When traveling by car for skiing or snowboarding, there are a ton of equipment to carry
I recommend DIYing a cargo rack using lightweight pipes. (DIY = Do it yourself)
Using lightweight pipes
This time, we will use "assembly materials" made from lightweight pipes and joints. There are parts such as plastic-coated steel pipes, as well as special joints, casters, and adapters made from plastic or metal, and their advantage is that they are light and easy to work with. If you go to the DIY section of a large home improvement store, you will usually find them in a series
The table-like thing in the photo is a luggage rack made from lightweight pipes and plastic joints. I made it to fit the size of my car based on the blueprints provided by the manufacturer. I don't usually do crafts, so I thought it might be a little difficult, but when I actually started, it was surprisingly easy. As long as I got the size right, anyone could do it
I cut the pipes myself to the required length using an electric cutter available at the home improvement store. This was the part I paid the most attention to, but after that it was just a matter of assembling them according to the instructions.
I also purchased plywood for the top plate. I had it cut at the service corner of the home improvement store, and then finished it by coloring it with colored spray paint. Incidentally, it took about 40 minutes to make the rack. Including the top plate, it took less than an hour.
The production cost was about 4,000 yen for the pipes and joints, and about 1,000 yen for the plywood and color spray
The car in the photo is a JEEP Grand Cherokee. The back seats can be folded down to create a fully flat surface, expanding the cargo area from 1000mm to 1800mm. The space is as large as a minivan, so it seems like you could pack a ton of skis and boards without a cargo rack, but with this rack it's much easier to organize and you can make effective use of the space. For example, you can neatly fit up to four pairs of skis, two on top and two on the bottom
Since the vehicle is usually ridden by one or two people, luggage and boots are placed in the space on the left, and the second seat on the right is folded down to make it flat, with two skis tucked under the rack. Nothing is placed directly on top of the skis, and the space above the rack is used as free space
A table rack that is also useful for car camping
It's also convenient when you're sleeping in the car. The left and right sides of the luggage compartment can be made fully flat, with the left side as sleeping space and the right side for skis and luggage. The space above the rack is free space
Having a table rack allows you to eat and drink in your car and place small items such as lighting, making the car camping environment more comfortable
Anyone can do it if they have a blueprint
To create this cargo rack, we used the official drawings found on the website of Yazaki Chemical, the manufacturer of the popular lightweight pipe brand "Erector."
https://www.diy-life.net/official_recipe/040015/
This is a drawing of a rack for the Every light van, and it has been designed so that two of the same racks can be connected together to form a bed. I think this is also a great idea
+PLUS
Folding Bench: A convenient item for organizing your luggage space.
It's convenient to have a foldable bench on hand, which is great for camping and other activities
It's especially useful when putting on your boots. It can be used as a small shelf when getting ready around the car, or as a support when waxing, and has many other uses. It doesn't take up much space when folded, and it's reasonably priced, so it's a good idea to have one that fits the size of your car
The photo is of Captain Stag, which sells for around 3,000 to 3,500 yen
https://www.captainstag.net/products/M-3805.html
The popular interior bar (rod holder) is also convenient!
Interior bars are also easy to use and are readily available at hardware stores and car shops
It's convenient for hanging out gloves, goggles, and beanies after use, or for hanging small items. If you have space, you can use two of them to store skis or snowboards on the ceiling. It's easy to remove, so it's not a hassle to use it only when you're out snowboarding
Lightweight pipe DIY can be freely and easily arranged. You can customize it to your liking to fit each vehicle, such as an SUV, minivan, or light van, so why not give it a try and aim for a comfortable space for your ski or snowboard trip?
Make a space your own!
Composition, text and photos: STEEP Editorial Department