# 1
Thule Tram Ski and Snowboard Carrier Adapter for Hitch Bike Racks - 6 Pairs of Skis or 4 Boards
This rack works well. I did however need to manufacture a rubber wedge to go between the lower cross bar (TH9033) and the bike rack so the attach point would lay flat against the bike rack. Many thanks to Cathy at etrailer.com for the excellent customer service she provided.
I just used the ski carrier. I had to get used to the small amount of movement as I drove. I checked it out several times and every thing was fine. I just put 1100 miles on it , along with the bike rack and the new hitch.
# 2
Yakima HitchSki Snowboard and Ski Carrier for Hitch Bike Racks - 6 Pairs of Skis or 4 Boards
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.
# 3
Rhino-Rack Ski and Snowboard Carrier - Locking - 6 Pairs of Skis or 4 Boards
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.
This rack works great with the four pairs of skis I lugged from Oregon to Alaska. I'm using it on the beef rack cross bars that came with my go fast camper which are very difficult to find mountings for. This one worked great though with a little bit of metal grinding on the bolts that slide into the t-slot of the rack. It locks and unlocks fairly easily (with a little bit of jangling involved), but so far so good!
# 4
Rhino-Rack Ski and Snowboard Carrier - Locking - 4 Pairs of Skis or 2 Boards
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!!
The Rhino Rack was easy to put up on a 2018 Subaru Outback. Took me about 10 minutes. The only issue is that the rack bottom bracket piece is is convex with an acute angle which makes it not fit perfectly on the Subaru crossbar that has a flat bottom. Loaded 2 pairs of skis and poles and the rack kept them securely fastened during transport on the highway. There was some noise from the rack during highway driving but it was minimal.
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