R1S hitch ski rack installed

[superfly_snook]

Looking around for a hitch rack for skis and boards I found this one from Tyger Auto. Just installed it and played around to get it set up for our next ski weekend. I had seen an R1S owner had posted a review of it somewhere so that is already out there but thought I would add a couple quick shots here in case anyone visiting the forum is looking for something like this.

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Does it tilt or fold out of the way so you can lower the tailgate, and sit on the tailgate while you put your boots on?

 

[superfly_snook]

Does it tilt or fold out of the way so you can lower the tailgate, and sit on the tailgate while you put your boots on?

It has a threaded pin that can be removed to allow it to tilt away from the vehicle enough to open the liftgate. I don’t think it would be feasible to sit on the liftgate as the rack doesn’t swing out of the way, maybe you could squeeze over off to the side but my whole crew just boots up on our feet so I wouldn’t know for sure.

 

[Seoras]

Thank you so much for sharing! Yesterday was our first ski trip in the R1S and I used a Thule box on the top for lugging the skis and boards. Was a right PITA given how tall the vehicle is and how paranoid I was on scratching everything up whilst loading and unloading. Not sure how much I want to exercise the air suspension and lower it, although that might be an overblown fear.

My first thought after that trip was, there has to be an easier way! Do you have any anecdotal evidence on efficiency differences between a box and the hitch rack at all?

 

[adam_g]

Just curious - what's the benefit here over putting your sticks on the roof?

 

[Rs6er]

If you used that driving to and from Mt Bachelor. Your skis would be destroyed by road cinder wash.

 

[ark205]

I was considering the same setup. Issue is hitch mounted ski racks are universally disliked on the interwebs — a place where consensus is obviously rare. It seems like unless you are just using for short trips your equipment is going to get destroyed by road debris.

 

[ark205]

Just curious - what's the benefit here over putting your sticks on the roof?

The benefits are cost and convenience. These racks are inexpensive on amazon and it is easy to get the skis/boads off the rack in the mountain parking lot.

 

[Seoras]

Something like the Chuck Rack might help protect the gear but also keep that easy loading and unloading feature. Looking at the larger second gen version, you could likely bag your gear in there too. Expensive for something off Kickstarter though.

Personally I just ordered the Kuat Grip 6 since I'm hoping I will be able to get in and out of my garage without removing it thus solving my biggest gripe with the roof top box, and the extending arms might make loading and unloading easier.

 

[shandel]

I also have the Kuat Grip 6. They are beautifully designed and manufactured and easy to get on and off the roof compared with previous Yakima racks I've owned.

 

[girons]

I also just got a hitch mounted rack for my R1S. Mine is similar to the OP's, but different brand - Arksen. It is really heavy, but fits well and doesn't move around much while driving. I'm not sure of the impact on efficiency, but the range isn't great anyway when driving through the mountains in the cold temps. According to TeslaFi, we had 70-75% efficiency on the way there and 85% on the way home. The advantage is that it is much less expensive than a Rivian roof rack + ski rack and easier than getting skis on and off of the really tall vehicle. Below are pictures with the back open. It doesn't touch the tail gate, but it's very close. I took it to Crested Butte last weekend and the skis were super dirty when we got there.

 

[superfly_snook]

I also just got a hitch mounted rack for my R1S. Mine is similar to the OP's, but different brand - Arksen.

Looks identical from your pics - maybe they are made in the same place and rebranded. Thanks for posting the pic of it with the tailgate open - the Tyger version I have functions identically.

I have done one road trip, ~400 miles each way to/from Mammoth. I had zero road debris on the skis/boards. I also did not notice any difference in range compared to my previous trips without the rack/skis so at least in my case any impact to efficiency is minimal and not noticed.

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