[General]

I did a considerable amount of research and determined that a Thule 830 Kayak Stacker would work for me. I needed something that would be compatible with both my Yakima rails on our pop-up camper, and the factory racks on our Explorer.

When I went in to buy one, the salesman said that the Thule 830 with 2 kayaks would break the Explorer Factory Rack. He says that it happens all the time, and 20% of his business comes from folks who have broken their factory racks. He strongly recommended that I not use it on my Explorer.

I subsequently called my Dealer, who told me that he has never had to fix Explorer roof racks because of a load issue. I also haven't found anything on the Internet (including this excellant Site) that would substantiate the salesman's claims. (I think he was simply trying to get me to buy a new rack system for my Explorer.)

So the question is, will I have any problems with using the Thule 830 on my Explorer factory racks? Has anyone heard of factory racks breaking when hauling kayaks on a 830?