I originally purchased this trailer in September 2021 from a third-party company for a little over $2K. It shipped directly from Malone and arrived in two large boxes (assembly required). I put it together by myself within a few hours.

I had purchased this configuration originally because I had some Malone Seawing carriers for my previous kayak, which worked well on my roof rack. The MegaWings are a beefier version of the SeaWing carriers, rated for 150 lbs vs 75 lbs.

I quickly realized that the SeaWing cradles were just not large / sturdy enough for my Autopilots. It was difficult to get the kayaks loaded and they were simply too wide / heavy for the MegaWings to handle. After contacting Malone and describing the problem, they told me "A 120lb Kayak/Canoe is too heavy for the SaddleUp System [despite Malone rating them for up to 150 lb vessels], it sounds like some of the Bunks might be the best carrier that we have for your situation." Their bunk kits cost $199 per kit (and I would require two), so I decided to build my own at reduced cost and sell the MegaWing saddles on eBay.

The bunkers work fine and I would highly recommend this style of carrier for the Autopilot 136s. However, I am not very happy with the wear and tear on the trailer from normal use. Since September 2021, I have been through 3 sets of trailer tires(!!!) and am currently on my fourth set. It's mostly highway miles... I just don't think the small 12" tires on this trailer are really meant for extensive travel.

I'm currently considering trading up for a heavier duty trailer for my kayaks, with larger tires that can be rated. This trailer may be fine for the casual fisherman that just wants to take their kayaks to the local fishing hole, but if you travel a lot like I do, I wouldn't recommend that you buy this trailer, as you'll need to sink $100 into it every few months to replace the tires.

5/29 Update - I went onto etrailer.com a few months ago and purchased some 12" Kenda Karrier S-Trail ST145/R12 Radial Tires for about $105 each. They are more expensive, about 2x the cost of the bias ply tires that came with the trailer and that my local tire shop kept selling me. I just returned from a fishing trip in TN and put 900+ miles on the tires in about 3 days. They held-up great and still have a lot of tread left. I would recommend that if you purchase this trailer and plan to do a lot of road trips, upgrade the cheap OEM tires with some better quality radial tires, so you don't have to sink as much money into it as I did. Tight lines!

10/7 Update - At this point, I estimate that I’ve put at least 2000-2500 road miles on the new tires and they’re still holding up (900+ miles to TN, 600+ miles to MD, several 200-300 mile trips to the coast, and then fishing locally). The tread does seem to be wearing unevenly, with more wear to the interior of the tire, but I’m not sure if I can set aside the kayaks much further on the trailer, as I still have to fit everything inside of my storage unit. Still, I’m please with the improved performance with the new tires!

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