What To Look For
When it comes to a roof rack for your skis, bike, kayak and other outdoor gear, savvy folks know that the go-to brands are Yakima and Thule. To an extent, many of the accessories can be used interchangeably between the two systems. Yakima's main load bars are round, while Thule's are square. Thule seems to be favored by kayakers, who feel that the load stackers from Thule are better. For ski racks, the Thule Flattop includes locking hardware, while with Yakima, it needs to be bought separately. Both Thule and Yakima make ski carriers, bike carriers and kayak carriers that fit existing factory mounts.
Common Pitfalls
Weight is a key component of a system's compatibility with your car. For lighter-weight items like skis, you can often pass on getting bars and use Thule or Yakima universal mounts to attach the mount to your factory crossbars. For heavier loads, like multiple kayaks or using cargo boxes, having the Thule or Yakima crossbars attached to the car is best, as it provides more stability for the heavier loads.
Some cars will work better with certain racks than others. Your local dealer can help with deciding on the proper system for your vehicle. When buying a rack, decide what the maximum amount of gear you are going to carry will be, so that you only buy once. Buying a four-ski carrier when you will need room to carry a snowboard and four pairs of skis won't work.
Where To Buy
REI is one of the largest dealers in the world of both Yakima and Thule products. Rack Attack (see resources) is another good source of both brands, and their stores usually have mounting techs who can mount the rack for you.
Cost
Ski, bike and kayak carriers from Thule and Yakima are priced between $120 and $200 (2010 prices). Most of these can mount to an existing factory system. If you need to get a base bar system to mount the carriers on, the bars and mounts will cost between $250 and $400 (2010 prices). Cargo boxes are priced between $500 and $700. Locks for the bars and carriers are $20 per lock.
