Transporting skis inside the car: What is customary?

[Sibhusky]

I only live 16 minutes from the hill and have a locker, and the max speed limit is 45 for any stretch, so the skis are strapped, not bagged, and going through the car's pass through. On longer trips I used to tie them down. I have a luggage net to do that, but the brakes get tangled up in it and since we're not talking a huge distance here, that's more trouble than needed. They do tend to roll on my curvy mountain roads, so had been looking at using the cargo blocks to control them a bit, but now winter's over.

We don't have dirty snow here, it's just water, it'll melt. The trunk liner is there for that. Normally, by the time I've changed out of my boots and walked to the car, they are well drained.

 

[Sibhusky]

Kneale said it best

AUDI ski bag! Bundle the ski pairs and slide them in the bag, Secure with the center seat belt.

Done and done well!

(I drive an A8 and an Allroad, Winter cars done right!)

My old Audi, the ski bag finally disconnected from the frame, so was just as happy the Alltrack doesn't have the bag. I still have all the bits, and will try and fix it before I sell the car, but the bag is pretty much a mess.

 

[Carl Kuck]

Pickup with 6.5' bed. I have a lifted platform (ply covered with carpeting) skis slide underneath. Normally not in bags, (10 mins to mountain) But when prepped and traveling longer distance to races, all in bags (usually 6-12 pairs) . When I had cars and smaller SUVs normally used a bag to protect interior. Always got moving blankets in the truck as well

That's cool! I had a Toyota Longbed PU in the early 80s that was set up with the same elevated platform. Very good idea!

 

[Bobalooski]

Ditto that @ScotsSkier! I also added four 12v outlets for our heated boot bags in the bed of my F250.

 

[Frankly]

I just put the skis loose in the car behind my mother-in-law's head and brake for everything.

 

[Crank]

Loose in the car wrap an old blanket or towel around tips and tails so they don't wreck anything. I have a Toyota Highlander and Robin has a Suby Forester. I used to have a roof top box and will eventually get another one. One season I kept my skis, board, xc skis and my son's skis in the box all winter. I am that lazy!

 

[karlo]

Minivan. Third row down. Skis in the floor. Tips or tails under second row passenger seats. Plenty of room for 4 occupants, second row center seat in place.

 

[Unpiste]

Just ran into this thread. I’ve been using furniture blankets for years to put up to about 6 skis in the back of a Crosstrek. (You’ll need two blankets at 4+ skis if you want to keep everything protected. Alternate ski orientations, of course.) Works great!

 

[noncrazycanuck]

in the tt wrapped in a soft fleece blanket, mainly to suck up the melting snow and avoid chaffing between the seats.
other veihicles have exterior boxes with foam on bottom.
none are ever secured having a flying ski is the least of my concerns while driving.
did have a pair fall off the rear of a vw bettle once, "someone" didn't do the strap. they survived to ski Baker same day once we eventually found them off the side of the 401

 

[Tim Hodgson]

We've been driving the 1995 Ford Bronco on our recent out of state trips, Whistler, Jackson Hole, Alta/Snowbird, Deer Valley. I welded up a bracket which holds a SportTube vertically on the swing out spare tire holder on the rear tailgate for my wife and my skis to fit in. But we had a friend ride with us to Alta/Snowbird, Deer Valley so his gear needed to be inside. I am afraid that in a roll over accident the ski edges would decapitate one or more of us. His skis were in a padded bag so I was good with having them inside. Since then I have bought these single pair padded bags for my wife and I for $53 ea. The quality is great. And since they are single ski, they don't weigh that much with one pair inside and don't have the extra weight that the wheels add in a two pair padded ski bag. This is what my wife's looks like:

Element Equipment Deluxe Padded Ski Bag Single - Premium High End Travel Bag | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Element Equipment Deluxe Padded Ski Bag Single - Premium High End Travel Bag at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

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We still use the SportTube, but these bags are great for extra skis.

 

[ARL67]

^^^ thanks for the link, looks great for $50 and available in several colour options and 2 lengths -> 175 and 190

 

[Tim Hodgson]

Still love the ski bags, but since posting about them above, I received a private message from a member here who told me that he was in a relatively slow speed head on collision with an out of control pickup and although he survived, the collision was so violent, that having skis in the car even in a padded bag like the one I posted above could have resulted in his death. "I had one pair of skis in a ski box on the roof. The skis, box, crossbars and racks were ripped from the car and flew at least 30 feet, the box exploding on impact. I walked away from the crash but if the skis had been inside the car no doubt I would have been seriously injured or perhaps killed. Until you experience it yourself you have no conception of the incredible violence from even a moderate speed collision. Trust me - a padded bag will make absolutely no difference. Be safe and please put a rack on..."

My wife and I drive U.S. Hwy 50 up and over Echo Summit to Kirkwood every Sat. and Sun. I learned to drive on that road when I was 16 years old. I am intimately familiar with it. I have driven it in all sorts of snow conditions, including in years when the CalTrans snow berms are 10 feet high walls. My Bronco is 4x4 with Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac studded snow tires. Ever since I hit the CalTrans snow plow when I took a sharp curve too fast (at ~10 mph no 4x4, no chains going downhill) when the road was actually closed due to snow when I was a teenager I have been a keenly competent driver in the snow.

But many of the drivers around me are not as competent driving in the snow.

I still have a mixture of front end parts at the entrance of my driveway from a head on collision in February, it sounded horrific when it occurred but the road was 25 mph chain control restricted so it was slick with new snow and all the occupants were fine. Last year, just a half mile up the road, during the same conditions, there was a left headlight to left headlight head on caused by a selfish driver who decided he had to pass the line of cars on the two lane portion of the road. Everyone was fine. But again, maybe not if skis were in that car during the head on.

Grim but important to pass on.

Great padded bag, but regardless of the bag, I must pass on the what could be life saving advice to keep your skis out of the inside of your car.

 

[ADKmel]

The biggest concern is what happens in an emergency stop or a front end accident. Are the skis loaded in such a way that they don't become missiles? If not, it's very unsafe.

Always tie them together- A deer Jumped on a friends car resulting in sudden stop. The skis flew forward and sliced his cheek really badly.. He had to grow a beard to hide the scar but was lucky it didn't hit is jugular vein! :-(

 

[SSSdave]

Revived 2017 thread. Not every car situation is the same. I greatly prefer skis inside for security issues.

I as the only person in my car, don't worry about my 3 skis in my 2007 Forester because they are on the passenger side in the back bed behind the front passenger seat. Note rear seat folded down. On top is my heavy boot bag. Also have avoided car accidents over decades of dangerous driving.

 

[Philpug]

If you are going to have the skis IN the car, make sure they are secured well.

 

[Andy Mink]

If you are going to have the skis IN the car, make sure they are secured well.

I put my Raptors on top. That'll hold 'em down!

 

[Paul Lutes]

With a dog in the back, I've been putting the skis on top even though it's just single pair and could fit inside with plenty of room for the dog. Guess who forgot to secure the skis on top? The amazing thing is they didn't launch until I braked going into a down hill turn; got to watch them fly past me and free-heel it across the oncoming traffic lane (unscathed by oncoming traffic, fortunately) and then fly off the edge into the trees.
Skis and one binding appear to be recoverable, the other binding not so much.

I've been contemplating putting an anchorable kennel crate in my car for my new hiking companion, since ricocheting dogs, while not as dangerous as skis, wouldn't be fun.

 

[crgildart]

Ya, pets are another thing that should be well secured in a vehicle. Dog riding shotgun with their head out the window in a wreck ends the same was as a toddler child riding shotgun with their head out the window.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Before our kids got too big we would put the skis inside whenever possible. Now that their skis are longer it all goes on the roof. Sometimes poles sideways in the back

 

[PinnacleJim]

Only wife and I in the car so just fold the seat down and put the bag with two pairs in. My BMW X1 is on the small side, so that means diagonally. See no reason to tie them down. No place to like there would be if in center facing the console. Been doing it this way for years.