Minimalist. Thoughtful. Made in Bavaria.
For years now, we've been traveling with our campervan, two children, and dog. Whether spring, summer, autumn, or winter – we love our active outdoor life. What always comes along: loads of equipment . What never changes, however, is the limited storage space in the campervan . So we started early on to move as much as possible to the outside. A bike rack on the back was mandatory; on our North American trip, we added a Pelican box for luggage, sand ladders, and a spare fuel canister (which, by the way, we never needed). Our old rear rack, however, was only designed for two bikes – the little kids' bike was just sort of tacked on there too. That worked for nine months.
As children grow – and their equipment grows along with them
Children grow up over time. And so do their bikes. Helmets, protective gear, eventually skis – and by winter , the space problem completely spirals out of control . Our Sprinter van was regularly bursting at the seams.
Initially, the ski bag was simply lying across the camper. This meant stepping over it and only opening the toilet door a crack. If it seemed reasonably safe outside, the ski bag was stored under the vehicle overnight – by morning it was frozen solid. Nothing was stolen, but none of this was truly practical. In unsafe areas, the wet skis would then be lying across the seats and beds – far from ideal. We tried many things: laying the skis across the bike rack was better, but still not a proper solution. So it was clear: we needed something else.
The search for a simple & practical solution
The market now offers many systems for bicycles and outdoor equipment – and a few for skis as well. The problem: the four of us in the Sprinter are already close to the weight limit. While the massive platform solutions look good and are certainly practical, they add a tremendous amount of weight – even before anything is attached. That was a clear deal-breaker for us, as weight is crucial.
Our discovery: PUSH components
We came across the solution from PUSH components rather by chance at another camper family's property and took a close look at the system.
What immediately convinced us:
• Minimalist, lightweight system
• Mounting on existing airline or Thule rails
• Modularly expandable
Suitable for skis, bicycles and more
Made in Germany (Bavaria)
Perfect for us, since the Sprinter already has rails installed – including for our existing bike rack. For this winter season, we ordered the PUSHrack ski racks . Unpacked, mounted – and indeed: super easy . Anyone hesitant about drilling into their vehicle can have the rails installed by a workshop and then customize or modify the system themselves. The PUSHrack system is also available for snowboards .
Practical test in winter: Convincing across the board
The system was put to use right from the Christmas holidays. The skis are incredibly quick to attach and detach – everything is secured with sturdy elastic straps. A particularly practical feature: each pair of skis on the PUSHrack ski carrier is individually accessible. You only need to take what you need. Our initial worry about losing all the equipment on the motorway quickly dissipated – after several trips , everything is still secure. As an addition, we also ordered the PUSHrack cross-country ski carriers – because the long slats don't even fit in our everyday car's roof box.
The perfect winter road trip with PUSH componentsOur conclusion
The PUSH system is one of the most ingenious storage solutions we've ever used: lightweight, modular, space-saving , and perfectly suited for travel – whether winter or summer with skis or bikes. Definitely worth a look for anyone traveling with a camper and lots of outdoor gear. Feel free to check out PUSH components' winter products here .
And if you're wondering about theft protection, PUSH components also offers suitable accessories for this: Lockable cable tie locks .
And ski bags offer protection against road salt; you can mount them directly onto the carriers.
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A little teaser for the summer
We're already looking forward to testing the PUSH bike system this cycling season. Finally, we can store all four bikes efficiently – and the best part: each bike is individually accessible . No more disassembling just to get to a specific bike. With our previous setup using two bike racks (rear-mounted + towbar-mounted), we even had to remove the towbar-mounted rack just to be able to open the rear doors. Not to mention the roughly 20 kg of weight we're now saving.
