Gravirax GR-4 Ski and Snowboard Rack System Review

Living in a ski town means frequently driving to the ski resort or bus stop. Often, loading, locking, unlocking, and unloading a roof ski rack takes me as much time as driving up the resort (except when I can’t find a parking spot).

Roof racks can be awkward to load, create noise at highway speeds, and add drag. After a season of messing with ski roof racks, I finally found a better way to transport gear with the Gravirax hitch-mounted rack system for skis and snowboards.

My overland truck has an 8-foot-high Go Fast Camper, making a roof rack significantly difficult to reach. Even with a slide-out ski rack, opening the rack involves a dynamic jump from the top of my 35-foot tire to a crimp on the camper roof and handhold on the rack. With that setup, loading six pairs of skis or snowboards requires huge physical effort and balance.

But with a hitch rack, I can load up with ease and safety and even ask my friends to help out, too.

In short: The Gravirax GR-4 Adjustable Ski Rack is a great ski rack for swiftly and handily getting your downhill or Nordic skis to the slopes without lifting anything over your head. No matter how big your family is, there’s an option for you with the six-ski or 10-ski model and snowboard sleeve attachment. 

Scope out other ski and snowboard racks for your rig’s roof or hitch in the Best Ski and Snowboard Racks buyer’s guide.

Gravirax GR-4 Ski and Snowboard Rack System: Hitch Mounting for Easy Access

The best part of the Gravirax hitch-mounted system is its low-mounted design, using gravity to hold skis into the rack. This means you don’t need to mess with locks, opening and closing racks, or lifting skis to the roof of your vehicle, or in my case, an 8-foot camper.

After a year of testing the original version and the new version on the back of various vehicles, I have had zero issues with durability and feel this could outlast most roof racks due to the simple design without any moving parts, especially in frigid temperatures. Additionally, during the off-season, the square design fits perfectly in the corner of a garage or storage unit and holds skis and snowboards as a storage solution. 

Loading involves placing a pair of skis and poles or a snowboard into a tube at waist height — that’s it! Even kids can help. Around ski towns, I see these racks a ton on full-size SUVs running shuttles.

Another benefit of having the rack behind the vehicle and down low is that there is much less aerodynamic drag behind a vehicle compared to its roof. Now it’s not a noticeable difference in gas mileage, but compared to a roof rack it’s considerably quieter at highway speeds. 

A simple pin is all you need to remove to tilt the rack away from your vehicle, gaining access to the main cargo compartment. No sweat: It’s easy to tilt down and back up when fully loaded with one person.

If it’s not adjusted to the correct height, the rack can hit the ground when fully tilted on lower-clearance vehicles. Based on our experience, the strong and durable materials can withstand some rubbing, but it’s worth noting.

Simple Install

The hitch rack comes ready to mount straight out of the box. Just set your pins to the correct setting. This version of the rack consists of four heavy-duty plastic tubes with an open top.

Heavily updated in 2025, the Gravirax is now made with hugely adjustable settings, allowing users to choose between 72 rear hitch configurations — yes, 72. This means the rack can account for a rear-mounted tire or even completely avoid needing the tilt feature when entering the trunk.

Somebody can set the rack on either the driver’s or passenger’s side. You can set the rack at three different heights, with a total height adjustment of 4 inches. Four different adjustments are available for off-center settings, allowing a total flexibility of 6 inches. Four different distances are available off the bumper, with a total range of 4½ inches.

Mounting the additional Gravi Steel Snowboard Sleeve did take a few extra minutes of assembly to bolt onto the main rack, but overall, it was straightforward and easy to set up. 

Accessories: Carry Your Snowboards, Too

The Gravirax system is still a great solution for ski carry on its own, but a few key accessories really make this system shine.

The first is the Gravi Steel Snowboard Sleeve ($199) for all the snowboarders out there, with a maximum of two per rack. This allows a single snowboard to be carried in addition to skis.

While it’s rated for one, I found that two back-to-back snowboards fit just fine and could be locked down with the supplied bungee cord. You can mount two snowboard sleeves per rack. 

The next accessory that is a must, in my opinion, is the Gravirax Waterproof Adjustable Cover ($79), which keeps road grime off your skis and snow out of the tubes. The cover is compatible with a cable lock.

Being mounted to the back of a vehicle and down low close to the road means road grime is much easier to build up on a hitch rack. The cover does a fantastic job of keeping your skis and snowboards clean. Thanks to a front zipper, you can even access your skis without taking the cover off.

However, the current design can only cover the GR4, the GR4 with snowboard sleeves, or the GR6 without sleeves.

Bumper-Proof Durability

I’ve lived in a ski town for nearly a decade and tested more than a dozen ski rack systems. This one is the most durable, in my opinion.

While made 10 pounds lighter for the 2024-2025 season, the Gravirax is still heavy-duty, coming in at 66 pounds unloaded. A lot of the weight comes from the heavy-duty plastic tubes used to store the skis and the metal frame holding it all together.

The tubes have an open top and a removable floor. Not only do they hold skis and snowboards secure, but this heavy-duty hitch rack could also (probably) be used as a bumper (but please don’t do this).

Minor Qualms

Mounting a hitch rack to the back of a vehicle does extend its length. This was especially noticeable on my Ford Raptor crew cab, which at 19.5 feet without a hitch rack, is hard to fit inside a parking spot, much less adding another 2 feet of rack to leave sticking out in the driving lane of a parking lot. 

Additionally, while the rack is compatible with a cable lock, one isn’t provided. That adds another expense to the system, much like the snowboard rack or adjustable cover. 

Lastly, even with the smallest rack — the GR-4 — while I could manage to install it and remove it from my hitch solo, it was much easier to lift with two people. Unless you’re a heavyweight body lifter, the six-ski and 10-ski options are mandatory for two-person lifts.

Gravirax System: Who Should Buy?

I’ve spent a lot of time getting my skis and snowboards around the mountains using many solutions. The Gravirax system is the easiest and fastest rack system to use. It’s perfect for families with children, transportation in mountain towns, guiding operations, and concierge or chauffeur services.

It is the only rack on the market capable of carrying up to 10 skis with the GR-10 option. All roof racks top out at six pairs of skis or four snowboards, while the GR-6 with two snowboard sleeve attachments can hold six sets of skis and four snowboards!

That’s why in mountain towns, many hotel shuttle vehicles are equipped with a Gravirax system. If you plan on driving on the freeway or road-tripping far to reach your ski resort, keeping the grime off your gear and edges and top sheets protected in rack designs with cushioned arms will be easier. 

Shorter adults and children will have no problem loading or unloading this ski rack easily from the ground. And did I mention how fast it is to drop a pair of skis or snowboard into the rack compared to my time-consuming, sketchy climb to reach a roof rack? Now, I can hold a cup of coffee in one hand while loading the truck.