kayaking several different rivers. By day two I dreaded having to take my kayak off/on the truck using this product. I especially dreaded using the T-rack when my boat was wet. It ended up taking two people to load my boat using the T-rack. One of us held the T-rack so it wouldn't move forward until we got the boat onto it and the other person to push the boat forward. I wanted to return it but by the time I received it and was able to actually use it in a "real life" situation the time had expired. I could not get a refund.

Needed a way to solo load my tandam sail kayak onto the racks of SUV. With near 10 trips complete I can say the T-Loader works flawlessly and allows me to do this with ease. Actually, two people make it more complicated. The build is sturdy and the rack tilted outward to allow for you to set the stern on the strap and then slide the boat on upward to land on the SUV's racks with ease. Rack pads that allow the kayak to slide are important.