Contrary to my planning to buy a full-size roof box, I have now decided for the Thule SnowPack in size M for this year’s skiing season. In this short review I would like to show this in combination with the Thule Wingbar roof racks. Since we regularly go skiing with multiple people, I decided to get a carrier that can carry up to four pairs of skis.
Features
- Aerodynamic
- Fits a range of skis and snowboards
- Sleek
- Should carry up to four pairs of skis
Technical Details
| Load capacity skis (pairs) | Up to 4 pair |
| Load capacity snowboards | Up to 2 boards |
| Dimensions | 24.4 x 2.8 x 3.9 in |
| Loading width | 19.6 in |
| Extra large push-button | ✓ |
| Room for high bindings | ✓ |
| Locks skis to carrier | ✓ |
| Color | Black |
| Fits Thule TracRac – Truck | ✓ |
| Fits Thule TracRac – Van | ✓ |
| Model number | 7324B |
Information taken from Thule.com
Unboxing
The package does not contain any big surprises. There are the two ski mounts included, adapter plates to increase the distance to the roof, appropriately sized retaining screws and a Thule typical manual. As usual the keys could be replaced by the Thule One-Key system.
Mounting
Attaching the Thule SnowPack
Attaching the ski holders is very simple. You basically just slide the retaining screws onto the roof racks, place the ski holder on top and tighten them with a kind of quick-release fastener… similar to the buckles of a ski boot. To bring enough space between the binding and the car roof, there are also spacers. In my case, I had to use these as well.
Mount the skis
Similar to other ski racks I’ve owned, the reality here lags behind the manufacturer’s promises. Since the skis such as all-mountain skis are getting wider nowadays, it is already very tight to get four pairs of them next to each other. Otherwise, no surprises here either. The quality is good and accordingly the sports equipment can be put on without any problems. The closure feels high-quality and secures the load.
Verdict
Unlike the carriers I used on my old Mercedes A-Class, I find the Thule SnowPack carriers to be very high quality. Both the attachment and the mounting of skis work flawlessly. Of course, however, the driving noise is much more noticeable than, for example, with an aerodynamic roof box. All in all, though, I’ll be replacing the ski racks with a full-size roof box later this year.
Pro | Contra |
|---|---|
| Good build quality | Not the cheapest |
| Fits modern skis easily | Noisy at higher speeds |
| Easy mounting system |