# 1
Rhino-Rack Ski and Snowboard Carrier - Locking - 6 Pairs of Skis or 4 Boards
Good locks, secure and tight. I easily fit two snowboards with two pairs of skis. Seems like it would fit on many rack/bar systems. I use them on the rhino aero vortex bars. They are pretty noisy on my f150 trucks roof. I’ve tried moving them around to many different positions, there always seems to be a worse vibrating wind noise around 45-55 mph which is even worse when the boards/skis are off the truck. I would not recommend this setup for anyone with a pickup truck.
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.
# 2
Thule SnowPack Ski and Snowboard Carrier - Locking - 6 Pairs of Skis or 4 Boards - Silver
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.
# 3
Yakima FatCat EVO 6 Ski and Snowboard Carrier - Locking - 6 Pairs of Skis or 4 Boards - Black
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.
The Fatcat EVO 6 worked great all of last ski season in Utah. I routinely carried 2-5 pairs skis. Even though it is relatively easy to install/uninstall, I decided to leave it on the roof rack all winter, and it held up well. Only complaint is that sometimes the key-locking mechanism would be stiff. Otherwise was convenient and durable.
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.
# 4
Yakima FreshTrack 6 Ski and Snowboard Carrier - Locking - 6 Pairs of Skis or 4 Boards
Great product, super fast shipping, thanks team!
Great product. Good company
# 5
Yakima HitchSki Snowboard and Ski Carrier for Hitch Bike Racks - 6 Pairs of Skis or 4 Boards
This is an amazing retrofit to our existing Yakima bike rack. We get tons of compliments and inquiries about the rack when we’re unloading our gear and would highly recommend it for up to four pairs of skis. Our only complaint is that if you have a wide range of ski sizes (kids/adults), it may take a few tries before you find the best arrangement of skis to get them all locked down well (locking on ski, not on bindings, for example). Very minor issue and likely a non-issue if you have all adult skis. Never owned another rack but it seems like it makes the skis much more accessible than a roof rack. Highly recommend!
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.
# 6
Thule Tram Ski and Snowboard Carrier Adapter for Hitch Bike Racks - 6 Pairs of Skis or 4 Boards
Happy to find it in stock. It took a couple of hours to assemble both the rack and the tram. Looking forward to many years of use!
Still working well!
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 sold this product. It was very unstable when the wind would catch the skis and snowboard.
# 7
Thule SnowPack Extender Ski and Snowboard Carrier - Slide Out - 6 Pairs of Skis or 4 Boards - Silver
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!
The Thule Snowpack Extender is a great snowboard/ski rack!
# 8
Kuat Grip Ski and Snowboard Carrier - Slide Out - 6 Pairs of Skis or 4 Boards - Black
Thank you, Matthew (Rep), for your diligence in keeping me posted on my order. I am grateful that this Kuat Grip Ski and Snowboard Carrier came on a timely basis. Although it is a Christmas gift and will not be opened until then, the tracking of this package and the excellent email correspondence was exceptional. Can't wait to give this gift as all of the products seem to be good quality. I am waiting for two more items to arrive and will comment once their arrival is here. Thank you for keeping me posted each day on my purchases!!!!
Great product, awesome style
These were installed on a 2020 RAV4 Hybrid. Pros: Sharp looking Clear instructions Relatively quick and straightforward assembly and installation Slide-out is handy on taller vehicles Smooth, sturdy action on all hinges, latches, and slide-out Quick removal after initial assembly and install They take about 30 minutes to assemble out of the box (for a first-time roof rack purchaser). All tools (two hexes and lock keys) are included. I assembled mine at our dinner table, so there isn’t any grease that will get messy. The instructions don’t show that you have to use the keys to unlock the different latches, so heads-up on that. Installation on a new and taller vehicle took a little time so as to get them centered and not scratch the roof. I needed a boost (in height) to be able to tighten down the hex bolts that tightens the straps around the cross-bars. I was using the Toyota cross-bars on my vehicle, and they’re quite a bit smaller in diameter than the preset strap lengths on the Kuats, so it took me about another 30ish minutes to situate the racks and then tighten (with included hex key) the car and lock them down (with the included keys). Following the ski trip, I unlocked the strap latch locks, lifted the racks off, and put them on a shelf. Removal time was about 3 minutes, and the straps are pre-sized for our next trip. I prefer to spend a little more for nicer stuff up front that works well and is sturdy and thoughtfully engineered. These racks do all the things you want them to without any real gotchas. While these are a bit more expensive than other alternatives, these are a worthwhile long-term investment for me.
# 9
Thule SnowPack Ski and Snowboard Carrier - Locking - 6 Pairs of Skis or 4 Boards - Black
We've had this for a year and are very happy with it. Works as intended and it has no signs of rust anywhere (something I cannot say of a brand-name bike rack we bought, but that's another story). Fits four snowboards: two facing down, two facing up. If the cross bars you attach this to are too close to your car roof, and your snowboard bindings are big, you may not be able to fit snowboards facing down.
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!
I wouldnt give the racks as high of marks as I did a year ago. The plastic covers for the brackets have become extremely difficult to get back on. The last two times I used the bars, I just left them off. Thankfully no one has stolen the racks, but not having them on makes me nervous.