[ians]

there's not a lot of snow yet but I did put the winter tyres on last week as I knew I needed to work over the weekend in a ski station. This morning I went for a ski on the local glacier and tried the roof bars for the first time which was disappointing.

The distance between the bars is tiny and barely accommodates my ski bindings. There's also no way I can get the skis on with the tips rearwards and still be able to open the tail in a usuable way. And the stack height of the bars is a bit low, again it barely fits my bindings with any clearance to the roof.

How are people finding ski boxes? does the tail still open? Not the micro short ones but a couple of metres?

 

[Harley]

What I do is adjust the extent of the rear hatch height….so it doesn’t hit the ski (or other roof mounted boxes). Even with limiting the height opening a bit, it’s still plenty accessible.

 

[ians]

What I do is adjust the extent of the rear hatch height….so it doesn’t hit the ski (or other roof mounted boxes). Even with limiting the height opening a bit, it’s still plenty accessible.

that was my problem. There’s no reasonable setting that allows the boot to be opened in a usable way. Depends how long your skis are obviously

 

[nbvolks]

Skis fit fine in here, with room, and hatch can fully open.

 

[Harley]

that was my problem. There’s no reasonable setting that allows the boot to be opened in a usable way. Depends how long your skis are obviously

You must have very long skis?

 

[ians]

View attachment 19853

Skis fit fine in here, with room, and hatch can fully open.

and it looks great!

what’s the model? Length and skilength?

 

[ians]

You must have very long skis?

I have normal length skis some 190 and some 200. And nordic skis would be longer.

 

[Tech49]

Alors écoute voir, ça fait plaisir de croiser un vaudois ici !

I will bookmark this discussion, I will only get my p2 in feb but I may ask you when I get it what solution you found and where to buy it in CH.

 

[AlefSin]

Just wanted to say: another vaudois checking in!

I bought the roof bars with my P2 but never tried them! Regarding the skies, I found it easier to just carry them inside the car: I fold a rear seat or open the middle section, put a ski carrying bag in place and then put the skies inside it (without closing the carrying bag). It is there just to protect the car's interior from the skies and dirt. Admittedly, I usually go to ski alone; only sometimes with 1 or 2 passengers so there is plenty of space inside.

 

[ians]

Just wanted to say: another vaudois checking in!

I bought the roof bars with my P2 but never tried them! Regarding the skies, I found it easier to just carry them inside the car: I fold a rear seat or open the middle section, put a ski carrying bag in place and then put the skies inside it (without closing the carrying bag). It is there just to protect the car's interior from the skies and dirt. Admittedly, I usually go to ski alone; only sometimes with 1 or 2 passengers so there is plenty of space inside.

I would do that in my last car but the PS2 isn't long enough to fit full length skis in or nordic ones for sure. It's pretty clear looking at the Thule website and Galaxus that there's a market for ski carriers for cute little gucci carving skis but not so much for freeride

 

[AlefSin]

I would do that in my last car but the PS2 isn't long enough to fit full length skis in or nordic ones for sure. It's pretty clear looking at the Thule website and Galaxus that there's a market for ski carriers for cute little gucci carving skis but not so much for freeride

Indeed, my enforcers are only 179cm long, though at 94mm base width, they are not exactly suited for carving either 😅. I could imagine longer ones could go over the arm rest but that might make driving uncomfortable or even dangerous. I used to do it with my VW golf though😁

 

[nbvolks]

and it looks great!

what’s the model? Length and skilength?

It's a Calix brand roof box made specifically for Volvo, however they make other models that use the same base with a slightly different upper shell.

Anyway, my skis are 180s, but even when they're in there, there's still a lot more length for even longer skis. The interior length is rated at 211cm.

Roof box designed by Volvo Cars - XC90 2022 - Volvo Cars Accessories

XC90 2022 Pack & Load The Volvo Cars self-designed roof box has a volume of 430 liters (15 cubic feet), which makes it very functional. The aerodynamic design has been optimized for minimal air resistance and wind noise, and the sporty look is enhanced by the high-gloss black paint.

accessories.volvocars.com

 

[ians]

It's a Calix brand roof box made specifically for Volvo, however they make other models that use the same base with a slightly different upper shell.

Anyway, my skis are 180s, but even when they're in there, there's still a lot more length for even longer skis. The interior length is rated at 211cm.

Roof box designed by Volvo Cars - XC90 2022 - Volvo Cars Accessories

XC90 2022 Pack & Load The Volvo Cars self-designed roof box has a volume of 430 liters (15 cubic feet), which makes it very functional. The aerodynamic design has been optimized for minimal air resistance and wind noise, and the sporty look is enhanced by the high-gloss black paint.

accessories.volvocars.com

that sounds perfect and it looks really good in that colour. I didn't think it was Thule. The Swiss volvo website was play up when I tried to look so I'll try another time.

 

[nbvolks]

that sounds perfect and it looks really good in that colour. I didn't think it was Thule. The Swiss volvo website was play up when I tried to look so I'll try another time.

The color of mine is the same paint color as "Snow" for a Polestar. However, Volvo only offered that roofbox, in that color, as an optional extra for the Ocean Race edition V90 Cross Country, which we also have. Otherwise, Volvo only offers it in black.

 

[ians]

The color of mine is the same paint color as "Snow" for a Polestar. However, Volvo only offered that roofbox, in that color, as an optional extra for the Ocean Race edition V90 Cross Country, which we also have. Otherwise, Volvo only offers it in black.

I was a bit resistant to having a plastic box on the roof but that looks good. How is it for efficiency? I would leave it on most of the winter I guess, I have ski bars on from November to May usually.

 

[nbvolks]

I was a bit resistant to having a plastic box on the roof but that looks good. How is it for efficiency? I would leave it on most of the winter I guess, I have ski bars on from November to May usually.

Hard to say exactly how much of a hit to efficiency can be attributed to the box alone, versus colder temps, winter tires, etc., because like you're planning to do, I left the box on all winter. What I can say is that overall the hit to my efficiency against summer driving is around 5-10%.

 

[Harley]

Anthing external to the car, such as a roof rack or trailer hitch carrier, etc…increases the cars coefficient of drag. That happens on all cars, not just EV’s. Furthermore, Cd is also dependent on the car’s velocity, so, traveling with a ski box on the roof at low-to-moderate speeds, will have less impact to efficiency, than when you are driving at highway speeds. There are a number of articles that have studied this issue, and if I remember, the increase in the overall Cd can be around 10% (this number can vary depending on a number of things).

The only way not to take this hit is to put the skiis inside the car, through the pass-through.

Interesting factoid: Adding an additional (interior) weight (like passengers or cargo) has very little impact to an EV’s efficiency.

 

[nbvolks]

Interesting factoid: Adding an additional (interior) weight (like passengers or cargo) has very little impact to an EV’s efficiency.

That's because EVs already weigh so much that passengers and cargo are proportionally less of an impact versus an equivalent ICE vehicle.

 

[ians]

Hard to say exactly how much of a hit to efficiency can be attributed to the box alone, versus colder temps, winter tires, etc., because like you're planning to do, I left the box on all winter. What I can say is that overall the hit to my efficiency against summer driving is around 5-10%.

My guess from this week was the winter conditions plus roof bars were making a difference and the box wouldn’t matter a lot. It’s probably worse on the autoroute, I know a bike rack drags terribly. Driving in the mountains it’s not such a factor from my experience.

I’m pretty sure I’ll get box in the new year.

 

[Harley]

That's because EVs already weigh so much that passengers and cargo are proportionally less of an impact versus an equivalent ICE vehicle.

I suspect which force has the greatest impact depends on the velocity of the car., as well as the driving situation? At highway speeds, the wind resistance on a vehicle can be substantial, whereas at stop and go urban driving, Per Newton’s 1st law…ie, a body at rest will remain at rest unless unless a sufficient force…added weight increases frictional forces that oppose motion.