Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I needed to carry two kayaks on my VW Jetta's OEM roof rack so I ordered two pair of this item. The Malone system is designed to fit various shapes of bars (ie: round, oval, square, rectangular). The VW rack is an irregular shape which excludes the option of Thule or Yakima. I ordered two Malone Downloaders as I needed to carry two boats, and I wanted to fold the carrier when no kayaks were on the roof.
With each pair of carriers, Malone includes two sets (different lengths) of Metric bolts for each carrier that recess into the carrier, toggle nuts, bolt covers that fit into the carrier, two straps, bow and stern lines and an instruction book. The instructions are very complete, well written and give step by step descriptions and graphics on how to install and use the carrier. I took a run to a hardware store to purchase longer bolts to fit my car rack. To their credit, Malone offers longer bolt options on their company website for less than my local hardware store. The bolts Malone provides are coated to help reduce corrosion. The carriers did not fit flush with the top of my OEM VW rack bars, so I removed a quarter inch of polycarbonate from each carrier. This was a minor adjustment to the product, and easy for to perform with a Dremmel tool.
The carriers are solidly built, provide padding on the arms and the base where the side of the hull fits. The straps are 12' long, which I find to be quite adequate for any of the boats I carry. I have carried three different kayaks on the racks: Current Designs Pachena, QCC Q600 and QCC Q500. Those who have short wide boats may need to purchase longer straps. I'm pleased with the quality, fit and function of this carrier. A buyer who already owns a Thule or Yakima rack may want to purchase the carrier that is made by the same manufacturer as their rack system.
Considering the quality of the product, the ease of installation, and the stability of the carriers on my car rack, I give the Malone Downloader 5 stars.
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