[Therou]

I have a 97 TJ and am looking to figure out a rack for the ski season. I am also an avid camper so something that can serve both purposes would be nice. I have seen some of the racks that can flip out to make a canopy that are really nice, but way to $$. I am looking for an affordable option (under 400) and it would be nice if there was a Canadian supplier to save on shipping.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Unlimited04]

roof rack the ski/snowboard on the hard top.

you can use a junkyard rack off an late model XJ, ZJ or late 90s Ford Explorer. or bolt on Yakima or Thule gutter mounts.

mine:

[Therou]

Well I would do that if I had the roof rack, that's why I am looking for suggestions on what rack to go with.

[Unlimited04]

Originally Posted by Therou

Well I would do that if I had the roof rack, that's why I am looking for suggestions on what rack to go with.

i dont have a roof rack.

[Therou]

sorry when I looked at your post all it had was "roof rack the ski' " must have been a hiccup on the forum. how well does it connect to the gutter?

[87warrior]

Check out this picture thread. A few different options you could explore:
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f59/tjs-roof-racks-860724/

I am very pleased with my Yakima hardtop rack system. Works perfect. The Towers and cross bars can be removed when you do not need to haul skis around. I was a bit nervous about drilling in the hard top, but it was pretty painless. 2 years later I have no regrets and it is still water tight.



In hindsight, I would rather have gone with the Junkyard rack system, because it would be a lot cheaper. Grab the rack tracks, towers and rails from any vehicle, cut to fit your hard top, measure twice and drill.

[shotgunsmith]

I bought an inexpensive roof backet and bolted it straight to the top. I just bungee the skis to that and a have extra gargo space for other stuff. I didn't want a single purpose rack.

[Unlimited04]

Originally Posted by Therou

sorry when I looked at your post all it had was "roof rack the ski' " must have been a hiccup on the forum. how well does it connect to the gutter?

connects fine, i can shake the crap outta the jeep. you gotta be real careful when installing them tho, the clamps could slip off the plastic, or the plastic could break. i use 1/16" rubber padding to aid in traction of the clamps. major downside is the spacing is very short. i intend to do the XJ roof rack (already have it) or that Yakima rail system later down the road. the yakima route is uber-expensive tho.

[robtre]

I need an option for a soft top, and Ive seen Spare tire ski/snowboard attachments but I dont know where to buy them.

[rainmn]

Originally Posted by robtre

I need an option for a soft top, and Ive seen Spare tire ski/snowboard attachments but I dont know where to buy them.

Thule makes a spare tire mount bike rack called the Spare Me, for which they also sell an optional attachment to convert it to a ski / snowboard carrier.

I've never tried it, so I can't tell you if it's any good or not.

[Unlimited04]

Originally Posted by robtre

I need an option for a soft top, and Ive seen Spare tire ski/snowboard attachments but I dont know where to buy them.

I bought a Thule 987xt and thought it would work...ended up hating it and sold it.

But it will attach to a bike rack on a spare: http://www.thuleracks.com/product.asp?dept_id=9&sku=987xt

[Therou]

I am planning on going to the junkyard tomorrow morning, but was wondering what most of the old roof racks on xj's zj's or even some old minivans are hooked on with? Torx? bolts? screws?

[Therou]

So I ended up getting a rack off a minivan. I need to cut down about 6 inches before I can start to install it. Probably do it in a couple weeks when I am home with the tools. Pics will follow. Now just need to get the actual ski holders.

[Therou]

So I finally got this project finished. I ended up grabbing a roof rack from a minivan. I cut the rails about 6 inches shorter so it would fit on the hardtop. I then drilled the holes through the hardtop using the rack as the template. To connect it I used bolts with a rubber washer, metal washer and a nut. I also put a thick bead of marine grade silicon between each washer and the top. In about a week I will tighten the nuts one last time and put a layer of the silicon over the whole nut as one last protection against leaks.

It was a pretty simple project. Finished it off with a "sportrack" ski rack that just clamps on the roof rack. I will try and get some pictures next ski trip.

[60AnniversaryTJ]

Pic's! I've been wanting to do the junkyard rack too. Tried the Thule spare tire system and hated it.