Recommended Ski Carrier for 2012 Volkswagen GTI 5-Door Hatchback

Question:

I have Yakima classic bars and mounts on my 2012 GTI 5dr. I see the rating is for 100lbs. I am shopping for a cargo box that can hold 200cm XC skis - Yakima Rocket Box 18 might be as big as I dare go? Is this crazy big for the car, and is it too much for my 100lb limit? Bars are wide for 4x bikes. Do these weight ratings take aerodynamic load into account? Thanks!

asked by: Todd S

Helpful Expert Reply:

Vehicle and roof rack weight ratings are static ratings but they will always have the safety margin necessary to account for the wind drag from items mounted on them.

What you want to ensure is that the total combined weight of your roof rack, the roof carrier and its contents all together remains within the vehicle's stated roof weight capacity. Generally roof rack makers rate their racks based on the capacity of the host vehicle's roof but it is still a good idea to check your owner's manual for any guidance about roof cargo loads.

For reference, the Inno # INB127 crossbars with # INSUT feet, and # INK853 fit kit will fit your box and mounting hardware and by themselves have a 220 pound capacity that surely exceeds your roof rating.

Yakima's Skybox 18 cargo box # Y07336 has an internal length that can handle skis up to 84-1/2-inches long so it will certainly hold your 200cm skis. It will also fit your crossbar spread. The thing is that this box weighs 52-lbs when empty, so you need to subtract this from the car's roof weight capacity to find out how much cargo weight you can actually load into it.