Best Ford Explorer Ski and Snowboard Racks

I'm completely satisfied with my purchase from etrailer. First, the company provides terrific support, from installation instructions to responding quickly to questions. Second, the carriers are great. They are easy to install and remove. I am confident they are securely installed and my skis are safe. I wasn't worried about them as I drove down I-80 in Wyoming at 80mph. Having the skis on the roof made it possible for me, my wife, our infant son in his car seat, our dog, our cat in his carrier, and our luggage to fit in our car so we could enjoy a week-long ski trip in Utah. The only reason I held back from giving a 5-star review is the noise. I might be able to reduce it by moving around the rail inserts or adding an air dam. I'll report back if either of those work. Until then, I'll happily and confidently keep using the carriers.

E trailer I have a 2019 Mazda6 and purchased the rhino rack series 2500 parts (fit kit #DK289, foot pack #RRRLKVA, aero crossbars#RRVA126B-2), and the rhino rack snowboard/ski carrier #RR576. My car does have fixed mounting points underneath the strip on the roof so I opted to add them to my roof and not use the clamp for kit that goes in the door jam. Every time I entered the year, make, and model of my car, the parts came up with the clamp fit kit part #DK387 which I did not want. But after some research, I found the correct fixed mounting point fit kit. The site of course told me that this part wouldn’t fit my car but after looking at the customer reviews, I saw them used on Mazdas. All of the rhino rack instructions were not the best. We did have to make some adjustments. One of the instruction packs tells you how long you’re supposed to cut the rubber pieces that go into the crossbars based on your car but unfortunately, the measurements were wrong for my car (picture- front 166mm is wrong). The front bar length was about an inch too short and I had to add more rubber to make it longer to fit the fixed mounting points on my roof. After some time of trying to interpret the instructions, and looking up whatever available instructional videos were online, we finally finished installing them and they do look really nice. At higher speeds on the highway I can definitely hear more noise. The actual snowboard carrier is fine, fits all 4 boards fine. It is a little difficult to close once I have my boards in there because you have to push the top bar all the way down and hold it down to be able to turn the key to lock it. I’m just happy I don’t have to shove the boards in my trunk. I do like that all the parts in this series come with locks and keys. So far no problems. Overall good product.

So easy to install onto Thule AeroBlade. Quality materials and convenient design. No significant noise noticeable from wind resistance when driving. etrailer provided great shipment/notification support and was great resource for how-to videos, commentary.

Better than I expected. Only comes with four core locks so be aware of that if you want six like I did. Bought two more locks from Thule with the same key #. Mounted this carrier on my Rhino Rack. Perfect fit and looks great. Would highly recommend.

I have had a Rhino Rack on my Ford Explorer for a year and travel many miles as a ski racing official. The installation was quick and simple and durability has been impressive. I would definitely recommend these racks.

Howzit etrailer.com & staff. the rack itself is sturdy and more aero than comparable units. For my 2017 Subaru Crosstrek (OEM) Aero Bars, it was necessary to shim the (rear) lower/leading edge clamp assembly with two 1/8” x 1.5” x 1.5” (EPDM) rubber pads. The bars are shaped like a wing – and these shims helped to level the rear rack with the one in front. Overall - it looks very clean and functional. I might screw on some rubber ends over the ends of the mounting bolt to complete the project. Time to make some turns. Thank you!!

Love it!!!!!! Great ski rack replacement for older rack. The extended slide is incredible. The eTrailer support helped me pick the model that worked for my car and crossbars. Another wonderful purchase from my go to source for bike/ski or other related products!

Fits our 4 skis and 1 snowboard, 2 skis are for kids which makes it easier. Slide out is really helpful so we don't have to climb over the car to put things on the rack.

This rack easily fits 5 sets of skis for my family. It is FAIRLY easy to take on and off (could be faster if we didn't have to turn turn turn the dials). My biggest complaint is that as soon as my skis are out of it, I HAVE to remove it from my car (SUV). The noise of it empty on my roof is so loud when I am on the highway it is AWFUL! It's like it vibrates my whole car and is super loud. It only does it when there are no skis in it. It is frustrating since it would be way easier just to leave it on all winter taking my skis on and off when we need to, not the entire rack.

Just put this snowboard rack on my 2011 4runner mounted to Thule Aeroblade roof rack. Easy to install and use. Quality seems good. Like the look. No noise issues when driving. No complaints so far. Overall satisfied!

Excellent customer service and tracking. From ordering to delivery, this is the best experience it have ever had with an actual n line order. Highly recommend Looking forward to ordering in the future

Very nice racks perfect for my fishing rods, I like buying from etrailer there are first class company.

Last year I purchased Rino ski racks from etrailer and they work great . The hardware fit my roof racks and all the fittings are tight. Ordering was easy. Shipping was fast and I even got a follow up personal email from George a year later asking how I liked them - which was impressive! I would definitely recommend etrailer as an honest and good outdoor gear company!

My second Rhino Rack. I use the racks for skiing and fishing pole. I travel a lot and have never had a problem with them. The Installation is simple and can be completed in under 15 minutes. Etrailer was cheaper than amazon, didnt charge for shipping, and I got the rack a few days after ordering. Would totally recommend etrailer.

Just got my Yakima Fatcat EVO 6 ski carrier (black finish) and I am stoked. Note that this is different than the Fatcat 6 (non-EVO, previous generation) carrier. This is my first ski carrier, but I and/or my kids ski about once a week at Alta and Snowbird when the lifts are running, so I expect it to get lots of use. Etrailer shipping was fast and item was packed in a sturdy secondary box. PROS: 1. I love the sturdy build and quality finish of the carrier. 2. The design allows many micro-adjustments to fit to your vehicle and to fit the skis. For instance the spring-loaded hinge on one end and the lock on the other end can naturally accommodate different thickness skis. 3. Carrier has a usable width (i.e. width of skis side by side) of 32.75 inches (832 mm). For those that are not skiing on 75-mm-wide skis from 30 years ago, this carrier might actually allow you to fit 6 pairs! 4. Separate mounting brackets for aero or for square/circle cross bars. The aero brackets fit securely on my Acura/Honda OEM cross bars. The flat part of your skis will be about 3 inches (76 mm) above your cross bars. 5. A built-in lift bracket that lifts by an additional 3 inches (76 mm) the hinged end of the carrier, if you have really tall bindings (I don't think I'll need to use it). 6. The aero brackets use a rubber coated steel strap to wrap under your cross bars. This strap has a quick release cam on one end that can be operated when the carrier is not key-locked. This means you can remove or install the carrier without tools in about 4 minutes, once you've done the initial install-related tuning. While the carrier seems sturdy enough to leave on the vehicle all winter, I expect I'll only install it on ski days. This feature really sets this model apart and for me was its biggest selling point. 7. Yakima packages the carrier in a nice-looking sturdy cardboard box with a flap lid. I can fit the two parts of the carrier in the box, with the brackets/straps still installed, for convenient storage (see picture). CONS: None so far, though I haven't yet actually hauled skis up the mountain! After this ski season is over and eTrailer asks me for a follow-up review, I'll let you know. I'm also thinking about seeing if the ski carrier can be attached to my small hitch-mounted cargo carrier. That would make loading and unloading the skis easier than on the roof.

First off...you can't beat the service of etrailer.com. I was looking for a ski rack for my son's 2012 Subaru Impreza with the factory roof rack (base model not the sport). I could find no reviews of anybody installing one of these on one of those. I took the plunge and will say that I am very happy with the outcome. The installation is a bit tricky and four hands help, but after the first one was installed we had the hang of it and the second one went on very quickly. Even with the expedited shipping this rack was about $50 cheaper than the Subaru ski rack. Again the etrailer.com service is fantastic. I have purchased products here before and will do so again.

Looks great on the vehicle. Had a little struggle tightening onto the cross bars but adapted and overcame!

It's a ski rack so its not all that exciting. I like that it is small for storage reasons when not using it. The fastening system to my Toyota Highlander factory rack is secure but a little cumbersome to apply and take off. I like to take it off when not using it to preserve my gas mileage. The boards and skis fit fine although they are stacked in order to get 4 peoples worth of equipment up there. A small price to pay for their compact size on the roof or in the garage.

It will, indeed fit six pair of skis back to back. It would be better if the lower bracket on each side could be opened wider to make it easier to slide the skis into position. But I've tried it with four different pairs of skis (kids skis, modern adult skis, and even early 2000s adult skis); they all fit fine. Mounting to a bike rack is pretty straightforward, and as long as the rack can hang four bikes, with adjustable hanger slot placement, the ski rack accessory should fit onto the bike rack just fine. I added an extra wrap of shock cord at each contact point just to lock it down better, but that shouldn't be necessary. It is quite sturdy. I do suggest always traveling with the upper brackets locked using the keys that come with the rack. If you want to add a little theft deterrent, hitch bike racks either have a slot for a bike chain, or have one built in. And of course use a locking receiver pin. For several years I've used a roof-top cargo box for skis, but on taller vehicles that would prevent entry into a garage, on taller cars. I got this because lately I've been using a much taller vehicle for skiing, and a roof rack or roof box just wouldn't have worked out for me. I already had a hitch bike rack, so this was the best solution.

First and foremost, this is my third order from etrailer.com and it is the absolute best online company with which I have dealt...bar none (no pun intended, but I did buy roofbars)!  I have installed a trailer hitch and Malone roofbars on my 2011 Volvo XC90. With the Malone roofbars, I lost a rubber piece....totally my fault. I contacted etrailer and they contacted Malone and Malone sent me a replacement piece direct from the factory (even though it wasn't a part Malone sold separately). Outstanding service from both etrailer and Malone. I haven't been able to post this outstanding customer service work until I bought something else, so I thought I'd be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity here. [Side note on the Malone roofbars and the rubber pieces: I have since Gorilla glued all of them to the respective pieces on the bar and they'll never be lost again.] For this Yakima HitchSki rack, I ordered it at 8:30 AM and it had shipped by 11:38 the same day. I chose this rack for several reasons. First, I have a low garage, so anything on my Toyota Landcruiser's roof would have to come off before driving in and out (I only have a 7 foot garage in my house in Canada, but could drive in my 8 foot garage in Virginia in the Toyota with the roof box).  I want to be able to load up all the ski stuff the night before and leave it in the garage so it doesn't get stolen....couldn't do this on the Toyota because with nothing on the roof, I only have about 3 inches of clearance now.  In the Volvo, I don't quite make the garage clearance either with the roofbox, so the roofbox becomes less of a convenience (but often a necessity). Second, with five kids, each of my cars is packed with people so I need my roof box (didn't buy it from etrailer because I was overseas at the time and hadn't learned of etrailer yet), so skis on the roof doesn't help me space-wise with all the other crap I have to throw up there. Third, every ski day day is a game time decision on whether to to drive the Toyota or the Volvo depending on what other people in the family are doing that day; the ease of just unplugging the bike rack with the skis all mounted, resting it against the wall in the garage all week and then plugging it in and going in either car was the big sell.  Finally, in the off season, I may just be able to leave all the skis in the rack and hang it horizontal from the garage ceiling to keep them all out of the way....not sure, but will certainly try.  My bike rack is one I have had for years [again, pre my days of knowing about etrailer, it's an XSport four bike holder] and it did not measure exactly the 17.25" needed, but it was close enough and secured down just fine. I wrapped the HitchSki with foam insulation to add some rubber and grip inside the bike rack when clapped down (and scratch protection). Now for two big buts...less of a review but more of a consideration for purchasers.  I bought this rack because I have 7 in my family.  The skis are tall and skinny and hard to fit in the car(s), hence my Hitch Ski rack. But skis are just one piece of skiing equipment.  Add helmets, boots, jackets, ski pants, etc. and that's a lot of space.  So, in my Volvo XC90 or Toyota Landcruiser, while they both seat 7 people, it's very tight with two teenagers and two car seats (and one pre-teen...just so you know I'm doing the math right).  If all seven of us go skiing, I still need the roof box for all the other equipment. If we go on a skiing vacation (overnight), I need other luggage too. Thankfully, Friday night and Sunday ski lessons are just for three kids, so the others will probably not always come.  With the back seat down, no problem for all the other stuff.  So, a Thule Transporter Cargo Box in my future?  Stay tuned.  Final, and most important but, I had to return the HitchSki rack because my skis didn't fit. When you have racks on the roof, they are generally 30+ inches apart. For this rack, the distance between the two racks is 17 inches. I could not, for the life of me, get the skis to fit in the racks without going through or over the ski bindings, hence, I was unable to get it closed and secured. I't s product of having so many different ski sizes (from my 4 year old to my 48 year old self). I was disappointed in myself that I didn't forecast this problem as I over thought everything else.

Very well built. I like it so much I purchased the larger EVO 6 model too for when the this one isn't enough.

I actually ended up buying a second set so I can fit a total of 8 pairs of skis on my jeep. I love the quality and ease of installation. It’s an easy to use system and love that my skis are secured.

Game changer! I don’t have to climb on the car to put our skis on the rack or take them off. It’s also easy to put the rack on the car and take it off. I’m got sure you could get six pairs of skis on the rack, but I haven’t tried. It’s certainly no problem getting four pairs.

I am so thankful I spent the extra money and ordered the one that pulls out to easily load/unload skies. I’ve had several opportunities where I have had 6 pairs of skies to transport. I have had others approach me to see if I would trade.

We bought these to go alongside a roof box and they work great, freeing up space in the roof box for all the other stuff you need for skiing. They are sturdy, don't wobble on our Thule bars, and the lock mechanism works well. They would fit 3 pair of x-country or narrow alpine skis; with wider alpine skis you only get 2 pair (there is about 300mm of room on the rack and while many skis are <100mm underfoot, they are 15-35mm wider at the widest part so you can only fit 2 pair).

I can't ski, I fly fish. However my oldest decided to try downhill skiing after being gifted a pair of skis. I am budget minded should the skiing not work out and after breaking many rod tips decided this might solve 2 problem. I am very pleased w/this equipment holder. It has transported skis & ski poles too and from and no longer does my oldest have to dodge skies coming over the back seat. So far it has taken abuse from the rain (& freezing rain), snow, ice, rapid warming, road salt, and upwards of 70mph and there has been no shifting, loosening, breaking of plastic or any other noticeable problems. I am excited for spring to see how it transports my fly rods.

Rack works great. Slide out makes loading and unloading much easier. So far we only put five pairs of fat skis on. Might have room for one more pair if I closed the gap between pairs but we didn’t need six pairs for that trip. Only problem was the rack froze up after driving through fresh rain. We had no problems with freezing while driving through salted slush. So far we’ve used it on two longer ski trips to CO from AZ. It’s quiet and strong. We once had a cheaper rack release our top model, expensive, skis onto the highway at 65 mph. That’s why I bought a Kuat.

These rack are great, I have them on both of my SUVs all winter. The etrailer seevice was excellent as well.

I love this ski rack and the service I got while making the purchase from etrailer! This rack securely holds up to 4 pair of skis and is super easy to put on and take off of the roof. I would highly recommend this rack to anyone. I would also highly recommend purchasing this product and any other rooftop rack needs from etrailer

We added two more racks to the two we already had on our Jeep. Easy to install and use

The folks at E trailer are great people to deal with. Very knowledgeable and put me on the exact product I needed, and for the right application. Highly recommend this company!

Thule makes excellent products no matter what you need.and always get them from etrailer they have the best customer service bar none.

Used it about a dozen times in the 23/24 season including a multi hundred mile trip to Vermont and it worked great. It is a solid product with seeming quality materials. The switch feature is perfect when not utilizing the rack to transport gear. Gear is kept secure. It is easy to install and un/load equipment.

These are very easy to install and obviously high quality - just need to really loosen the part that hooks over the crossbar a lot to get it to unhook. I went on a fast highway trip yesterday and there was no noise or anything to indicate I even had a ski rack on my car.

Rivian R1T - easy install and great looks. Works fine with the Rivian crossbars. The slide out is a nice feature! etrailer - great, great customer service! I had issues with delivery and you were there. You answered my emails promptly and was able to resolve it quickly. Amazing!

This is a fantastic rack. Had it all last winter. Not only did it keep our skis secure, it looked great doing it - I got a lot of people asking about it when they saw me using it in the parking lot. The slide out feature is very handy once you get the hang of it. We did encounter issues with the slide out trays getting stuck with ice several times (I'm in the cold and wet NE) but I was able to work them free. We also had locks freeze up to the point where you couldn't get the key into the bolt to lock/unlock, which was annoying. Kuat support was great in sending new lock bolts when this happened though. I think the locks might need some weatherproofing to account for rain/snow getting in and freezing up the components, then allowing corrosion to set in and seize everything up. But no regrets! I have this and the Base rack for our bikes in the warmer months, so there's kuat on my vehicle all year round now.