Submitted: 12-03-2012 by HankP88
This is my third comment/review about the Thule Hullavators since 2006. My two sets are still going strong and working fine. I attribute their longevity to the maintenance I "lavish" on them, and just would like to pass on what I do - not that it's anything out of the ordinary, but it's extra time and energy expended after each paddle. Let me also say that I paddle 99.9% of the time in salt water, so "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
After EVERY use I rinse the Hullavators with fresh water and wipe them off with a chamois or old towel--not til bone dry by any means, but just to get the excess water off. Every few uses--and definitely at the start and end of the paddling season here in NJ--I spray WD-40 on all the metal parts and wipe off the excess. (I have NO rusting on any hardware and attribute that to the WD-40 treatments.) I also store my Hullavators in my garage between uses, which also helps maintain them. (I have them permanently mounted to my load bars, which I just snap [and lock] on and off the Tracker feet when I go out paddling.
To anyone who has, or is thinking about buying Hullavators, the prices are much more expensive now than what I paid in 2006, so they're a real "investment" in gear. I strongly advise maintaining them, and they'll last and work well for a long time. |