Ski Rack Vs Cargo Box mpg’s

So, question is… What is the more fuel efficient way to carry my skis and snowboards up the mountain?  Is a fancy low profile ski rack the answer, or could a cargo box get me better fuel economy?

Well, I have tried both options on two different vehicles and I will tell you a Cargo Box gives you more mpg’s.

On my Maxima I was able to get 25mpg with no rack at all, when I added a Yakima Fat Cat 6, loaded with skis I got approx 20mpg, this is the lowest profile ski rack on the market, and don’t get me wrong, it is an excellent ski/board rack .  Switching to a Thule Spirit Cargo Box my mileage jumped to 22mpg’s in the Maxima, a noticeable increase from the ski rack.   To double check the fact here I also ran the test on my Grand Cherokee.  I was able to get 17mpg with the cargo box vs 11.5mpg with the Yakima Fat Cat.  A huge savings on an SUV.  The other advantages of a cargo box are that my all my gear is completely protected from the elements and I’m able to use the box for much more than just skis and boards.  I can put my camping gear in it and use it for road trips, etc.

Rack Attack, online Thule Rack and Yakima Rack specialists since 1995. Rack Attack offers a wide selection of racks for your car, truck, SUV, van, and home for all types of gear.

With 9 retail stores, over 60 full-time rack experts on staff, and one of the largest inventories in the business, Rack Attack is North America’s Premier Retailer of automotive rack systems and accessories.

Jeep Liberty Sky Slider Roof Rack

Panoramic roofs are becoming more popular on more and more vehicles.  Jeep has their Liberty with the Sky Slider option.  A full canvas top that retracts to give you the ultimate sunroof.  Panoramic roofs can be tough to find aftermarket racks for.  Here at Rack Attack we have options.  On this particular Liberty we have installed a Thule track system rack that can be removed in seconds for use of the sky slider.  When installed it carries 165lbs of weight.   We added the Thule Spirit Cargo Box to the rack, this 16 cubic foot cargo box can carry anything from your ski’s to luggage, a locking container that keeps your gear out of the elements.  Generally we can get a rack on almost any vehicle.  This system or alternatives can be installed at anyone of our 8 rack attack locations.  We also can get you set up with do-it-yourself kits if our locations are too far away from you.

2010 Mazda CX-7 Thule Roof Rack and Cargo Box

Mazda CX-7 is like no other SUV you’ve ever seen. Sleek, muscular curves meet dynamic handling and performance to give you a driving experience that’s totally unique.  But wait, do I have room for 5 people and all of their gear to get up the hill.  If not, Rack Attack has your fix.   On this CX-7 we have laid down Thule 42″ Tracks, very similar to factory tracks that many vehicles come with.  Thule TK1 mounts are then inserted into the tracks, these are adjustable forward and back, and fairly easy to remove from the track if needed.  The 430 Towers click on and off the TK1 mounts in seconds.  This is an advantage in the aspect you can pop on and off the rack in seconds for saving on your fuel economy or going through the car wash.  These base systems can be professionally installed at any of our locations, or we do sell the kits for do it your selfers.  Many body shops will also do the installation for you if you are not up for it and are too far away from one of our stores.  Once the base rack is on there, you are ready to carry boats, skis, cargo, bikes, you name it.  These systems will be rated to carry 165lbs of weight.  This particular customer decided on an enclosed cargo box to transport his gear.  This is a Atlantis 1600xt cargo box, you have an enclosed container that locks and keeps all your gear out of the elements.  Cargo boxes are an excellent solution for most.  You can have a ski container for the winter, and you get year round use with it for road trips or camping.  Plus cargo boxes generally do not cut very greatly into your fuel economy because of their aerodynamic shape.

2008 Subaru Impreza WRX Yakima Ski Rack

Subaru’s are very popular vehicles, and quite a few Subaru owners are avid outdoors people, who love to kayak, bike, ski and board.  So having a roof rack almost goes hand in hand with these cars.  One downfall, most Subaru’s do not have a metal frame around the door where the glass window touches the frame of the car.  Which means with the clip into the door options, the fit has to be precise so that not to have wind noise through the door or possible damage to weather striping.  Plus the clip options are very tedious to remove and re-install.  Don’t fret Rack Attack has your solution.  What you see above is a very popular option for all subaru owners.  We install Yakima Landing Pad 7′s permanently to the roof, then we use Yakima control towers that are quick release.  With this option you avoid any contact with your windows and door seals, so no possibility of wind noise through the door or damage to the weather striping.  You can also remove the whole rack system from the car in seconds for saving on fuel economy or going through the car wash, you will just be left with 4 little mounts.

Once the base system is installed you get a carrying capacity of 100lbs, and the possibility to add accessories to carry everything from water-sport products, to bikes, to skis and boards and more.  On this particular system our customer went with a 44″ yakima fairing to reduce wind noise, and a Yakima Fat Cat 6 ski rack / 4 board. The fat cat line is yakima’s newest and best ski carrier on the market.  The 6 pair carrier has 5″ more space than any other 6 pair ski rack on the market to accommodate the newer fat skis, also in the closed position it only sits 3 3/4″ off the top of the crossbar, making it the lowest profile ski rack on the market as well.  Lower profile = Less wind resistant = Better fuel economy.  These base systems can be professionally installed at any of our locations, or we do sell the kits for do it your selfers.  Many body shops will also do the installation for you if you are not up for it and are too far away from one of our stores.

2009 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid Roof Ski Rack

Hybrid SUV’s are fast becoming one of the most popular vehicles on the road today.  Many of these Hybrids do not come with a roof rack, this is in order to achieve the best fuel economy.   But hey, just because you want to have great fuel economy doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the ability to carry some gear on top of the vehicle.  This particular Hybrid Tahoe has our custom track installation with quick-release 430 tracker II towers.  We have laid down Thule 42″ Tracks, very similar to factory tracks that many vehicles come with.  Thule TK1 mounts are then inserted into the tracks, these are adjustable forward and back, and fairly easy to remove from the track if needed.  The 430 Towers click on and off the TK1 mounts in seconds.  This is an advantage in the aspect you can pop on and off the rack very quickly for saving on your fuel economy or going through the car wash.  These base systems can be professionally installed at any of our locations, or we do sell the kits for do it your selfers.  Many body shops will also do the installation for you if you are not up for it and are too far away from one of our stores.  Once the base rack is on there, you are ready to carry boats, skis, cargo, bikes, you name it.  These systems will be rated to carry 165lbs of weight.

On this particular application we have a Thule 6 pair ski carrier/4 board rack, but again any accessory can be added to the roof rack for all your sporting needs.

Thule 91726 Pull Top Sliding Ski and Snowboard Rack

The Thule 91726 Pull Top Ski and Snowboard rack is the only ski carrier that allows you to load and unload your ski equipment off the side of your vehicle.  Nobody likes to have to lean against their dirty car to get that last pair of skis or snowboards, dirtying up that nice jacket.  With this carrier you don’t have to,  pop open the rack, flip the lever and slide the ski carrier out, load up the skis or snowboards, slide it back and you’re ready to go.  It is also fantastic for those larger SUV’s where the height of the vehicle makes it a challenge to get onto the roof.  It doesn’t matter if you are 5 foot or 6 foot, this ski carrier will make your mountain experience all that much better.  The Thule 91726 Pull Top Ski and Snowboard rack comes with universal mounting hardware, it will attach directly to almost any factory crossbar or yakima or thule bars right out of the box.  It has capacity to carry up to six pairs of skis or four snowboards, or a combination of both.  Check out the video below and see just how easy the Pull Top really is.

Rack Attack guarantees the lowest price, and has the fastest shipping, over 90% of our orders ship within 1 business day, we even have expedited shipping if you need something in a rush.

2009 Audi A4 Avant with Thule Rapid Aero Roof Rack

The 2009 Audi A4 Avant is one of the most popular new cars in Colorado.  Rack Attack is proud to have one of the first fits for it.  Both Thule and Yakima systems are available for this vehicle and both companies offer a liftime warranty on their products.   We are excited about these systems for this vehicle.  This photo shows a Thule Rapid Aero bar set up with permanently installed base (Thule TK14 Tracker Kit 14 ) behind the roof rail with quick release towers (Thule 430R Rapid Tracker Foot Pack ).  The system is one of the easiest to put on and remove from the vehicle due to the Tracker II towers’ push-botton operated quick realease mechanism.  By mounting just to the inside of the factory installed roof rails, we have made the overall appearance of the rack very sleek and integrated into the look of the vehicle.  One of the managers at Prestige Audi in Lakewood, CO has this exact sytem on his very own A4 Avant.

Ski and Snowboard Racks – What to buy?

In the red corner we have the cargo box.

In the blue corner we have the traditional open ski carrier.

Ding     ding    ding…

FIGHT!!!!

The real story here is all about function.  The open ski carrier is just that, an open ski carrier.  That’s all it will ever do.  Sure they can carry skis and snowboards equally well, but they lack the protection and versatility of a cargo box.   The cargo box has a much deeper skill set than an open carrier.  It offers superior protection for everything you carry in it.  You’ll never have to worry about road-salt and grime contaminating your skis/boards anymore.  Cargo boxes are typically more secure than an open carrier as well.  If you have expensive gear, no one will ever know.  Out of sight = out of a thief’s mind.   So it’s established that a cargo box protects your gear in several ways an open carrier can’t.  They are also more versatile.  A cargo box will carry skis, poles, snowboards,  wet jackets, gloves, backpacks, luggage, fishing gear, camp chairs, strollers, bicycle wheels, photography equipment, the kitchen sink, your mother in law…  the list goes on.  The point is that they can carry just about anything that fits within their dimensions – all the year around.  Not bad.  The next time you’re contemplating buying a ski rack, remember you have other options.  The verdict…

And the winner is…  The cargo box.  It’s definitely  more expensive, but it justifies it’s cost with versatility and protection for your skis, boards and everything else.  Did I mention they’re usually less noisy than a conventional open ski rack.

Wilderness Track Rack for Nissan Pathfinder – The best off road SUV roof rack ever.

First thing’s first. I chose the Wilderness Track Rack over other systems for a few reasons.

1. It has easily the highest weight capacity of anything available for your PF.  300+ lbs. (Trust me – I’ve tested it – remember to distribute the weight evenly)

2. It’s a lot lower on the roof vs. most popular baskets (Yak Load Warrior and Thule MOAB). The total height of the system is only 6.5 inches from the paint up.

3. It’s rated for off-road use.

This basket is for the serious adventurers and families alike.  There are a lot of accessories available for it such as a Jerry Can bracket, Axe/Shovel bracket, High lift jack bracket, and a Spare Tire carrier.  It serves as a perfect platform for gear bags from Thule and Yakima.  Did I mention the weight capacity?  It’s incredibly durable.  The basket and hardware are made from heavy gauge chro-moly steel.  Also, it’s powder coated black for serious durability.  This is the best option for a strong and attractive roof-top carrying system.

These systems are available for a wide variety of vehicles.  Due to the complicated nature of the installation process, we offer these in store only.  Please call us at 303-216-2495 for more information.

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Rack Attack – Trailer Hitches in Denver and Golden

Rack Attack is a full service hitch center offering Class I through IV hitches for most vehicles on the Road.  We offer trailer wiring services as well.  We sell hitches from Curt Manufacturing, Hidden Hitch and Valley Industries.  We can cut down on the amount of driving you do by installing your hitch, rack and wiring all at the same time and place.  Please call  us for pricing and availability for your vehicles needs. Golden 303-216-2495    Denver 303-399-6900