If any members have used this rack, I would appreciate your comments pro and con on how you liked it and how well it did or didn't work for you. I am having an A.R.E. MX camper shell mounted on my tacoma pickup which has the taller prerunner suspension. The added height from the MX camper would make it difficult to side load a canoe or kayak. (I am 62 and have a bad back). Would be loading my boat from the back using a Tule 854 waterslide mat to protect the camper shell. A step ladder will also be used to help with positioning once the boat is on the top.
I like the fact that this rack system has locks so you don't have to worry about theft if you leave your vehicle to hike or explore and can be converted for either a kayak or a canoe. I also like the fact that a cable is used with a ratchet system that looks easy to use and tighten instead of having to use straps which be harder for a solo person to use and adjust. My concern is that the thin cables might put too much stress on the boat hull. I have a Wilderness Pungo 10' kayak but I can use pipe tubing or noodles to cover the cable to address this I think. I would have a cockpit cover on the kayak and plan to use tie downs on front and back for long trips. Planning a trip to the everglades in February and a cross country trip in the spring to the NW.
I am mostly a solo traveler but if I ever have company, I have a trailer that will carry multiple boats and equipment. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Inno INA444 Kayak/Canoe/SUP rack?
Inno INA444 Kayak/Canoe/SUP rack?
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It is harder to conceal ignorance than to acquire knowledge. Arnold Glasgow
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Re: Inno INA444 Kayak/Canoe/SUP rack?
I don't know anyone who has that rack yet, so I'll have to base my input on reviewing them on-line.
It looks like the first question is, what will you be attaching them to? The INA444 appears to be designed as an "add on" for something that already has cross-bars installed. But attaching a kayak to cross-bars is easier than most people make it out to be. Two 9' NRS straps makes short work of it, and they don't even need to be as tight as most people think, as long as the placement on the boat is good - not too near the middle, not too near the end. Since you need cross-bars anyway for the INA444's, what you really seem to have is a $180 rachetting system with built in locks, competing against the cost of two 9' NRS straps at a cost of about $5.30 each, or $10 plus shipping. Throw in another 10 or 20 bucks for a cable lock to use when you have to leave your vehicle unguarded for awhile, and the "simple" system still seems to be a pretty frugal but effective choice.
What will you be using for the cross-bars? Systems by Yakima and Thule are designed with loads like boats in mind, but many racks offered with camper shells were intended only for something like a single ladder. I've always had racks that attached to the camper shell, but I have to say, my NEXT pick-up truck rack will most likely be an exo-skeleton style frame where the rack transfers the load to the truck, not to the camper shell. Driving washboard roads in Arkansas is not something most camper shells were really designed to do. Doing it with added weight on the roof cuts into the life of the camper shell. It won't turn to dust, but you'll be more likely to have leaks, trouble getting the rear lid closed, and so on. The exo-skeletons are expensive, but you do get a bomb-proof rack. Will racks attached directly to the camper shell most likely give you multiple years of service, at a cheaper price than a super-heavy-duty exoskeleton? Since my truck rack is approaching 9 years of age, under very demanding conditions, I have to say yes, on the Tacoma you don't "have" to go with the exoskeleton; racks attached directly to the camper shell should adequately do what you want done at lower cost. Or, I could talk about the fact that my camper shell now leaks enough that I can't place anything in the back 1/3 of my truck without expecting it to get wet in a rain. (sorry if I feel strongly both ways, just trying to give you both points of view so you can choose the answer that is best for you)
On the back issues, if this gives you enough trouble, then look into the Yakima EZ Loader or some similar system. I don't care for the complexity and cost of such systems, but they use springs and/or gas-charged hydraulic shocks to help lift the load up to the roof elevation, the same way charged shocks are used on almost every hatchback sedan or camper shell rear hatch lid. In action, they are a pretty slick system.
It looks like the first question is, what will you be attaching them to? The INA444 appears to be designed as an "add on" for something that already has cross-bars installed. But attaching a kayak to cross-bars is easier than most people make it out to be. Two 9' NRS straps makes short work of it, and they don't even need to be as tight as most people think, as long as the placement on the boat is good - not too near the middle, not too near the end. Since you need cross-bars anyway for the INA444's, what you really seem to have is a $180 rachetting system with built in locks, competing against the cost of two 9' NRS straps at a cost of about $5.30 each, or $10 plus shipping. Throw in another 10 or 20 bucks for a cable lock to use when you have to leave your vehicle unguarded for awhile, and the "simple" system still seems to be a pretty frugal but effective choice.
What will you be using for the cross-bars? Systems by Yakima and Thule are designed with loads like boats in mind, but many racks offered with camper shells were intended only for something like a single ladder. I've always had racks that attached to the camper shell, but I have to say, my NEXT pick-up truck rack will most likely be an exo-skeleton style frame where the rack transfers the load to the truck, not to the camper shell. Driving washboard roads in Arkansas is not something most camper shells were really designed to do. Doing it with added weight on the roof cuts into the life of the camper shell. It won't turn to dust, but you'll be more likely to have leaks, trouble getting the rear lid closed, and so on. The exo-skeletons are expensive, but you do get a bomb-proof rack. Will racks attached directly to the camper shell most likely give you multiple years of service, at a cheaper price than a super-heavy-duty exoskeleton? Since my truck rack is approaching 9 years of age, under very demanding conditions, I have to say yes, on the Tacoma you don't "have" to go with the exoskeleton; racks attached directly to the camper shell should adequately do what you want done at lower cost. Or, I could talk about the fact that my camper shell now leaks enough that I can't place anything in the back 1/3 of my truck without expecting it to get wet in a rain. (sorry if I feel strongly both ways, just trying to give you both points of view so you can choose the answer that is best for you)
On the back issues, if this gives you enough trouble, then look into the Yakima EZ Loader or some similar system. I don't care for the complexity and cost of such systems, but they use springs and/or gas-charged hydraulic shocks to help lift the load up to the roof elevation, the same way charged shocks are used on almost every hatchback sedan or camper shell rear hatch lid. In action, they are a pretty slick system.
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