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Backcountry Skiing blogs, videos, photos, and a whole lotta stoke.

How to Build a Ski Rack for Your Sled | Sisters, OR United States | 01/06/09, by powderjunky

There are a couple of ski racks for snowmobiles out there, but most are too expensive or require the skills and tools of a blacksmith.� Seriously, I'm not going to pay $300 for a simple contraption that allows me to strap skis to my sled.

Here is a really easy and cheap way to make a durable and sturdy rack that can carry at least two sets of skis, all for under $35 dollars. The best thing is you only drill four tiny holes into your sled and the rack can be removed and reattached whenever you please. This rack is really simple and leaves a lot of room for you to make your own modifications.

AVERAGE COMPLETION TIME
2 hours�

COST
Around $35.00�

MATERIALS
2 Aluminum Square tubes: $10/each
4 bolts: $1.00/each
4 nuts: $0.50/each
4 washers $0.50/each
1 heater hose: around $5.00

Necessary Tools
Drill
Wrench
Marking Pen
Tape Measure
Hack Saw

Optional but nice tools
Electrical tape
Clamps
Power Hack Saw



Step 1
Take the aluminum bar and figure out how long you need it to be. You want at least 7 inches of overhang on each side. Ours measured 33in total. Cut the bar to your desired length, and repeat for the second bar. File down the edges where you cut so you don't cut the heater hose later.

Step 2
Mark on the bar where the overhang on each side begins. Drill a hole to match your bolt size four inches in from each overhang point. These holes will be where we bolt the bar to the snowmobile. Four inches is just a suggestion and your sled will determine where you drill.

Step 3
Clamp the bar on to the part of the snowmobile you wish to attach the bar to. Drill matching holes using the already drilled holes in the aluminum bar as guides. Make sure you are not drilling into anything important. The further away you can mount each bar from each other, the more stable the rack will be.

Step 4
Now cut a section of heater hose to the length of each bar.� Drill matching holes in the heater hose. Insert the bar into the heater hose. Use WD-40 to assist in this, or as we did, cut one side of the heater hose to make it much easier to wrap around the bar.

Step 5
Insert the two bolts. Wrap the heater hose in electrical tape if you want.
Attach to sled and screw on washers and nuts using a hex wrench until tight. For the back bar we want to have it a little higher than the front one to create a little tilt. We use large nuts (oh yeah!!) to raise the back bar.

Step 6
Use ski straps or rafting straps to secure skis.


Depending on your sled you may need to come up with your own modifications, but hopefully this will help you get started in the right direction.

Got any questions or suggestions? Let us hear them in the comments section.

Send us your images of your own sled racks to [email protected] and we will post them here.