Rusty edges :(

[mahgnillig]

Hubby and I just got back from a skiing road trip to CO. We had a great time, but one thing I didn't account for was the rust that developed on our ski edges after driving through 3 states to get there. We drove with the skis on a roof mounted rack, but put them inside the car for our overnight stays on the way there/back (coming from Tahoe, we stopped in SLC both ways to break up the drive). When we got to our destination I noticed all the ski edges were rusty... 4 different brands of ski, equal rust on all of them (Rossignol, Dynafit, Volkl and Nordica).

I bought a gummy stone and cleaned up the edges as well as I could, using the hotel ironing board as a ski bench . No problems during the week as we kept the skis in the hotel room, but we had the same problem again on the drive back home. When we got home we scrubbed, edge tuned and waxed all of the skis. I managed to get most of the rust off mine but there is still some discolouration from where it was on there for a couple of days. Normally we don't have this problem as the skis go straight from the top of the car into a nice warm room, and we don't pick up 1000 miles of road grit/salt on the way. We were brainstorming various idea to avoid this problem in the future, and the best we could come up with was putting wax or tape on the edges during transit. Does anyone have any better ideas? Unfortunately the skis don't really fit well inside the car if I also want to drive it, and a roof box is not an option either.

 

[Jilly]

Why is a box not an option?

 

[SallyCat]

Given the thick layer of road salt and general filth that coats my car during the winter, I would never drive with my skis on an open roof rack. It's not so much the edges, but the bindings; I can't imagine what all of that corrosive grit would do to them.

Coating and scraping wax on the edges sounds like a good plan, but is probably more effort than just using a gummi stone for the few times rust develops.

Sounds like you need a better ski car.

 

[Dtrick924]

Why is a box not an option?

Or a soft ski bag.

 

[Jilly]

The problem with the ski bag, is making sure that any straps can't get loose. Loose straps could damage the car. And they create more drag, gas mileage, than a box. The boxes are now aerodynamic.

When we had the box, every time I traded cars, we needed to buy new "feet" or what ever attachment for the car. Buying an SUV with roof bars solved that problem.

 

[elemmac]

If bringing them inside and a box is not an option, here's a few ideas...

- Use trash bags...one on each end, have them meet in the middle and tape them up to limit the extra drag from them.

- Use binding covers to protect the bindings, like this:

When you get to your destination make sure you wipe down your skis with a damp cloth (maybe even use a little Simple Green), and store them in a location that they can dry completely.

- Use stretch wrap packing (either over a trash bag or by itself). Like Saran wrap but cheap and used for packing supplies. You can either wrap the whole thing, or just wrap the bindings, and care for the skis when you get to the destinations (same as above).

- Get a non-padded ski sleeve and use tap or bungees to keep the straps from flapping and the drag minimal.

Lastly, if they do get a bit rusty, a little WD-40 and a gentle rub with a Brillo pad should take it out pretty easily.

 

[santacruz skier]

- Use binding covers to protect the bindings, like this:

Whatever happened to binding covers? Always used them and now are kind of obsolete . Personally I think it's safer to travel with skis on top of the car rather than in the car.

 

[elemmac]

Whatever happened to binding covers? Always used them and now are kind of obsolete . Personally I think it's safer to travel with skis on top of the car rather than in the car.

Pretty sure they're still "a thing". I just Googled them to find that photo, and a bunch of them came up under Google Shopping.

 

[mahgnillig]

Why is a box not an option?

I can't reach

It's a lifted FJ Cruiser. I can just about get my skis on and off the rack but it's a stretch and I have to employ some tricks. I'm not tall enough to reach into a box, and I'm certainly not going to have a man do it for me, especially if I'm skiing solo!

I'll just wrap them in plastic bags next time... that seems like a less messy option than tape and wax.

 

[Jilly]

 

[Jilly]

Or a foldable 2 step kitchen ladder. I've a friend with a van and he's only 5'4. That's what he uses.

 

[badger]

When my dh and I have to carry skis on the roof ski rack, we use.those inexpensive nylon ski bags. They actually fit into the closed bars of the ski rack. We don't always have to use the roof rack, but for long ski trips with too much luggage in the back, it's the best option. Those bags work perfectly and can be taped to keep fabric from flapping.

 

[MissySki]

I just stand up on the open doorjam.. Definitely can’t reach into a box either. I have to step up for securing my bike to my roof rack once I get it up as well.

 

[mahgnillig]

I just stand up on the open doorjam.. Definitely can’t reach into a box either. I have to step up for securing my bike to my roof rack once I get it up as well.

The door jamb and rock sliders are my best friends for skis (taller than a 2 step ladder). The bike just goes on the back seat if I'm solo because lifting a 30lb object over my head while balancing on a 2" tube is a terrible idea!

Good tip on the ski bags, badger. I think I'll pick some up for our next road trip. Or maybe by that time I will have convinced hubby to trade his car for an all wheel drive so we can leave the guzzler at home, lol!

 

[mustski]

Hmmm ... We have always travelled with ours on the roof and have never had a problem with rust. Maybe the Land Cruiser is high enough? Either way, we could not fit the skis up there with a ski bag on any of them because the rack is too tight. Mine fit inside the truck but Bob's don't when the dogs are inside.

 

[MissySki]

The door jamb and rock sliders are my best friends for skis (taller than a 2 step ladder). The bike just goes on the back seat if I'm solo because lifting a 30lb object over my head while balancing on a 2" tube is a terrible idea!

Good tip on the ski bags, badger. I think I'll pick some up for our next road trip. Or maybe by that time I will have convinced hubby to trade his car for an all wheel drive so we can leave the guzzler at home, lol!

Just to clarify that I’m not “that” crazy lol.. I can lift my bike up onto my bike rack while standing on the ground, but once I get it on I climb up to finish securing it properly.

 

[badger]

The ski bags I am mentioning are just the cheapo ones. Not a real storage/travel bag. These are black, ugly, and have no handles or straps. More like a body bag for skis. Thin nylon that holds up quite well, believe it or not!

 

[badger]

Also you ave to consider the regions you were driving through. Some areas salt their roads, and in other areas not at all. I recall driving through SLC and definitely had rust by the time we arrived home. Hence, the purchase of those bags after that trip!

 

[mustski]

I guess we have been lucky. We have driven through SLC lots of times but so far so good. We leave again on Saturday to head to CO. I guess I'll stick some wax on the edges. A bigger concern is the bindings actually. DH says no to Saran Wrap. He's worried moisture will get locked in there. Oh well, I trade my skis out regularly but I want to keep the hubby.

 

[CarverJill]

I had that same edge rust issue when I lived in New England and used a regular ski rack on the roof of my car. To try and prevent the rust I used to take my skis into the shower when I reached my destination and rinse them off! Now I have a box or put them in the car and will never go back.