[bmobuell]

Hi. I just got a new 2013 this month and so far love it. I want to get a snowboard rack. Preferably one that can hold 4 boards. What do you have or had and recommend, chime in please.
Thanks. Bring on the snow !
Ps ill be also looking for a bike rack in the spring so any recommendation there too. Thanks.

 

[firesail]

Ive got a Thule rack that can hold 4 boards no problem,placing the bottoms together.. I think its the universal flat top youll find on their site. One thing I have noticed is with the upside down boards is the ratchet straps of the bindings rub on the roof. Not a big real. Im also using the stock cross bars. I sprayed the rack with plastidip. I never did like look of having the silver of the rack on top of the car.

I have a yakima bike rack for my hitch too. The highlite 3. It can lock onto the hitch and lock the bikes onto the rack. Ive had no problems with it.

 

[jcruz689]

Hi bmobuell! Welcome and congrats on your new OB.

I picked up a Yakima Fatcat 6 from REI over the Thanksgiving holiday. Used it for a couple trips to Tahoe already and I love it! I'm 5'8" and my stance is pretty narrow so my bindings barely fit in between the holders in the regular position on the '13 OB. Not a fault to the fatcat but I had to move the cross bar to the secondary position so my taller friends can fit their bindings between the holders. The spacing might be too wide for real short boards when the cross bar is in the secondary position.

Only drawbacks that I see is that there is very little clearance with the roof with the bindings when you mount a board upside down. I'm tempted to add a couple rubber spacers to the rack feet to give it about a cm more of clearance. You can also utilize the rack lift-extender too if you have extra tall bindings. Also, one other drawback to the fatcat is that the locks are really hard to lock when you have boards/skis in it.

I was going to get the Thule pull-top equivalent but REI had a sale on all Yakima products so it came down to price on my end. Inno & Rockymounts make some good cheaper alternatives to the Yakima and Thule variety ski racks.

One last thing! Once snow season is over and spring arrives, I plan on getting the Rockymount Tie Rod bike rack for my townie road bike. A lot people on here have given good reviews on this rack for the OB. Only thing I'll have trouble deciding is which color I'll get. :29:

 

[autorot8]

I know you were looking for a rack, but did you consider a cargo box? I use the Yakima 16s, fits easily on the factory rack, holds 3 boards and set of skis with plenty of room for boots and another board if needed. No worry about rubbing and keeps the gear protected from road debris.

 

[Ali_pine]

For snowboards - Whatever you can steal.

For Skis - Keep them pesky s-boarders from stealing them by using a box.

 

[Novablue]

For snowboards - Whatever you can steal.

For Skis - Keep them pesky s-boarders from stealing them by using a box.

Haha. True boarders don't steal skis. They don't know what to do with them!

I have the Yakima bar rack too. Cheap and does the job perfect.

 

[connorlikesbikes]

Hi bmobuell! Welcome and congrats on your new OB.

I picked up a Yakima Fatcat 6 from REI over the Thanksgiving holiday. Used it for a couple trips to Tahoe already and I love it! I'm 5'8" and my stance is pretty narrow so my bindings barely fit in between the holders in the regular position on the '13 OB. Not a fault to the fatcat but I had to move the cross bar to the secondary position so my taller friends can fit their bindings between the holders. The spacing might be too wide for real short boards when the cross bar is in the secondary position.

Only drawbacks that I see is that there is very little clearance with the roof with the bindings when you mount a board upside down. I'm tempted to add a couple rubber spacers to the rack feet to give it about a cm more of clearance. You can also utilize the rack lift-extender too if you have extra tall bindings. Also, one other drawback to the fatcat is that the locks are really hard to lock when you have boards/skis in it.

I was going to get the Thule pull-top equivalent but REI had a sale on all Yakima products so it came down to price on my end. Inno & Rockymounts make some good cheaper alternatives to the Yakima and Thule variety ski racks.

One last thing! Once snow season is over and spring arrives, I plan on getting the Rockymount Tie Rod bike rack for my townie road bike. A lot people on here have given good reviews on this rack for the OB. Only thing I'll have trouble deciding is which color I'll get. :29:

+1 on the Fatcat 6. Yakima has never failed me... And if you plan on using your roofrack for anything other than snowboards, you might want to look into the Yakima Landing Pad 12 system. Much more secure than the factory bars.

 

[smwwkayaker]

When I called Yakima a few weeks back asking about the LP12 system, they indicated that it didn't fit the 2013 and that their fit team was working on a solution.

Of course, I'd love to be proven wrong so that I can get my Yakima setup completed ASAP. I liked the LP12 setup.:29:

 

[bmobuell]

I like the fatcat too. I like that it has a built in lift for taller bindings.
What do you guys think about the subaru rack?
It is $100 less....is it an inferior product?
Thanks

 

[craig1970]

I have the Yakima Fat Cat 6 which as long as you put the bottoms together you should be able to hole 4 boards with not problems. The 6 of the part number in theory means that you can carry 6 skis. The fat Cat is lower profile than many of the standards ones.

 

[jcruz689]

I like the fatcat too. I like that it has a built in lift for taller bindings.
What do you guys think about the subaru rack?
It is $100 less....is it an inferior product?
Thanks

From my understanding, the Subaru and most other racks they offer are rebranded Yakima's. The one on their website looks like the Yakima powderhound; their lower priced ski rack. Quality is the same since it's Yakima. Yakima/Subaru powderhound rack is not as low-profiled as the Fat Cat and you'll have to buy a $20 extender to lift the rack up for binding clearance.

I thought about getting the powderhound since it was cheaper but I went with the Fat Cat for it's aesthetics and aero design that reduces wind noise. One plus about the powderhound is that its hinges are a bit more spring loaded than the Fat Cat's which helps with loading/unloading skis. I don't have any experience with the Powderhound but I'd image it produces a bit more wind noise. Also, some have said that the red latches start fading after awhile. The 2012 Fat Cat 6 are all black so it won't weather as bad as the red latches on the powderhound and pre-2012 Fat Cat 6.

All in all, if you don't mind spending the extra money, Fat Cat 6 all the way!

 

[JustMatt]

Not sure it makes a difference. Kind of like asking "What's your favorite color?" What features to do you want, and how much are you willing to spend?

Things I've noticed w/ my Thule UPT - it sits too close to the roof of the car; my bindings would sit on the roof. This would most likely scuff the roof on a 400+ mile trip.

Depending on how big a boy you are, you may have to adjust the x-bars due to the standard position potentially resting directly on your bindings. I usually have my bindings on the inside of the rack; I had to place one binding in front of the rack which made the board look rather goofy sticking out in front of the other one. Take a moment and visualize it; it sounds confusing but you'll get the gist.

Whomever mentioned the factory ones were rebranded Yakima's - on the subaru tech website, the instructions for installing the Subaru branded ski/snowboard rack still have the "Yakima" designation on the rack itself. Not sure what model though.

The biggest downside I've seen thus far is the lack of an opportunity to affix a wind deflector to the roof rack system. Put some boards up top and it is rather noisy.

I might be considering a box, but those, afaik, can't hold 4 boards.

The trip I just got back from, I had the boards inside the car the whole time. This worked out well as we got dumped on, and I probably would have had to dig out the top of the car to fit the boards.

Have a great season and happy riding!

 

[autorot8]

I might be considering a box, but those, afaik, can't hold 4 boards.


Have a great season and happy riding!

Probably depends some on the size of the boards. I carry 3 boards, a set of skis and all the boots that go along with it in a box with room to spare.

 

[imwjl]

I have the style Yakima that allows you to raise a side for clearance (Powderhound?) and a roof box.

You can get roof rack bargains on craigslist and eBay.

I'll support those who say get a roof box. My old school Rocket Box would not work on 2013 Outback and I got the Skybox 18. The 18 clears the back and I got the big one because there were times I really appreciated the capacity with my old one.

If you belong to a bike club or association you can often get shop discounts. I used the IMBA discount to buy the car, and the shop I got the Yakima at gave me a discount thanks to my IMBA membership.

 

[bmobuell]

Is anyone running the Thule rack universal 6 ski/ 4 boards? How does it compare to the Yakima? I like the Thule because its USA made.

 

[imwjl]

Is anyone running the Thule rack universal 6 ski/ 4 boards? How does it compare to the Yakima? I like the Thule because its USA made.

I checked out a Thule that slid out but it was expensive and I didn't know if it tilted up for snow boards. Once at about .5 the price of a roof box I told myself to go that route for all the extra utility and ease of use.

Ironically, I picked up a ski only rack on craigslist anyway for our other vehicle but it was a bargain.

 

[stewart.dr]

i have the thule that holds two at an angle and up, i love the thing. Got it used on CL and my only complaint is the screw system to attach it to the rail isn't quite right. Works well enough for a crazy snow storm trip to telluride CO from AZ x2 lol!!