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Your cart is empty.The Rhino-Rack Universal Side Loader is incredibly useful for loading your SUP, Longboard, Kayak, Canoe, or other long gear onto your roof rack. Designed for a one-person operation, the Side Loader makes loading up a simple process. Just setup your Universal Side Loader, lift one side of your load onto the Universal Side Loader, and use the loader as a pivot to load the other end onto the crossbars. Perfect for taller vehicles like SUV's, pickup trucks, and vans. The Universal Side Loader couldn't be any easier to use, and only takes seconds to setup. Watch the video to see how simple it is! Compatible with most elliptical and square bars roof rack styles. Quick release strap makes setup easy. Foam padding protects your vehicle and watercraft from scratches. Load stops help prevent items from sliding off the bar. Telescoping pole for height adjustment. Heavy duty storage bag included. Max 132 lb. weight capacity with used with included support pole. Single pole weight capacity is 44 lbs. Retractable pole height 87" extended & 35.5" retracted. Foam pad 23.5" long. Includes 6 clamps to accommodate most crossbars. Enjoy peace of mind with a three-year warranty against manufacturing defects or workmanship.
Neil
Reviewed in Australia on July 20, 2024
Worth every cent so that I can manage my kayak by myself.
Crenon Olivier
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2024
It helps but if you are alone, that is not so easy
JLicharson
Reviewed in Canada on October 6, 2023
Got this because I started having problems lifting my kayak up to the rack.If I were to buy one again, I would get a better design. (i.e., one that cantilevers the kayak up like a fellow kayaker got.) This design works, but it is cumbersome to carry, set up and use.Quality of materials and manufacture is highest.
Susie
Reviewed in Canada on January 4, 2023
Great idea, sturdy and does the job well. Once you have a system down, (placement of watercraft per vehicle and lift assist, etc) it works great, even for 1 person. I'm a woman (not overly strong) and can do it myself. Our Hobie kayak is over 85 lbs and has no problem supporting it! Compact enough so you can take it anywhere, has a case too! Adjustable so you can park just about anywhere and still use this handy gadget!! Highly recommended!!
JAH
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2022
I got this to make solo kayaking a bit easier. The bar feels heavy and well made, the vertical support not so much. I have two sets of j hooks on my Jeep, but I couldn’t get this to work with j hooks installed. So I added a third crossbar behind the front bar to use the side loader. It works, definitely makes handling a 80 lb, 12’6” kayak easier.
Stan
Reviewed in Canada on June 23, 2019
This product makes it possible for me to load and unload my 56 lbs kayak onto my SUV by myself which would not be possible otherwise. If your lucky enough to park beside a walkway or handicapped spot to get lots of extra room is nice but can be done in a regular spot with cars on either side, I just don't pull in all the way until i get unloaded to give me some extra room. I took one star off only because it does not fit past the cheap J-hooks i bought off amazon that i installed on my expensive aerobars (don't ask me i don't always think things through.) so i had to install the j-hooks closer to the center of the car which makes it more difficult loading and unloading than if it were closer to the edge as depicted in videos or pictures for this. I will probably eventually invest in some better J-hooks in the future but will be looking to make sure this will fit with the new j-hooks as this is indispensable.
A. Harrison
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2019
We have a 2019 Equinox with stock roof rack cross rails that mount to the factory pads. We load two 12ft WS Pungos. I was able to get the Side Loader Rack clipped on the rails with a little fancy ingenuity and it had a nice snug fit. However, the real problem is that I use a Thule 830 Stacker and it cannot mount to the rails with the loader attached, nor can the loader attach when the stacker is mounted. I tried every possible method I could think of - because when you're loading two boats you cannot just add the stacker AFTER you have the boats on the roof - it's just don't work. However, loading just one boat it's manageable - but a real pain. I also use INNO INA451 Cradles when I use the Thule Stacker which also adds to the incompatibility with the Rhino Side Loader Rack . . . although they could be added to the rails after a boat is up top, but it's not feasible.All-in-all, the Rhino Side Loader is solid and fairly strong and would be a great helper when loading a single boat, especially by yourself. As others have mentioned, the pole is a little wonky and probably the weakest link in the system. But with a little care it's functional and not really even necessary when loading lighter boats under 45 pounds.
DB
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2019
Ive read some negative reviews of this product. So I was a little concerned about how it would perform. Mainly heard bad things about the assist pole.Finally used it a few times. I have zero complaints. I have a 89 pound Jackson Mayfly. Held the weight fine, no bending, no bending or slipping. Aluminum assist pole worked fine.Made loading and unloading my kayak much easier.
Ted
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2018
I just upgraded to a new fishing kayak. My old kayak weighed only 40 lbs and I could practically throw it onto my roof rack. The new one weighs 100 lbs and I struggled to even lift it high enough to place it on the rack. Then I got this product and now I can load and unload my kayak by myself with ease.This is made with quality materials and works great. I highly recommend this to anyone who needs to be able to self load any heavy or long items that they have a hard time loading without help from someone.
karwask
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2015
I'm so pleased with this simple, not so expensive, solution to car topping my kayak. I got a Perception Conduit 13 and it weighs about 51 pounds. So heavy and a bit unwieldy for one person. This side loader is wonderful and works as advertised. The cross bar that extends outward hooked onto my 2006 Subaru Outback factory rails crossbar is the primary item that holds the weight of the kayak. Nevertheless, it's really good to have the vertical pole as a secondary support. I have had it happen that I was a bit careless about placing and tightening the pole as well as I could have and it fell while I was loading the kayak. Turned out OK as the extension of the crossbar was able to hold the weight. Word of caution: my kayak is very narrow at the ends, the bottom is not flat at those spots so when loading on to the extended crossbar, it rocks and has to be held steady to get it on there and loaded. I have had it happen that it rubs against the side of the car when loading or unloading and I scratched the finish. This is easily solved by just placing a towel on the side of the car, towards the rear when loading and unloading. Lastly, I appreciate some of the quality extras. the bag is handy to have as it keeps the various parts safely tucked away to prevent damage to the inside of the car. The crossbar is padded with a sleeve of some kind of woven nylon do when the kayak rests on it, it has something to grab onto it a bit and prevents needlessly scratching it. The hooks that grab onto the crossbar fit reasonably well given that mine are factory rails and the hooks were not designed specifically to fit those. And, if you didn't catch the detail, the kayak is 13 feet long. Very pleased. So happy I have it worked out that I can load and unload my kayak on my own without help.
Customer
Reviewed in Canada on August 28, 2014
I bought a kayak recently and I was discouraged about being able to load it and unload it from the roof of my SUV by myself. I am a fit woman, but I just didn't have the upper body strength to do it without risking damage to my vehicle (or me). The Rhino Rack is a very simple tool that makes loading and unloading possible for a single person. It basically provides a support on one end of your boat instead of having a second person so that you can lever it into position (a step stool also helps if your vehicle is tall). I use it in conjunction with my Yakima J-Low racks and it works great. The Rhino Rack is ready to use straight out of the box and it arrived in a couple of days. Great device.
Richard
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2014
I used this to put my ~65lb / 12ft Hobie Mirage Outback on the shell of my Toyota Tacoma.The bar that attaches to the crossbar on the truck is very heavy duty and works great with my Thule bars.The adjustable pole is about the cheapest adjustable aluminum pole I've ever used. Both twist-lock mechanisms on my extendable painter's pole and my Leki trekking poles are 10 times more durable. This pole stripped on the second use and I had to exchange the rack for another. I was very careful not to overtighten but it stripped anyway.Don't tighten it enough, kayak falls to the ground. Tighten it too much, pole strips and is useless. There is very little margin for error.The rack makes it very easy to get the kayak on the truck but I will always be very nervous when tightening the pole.I'd rather they added $10 to the price and included a quality support pole.Update-The replacement from Amazon arrived. The lower portion of the pole spins freely. No lock. Rhino Rack wants you to pay the shipping charges for a replacement. No thanks. I've wasted enough time and money on this zero-quality-control company.
Nunyabness
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2013
Tough it is designed to fit my whisp bar, with the whisp bar mounting it doesn't fit properly, I have to keep a constant one directional pressure to keep this from dropping off one side and dumping my kayak on the ground
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