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Hitch Mounted Cargo Carrier

12K views 45 replies 12 participants last post by  rumrunner 
#1 ·
anybody get a 1 1/4" hitch mounted cargo carrier? where did you get it? just found out my daughter has a mini fridge in her dorm that I have to bring home in addition to all her other stuff and I'm thinking maybe now I have an excuse to buy one of these ... I need to get it tonight or tomorrow night somewhere between Massachusetts & Vermont hahaha
 
#2 ·
1-1/4? The OEM hitch is 2".... Some of the hitch-mounted accessories have either a 2"-> 1-1/4" reducing sleeve. Some have a pivot with 2" on one side and 1-1/4" on the other.
 
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#3 ·
If you have a Mopar tow setup, you have a 2" receiver....can't remember if you went aftermarket...

I bet any Walmart or Kmart, etc might have one in stock, don't know about a uHaul store or the like.

And, if you find one that's 2", you can get an adapter for your hitch to go 2">1 1/4" or 1 1/4">2" I think.

Edit to add: /\ beat me to it!
 
#4 ·
As far as location; Walmart, maybe, as @SkipW said. Harbor Freight may be the most likely to have something. Order it from Amazon for next-day delivery to your destination. :)
 
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#6 ·
As far as location; Walmart, maybe, as @SkipW said. Harbor Freight may be the most likely to have something. Order it from Amazon for next-day delivery to your destination. :)
next day delivery to her dorm! I like the way you think!

actually found 3 in stock at walmart, good for either 2" or 1 1/4" hitches. stood in the aisle for a long time scratching my head. called her for an inventory list. gonna wait and see how we do Friday morning, then if nec go to her walmart and see if they have any in stock. other options include shipping some stuff home, and even leaving some stuff behind for donation. but having one of these would be pretty fun. gotta check my emotional toy buying tho
 
#7 ·
someone on my old Subaru forum recommended this one

Curt 48" x 20" carrier
lucky for me a local Curt dealer is 1/2 mile from my office and had 1 in stock!

glad the unit not only came with a hitch pin, but a threaded one to boot! basically an anti-rattle pin. don't know if I'll bolt it together tonight in my motel room or in the morning in the parking lot. the hitch pin was fine with an ASE socket, hoping all the other bolts will follow suit cuz I didn't bring a metric set with me, but I do have a handful of other tools such as wrenches and locking wrenches

last minute update - of course daughter emailed me pics of the load late ((not bad at all!)) so now I'm over prepared ... I hate returning stuff
 
#9 ·
last minute update - of course daughter emailed me pics of the load late ((not bad at all!)) so now I'm over prepared ... I hate returning stuff
For me, moving out was always worse than moving in....I suddenly realized I had accumulated a lot more stuff throughout the year! My dad always had a rack like that around the house....we didn't use it much, but it was great to have when we needed it...
 
#11 ·
I was on the fence at 5:30 this morning but last night when she saw my car again she was not confident it would all fit (there was more she didn't send to me in photos. so I built it in the motel room and hooked it up. turns out we did need it. I could have piled a 2nd layer on the roof basket but we would have still needed it. plenty of ground clearance even with the aftermarket hitch, glad I got the good one with the angled shaft. some of her friends were still talking about going skiing. in 4 months we'll be back













 
#27 ·
I was on the fence at 5:30 this morning but last night when she saw my car again she was not confident it would all fit (there was more she didn't send to me in photos. so I built it in the motel room and hooked it up. turns out we did need it. I could have piled a 2nd layer on the roof basket but we would have still needed it. plenty of ground clearance even with the aftermarket hitch, glad I got the good one with the angled shaft. some of her friends were still talking about going skiing. in 4 months we'll be back









just about 4 months later ... meaning tomorrow wheels rolling at 7am, we're going back. this is such a fond memory going to get my baby girl to bring her home for the summer. all 4 of us going up tho so we're using 2 cars. and sadly no roof rack or hitch mounted cargo carrier :(
 
#14 ·
Looks like a nice one
yeah, it is! rock solid with the threaded hole and pin. no stability straps required. didn't even know it was there. only affect was the weight, my little 4 banger had a little trouble maintaining speed through the mountains. at one point it downshifted to 4th so I took cruise control off. cruised between 60 - 75 mph, tried to keep it 65-70ish most the way. but on the steep grades I eased back to 60-65. it doesn't fold but it fits in the back





 
#18 ·
Does anybody oppose to this model as opposed to roof cargo or the hitch cargo without the walls?
I need one to carry camping stuff.

https://youtu.be/1GkrgIsU2GU

2016 TH
I saw that model during my search. I thought it was interesting. I think the walls would be helpful. if you don't have the walls you'll have use containers to help you stack you gear. I would use a hitch hauler as a second choice to a roof carrier tho. I'm just used to roof racks my whole life. plus I think despite load ratings of the hitch racks, I think the roof racks can hold more weight. the hitch racks might be more aerodynamic because they follow the vehicle. I would love to use both for camping but when we go we have to bring 4 bikes, so that's what the hitch would be used for. the walls might make it easier to use it for odd shaped soft stuff like sleeping bags, etc. I'm sure you could wrap it with a tarp but the idea of a giant zipped bag that's waterproof is very appealing. if you don't have a sunroof then all you need is cross bars, you don't need a roof basket just throw everything up there in a pile and tie it all down with thin climbing rope from a sporting goods store. a set of crossbars is pretty cheap. if you already have the hitch, then the hitch rack with the walls looks like an easy and quick option
 
#17 · (Edited)


All purchased from Amazon for around $150. The bag has been through two trips from Michigan to Utah with lots of rain and all contents stayed dry. No effect on fuel economy either.

Tricam ACC-1F Hitch Mounted Aluminum Cargo Carrier, 500-Pound Capacity, 50-Inch by 20-Inch Platform

ROLA 59102 Expandable Hitch Tray Cargo Bag

Peterson M436B Clear License Plate Light with Steel Bracket

Trimax TAR300 Anti-Rattle 5/8" Keyed Receiver Locking Pin System



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#19 · (Edited)
I bought one of those rack hitch carriers with a waterproof cargo bag for our first road trip across the country. It worked but just wasn't terribly convenient. For our second road trip I bought one of these Stowaway2 carriers. Love it!

https://www.stowaway2.com/



 
#20 ·
I bought one of those rack hitch carriers with a waterproof cargo bag for our first road trip across the country. It worked but just wasn't terribly convenient. For our second road trip I bought one of these Stowaway2 carriers. Love it!
is is the photo angle or does the 2nd unit sit higher. is the added convenience due to the hard vs soft case? or that fact that it's just 1 easy lid to open instead of a bag to fold & secure?
 
#24 ·
Rack and bag was like $350 all together.
Stowaway was $811 with wheel kit option.
 
#25 ·
great idea for extended use when you can't predict the weather or might have stuff in it overnight at a motel parking lot. although I doubt anyone would keep anything valuable in it - still, a simple lock can keep ppl honest. even a vagrant might want your sleeping bag for example. also for camping you can take it off and leave it at the campsite with all the miscellaneous stuff you don't use until you leave like tent bags and unused tarps
 
#26 ·
We kept our clothing bags in the outside travel bag and just lifted the bag off the carrier onto a motel luggage cart and in we go. No messing around with rearranging anything in the car. Done this for the last two western trips.


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#33 ·
When I had mine, I used those Rubbermaid tubs with lids that kept stuff dry. It was mostly clothes to go camping and gear, but they worked well in weather and were easy to strap to the carrier. Also, you can find sizes to fit well in the carrier...
 
#34 ·
When I use my cargo hitch and put any type of container on it, it blocks my licence plate. Dealt with a $120 fine (managed to make it half way across the country until I passed one popo who decided to pull me over). To be honest it was my fault, we packed up late at night and I didn't even think of the licence plate visibility. If I use it again I'll need to move my plate elsewhere. Haven't used it since, just seems like too much work now lol.
 
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#37 · (Edited)
mission accomplished despite a cpl mis-steps on my part. lost my cell phone at a rest stop at night & didn't realize it until 45 minutes down the rd. had to backtrack. so glad the desk had my phone. then the next day ruined a tire on a curb but had a full size spare. made it home w daughter w no further incidents of incompetence

this go 'round I added some small oval screw lock carabiner connectors for the tie-downs. bought some new paracord & cut pieces to fit exactly & burnished the ends to keep them from unraveling. should have bought 4 more biners for the side holes. wound up using some trusty thin nylon rope which held up to the minor load pressure + 1 bungee. tied the lengthwise tie-downs (on top) to each other to keep them from working their way off the sides. especially that bungee. bungees are good, but not great. 1st you have to have them the exact length to provide the exact amount of tension. para-cord is good but not great cuz it has no stretch & you have to tension it exactly so it doesn't loosen during your travels

we stopped after a short distance to be sure everything wasn't moving & stopped several more times for coffee & food. had a nice day together catching up. next spring semester, she'll be in New Zealand for 5 months so I won't be driving there to bring her home! hahaha







also added some reflective tape on the back & sides









I take too many pics I know








 
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