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SnowCountry

Booting up
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Oct 3, 2017
Posts
38
I'm downgrading from a 2004 Ford Explorer to a 2016 Subaru Outback. The downside is much less space to store ski gear. Upside is newer car with safety features.

At the same time, I'm upgrading from 1 kid to 2 kids since the last serious ski season. :)

So, I am trying to figure out how to haul skis + 1 kid to the mountain.

How do haul your kids and skis to the local ski hill?
 

Chris Walker

Ullr Is Lord
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Dec 8, 2015
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739
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Denver
I got a Yakima Rocket box on top of my 2016 Outback. Plenty of room for me and 1 sixteen y.o. The most I had was me, 4 teenagers and all of our gear. It was a tight squeeze, I'm not going to lie, but we made it work.
 

KingGrump

Most Interesting Man In The World
Team Gathermeister
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Nov 12, 2015
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12,196
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Skis in the roof box. People inn the passenger compartment. Bags in the back. Boots in front of heater vents or heated boot bags.
Not really much to it.
 

Ken_R

Living the Dream
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Feb 10, 2016
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5,775
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Denver, CO
Like this: :roflmao:
15084019e455255845750ef0b481be3f--freeride-ski-azia.jpg
 

Ken_R

Living the Dream
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Denver, CO
I'm downgrading from a 2004 Ford Explorer to a 2016 Subaru Outback. The downside is much less space to store ski gear. Upside is newer car with safety features.

At the same time, I'm upgrading from 1 kid to 2 kids since the last serious ski season. :)

So, I am trying to figure out how to haul skis + 1 kid to the mountain.

How do haul your kids and skis to the local ski hill?

A lot of Outbacks around here use the Thule Boxes on the roof. The one they sell at the Subaru dealers is a good deal.
 

David

"Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati"
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Joined
Oct 14, 2017
Posts
1,344
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Holland, MI
For our 2-4 hour drive: Skis in rack, boot bags in rear. We use to put 4 guys in a sedan with skis & poles in the rack and boot bags in the trunk. If the boots did get cold we'd use the hand dryers in the bathroom when we arrived. 3 people in an Outback would he a breeze even without a rack!!!
 
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WheatKing

Ice coast carveaholic
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Dec 24, 2015
Posts
258
Location
Ontario, Canada
With the Volt.. Skis and poles in a bag, kids in their seats.. The skis go between the seats so there is a wall of ski bags between the kids.. boots in the back. Hatch backs are great..

One of these days i'll get a roof box to hold the skis and poles.. but for now it's fine.

The Tahoe is a different story.. just toss all the gear in the back.. you'll be fine with the Outback.
 

Fishbowl

A Parallel Universe
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Apr 29, 2017
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514
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Lost
I'm downgrading from a 2004 Ford Explorer to a 2016 Subaru Outback. The downside is much less space to store ski gear. Upside is newer car with safety features.

At the same time, I'm upgrading from 1 kid to 2 kids since the last serious ski season. :)

So, I am trying to figure out how to haul skis + 1 kid to the mountain.

How do haul your kids and skis to the local ski hill?

By upgrading from a Subaru Outback to a Ford Explorer.

You need room for people and gear, and even with a box, the Outback just doesn't have enough.
 

luliski

Making fresh tracks
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May 17, 2017
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2,557
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California
I'm downgrading from a 2004 Ford Explorer to a 2016 Subaru Outback. The downside is much less space to store ski gear. Upside is newer car with safety features.

At the same time, I'm upgrading from 1 kid to 2 kids since the last serious ski season. :)

So, I am trying to figure out how to haul skis + 1 kid to the mountain.

How do haul your kids and skis to the local ski hill?
When my daughter started skiing, we had a VW Fox. Longer skis went on a ski rack, my daughter's skis, everyone's boot bags, and chains for the car went in the trunk. The real fun with kids and their gear begins when you get to the hill and have to schlep all that gear and your kids to the lifts. Hope your kids love it, it ends up being worth the work if they do!
 
Thread Starter
TS
SnowCountry

SnowCountry

Booting up
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38
By upgrading from a Subaru Outback to a Ford Explorer.

You need room for people and gear, and even with a box, the Outback just doesn't have enough.

The newer Subaru Outbacks aren't much different size than a Ford Explorer. The Ford Explorer went from a truck frame to a car frame with the introduction of the 2011, and as a result, the interior space decreased significantly.

The Outback is plenty big enough for hauling my family (maybe someday it'll be 2 kids, 2 adults, but for now it's 1 kid and 1 adult). The issue that I'm having is that the second row folds down as a two part backseat unlike the explorer that is a 3 part seat. So, I either am juggling carseats (pain in the rear), trying to rest the skis on the backseat in a bag (makes vehicle prone to damage), or using a rack.

I'm fine with a roof rack for the skis, but wife is not. So I am looking at various compromise options.
 

Philpug

Notorious P.U.G.
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Sienna AWD? I know @Jed Peters speaks highly of them...deservedly so. Don't look at what it is (a minivan), look at is for what it does (haul a LOT of stuff..in comfort).
 

Monique

bounceswoosh
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Colorado
We have had a 2008 Outback and just upgraded to a 2018 Outback for pretty much the same reasons. It's ostensibly bigger, but not in any practical sense I can tell.

Anyway, easy peasy. Adults in the front seat, dogs in the back seat, "stuff" in the far back, skis in the roof box. We're buying a low profile roof box right now (I'm in the waiting room of the shop) because of garage clearance - you do have to watch out for that. The box we're buying is not cheap, but claims it can carry skis up to 215cm - my husband's 190s fit with plenty of room to spare.
 

Monique

bounceswoosh
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^^ And for anyone asking why I wanted a vehicle with the ability to put skis inside - when I was looking at something bigger than an Outback, the roof box wouldn't fit in the garage, so I would have had to store them in the vehicle.

I can only recommend against a ski rack. Your skis (and bindings!!) are exposed to the elements, you can put more pairs of skis in the box, and the box can store extras like poles and snow shoes.
 

crgildart

Gravity Slave
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The Bull City
Forester with roof box is plenty of room for three people, three boot bags, 6 pairs of skis AND food and luggage for a 5 day trip. Done it many times year after year since 2009. Could probably do 2 adults and 2 kids without the food.
 

Jed Peters

World's Most "Okayest" Skier
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Nov 10, 2015
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Placer County
@Philpug nailed it. He's actually seen it in action with 5 family members, plus stuff, plus 7-10 pair of skis, a dog, etc.

Sienna AWD does it COMFORTABLY (with a roof box and snow tires).

Absolutely the best ski car you can get for a family, without a doubt.
 

crgildart

Gravity Slave
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The Bull City
I'd rather look cook with a little less stuff than go mini van..
 

Jed Peters

World's Most "Okayest" Skier
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Placer County
I'd rather look cook with a little less stuff than go mini van..

Not if you drive one. I thought that as well. We pulled up at the toyota dealership in our double-the-price-of-a-toyota SUV, pulled the kids out and put them in the sienna.

We then took a test drive with the family around the block. My wife promptly said "let's buy this, right now".
 

crgildart

Gravity Slave
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The Bull City
Not if you drive one. I thought that as well. We pulled up at the toyota dealership in our double-the-price-of-a-toyota SUV, pulled the kids out and put them in the sienna.

We then took a test drive with the family around the block. My wife promptly said "let's buy this, right now".

I've taken one on a ski trip with kids. Easy peasy, way more room than we needed.. Still a mini van. OK though if you've got a Vette at home to look cool when you want to.. Also, snow tires aren't a good option for me. Living on warm flatlands with 98% of my driving on warm pavement even on a ski day only the last 20 miles of the 160 mile drive there is ski country down here.

Mostly glad my kids are way beyond car seats. Once you're there the regular size car becomes a lot bigger..
 

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