Roof Box vs. Ski Rack

[Robyn]

So, last year I bought a new Nissan Rogue. Partially because of a particular family trip to the mountains that due to a surprise guest but 4 adults, 2 snowboards, 1 pair of skis 3 pairs of boots and clothes for all 5 in my little Subaru Impreza Sedan. It was an amazing feat of packing and patience to get through the drive to the mountains. I had a ski rack on the car thank goodness but it still meant my back seat passengers had stuff piled on top of them for the duration.

The Rogue has blessed me with significantly more room and flexibility but I've only needed to take a total of 3 adults to the mountains for skiing thus far and I've been able to fold down one seat and just throw the skis inside. It looks as though in a week and a half that's going to bump to 4 and maybe 5 heading up the hill with me (YAY!!!) with 2-3 pairs of skis and 2 snowboards. Also, I don't see this being the only time this season I'll be packing in the people so it really does make sense to do something for carrying gear on top.

So, cost is a factor and I would have to go with a lower end cargo box, I just cannot afford the more expensive ones. So, I'm considering the Thule Ascent 1100, Yakima RocketBox 11, Yakima SkyBox 12, and Yakima Fat Cat 6 (ski rack). I'm leaning toward the SkyBox 12 or the Fat Cat 6. I prefer the idea of buying Yakima since it's a US company but if the Thule would really be the best one I'd go with it.

So, Divas, what are your thoughts? Cautions?

 

[pinto]

So, Divas, what are your thoughts? Cautions?

Make sure -- double sure, triple sure -- that the latch hasn't caught on anything if you plan on carrying Christmas presents on I-70.

 

[Shannon D]

If you buy a box make sure it's long enough to accomodate the length of skis you intend to carry. We have a Thule (no idea what model, but it's the one they recommend for Outbacks) and it is barely long enough for Brett's longest skis. His 186 rockers have to be placed in diagonally. It works, but takes some engineering.

Overall, the box is one of the best investments we've ever made. You can leave your skis in the box overnight and not have to worry about the camber getting messed up and theft is something we never, ever worry about. No one knows there is anything up there.

Another plus, you can put boot bags or other cargo up there too so you have more room for your Christmas gifts. That way you don't have to worry about them ending up on I-70. :p Love you Pinto!!

 

[Robyn]

Make sure -- double sure, triple sure -- that the latch hasn't caught on anything if you plan on carrying Christmas presents on I-70.

As I research what I want I keep having visions of Pinto and family running across I-70 picking up presents. Especially since I now know exactly where it happened. Fortunately my car is shorter so I won't scrape in Vail's parking garage.

 

[nanelle]

The great thing about the cargo box is that you can use it in the summer for backpacks, also! More versatile. And you can throw poles up there with the skis, if you have room. The less great thing about ours, at least (thule cascade xt, bought used off craigslist) is that sometimes the latch is sticky. I think it has to do with the long bars along the inside. Because the key is small, when it's cold and you have gloves on and are fighting with it, it can be a real pain! So my caution would just be to make sure that the latch works well and that you are aware of how to store gear inside without messing up the locking mechansim.

 

[snow addict]

Box would be a better choice, I think. My friend has a rack and we were really struggling to lock a snowboard with a pair of skis, plus when we arrived we had to clean the bases from dead flies and birds poo that stuck to it And last time we got a taxi, the driver just threw all our gear in the roof box. It was 4 of us, 2 skiers and 2 boarders, and it took him no effort whatsoever to fit everything in.

 

[Pequenita]

I think if the decision is between box or rack, box is the way to go. Too much road crud can get into/on the skis if they're on a rack. Among the boxes, I've nothing to add.

 

[volklgirl]

We bought the Sears XPort long box for $199 brand new last year and couldn't be happier! Mounting it to factory bars certainly wasn't as smooth and easy as the more expensive boxes, but it easily carried 6 pairs of skis (the longest being 190 cm) and 4 pairs of poles plus some other junk on our trip to Colorado. Surprisingly, on my Safari van, we got BETTER gas mileage with it than without it !!!

Most definitely I'd pick a box over a rack any time!!

 

[Ringrat]

Well I'm going to chime in and say that I have a Yakima Big Powderhound rack on my Impreza (hatchback) and love it. Although I haven't pushed the limits with it yet, it comfortably fits my 3 pairs of downhill skis and 1 pair of x-country skis. Seems that I'm hanging out with lots of boarders this year (definitely a change for me!) so I'm sure at some point we're going to have to try 3 boards and my skis. If I'm going for a longer drive to ski or it's mucky I shove my skis in their ski bag and don't have to worry about the road spray.

Why did I pick a rack over a box? Partially cost. Partially ease of getting it on and off the car myself. Partially storage space for when it's off the car (I don't have a lot of it). So far I'm happy with the decision.

 

[Jilly]

Fortunately my car is shorter so I won't scrape in Vail's parking garage.

Yup, seen that. Luckily not me!

Roof box for sure. Whatever fit your budget and vehicle!

 

[Robyn]

A box that doesn't install easily is not an option. I'm one person and plan on removing the box when I'm not using it as I don't believe my car will fit in the garage with it on.

Anyone with opinions on Thule vs. Yakima?

 

[Robyn]

Yup, seen that. Luckily not me!

Roof box for sure. Whatever fit your budget and vehicle!

But Pinto's does. Just a nice little soft scrape but a scrape still. Makes me cringe every time.

 

[merrydog]

Robyn,

We bought a used Yakima SkyBox for our drive from NC and it worked great. We had it stuffed to the gills (probably over stuffed) and everything stayed shut. Now we use it to transport and store skis since we don't have garage storage space.

The SkyBox has very easy to use clamps that you can probably latch and unlatch on your own. The only question would be how big a box can you lift on and off your car.

One other thing to consider, I have a friend with a Rogue and he has a ski rack installed. I can easily load and unload skis while still standing on the ground. To unload and load skis into the SkyBox, I have to open the door on my Subaru and step up. I'm average height (5'6") so don't know if installed height would be a factor for you.

 

[ski now work later]

Make sure -- double sure, triple sure -- that the latch hasn't caught on anything if you plan on carrying Christmas presents on I-70.

Pinto, that doesn't sound like a good story.... :Cry:

I think that ski racks expose your equipment to the elements which is not always great especially on a road like I-70.I sucked it up and bought a Thule box in 2006 for about $500. Best investment ever. Fits up to 3-4 pair of skis and 2 snowboards. This will be the 5th season using it and I leave it on all winter. So while there was a substantial investment, if I look at the cost per season, it's pretty durn reasonable. And since you have a new car it's the perfect time to make that investment! That said, my very tall husband with long arms installs and takes down the box so that part is easy for me, but I have installed it a few times with my daughters and it's really easy to install. To load, I just have to open the car door and stand on the ledge and I only take the box off during the winter if I know I'll be parking in a garage with low clearance (at the airport when I park and fly for a ski trip for example or at the parking garage in New Haven if I take the train to NYC for the day).

 

[Shannon D]

One other consideration. Get one that opens on both sides. It makes a huge difference for convenience.

On the Yakima vs. Thule question, I think it's a wash. They are both really great companies with high quality products. I've owned both and have loved both. We currently have all Thule on both cars and have been very satisfied. Their customer service is great.

ETA: I feel like I've seen boxes at Costco. Check it out.

Also, our box is SO easy to install. Brett usually does it by himself, but when I'm around I help and it takes about 5 minutes after the first time. We take it off every summer to accomodate bike racks and put it back on each fall.

 

[marge]

I just got the Thule 1600 ( I think). It's big and opens from both sides. It was under $400 at REI a couple of weeks ago. It's UBER easy to install and I can lift it and put it on the car myself.

I wanted the box as in Michigan they use salt on teh road and my skis got all pitted up one year driving them back and forth and not wiping them off when we got there/here. :( I haven't used the box yet but will next weekend. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Robyn]

Okay, so I just went to REI and Rocky Mounts to check these out. I have a couple of concerns about the boxes now that may lead me to a rack instead.

First, and biggest issue getting that thing onto my car might be a bit difficult by myself and I would have to do it by myself virtually every time. I'm not talking about the attaching part but the actually getting it onto my car. I'm afraid I would either not be able to do it or hurt myself trying.

Second, because of the position of my factory roof it will actually force the box to be tipped up a bit in the front which will increase drag. Not sure how I feel about that. And there is the possibility that the box will interfere with the hatch of my car.

Finally, cost. I could do the Fat Cat 6 for $200ish vs the $360 for the box. Given that it won't be but a few times a season that I have to put skis up on top I'm not sure an extra $160 is worth it. I mean if I had a family and was regularly doing it then there would be no question.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[merrydog]

Robyn,

Did you use the fit guide at yakima.com to check for your car? It seems like the SkyBox should fit. I was also concerned that the box would get in the way of my hatch but the way it's shaped the hatch didn't really open up high enough to hit the box. Getting a slimmer SkyBox may mean you would have less difficulty installing it by yourself.

As for the expense, we found one on Craigslist that had small cosmetic scratches but was fully functional. It's an option to keep in mind (a plus is that you can try it on your car before you buy).

 

[Robyn]

Yeah, the fit guide says it should fit but gives the disclaimer for any hatchback it could interfere. The SkyBox 12 is the slimmest but I haven't been able to get my hands on it. I need to call Rack Attack in Golden to see if they have it in stock so that I can pick it up and really test. I tested the Thule Ascent 1100 at REI and I can lift it, just not sure how I'd get it up high enough to go on my roof without killing myself or horribly scratching my car.

Ack, I hate making these kinds of decisions.

 

[ski now work later]

That is a hard decision especially as you won't need to use it all that often. We use ours twice weekly all season. A rack might be the answer for you.