What does a Diva drive?

[altagirl]

Altagirl, what do you do when the skis are wet or frozen? Do you use a ski bag?

I just brush them off and the cargo area and seat backs have mats. And i lay them on a towel, but that's as much to keep them from rattling around as anything. They have to go a little diagonal, but it's fine.

 

[Jilly]

That's an idea, because my seats don't fold flat....I even own a rotary cutter than would work.

 

[badger]

Quick message to Badger. See the flat cargo area? And the passenger seat folds flat, too, for that really, really long load. Perfect for a tandem bike. Or ???

Back to the topic.

And the carrot still dangles...

 

[Gloria]

I put one of these in the back of my car it works well for wet and dirty. It is a little bit wide but I like that because it wraps up the sides a little. When I put the seats up I just fold it back. I have tried the carpet trick in other cars but eventually the cover over the spare etc always ended up warping from moisture. Much easier to clean too and doesn't absorb odors like wet dog or neoprene etc.

https://www.lowes.com/pd_320879-738...at&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=rubber+mat&facetInfo=

 

[skibum4ever]

Thanks, Gloria, that looks like a good solution.

 

[2ski2moro]

Gloria, is that slippery when wet? Can you trim it? It might be an even better solution. I've never had problems with warping, though.

I got carpet because I thought it would provide some traction for the dog, yet still have the ability to push things in without getting hung up.

 

[mustski]

We are much lower tech. We throw an old bedquilt in the back of the land cruiser and just stick the skis on top. Of course we only have a 15 minute drive from the ski resort to the cabin. When we get home we dry the skis off and bring them inside until the next day. If the blanket is too wet for the dog for the ride back to the coast, we just bundle it up and add a new blanket. We throw them both in the washing machine and they are ready to go the next weekend. We use Gavin's old bed covers.

The one problem we have is that both Bob and Gavin's skis are 180s and they only fit diagonally. When we drive to Mammoth, we have to put them on the roof rack to make room for the dog and the luggage.

@skibum4ever We can get our tandem on a bike rack if we take off the front wheel. We just put it on at our destination.

 

[Gloria]

Gloria, is that slippery when wet? Can you trim it? It might be an even better solution. I've never had problems with warping, though.

I got carpet because I thought it would provide some traction for the dog, yet still have the ability to push things in without getting hung up.

No not slippery at all it has a texture to the rubber it's not smooth. You could trim it very easily, I choose not too when I put it in because I thought the extra width would be better for not allowing moisture to leak under and I have a white dog and a black car so I thought it would be better that way also. There are grooves in the rubber which are great for wet skis, kayaks etc as they hold any water that might escape but I do throw a dog bed in for the dog on long road trips. I don't have any trouble pushing things in without getting hung up even with the grooves and I have pushed quite a variety of things into that car.
I had issues with warping in two cars but neither happened overnight it took a few years and ussually happened right before it was time to trade the car in.

 

[2ski2moro]

Thanks, Gloria. Good to know. I will have a look at the mat next trip to Lowes.

 

[bounceswoosh]

The one problem we have is that both Bob and Gavin's skis are 180s and they only fit diagonally. When we drive to Mammoth, we have to put them on the roof rack to make room for the dog and the luggage.

LOL. We have the same problem in the opposite direction. DH's powder skis are too long for the roof box, so we have to transport those in the car!

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I just saw this thread not sure how old the posts are but here goes. I used to have a Chrysler sebring convertible that did ok in the snow with the front wheel drive and my after market yokohama tires I had on her but our skis wouldn't fit in it so we never took it skiing. My sebring was a little ol lady and I ended up trading her in and I now drive a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with seats that fold down and skis that fit perfectly inside. I can't wait to bring her skiing. I really don't have any other car I'd want to drive as my Jeep is my fun car and my ski car.

 

[artistinsuburbia]

so after driving every mid to large suv on the market....we bought an infiniti QX60. We drive cars until the wheels fall off so I went with the more luxurious infiniti vs the Nissan version. I came down to three cars: the qx60, the acura mdx, and the Volvo xc90. Had the Volvo had a heated steering wheel option, it may have won out. But this is my first ME car. Tired of driving minivans, kid haulers and such, we decided to go luxury instead of more utilitarian as well. It's white with a beige interior with lots of bells, whistles and creature features and I LOVE IT. I won't mind driving this one for 12 years! And so far has been very utilitarian. I brought home 7 shrubs, 4 potted plants, and several flats of flowers earlier and it hauls seven passengers and their gear like no ones business. Now to get a thule ski rack for the top and I am golden.

 

[VickiK]

@artistinsuburbia - congrats, best wishes for many happy hours and miles.

Are you gonna get a Drop Stop?

 

[skibum4ever]

Just reviving this thread to post a proper picture of my new Cross Trek on her first ski trip:

 

[Tvan]

skibum4ever's picture is inspiring. I just put the ski rack on my new Subaru Outback (2015). I've had the car for just over 2 months and I'm very happy with it. It's a comfortable and quiet ride (compared to my former 2008 Forrester) and I'm happy with most of the bells and whistles. I have a 3 hour round trip to work, so my review takes this into account.

Things I like:

• Heated seats, because heated seats!
• Voice-activated, hands-free phone. I drive 1.5 hours one way to work, so this is really useful.
• Back-up camera, which is surprisingly effective.
• The amount of space in the back seat, and with the rear seat folded down…more room that the Forrester.
• The dashboard in general…well laid out and easy to read.
• Gas mileage is decent
• The audio warning when a car is coming behind you as you try to pull out of a parking space.

Things I don't like:

• The light-up indicators in the rear view mirrors that tell you another vehicle is approaching from behind. These seem to flash once the approaching vehicle is already visible in the mirror. And at night especially, the approaching headlights make the indicator redundant.
• The USB connection to the iPod. For whatever reason, every time I've plugged my iPod directly into the usb, the iPod will crash and need to be rebooted. I've given up using this now. I'm afraid I'll corrupt the drive on my iPod.
• The bluetooth audio connection to my iPhone…which I tried to use instead of my iPod to play music. It's possible that I just don't understand all the steps needed to get my iPhone playlists to play through the audio system. Meanwhile, I'm listening to NPR on the radio, so all is not lost.

Things I'm still learning:

• The navigation system and I getting to know each other better. It's voice-activated when you are driving and I named her "Jane-you-ignorant-slut" at first, because she didn't listen to a word I said. However, after spending some time with the manual, I've learned that Jane likes to receive her instructions in a prescribed sequence. Now that I understand that, she is getting better and sending me where I need to go. She even directed us around a major traffic jam when we were on a long drive to Princeton at Thanksgiving. No idea how she knew, but she did and she was right. So, overall, the verdict is not fully in about the navigation system.

I've not driven in much snow yet, but we've had some long rainy trips and so far, it handles like a Subaru…solid and dependable. Two thumbs up so far.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

• The navigation system and I getting to know each other better. It's voice-activated when you are driving and I named her "Jane-you-ignorant-slut" at first, because she didn't listen to a word I said.

LMAO

@skibum4ever , nice wheels, nice snow! > Enjoy.

 

[Jilly]

I love my back up cam, except in the winter. It's always covered with road crap!

 

[heather matthews]

skibum4ever's picture sooo makes me wish we were going to the Northern hemisphere for a ski trip this year.i'll just have to be consoled by filling the car with dirty mtb gear and damp wetsuits until June comes around....unless....Japan.....mmmm now there's a thought.

 

[NZfarmgirl]

skibum4ever's picture sooo makes me wish we were going to the Northern hemisphere for a ski trip this year.i'll just have to be consoled by filling the car with dirty mtb gear and damp wetsuits until June comes around....unless....Japan.....mmmm now there's a thought.

Me too , no trips for me this year either. Where do you ski Heather?

 

[heather matthews]

Me too , no trips for me this year either. Where do you ski Heather?

Hi Farmgirl,I ski the Canterbury fields mostly(Hutt,BR and Craigieburn).In the northern winter the Espace Killy has been a favourite for years but I would love to go back to Japan.How about you?