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SUP Gear Reviews / Newly Acquired / On Order / Inno 446 Surf/ SUP / Kayak / Canoe Locker Car Rack Attachment REVIEW
« on: October 25, 2021, 08:21:18 PM »
I was looking for a locking car rack for my SUP. After looking at all the options I chose the Inno 446. The Lockrack SUP carrier was a close second. I ultimate went with the Inno in part because I got a deal on an open box item.
Summary: The rack securely holds my 12'6"x29.5" Amundson on my roof rack with no problems. It doesn't make any vibrating noises or whistling sounds. It's sufficiently secure for my needs. I'm happy with it, but It's a near thing. I would probably try the Lockrack next time.
Installation: It comes with mounts for round, square, and aero bars. You have to apply rubber stickers to the mounts if you got with aero bars. The 445 models is designed for t-track. The installation is pretty straight forward. I did have some clearance issues in the front. I had to cut down the mounting screw by about a 1/4" to clear my roof. I have a factory rack that sits pretty low. The screws are hardened steel, so a hack saw will take you an age.
While installation was easy, it very nearly didn't fit and this should be a major concern for anyone purchasing this rack system in general but especially if you have a factory rack. The mount points take up 4" and 5" respectively, so you need to measure how much free bar you actually have.
I have a 2001 Toyota Highlander. I thought nothing about when I purchased it. I assumed I would have plenty of space. It's 40 some odd inches across on my rack and my board is only 29.5" ... You can probably see where I'm going with this. Well I loose 2" on each side from the collars to mount my bars into the rails, 9" to the Inno SUP attatchment, and suddenly my board something like a 1/2" of clearance. Fortunately the system was designed in a way so that this is enough clearance, though it did bend one of the 'crane' wires.
Securing the Board:
It's pretty straight forward. You release the ratchet and hook the loop on to the hook and tighten the ratchet wheel until the board is secure. You can easily apply enough pressure to get all the wiggle out. It comes with chaffing gear for the ratchet side and has a cushy rubber liner on the other. I think for some board shapes you might want to cut up an old hose and run the wire through that.
One of the big selling points for me was being able to load quickly from only one side. With my car the Selnik quick strap method isn't overly quick, and I am concerned about tapping one of my doors into other cars in the parking lot when I the bottom of the door jam to as a stepping stool. This almost worked out as expected. I still need to open my driver door for a moment to hook the hook, but it's a lot less worrisome than having to do it twice on either side and fiddling with straps.
Security:
Most of the options for securing a board are a little lack luster. The Kanulocks are probably as good or better than most of the rack options. I'm not excessively worried about it. Having something that looks annoying with locks is good enough. You might be able to cut the wire with a hardwire cutter on a good leatherman.
Conclusion:
It does what I need it to do. It's not annoying to use. It doesn't make noise. It's an OK offering in a collection of mediocre choices. The Lockrack and Kanulock solutions may be better, but I'm happy enough. I did look at the Yakima, Thule, etc. options. I wasn't particularly impressed.
Summary: The rack securely holds my 12'6"x29.5" Amundson on my roof rack with no problems. It doesn't make any vibrating noises or whistling sounds. It's sufficiently secure for my needs. I'm happy with it, but It's a near thing. I would probably try the Lockrack next time.
Installation: It comes with mounts for round, square, and aero bars. You have to apply rubber stickers to the mounts if you got with aero bars. The 445 models is designed for t-track. The installation is pretty straight forward. I did have some clearance issues in the front. I had to cut down the mounting screw by about a 1/4" to clear my roof. I have a factory rack that sits pretty low. The screws are hardened steel, so a hack saw will take you an age.
While installation was easy, it very nearly didn't fit and this should be a major concern for anyone purchasing this rack system in general but especially if you have a factory rack. The mount points take up 4" and 5" respectively, so you need to measure how much free bar you actually have.
I have a 2001 Toyota Highlander. I thought nothing about when I purchased it. I assumed I would have plenty of space. It's 40 some odd inches across on my rack and my board is only 29.5" ... You can probably see where I'm going with this. Well I loose 2" on each side from the collars to mount my bars into the rails, 9" to the Inno SUP attatchment, and suddenly my board something like a 1/2" of clearance. Fortunately the system was designed in a way so that this is enough clearance, though it did bend one of the 'crane' wires.
Securing the Board:
It's pretty straight forward. You release the ratchet and hook the loop on to the hook and tighten the ratchet wheel until the board is secure. You can easily apply enough pressure to get all the wiggle out. It comes with chaffing gear for the ratchet side and has a cushy rubber liner on the other. I think for some board shapes you might want to cut up an old hose and run the wire through that.
One of the big selling points for me was being able to load quickly from only one side. With my car the Selnik quick strap method isn't overly quick, and I am concerned about tapping one of my doors into other cars in the parking lot when I the bottom of the door jam to as a stepping stool. This almost worked out as expected. I still need to open my driver door for a moment to hook the hook, but it's a lot less worrisome than having to do it twice on either side and fiddling with straps.
Security:
Most of the options for securing a board are a little lack luster. The Kanulocks are probably as good or better than most of the rack options. I'm not excessively worried about it. Having something that looks annoying with locks is good enough. You might be able to cut the wire with a hardwire cutter on a good leatherman.
Conclusion:
It does what I need it to do. It's not annoying to use. It doesn't make noise. It's an OK offering in a collection of mediocre choices. The Lockrack and Kanulock solutions may be better, but I'm happy enough. I did look at the Yakima, Thule, etc. options. I wasn't particularly impressed.
