Roof Side Bars - Favor

BrendonR · **Posted:** Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:46 pm

Hi All,

I'm sitting here day-dreaming about ski season (yup, in August), and I remembered that I need to fix the whole "ski hauling" issue I've got.

Can somebody do me a favor, and get a measurement for me? I'd like to know how tall the factory side rails sit above the roof line.

Can I get a measurement from the top of the roof next to the side rail, to the top of the side rail? Essentially, I'm looking for measurements in a couple spots along the roof from the red line, to the green line in the following:

At The Helm · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 12:45 am

Yup, i'm already thinking about snow too.

It's about 1 11/16" on the outside and 1 3/4" on the inside.

JetRollin11 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 1:18 am

Atthehelm wrote:

Yup, i'm already thinking about snow too.

It's about 1 11/16" on the outside and 1 3/4" on the inside.

my snowboard is stairing at me wondering when it gets to float me over some nice powpow... where do you guys go (i'm on east coast). usually hit up killington/Mt. Snow in VT and all over the pocono's/catskills. would be pretty sweet to get a lostjeep ski/board trip sometime this winter!!!

P.S. thats about what i measured too.

At The Helm · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 1:44 am

I rode 84 days last season at Heavenly here in tahoe. The base lodge is like 10 blocks from my house.

At The Helm · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 1:55 am

I don't know how many passengers you usually have, but i find it way easier and safer to fold down a seat and store my board in a padded waterproof snowboard bag. It just stays in there all season long.

88BlueGT · **Joined:** Wed Aug 17, 2011 12:46 pm **Posts:** 5

You boarded 84 days last year !?!? Do you work ????? LOL

I could only wish... I'm lucky if I make it out twice.

At The Helm · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 4:44 pm

Lucky for me my winter work hours are flexible. I'll start work either early morning or at noon and ride before or after. 81 days at heavenly and 3 days at sierra at tahoe.

BrendonR · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 5:56 pm

Thanks alot for the measurements - I'm gonna be checking to see if the stock side-rails and a thule box will in fact fit over the skyslider. My suspicion is that chrysler's lying to me, and they're trying to cover their butts if I open my skyslider with the box up top.

I'm in Alberta Canada - Lake Louise, Sunshine, and Kicking Horse are my usual mountains. Skied 35ish days last year...

Viva La Nina!

BrendonR · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 5:58 pm

And a couple more, 'cause now I wanna get skiing even worse - every time I go to the basement to grab a beer, my Shoguns stare at me from my tuning bench..

jdizzle · **Posted:** Thu Aug 18, 2011 11:14 pm

My epic pass is staring me in the face from the corner of the room :shock:

BrendonR · **Posted:** Tue Sep 20, 2011 9:46 am

I've been long looking for a solution for my KK/skyslider.

The only things I wanna keep up there - My skis in the winter. I was all ready to start buying some parts (factory side rails, thule cross bars and box), BUT then I realized - my garage door is only 7ft tall... leaving me roughly 15 inches between the roof of the KK and the top of the door. No way a Thule box is gonna fit up top.

No way the new RRO rack will fit either - at least not with anything on top of it that is... not to mention it's as ugly as Lindsay Lohan after a 3 week bender....

I'm currently considering getting the factory side-bars (non-Sky slider style - that most people have)... putting a basket on top, then dropping the skis into that, but that doesn't seem to be a really good solution either. (pray to Ull'r) it's dumping snow while skiing, guess what? I have to shovel out my basket before I can put my skis back? No thanks.

I might just have to suck it up and buy the cargo area liner and cut it where the seats split, that'll at least keep the interior in a bit better shape... When i get a second vehicle in a couple years... I'll have to make sure I consider garage-roof height vs. vehicle/rack height....

Wearyman · **Joined:** Mon Aug 22, 2011 2:01 pm **Posts:** 161

BrendonR wrote:

I've been long looking for a solution for my KK/skyslider.

The only things I wanna keep up there - My skis in the winter. I was all ready to start buying some parts (factory side rails, thule cross bars and box), BUT then I realized - my garage door is only 7ft tall... leaving me roughly 15 inches between the roof of the KK and the top of the door. No way a Thule box is gonna fit up top.

No way the new RRO rack will fit either - at least not with anything on top of it that is... not to mention it's as ugly as Lindsay Lohan after a 3 week bender....

I'm currently considering getting the factory side-bars (non-Sky slider style - that most people have)... putting a basket on top, then dropping the skis into that, but that doesn't seem to be a really good solution either. (pray to Ull'r) it's dumping snow while skiing, guess what? I have to shovel out my basket before I can put my skis back? No thanks.

I might just have to suck it up and buy the cargo area liner and cut it where the seats split, that'll at least keep the interior in a bit better shape... When i get a second vehicle in a couple years... I'll have to make sure I consider garage-roof height vs. vehicle/rack height....

Well, if you are just strapping down your skiis and then not using the roof rack the rest of the year, go with the stock rails and crossbars (or DIY some crossbars if you like) and slap your ski mounts on it. That's only gonna add MAYBE 10 inches to your upper clearance even with skis onboard. Then when summer comes and you want to actually OPEN the sky slider, pull off the crossbars. Done. I don't see why this is such a big deal. You're on the east coast, right? It's not like you are gonna be opening that sky slider during a New England winter anyway. Just pretend you have a hard top in the winter and then lose the crossbars in the summer.

If you insist on being able to open the sky slider, then split the difference. Do as I mentioned above, but mount the skis as far back as you can manage. Then you can at least partially open the sky slider when you want that blast of frigid winter air on your noggin. :mrgreen:

BrendonR · **Posted:** Tue Sep 20, 2011 11:20 am

Wearyman wrote:

Well, if you are just strapping down your skiis and then not using the roof rack the rest of the year, go with the stock rails and crossbars (or DIY some crossbars if you like) and slap your ski mounts on it. That's only gonna add MAYBE 10 inches to your upper clearance even with skis onboard. Then when summer comes and you want to actually OPEN the sky slider, pull off the crossbars. Done. I don't see why this is such a big deal. You're on the east coast, right? It's not like you are gonna be opening that sky slider during a New England winter anyway. Just pretend you have a hard top in the winter and then lose the crossbars in the summer.

If you insist on being able to open the sky slider, then split the difference. Do as I mentioned above, but mount the skis as far back as you can manage. Then you can at least partially open the sky slider when you want that blast of frigid winter air on your noggin. :mrgreen:

New England? East Coast? :roll:

Last time I checked Calgary AB Canada was still listed as my location

... puts me 1.5 hours west of the Rocky Mountains... :BANANA:

I thought about the simple ski racks (clamp style)... .the problem with those here is that road debris can cause plenty of damage to your skis when they're open/exposed like that. Alberta uses alot of salt and gravel on our highways here... nasty for ski edges...

My one other option... INNO makes a fairly low profile box that might work... but it's darn expensive... $800 new!

Wearyman · **Joined:** Mon Aug 22, 2011 2:01 pm **Posts:** 161

BrendonR wrote:

Wearyman wrote:

Well, if you are just strapping down your skiis and then not using the roof rack the rest of the year, go with the stock rails and crossbars (or DIY some crossbars if you like) and slap your ski mounts on it. That's only gonna add MAYBE 10 inches to your upper clearance even with skis onboard. Then when summer comes and you want to actually OPEN the sky slider, pull off the crossbars. Done. I don't see why this is such a big deal. You're on the east coast, right? It's not like you are gonna be opening that sky slider during a New England winter anyway. Just pretend you have a hard top in the winter and then lose the crossbars in the summer.

If you insist on being able to open the sky slider, then split the difference. Do as I mentioned above, but mount the skis as far back as you can manage. Then you can at least partially open the sky slider when you want that blast of frigid winter air on your noggin. :mrgreen:

New England? East Coast? :roll:

Last time I checked Calgary AB Canada was still listed as my location

... puts me 1.5 hours west of the Rocky Mountains... :BANANA:

I thought about the simple ski racks (clamp style)... .the problem with those here is that road debris can cause plenty of damage to your skis when they're open/exposed like that. Alberta uses alot of salt and gravel on our highways here... nasty for ski edges...

My one other option... INNO makes a fairly low profile box that might work... but it's darn expensive... $800 new!

Whoops!

Dunno how I was thinking east coast. Must have gotten your post and another confused. My apologies.

As far as road debris goes, are you really expecting to have road debris flying that high up into your skiis? And wouldn't you slap a wind/rock deflector on there anyway for the winter?

I am from the eastern US, and I live within an hour's drive from the Kissing Bridge/ NY southern tier ski areas. Here in Western New York we use salt on the roads in the winter to melt the ice and snow. That stuff gets everywhere. (salty water highway spray = white crusty-rusty cars) but I never see anyone with a box to hold their skiis. It's always just roof clamps. Maybe you guys have Sasquatches throwing rocks at you out there? :-)r

In all seriousness, just use the roof clamps. Cheaper and just as easy to use, and light enough for one person to put on and take off.

Or, buy a bunch of those rubber "boot mats" they make for putting your boots on in the winter. Cut the ends off of them and use waterproof tape to attach them together so you have one really long boot mat. Put down the "40" side of your rear seats, and lay the mat from the tailgate through the seat, and you have a long narrow "ski mat" for your Jeep. Put your skiis on that and you are all set. A bit Ghetto, but it should work.

BrendonR · **Posted:** Tue Sep 20, 2011 2:02 pm

Wearyman wrote:

Whoops!

Dunno how I was thinking east coast. Must have gotten your post and another confused. My apologies.

As far as road debris goes, are you really expecting to have road debris flying that high up into your skiis? And wouldn't you slap a wind/rock deflector on there anyway for the winter?

I am from the eastern US, and I live within an hour's drive from the Kissing Bridge/ NY southern tier ski areas. Here in Western New York we use salt on the roads in the winter to melt the ice and snow. That stuff gets everywhere. (salty water highway spray = white crusty-rusty cars) but I never see anyone with a box to hold their skiis. It's always just roof clamps. Maybe you guys have Sasquatches throwing rocks at you out there? :-)r

In all seriousness, just use the roof clamps. Cheaper and just as easy to use, and light enough for one person to put on and take off.

Or, buy a bunch of those rubber "boot mats" they make for putting your boots on in the winter. Cut the ends off of them and use waterproof tape to attach them together so you have one really long boot mat. Put down the "40" side of your rear seats, and lay the mat from the tailgate through the seat, and you have a long narrow "ski mat" for your Jeep. Put your skiis on that and you are all set. A bit Ghetto, but it should work.

bahahah - Actually, it's Bigfoot we've gotta worry about here!

http://www.660news.com/news/local/article/271907--bigfoot-sighting-in-banff

But yeah - I won't be putting them up top, unless they're covered. I still get rocks/salt spray up on my windshield, it's still gonna hit the skis. Plenty of people do use the clamps out here too, but plenty also use the box. I've used them (not owned my own) and they're slick... open the box, dump 4 pairs of skis in (no mussing around making sure they're arranged neatly), close the box, on your way. By the time you get home, they're dry. No moisture in the car, no road gunk to deal with on the skis. great system.

Ah well... I guess I'll just have to convince the wife to let me buy that BMW X1 as a second vehicle

At The Helm · **Posted:** Tue Sep 20, 2011 2:05 pm

BrendonR wrote:

I've been long looking for a solution for my KK/skyslider.

The only things I wanna keep up there - My skis in the winter. I was all ready to start buying some parts (factory side rails, thule cross bars and box), BUT then I realized - my garage door is only 7ft tall... leaving me roughly 15 inches between the roof of the KK and the top of the door. No way a Thule box is gonna fit up top.

No way the new RRO rack will fit either - at least not with anything on top of it that is... not to mention it's as ugly as Lindsay Lohan after a 3 week bender....

I'm currently considering getting the factory side-bars (non-Sky slider style - that most people have)... putting a basket on top, then dropping the skis into that, but that doesn't seem to be a really good solution either. (pray to Ull'r) it's dumping snow while skiing, guess what? I have to shovel out my basket before I can put my skis back? No thanks.
Like i said earlier, a board bag is a good solution (In your case a ski bag). Mine lives there from november till may. Another option, although not the best, is a hitch mounted rack. I say not the best because thats where the most spray from the road is and accessing the back gate is nonexistant.

I might just have to suck it up and buy the cargo area liner and cut it where the seats split, that'll at least keep the interior in a bit better shape... When i get a second vehicle in a couple years... I'll have to make sure I consider garage-roof height vs. vehicle/rack height....

BrendonR · **Posted:** Tue Sep 20, 2011 2:14 pm

Atthehelm - yeah - I use bags now... but it presents a few problems that I doubt a board does... not sure though..

the skis I carry (my wifes, father in laws, and mine) range from 160cms to 195cms... it's impossible to put my F-i-Ls skis STRAIGHT in the jeep - not enough room between my seat and the gate, that means you're angling them in. Plus we've all got our boot bags, and I've got a day pack. This makes for a pretty full/awquardly spread out load in the jeep.

Another problem, is when we want to take a multi-day trip... take the initial problem we had, and add in extra bags for clothes, a cooler for food, and most importantly on a ski weekend... beer. It gets a bit cramped.

I've tried just about every configuration I can think of in there, and I do have one that works pretty well - for day trips and weekend trips with only my wife and I in the Jeep... But for 3 or 4 of us to go off to Kicking Horse or Fernie for the weekend.... the Jeep's setup right now just isn't great...

At The Helm · **Posted:** Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:41 pm

Ahh.. Forgot about the skis being so long. I ride a 153 which fits fine going straight in.

Roof Side Bars - Favor

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