I just mounted some Thule SnowPack ski racks to my beef bars and wanted to report on the experience.
I ordered the beef bars with the Thule-specific track studs. As others have reported, these are pretty short, but they’re long enough to mount the racks if you don’t use any of the plastic spacers.
Unfortunately in this configuration only my touring skis fit; the bindings on my downhill skis are too bulky.
If you use the spacers you also need to use the longer Thule track studs that come with the SnowPack. They can be made to fit with just a little grinding action from a Dremel. You only need to get the base slightly rectangular in shape, just enough to slide into the tracks after removing the end caps. Fits great after that.
I opted for a Thule Motion XT Alpine cargo box. It’ll hold 6 pairs of skis, including the kids’ short skis. It sticks up 12" above the beef bar (14" above the top of the GFC).
After many hours or research as well as trial and error, I’ve gone with the strap-style that wraps around the Beef Bars. I tried the various in-channel options but if you’re like me where I was constantly putting them on and taking them off my 4Runner due to my garage height(6ft 8 inches), the in-channel racks are more trouble than they’re worth. I specifically went with the Kuat Grip 6-ski version and I’d choose them again-
Pros
Straps are long enough to wrap around the Beef Bars and there’s a nut to tension the straps so it’s not going anywhere. I tried another Kuat rack, the Switch 6, and the straps were unfortunately too short
Convenience- press a latch and the bottom tray slides out, away from my 4Runner. No more needing to climb onto the roof to load/unload 3(sometimes 6!) pairs of skis and poles which has been amazing
Security- comes with keys so you can 1) lock the rack to your Beef Bars/cross bars AND 2) lock the skis in the rack. I no longer have to worry about them if me and my buddies want to grab something to eat at a restaurant or need to make a stop on the way home
Expandability- specifically the hinge operates in such a way that if you have thick skis/snowboards or whatever else up there, it will expand the hinge UPWARDS so your gear stays held in place
Cons
Expensive- the 6-ski version is $498 but if you can get a 25% coupon from REI or wherever, it’s much more price-competitive
I’ll leave this last point that may or may not matter to you
These things are so well made and heavy that my Platform RTT no longer stays open without some extra support. I ran into this recently because due to the freezing temps and my 4Runner now being parked outside, the tent froze for a solid 10 days and I couldn’t open it at all until yesterday. When I went to open the tent, I had really to put some effort into getting it open and eventually propped it open with a 2x4 otherwise, it would slowly close itself. My guess is the oil inside the struts thickened and the struts themselves aren’t as efficient in the cold. In addition to the Kuat, I have 3 beef bars, 2 Solar Trays and 2 100-watt Renogy panels on the roof which probably aren’t helping at all. Like I said, this may or may not apply to your setup but if you’re looking for a ski/snowboard rack, you’ll be going somewhere cold as well so it’s something to keep in mind