ski racks and gas milage

[eddykim3]

i ordered a set of yakima racks on ebay over the summer.
forogt what the model name was, they were used but in very good condidtion, got it for about $35 with shipping, the only bad thing is the seller didnt ship me the keys.

anyways, have any of you guys noticed a drop in gas milage specifically due to the ski racks? thx

 

[AlexJet]

i ordered a set of yakima racks on ebay over the summer.
forogt what the model name was, they were used but in very good condidtion, got it for about $35 with shipping, the only bad thing is the seller didnt ship me the keys.

anyways, have any of you guys noticed a drop in gas milage specifically due to the ski racks? thx

Yes, your truck will consume more gas. Last winter I used to have 14l/100km without ski racks and 17-18l/100km with them (150km of highway from home to ski resort and back with approximately 110km/h)

 

[schwalmy]

i have a ski box on during the winter
it is not an option for me as i am a rep for a ski company and coach for a ski team.
there are different models u can get that offer far less wind restiance
the new box i got last year was not as big n square as my old one.
the new one offers less drag. i still loose a big of milage but not so much that i fear long trips.
keeping a constant speed on the highway and slowing down really helps me.

cheers

 

[AlexJet]

i have a ski box on during the winter
it is not an option for me as i am a rep for a ski company and coach for a ski team.
there are different models u can get that offer far less wind restiance
the new box i got last year was not as big n square as my old one.
the new one offers less drag. i still loose a big of milage but not so much that i fear long trips.
keeping a constant speed on the highway and slowing down really helps me.

cheers

What box do you have now?
I was thinking of throwing away my old Yakima ski racks (giving to my friend) and getting a box. The box I was looking for is Thule Evolution 1600 or the latest Thule Spirit, but the last one is very pricy and nearly doubles the price for evolution.

 

[Northof49]

Re: Re: ski racks and gas milage

Yes, your truck will consume more gas. Last winter I used to have 14l/100km without ski racks and 17-18l/100km with them (150km of highway from home to ski resort and back with approximately 110km/h)

Wow are you sure that's all due to the ski rack??

I don't even see that much of a drop towing a 19 foot boat.....

 

[schwalmy]

hey
the box i have is the Thule Evolution 1800
like i said not too much of a notice on gas milage getting worse throughout the winter
schwalmy

 

[slowginjoe]

i don't notice a difference in gas mileage. only a slight whistling noise if i'm going over 65.

 

[cruzmissile]

I do ~100 miles per day on my commute. I also have tracked my gas milage for many many tanks and I found that I lost 1-2 mpg with the Yakima rack. I realize there are many variables, but in my tracking, I've been able to duplicate conditions and see the difference. I've also put on the kayak attachments (Mako's) and found almost no difference in mpg.
The difference is still negligable when you think about the fact that you can save the same amount just by simply slowing down a little bit more (not that I'm willing to do that yet).

Bottom line......don't worry about it. It's not like your going to have them up there all year....are you?

 

[AlexJet]

Re: Re: Re: ski racks and gas milage

Wow are you sure that's all due to the ski rack??

I don't even see that much of a drop towing a 19 foot boat.....

Last winter I had Mitsubishi Montero and it was recorded on that vehicle. I've maid 28 trips to Blue Mountain and back to Toronto last winter and I always remove them when I'm not using them. So this data is pretty correct to me, calculated on ~50 fill-ups last winter.

That's my point of getting a box. But they are so expensive here. Evolution 1600 cost ~ Cdn $800 while in States its US $340.

schwalmy, how is your Evolution 1800? Are you using stock crossbars? Do you have some pictures of it?

 

[CGY_LTD_V8]

I noticed more of a difference with my yakima ski racks then I did when I switched to the fibre glass pack-a-sport box (which is 3/4" the width of my truck).

 

[MAC4Runner]

I typically lose 1 MPG with Yakima Powder Hounds on the stock roof rack. Well worth it in my opinion.

YMMV

 

[schwalmy]

hey alex
yes using the 4runner crossbars.
i dident want to get a kit as it really does raise the box up alot and it fits very very well without it as many of them are designed to.
i would recomend the 1600...the 1800 is huge but i need it for the ammount of skiie that i am moving also the 1800 just barley fits the 4 runner
ill be putting it on very soon so i will post pics when i do

 

[AlexJet]

hey alex
yes using the 4runner crossbars.
i dident want to get a kit as it really does raise the box up alot and it fits very very well without it as many of them are designed to.
i would recomend the 1600...the 1800 is huge but i need it for the ammount of skiie that i am moving also the 1800 just barley fits the 4 runner
ill be putting it on very soon so i will post pics when i do

Thanks for the info, schwalmy. I really want to see how your Thule box is looks like. Have you mentioned gas mileage with the box? How much your mileage going down with the box?
BTW, where is your box now, in your garage? I'd like to pass by and see how it looks on 4Runner. Could you PM or e-mail me when you'll be installing it, and I will pass by your place or any other location you prefer? I'm shopping for the box right now and looking to buy it in next couple of weeks. I'm also looking for the good price. Do you know any places in GTA who might have them on sale?