Transport of skis by car;where do you put them?

A snowHead

Now that we are proud ski owners, I need to know your favoured way of carrying them on the car. They have to go on the roof, but I bought a roofbox last year which is too small for skis (PPPP) If that is the best way, then it looks like a new roofbox, but what about ski carriers? Which make, and can you put skis plus bag on carrier. I presume that it would be unwise to leave them unattended. Thanks

A snowHead

In order of preference:
Inside car, in ski bag. (No additional drag, protects ski and other luggage.)
Inside car, not in ski bag. (No additional drag, can snag other items,)
Inside roofbox. (Additional drag, but not that much; don't take up room in car)
On roof in bag, in proper ski carriers (Additional drag, noisy, don't take up room in the car)
On roof naked in ski carriers (Additional drag, skis get covered in road grime/rain, don't take up room in the car)
On roof in bag strappred to roofbars. (Additional drag, noise, insecure, dturitc)
On roof naked strapped to roofbars (Additional drag, insecure, dturitc)

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Inside car, in ski bag, as above. My car is tiny so the best space is the passenger seat. But I realise this only works because I have no passengers. Very Happy

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With a smaller car, Put em in a roof box, get one of the lower more aerodynamic ones which are for skis only - no boots up there.

I've done the UK alps drive some 25-30 times now only had my skis on the roof twice - both times the car was so full there was no room inside for spare tea bags - and one of those times we were in a Discovery!

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what RobW, said

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http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php/car-specific-accessories/thule_xtender_ski_carrier_no_tu739_6_pairs_skis_or_4_snowboards/Qx%40w%2C6M42VAwp3%40Rb%7B~cC4ure5HaY

We carry skis (and boards sometimes) on this carrier a lot, and DON'T find that they get covered with road grime - it doesn't seem to get up that far, and we have a tall car. We have carried them to and from the Alps but generally now just carry them around locally, when skiing away from base. If you have four or five skiers and a load of mucky skis, strapping them on top is ideal - and there's no chance of muck dropping off them into boots.

The rack locks. If we are skiing away from base 2 days running they just sit up there. the car will only JUST go into our covered car park with the bars on - it definitely wouldn't do so with a box. We used to have a box, but the rack is a lot easier.

I don't think the marginal additional fuel cost is a serious consideration for someone going on a ski holiday (for the same reason as I don't come off the autoroute and spend 40 minutes shopping round the Reims suburbs for cheaper fuel).

The bars do make a whistling noise. That can be a bit of a pain if you allow yourself to "hear" it.

There'd be room for a box alongside, if you needed both. It would be a pain on a tall car though.

We can get through the low gates on the péage with the bars, but wouldn't with a box.

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We individually vacuum pack our skis before putting them on the ski rack next to the large roofbox - 2 adults 2 children = no other option! Smile

After all it is free

It depends on the car. In a van which is 2m wide, you can place them across the floor between the front doors but this is unsafe as it might interfere with your ability to use pedals.

You can get magnetic ski roof holders, rather than the ones which attach to the roof rims.

In a Mazda MX5 I found the best way was to sit them upright in the passenger seat. (obviously cover the metal parts and anything which might damage or rip the seats)

Best way is inside the car, in the back with the seats down (if it fits). It will fit in most cars that way, but obviously limits the number of passengers you can carry.

rolling eyes

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Ditto RobW, but I do not have a roof box instead use a dual ski tube. Additional skis are strapped beside them in bags if required. For some reason we appear to be taking 8 pairs of skis with us this Christmas. It could be an interesting problem but I think they will all go into the car.

On one trip we carried a friends board bag with us and unbeknown to us it was not as rigid as first appeared. After driving a short while we pulled over alerted by flashing headlights. It appeared the bag reared up in an obscene manner at speed. Be careful how you pack.

John

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Depends on the car. My cars are so old and battered that I just use a magnetic ski rack on the roof, bought from a member on here for not a lot. It holds two pairs of skis, which is ideal for me and Mrs Monium, and even with three or four the extra space from moving the skis on top makes life more comfortable in the back.

It has big, flat magnetic plates, and will fit on pretty much any car with a steel roof. Plenty secure enough, I had a good swing on them when fitted and they are not going to move. I strapped the skis together with 3 or 4 ski ties along the length of each to avoid any movement between them, that also prevented any rattling. The bars also have locks, though not the most sturdy they are plenty enough to deter an opportunist, and having them locked reassures me on the motorway.

I have a ski roof box and roof bars, but for everyday transport to Hemel every week I drop one of the rear seats and they just slide right in. I've got a flexible rubber mat to protect the back of the seat, can easily fit 4 sets in lengthways behind driver's seat.

You know it makes sense.

I use a roof box Toofy Grin

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

livetoski, yeah, so do I

A snowHead

Bode Swiller, nice the Packline roof boxes are almost as good as ski porn

A snowHead

I have a pair of those Thule carriers and livetoski is right, no way will they hold 6 pairs, unless they are from 1987. We can get four pairs in ours, all-mountain skis so not the fattest, and even then we have to alternate, one pair facing forward, one back, etc. as they are too wide at the front to all fit side by side pointing the same way

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same

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Hi
I have an estate car and have always carried mine in the car in their ski bag. Drop both back seats and the skis then load through towards the front just reaching through the gap between the front seats. They do not get in the way of gear changes or hand brake operation and can be secured using one of the rear seat belts to prevent them pitching forward should one need to sling the anchors out in a hurry. Very Happy

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2 adults + 3 kids - gotta go on the roof.

Used to use ski carrier, but I did find they got wet and dirty. Now use Roof Box and like the extra room for stuff, never really noticed a problem with increased fuel consumption

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In my Golf IV, in the ski bag from end of the rear parcel shelf to the dashboard top. I have a piece of PVC plumbing pipe that curves between the front head rest supports and supports the ski bag between the front seats. Shock cord holds ski bag centered. Now longest skis are only 177 instead of 200cm, I can talk to passenger quite a bit easier. Rear seats also remain usable.

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Alans deep bath, Bode Swiller, livetoski, which one of you can deliver first and how much are they? !!!Bigtipper, thinking outside the box; like your style ! Got to see if they will fit inside estate with 12 and 13 yr old. Looks like a ski box then, to get rid of some clothing as well. Thanks for the usual SH help and advice, covering all options there. Very Happy

After all it is free

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cstreat, ....DO NOT....repeat...DO NOT....just carry them naked on a roof rack all the way through France. The salt with which the roads are treated will be forced into the bindings and you will get lots of corrosion going on. Won't be immediately noticeable but I was with a technician last year and we were stripping down some skis for repair and they were really wrecked by salt from the roads. The top sheet had been damaged in resort and when they were back in the UK the salt had gotten right into the core of the ski, and really spread out through the wood. Not so bad in the core, since salt stops rot, but VERY BAD in the bindings. Even when it's dry you get salt dust in the winter, and in the rain, you get lots of high concentration salt solution spray. A nightmare. So...if you are carrying them on a roof rack just buy a cheap ski bag from fleabay (I've got a stack of them - they are often a couple of quid only) and belt it up tight for streamlining, or wrap them in polythene and plenty of gaffer tape. Take Heed Young Luke...

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valais2, You need to persuade pam w too. (scroll up....)

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Do you reckon it will suffice to stick a plastic tarpaulin over the whole lot? Or will the salt still get in?

valais2, I used to transport mine in a bag (Saloman double bag) on the roof and the salt still managed to work its way into my skis and bindings. I had the heel piece on my Look bindings (HPX 99 or something similar) fail on me mid run one trip. When we opened it up the spring was a mush of corroded metal.

I carry mine either in the car or in a ski bag in the roof box with the drain holes blocked for the longer journeys. I have a long Thule lockable roof box.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

For me the preferred methods is in the car through the ski hole between the rear seats, as I am sure it us for most.
However, when this is not practical then I bang them up in the roof box.
And when even this is not practical then I have a ski carrier which fits two pairs of skis next to the roof box.
I have found when using this carrier that the best way to protect them is to wrap them in cling film. It costs pennies, is disposable, fully seals the skis and does not flap around when travelling at speed.

A snowHead

Cling film! Ha, great idea.

A snowHead

In the car on the way out - on the roof rack n resort. Voila.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

cstreat, Roofbox every time, or if no kids inside the car, never open on roof, corrosion issue on bindings a real problem. Roofbox good for 90mph.

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By the way, skis in the cabin are bloody dangerous surely in the event of a collision even at moderate speed. Wouldn't like to see what a ski edge would do to a human face under the decelerative forces of a motorway crash Skullie

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I guess we've just been lucky with skis on roof - though these days they only travel round locally. The car is high (Fiat Multipla) and obviously will get less salt on top than a lower vehicle.

I don't think local roads round the Alps get salted very much? I don't think I've ever seen a vehicle chucking salt around on any of our local roads, though there are often signs on the autoroute noting that salting is underway.

The resorts seem routinely full of vehicles with skis on the roof - seems the default way of doing it, for many people.

After all it is free

pam w, The gritters lay down a mixture of grit and rock salt, especially if there is arise of black ice. It just does not look like salt.

Even high up, the skis will get wet and salt will make it's way into unprotected bindings. It just may not be so obvious. I thought my skis were protected until the heel piece failed. The vehicle throws up it's own spray don't forget as well as spray from any passing bigger vehicles.

The good thing about salt is that it's water soluble. So surely you just have to wash them after the journey with a hose pipe.

I'm inclined to call 'exaggeration' on these claims that bindings have fallen to bits from a bit of road spray, akin to if the beast from Alien had bled onto them, or if they'd been lowered into a vat of boiling steel. If that were true, metal bits of your car would melt off as well.

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Transport of skis by car;where do you put them?

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