Q&A with a Founder

Why did you make a hitch mounted ski rack?

We owned a Tahoe and my wife is 5'4".  That is a bad combo.  We had a hitch mounted bike rack so we thought---why not stick a gondola box on a hitch.

Why does it sit so far off the back the car?

The overall rack extends about the same as a 2 bike hitch bike rack.  We decided to build a more square shape to limit obstructing the  back up camera and the license plate.

 

Any other reasons for the square shape?

Yes, we love our bike rack on our car, but we HATE it when it sits awkwardly in the garage.  The square shape of our Graivrax racks allows the rack to sit solidly in the corner of the garage holding skis in the offseason.  Garage space is priceless, having a rack eat up space is something we couldn't afford.

Why isn't there an integrated lock?

Winter is really harsh.  50 degree temperature swings are typical, and with freeze thaw conditions rack locks sometimes freeze.  We didn't want anyone to have to deal with a frozen lock.  We recommend using a cable bike lock when necessary, and when it isn't put the lock in the car to protect it from winter.

Why aren't there lots of straps and screws and stuff to hold things in place and adjust rack?

The best design is a simple one.  The more features you add the more stuff there is to break, and with freeze thaw cycle in the winter features tend to become points of failure.  We have only one moving part--for the down tilt.  That is it.  And depending on your car and how you chose to place the rack, there is a pretty good chance you won't even need to pivot the rack to access the trunk. 

What is up with the down pivot?  Why no swing away?

Winter.  Swing away arms are great in the summer, but meh in the winter.  Just like integrated locks they work 'most' of the time, BUT freeze/thaw plus lots of steel on steel sometimes results in swing away arms that don't swing.  They also weigh a lot, AND won't let your rack sit flat on the floor of the garage in the offseason.

How do the skis stay in place?

Gravity--its why we put it in the name GRAVIrax.  Gravity also bends space and time--it does an awesome job of holding skis in 2 foot deep tubes.  Just remember to load ski tips down and poles baskets up.  Tips Down Baskets Up.

Aerodynamics---what is that?  Does it matter?

Aerodynamics is the study of how objects move through air and the forces that act on them.  Yes aerodynamics matters a lot, and skis on the roof are bad for your car's aerodynamics making it less fuel efficient, noisy, and super dangerous if a roof rack pops open.  Hitch mounted racks add very little additional drag, and our rack benefits from downforce which help to keep the skis in place instead of fighting upward lift which roof mounted skis face.  The noise your skis make in a roof rack, is the rack and skis fighting lift and drag and hurting your fuel economy.

Will my skis bang around a lot?

No.  Back to physics, and Newton's law of Inertia" an object in motion stays in motion."  As long as you are not stopping and starting your skis will not jiggle against the tubes.  We also put cushions in the base of the tubes to protect your ski tips.   

Will my powder skis fit?

Our tubes can accommodate shovels (ski tips) of up to 158mm.  If your shovels are wider than that, please call us and take the team skiing with you.

Will it work on a Wrangler?

Every car is different, and manufactures change their cars every year.   Trunk angles, hitch heights, tire widths all change year to year.  Please don't get me started on aftermarket customization.  We made every effort to make sure you can get great fitment on every car with our patented design allowing for 72 different rack placements.  Every adjustable rack can be offset to either driver or passenger side, there are 3 different heights the rack can sit at with a total of 4" of height adjustment, there are 4 different adjustments for off center allowing a total of 6" of flexibility, and 4 different distances off the bumper with a total of 4 1/2 " of flexibility.  Is it possible that your ride might need an extender?  Yes.  Does Gravirax give you a great shot at excellent fitment.  YES.  

What is the best thing about Gravirax?

Loading skis in seconds.  Keeping skis out of the car is nice, not having to deal with a roof rack on a tall car is excellent.

What is the worst thing?

It makes your car longer.  If adding a couple of feet to the length of your car is a killer, then hitch mounted racks are not a good solution for you.

Any other neat benefits?

I really like not having to worry about skis scraping down the side of my car.  I can't tell you how many times people have leaned skis against the side of my car for whatever reason, and then a pair of them scrapes down the side.  That doesn't happen anymore.