etrailer | Malone Channel Loader Kayak Load Assist Review

Click for more info and reviews of this Malone Watersport Carriers:
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-...
Check out some similar Watersport Carriers options:
https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Acce...

https://www.etrailer.com
Don’t forget to subscribe!
   / etrailertv  

Full transcript: https://www.etrailer.com/tv-review-ma...
Hi everyone. It's Evangeline here at etrailer. And today we'll be taking a look at our Malone Channel Loader Load Assist. This is going to help you out with loading up your kayaks or your boats or your canoes onto your vehicle. So this is a rear loading load assist device. So if you're like me, and you like to go on adventures, but you kind of want it to be easy to do so, that's where this comes in handy.

So if you have a rear loading kayak carrier, and you want some help to get your kayak up onto your roof, you would just slide it up this load assist device, and then onto your roof. Remember, this is a rear loading load assist, and not a side load assist. What that means is if you have a kayak here, which requires that you move your kayak up from the side, kind of like what we have here, which is our Malone DownLoader. Then we have other options for you. You may be more interested in let's say the Telos Load Assist, which helps you when you load your kayak up from the side.

But if you have a saddle style carrier which is what we have here, that's usually rear loading, and this is a great fit for you. Now, comparing this with other load assist devices, like we have the Malone SeaWing Kayak Carrier which can be paired with a stinger that comes out and helps you load it. I have an issue with that just because I don't think it gives me a good enough angle to actually move my kayak. I still have to get my kayak all the way up onto my roof before I can move it forward. This gives me a much better angle for just getting the whole process started.

So just because of that, I prefer this style compared to that style, which comes out from your kayak here. But again, it depends on your vehicle. Since this has a longer roof compared to others, that's why this works. This is mainly a universal fit, which means it's designed to fit different types of vehicles in different shapes and different sizes. Since it does have that extra height, even if you have a spoiler on your vehicle, this is designed to go above that spoiler and help you get your boat up.

But also, whether you have a sedan or you have a hatch like this, since you have different mounting points that can pivot or different ways to position, this is going to work with most of those. So let's talk about dimensions. So the width of this load assist device is going to be 16 inches. And that's just going to be this frame right over here. Now the roller itself is going to be about nine 3/8 inches. And notice how we have it, where it's angled outwards, kind of like two cones that meet in the middle. So depending on your kayak, your boat or your canoe, not all of it is going to be sitting on that roller it's just going to assist you up there. You have these two vacuum cups. So the vacuum cup itself is going to be about four 1/2 inches in diameter. And with them together, you have it at a distance of about 11 inches from this point to this point. So just make sure you have a surface that can fit those cups. Now this does have that extra height for your spoiler, so we'll take some measurements. Measuring from the glass that that cup is sitting on to the top of the roller, right over here, it sits at nine inches. So let's talk about what it's made of. So the frame itself is a lightweight, what feels like aluminum frame, and it is corrosion resistant though. So if you do have it outside, as you are loading your kayaks, this area may get wet, which is why you want that corrosion resistance, so it lasts a little bit longer. Now our V-shape rollers over here, this is made of a dense rubber. So that means you have that surface for rolling your kayak up. But it's not too hard where it's also going to scratch it up. Now this is a loading device, not a storage or a transport device. So remember, once you do have your kayak already up there, please take this device off. You can just move it to the other side, if you want to load your second kayak, but when you're ready to go and you hit the road, this needs to be stored inside your vehicle, and is not really a kayak carrier, but again, a load assist device. Depending on your vehicle, so if you have a SUV or a hatchback, kind of like what we have here, one roller is really all you need because you just need to get it at an angle and then you can roll it up onto your roof. But if you do have a sedan, especially if you have a large trunk, you may need two rollers so just look at your vehicle and see if you can get a good angle onto your roof. If it i