Carrying skis on a Ducato

[gvj]

As you can see, we have a fixed bike rack on the back of our van.
Sometimes we'd like to carry skis as well (not necessarily at the same time as two bikes).
There's very little space to spare on the roof with three roof lights and a solar panel there already.
Haven't been able to find a ski carrier that would fit vertically (we don’t have a tow hitch).
Has anyone any solutions?
Thanks

 

[gus-lopez]

Fit double or treble ali roof bars that mount to the gutter & stagger them between the roof fittings, then fit
ski clamps to the roof bars?https://www.demarvan.co.uk/fiat-roo...lOVYP8Y00ejF-Aegf-qhF8Okz047or_xoCktwQAvD_BwE

 

[glenn2926]

Can’t you just fit a box to the bottom rail of the bike rack then stand the skis in it with a bungee around them? like the buses in the alps.

 

[Vanderek]

I think Minxy Girl solved the issue....

 

[Minxy]

How long are the skis?

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[Itsmcb]

If you remove the bike wheel channels could you attach roof bar ski clamps to the horizontal rack bars and clamp the skis vertically?

 

[gvj]

The skis are between 1.6 and 1.9 m - a mixture of cross country and downhill. Thanks for the roof rack link - But I think in practice it would be a lot easier to have them on the back. Actually tried a couple of ski rack scissor type clamps attached to the bike rack frame but it was a PITA to use - all the skis would just fall out as soon as the lock was released. Plan is probably to fit a pop riveted alloy box as per other suggestion. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing a less labour intensive solution.

 

[SD j]

Magnetic Ski And Snowboard Carriers - Fabbri Racks - UK

Fabbri magnetic ski and snowboard carriers / racks are a quick and easy solution to transporting skis or snowboards to the mountains.

fabbri-racks.co.uk

 

[Minxy]

The skis are between 1.6 and 1.9 m - a mixture of cross country and downhill. Thanks for the roof rack link - But I think in practice it would be a lot easier to have them on the back. Actually tried a couple of ski rack scissor type clamps attached to the bike rack frame but it was a PITA to use - all the skis would just fall out as soon as the lock was released. Plan is probably to fit a pop riveted alloy box as per other suggestion. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing a less labour intensive solution.

What about mounting them horizontally instead of vertically? You could put them in something like this and fasten it to your lowered bike rack:

BAG FOR 4 SKIS / 3 SNOWBOARDS 900 - GREY WEDZE | Decathlon

We have added foam reinforcements for optimal protection from impacts. Ideal for travelling by plane.

www.decathlon.co.uk

or this:

Amazon product ASIN B003STEEG6

 

[gerry mcg]

What is the issue with carrying the skis inside the van? Under the bed? In the garage?
My preference would be to carry them internally if possible, from a security and to prevent them from getting filthy from road muck if possible

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[gvj]

Thanks for the latest suggestions. That Amazon hard case is a good buy - may get one even if it doesn’t fit on the back! Entirely agree about the advantages of transporting skis “indoors”. Trouble is a 5.4m van conversation is very short on suitable spaces - no garage as such and under bed space too short. Upright in the washroom ? Less than ideal …

 

[Minxy]

Thinking again ... assuming your camper is something like the below what about at the rear inside behind the upper transverse locker? In this picture the winding handle of the awning is stored there ... would some of your skis go there as it seems quite deep?

Another option is to create a new storage area by putting supports under the bed base frames to lift them up say 15cm so you can slot your skis in there along with the poles etc, as there appears to be a lot of head height between the bed and the upper locker it shouldn't prevent you sitting up in bed etc.

If I think of anything else I'll let you know!

 

[pappajohn]

Secure them to the awning box...
I assume they'll be in a bag of some sort.
A few elastic bungy straps should do.

 

[Armytwowheels]

Thinking again ... assuming your camper is something like the below what about at the rear inside behind the upper transverse locker? In this picture the winding handle of the awning is stored there ... would some of your skis go there as it seems quite deep?

View attachment 523241

Another option is to create a new storage area by putting supports under the bed base frames to lift them up say 15cm so you can slot your skis in there along with the poles etc, as there appears to be a lot of head height between the bed and the upper locker it shouldn't prevent you sitting up in bed etc.

If I think of anything else I'll let you know!

I have seen Van's with skis fitted there in ski resorts. Also, you could consider removing the bindings to allow the skis to slot in somewhere. We do this when the skis are not in use though, not practical for when you are in the ski resort.