Ski Rack, Cargo Box, Truck Bed or Inside?

[Benny Profane]

That looks damn good right about now.

 

[JTG]

We’ve been using a rooftop box for years, we are on our second Thule.

One word of caution, seeing your picture. Beware the key! Our first Thule had a lock and key that looked a lot like yours. We broke a key off in the lock once. Fortunately Thule boxes (at least the ones we’ve had) open from both sides, so it wasn’t a huge problem. Along with a much easier quick mount system, our current Thule has some beefy keys.

With rooftop boxes I’m a firm believer that size matters. You want length and girth! I think ours is only 16 cu.ft., but it fits everything we need, for any season. I’ve had as many a 7 pairs of skis in there in the winter, and up to 6 beach chairs with other beach paraphernalia for the summer.

 

[TheGreatAbyss]

I feel like OP has already purchased their rack, but I really like the Thule Alpine XT. Long and wide to fit a ton of skis, but still low and sleek looking. I've never measured it, but I would assume it has less of an impact on gas mileage then those taller boxes. I was able to get mine in white and looks very sleek on my blue alltrack.

Pro Tip - I put some shelf liners and towels on the bottom of the box so the skis don't sit in melted water while being stored

 

[Harvey]

I really like the Thule Alpine XT.

That's the one I have my eye on too.

 

[Peter Minde]

I figure it’s good for 3-4 sets of skis. The K2s fit no problem.

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Nice. One of the frustrating things about Outback / Legacy, with each succeeding vehicle, the tailgate opened less and less as Subie fixed the location of crossbars. It's an issue when you're loading 210 cm skis. Happily the box mounts great on my TDI Sportwagen.

 

[Brownski]

I loaded up the box with paddling gear over the weekend without putting down any padding and it did not make a ton of noise, at least not that I could hear from the driver’s seat.

 

[Brownski]

I’ve left it up since mounting it to see how it affects things. The noise is definitely more noticeable at real highway speeds but still not too bad. I think the mileage penalty is about 2 mpg

 

[erheaume]

I'm a cargo box guy. I have a Jeep Renegade. With the seats down it holds enough gear for an extended road trip. I also have a cage rack for strapping gear on the roof when the box is not in use. The box is super versatile. It's big enough to fit an extra bike, and provides good protection to all of your gear in all weather condition. You also get to flex your travel cred and gear lust with the obligatory sticker collection. Ski areas are on my left side... misc travel/gear on the right.

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How do you get the stickers to stay and weather the elements?

 

[Brownski]

How do you get the stickers to stay and weather the elements?

apply them while dry; get all the bubbles out and make sure the edges are tight.

 

[Brownski]