CURT 18153 60 x 24-Inch Basket Hitch Cargo Carrier, 500 lbs Capacity, Black Steel, 2-In Folding Shank

This worked out to be the best purchase I could have made for our travels. It is important as you read this that you keep in mind that I bought the CURT 18153 Basket-Style Cargo Carrier that is 60" x 24" x 6" with the Angled and folding shank. I used this size basket on my 2017 Chevy Tahoe. The Angled shaft raises the basket a few inches which makes it easier to work with and load as well as clearance for steep drives. Also the folding shank allows you to fold the basket up and leave it on your vehicle after you have unloaded your bags or cargo at your destination. (see photos) I am very pleased with my purchase. The quality is excellent and very heavy duty. The welds might not be perfect if your talking about a piece of furniture in your house, but they are good quality commercial welds and you should not encounter any problems, The shipping box when it was delivered had some damage however the contents / cargo carrier and components were packed well and were not damaged. The box weight is about 70 pounds so you might need some help to move it. I did recommend to Amazon that they add to the box precut handle openings. I assembled the product in my home on the floor. Very simple and easy to assemble. You have the two halves of the basket, the 2 inch square center support and the angled / folding shank. You will also need a few tools. I recommend a socket set or box wrenches along with an adjustable wrench or "Channel Locks." There is one bolt head that is very large that my set did not have and I wanted to have one to fit so I went out and bought one. Once you have all the right tools and parts laid out it took about 30 minutes to assemble . . very simple. One person can do it, but when aligning the side rails to slide together it was nice to have someone there to help. You will need to purchase one hitch pin to keep the shank in your towing hitch on your vehicle. I purchased a locking hitch pin for security. In reading reviews some people also recommended an anti rattle stabilizer so I did also order the "StowAway" Hitch Tightener, Anti-Rattle Stabilizer for 2 Inch and 1.25 Inch Hitches Sold by: PacRec Products here on Amazon. It made a major difference in the up and down movement and lateral stabilization of the basket. I also purchased 2 plastic self adhesive reflectors and some reflective tape to help with the visibility. The cargo basket when down extends the overall length of the vehicle by about 42". We used this cargo basket on our trip to Colorado and we drove a total of 2,800 miles with no problem. With this size basket you can configure suitcases a few different ways. We had 4 full size suitcases on their side, but you could also stack side by side 6 full size suitcases. If you normally have a lot of smaller odd sized things you might consider buying some used suitcases at garage sales or flea markets and put the small and odd sized things in a suitcase for easier packing and tarping on the cargo rack. We used a 8' x 10' tarp with bungee cords and ratchet tie downs. Keep in mind the max weight is 500lbs, however we were at about 200 lbs for this trip. I recommend when you return as we always do, thoroughly clean and dry the cargo basket. Check for road chips and remove any rust that you might notice and use a couple of coats of black gloss Rustoleum Paint to touch up. I had no problem with my license plates , but I have seen where some people have "zip tied" their license plates to the cargo basket so they are seen. Drive safe and just keep in mind that your vehicle is 42 inches longer . .especially when backing up, parking and changing lanes.

We bought this basket 5 years ago and cannot be happier with it. It’s very easy to attach, I do it by myself, not very heavy, I’m medium build 70 years ago old and can handle it alone, although an extra hand is nice. The basket is very sturdy and we have taken on many trips. It’s been a game changer for us. We have an older large dog, so we can’t pack a lot of stuff in the back of our Highlander with her. The basket allows us to load a lot our travel things outside. It folds up easily when it’s empty and we almost always use it on our family vacations. We pack lots of our stuff in Commander storage tubs and they fit perfectly in the basket. I then use ratchet straps to hold everything together. Ours is the 2” hitch, as I say, super sturdy. I highly recommend this basket and would buy it again.

The is the Cargo Carrier that you want! Buy this one. Do not even look at any others. I looked and looked at all the various carriers Amazon offered. I realized quickly how important having one that folds up is. You must get a folding carrier, especially if you are buying this to use on a vacation and plan on driving around after unpacking your things from the carrier. We just took ours to the beach. Parking is so tight at the hotels and restaurants at the beach we go too, there is no way that I would have felt comfortable having this carrier in the down position in any parking lot. But once it is folded up, it doesn't stick out that far beyond the parking spots. Second, I came across a few carriers that had "bent shanks." I didn't really think about this being an important factor before, but now after using mine, I see what difference it makes. The bent shank gives you more ground clearance underneath the basket. There were a few times of pulling in and out of places, that I guarantee if my carrier didn't have a bent shank, it would have bottomed out. Spend the little extra to get a carrier with a bent shank. I also recommend you go for a larger carrier like this. I almost bought a different one that was had smaller dimensions because I was worried about buying one that was too big, and I'm so glad I did not. This carrier fits great on my SUV. It is a few inches shy of the width of my truck. It did not obstruct my view on either side of the vehicle. We did purchase also purchase a cargo net... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CAVUL0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 .... and I'm pleased that we did. My husband initially was just going to ratchet strap everything down, but we got this net and decided to do a combination of ratchet strap and then we put a tarp over everything and used this cargo net to secure it all. It was a great set up. Nothing budged at all, even after hitting several big bumps. The overall construction of this Curt Carrier is wonderful. It is super sturdy feeling. While it is not lightweight aluminum, it does weight 70lbs, my husband and I easily picked it up and put it on my Acura MDX. Honestly my husband probably could have put it on himself, but I was trying to be a nice and helpful wife ;) We saw so many other vehicles with obviously cheaper carriers on them. The ones without the bend shanks all seemed to look like they were sagging...even ones that had nothing on them! Ours fully loaded( probably only about 150lbs but still) did not sag at all. We did not add any lights or addition reflectors, bc we knew we were not going to be traveling during the night. I think if we take any long trips with this carrier overnight, that I probably would add lights, just for added safety. We did use a locking tow hitch to secure the carrier. I also purchased a hitch tightener https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001CMUV4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I do recommend getting one of these. The carrier did feel a little wobbly without it. Some people probably wouldn't be bothered by the small amount of play it had, but I felt much better after installing the hitch tightener. It really did help to minimize the amount of play. Overall, fabulous carrier. I highly recommend!!!!!

Works very well. We use it on a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder and there were absolutely no issues in doing so. I really like the ability to "fold" it up when we got to our destination and unloaded, but didn't want to take it off the car all together. Our first trip happened to be a roughly 5,000 mile round trip that went from Tennessee to South Texas, Las Vegas, Utah, and back to Tennessee. We went through several rainstorms, lots of traffic, country roads, I-10/I-40/I-80, and it held up great. I couldn't tell it was even on the car until my backup camera would beep when in reverse. We could still open our rear door in the Pathfinder with this installed and loaded up. We purchased and used the ROLA 59119 Rainproof Cargo Carrier Bag, which fit very nicely on this carrier. This worked very well for us as we used it for a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. Our first trip was a 5,000 mile round-trip that took us from Tennessee to South Texas, Las Vegas, Utah, and back to Tennessee. It was a nice cargo carrier and was exactly what we needed. We were able to still open our rear door even with it on and loaded up. When we got to our destination(s) and unloaded it, was able to fold it up and it was out of the way...without having to remove it. While driving I couldn't even tell it was on the vehicle, except when I was in reverse and the back-up camera had fits. We purchased the ROLA waterproof bag (59119), which fit very nicely within the carrier with a bit of room to spare. We drove through rainstorms, country roads, busy freeways, and didn't have any issues. Assembly went fairly well. It isn't that complicated. I did try to follow other reviewers suggestions to make sure there wasn't a gap with the two "ends"...but there still was a bit of a gap. The only real complaint I have is it is heavy and bulky for storage. I struggle a little bit in finding a good spot for it in the garage. I looked at the aluminum ones, which would be a great deal lighter, but didn't find one that matched this one in terms of functionality. So still a good purchase and great value.

I purchased this in June 2017 and after 8 years of use I still love this hitch haul. It has served us well on camping trips, hunting adventures, moving kids into college, and going on family vacation road trips. The curved shaft and raised platform help minimize scraping and also keep your cargo off the road a bit more. It is very sturdy and has a large storage capacity. I live in a coastal environment where rust can be an issue and have proactively repainted it several times. Despite this, the hitch haul is showing some signs of surface rust, but will probably last us several more years. Great purchase and would buy again. My only complaint: Not very visible. Only a small piece of red/reflective tape. I HIGHLY recommend buying additional reflective tape to enhance visibility of the hitch haul. I would recommend considering an elastic cargo net and a good tarp and/or cargo totes/boxes to help secure your load. We found this more convenient than the large cargo bags.

I wanted something that folded up when not in use. I considered roof bags but they seem like a fuel consumption problem and then I cannot use it when hauling the kayaks. There is also a hanging bag which sits on the tailgate, but that seemed like one hit wonder and of low utility. The fold up hitch carrier however can be used on all my vehicles for all kinds of gear and it doesn't tie up roof space. Also. When installed and loaded with bags, you can still access the rear tailgate which is a huge plus. I'm thinking that I can put coolers and bikes on this during summer camping trips. We just took a 900mile trip with this and the Curt luggage bag. This is paired with an '07 Hyundai Santa Fe with a U-Haul hitch. Install and assembly was super easy. I spent about 1/2hr on assembly and also added more reflective tape. I got a locking hitch pin for it from Autozone. Due to the location of the vehicle tail lights there was no need to add separate brake lights. I added some aluminum tape just where the exhaust pipes are located but I'm pretty sure it was not required - the pipes are a tad lower that the carrier and a nice distance away. The fold up capability is an absolute must if you want to arrive at your destination and then drive around. I also think that having it folded up stops people from driving into it when unloaded. The unit seems extremely sturdy - much stronger that out Hitch. With the vehicle loaded with 5-passengers and a small dog we had plenty of space inside for a comfortable long ride done in 7hr 450mile Segments. There was no noticeable vehicle sway or instabilty. The rear end of the car hung lower due to it being a lightweight vehicle, so the raised section of the hitch support bar helped to keep the load off the ground. On some occasions like existing a steep driveway, the aft end of the hitch support dragged on the ground a bit but no damage was made to the car or carrier. I added reflective tape to the bottom so that it's more visible at night when folded. Great, sturdy, versatile and well designed unit.

I’ve had this for nearly two years now and it’s been great. Taken it on several 400 mile road trips and one 2000 mile road trip all with around 150-250 pounds. The latest trip was only 40 miles, but it was with nearly 500 pounds of wheel and tire through Houston streets. Does it begin to sag some with that much weight? Yes, but all metals flex/bend when under a load. Did it bend any arms or bracing, NO!!! Did everything go back to normal when unloaded, YES!! This is a good rack and you shouldn’t be afraid of using it. Just be aware that you are adding an extended lever to the rear of your vehicle and any weight you add on it will be essentially double what it would be if it was in the rear seat/luggage compartment (making the assumption the basket is twice as far from the rear axle as the luggage compartment of car/suv), so your suspension may sag more leaving the basket closer to the ground than you were anticipating.

This was mounted on a 2012 Dodge Durango (first year of the current body style). We bought it for a 3,000 mile round trip and love it. The extra width over 48” carriers makes a big difference. It was paired with a 60” x 24” x 24” cargo bag with 150-200 lbs. of cargo/luggage. We wanted the fold-up option so we would not have to remove the carrier and store it in our hotel room all week (it only takes about ten seconds to move the tray from horizontal to vertical and lock it in place). This option does cause the carrier to sit quite far from the rear of the vehicle, which has good and bad points. The good: even with a 24” high cargo bag, we could open the lift gate, with plenty of clearance, to load/unload/access whatever we stored in the back of the car. There is also plenty of space to step between the carrier and the car. Very importantly, even though the carrier is not high enough to completely clear the exhaust, the extra distance meant that the cargo bag was never in danger of melting (I checked a number of times, most notably after going through some steep inclines on I-24 between Nashville and Chattanooga). The bad: sitting further back allows wind coming off the sides of the car to have a greater impact on the carrier and anything on it. As a consequence, our gas mileage dipped about 2 mpg, and there were times that the car felt slightly squirrely, particularly with wind gusts, though there was never a moment that worried me about losing control. Full disclosure: I drive faster than average, and I’m sure slower speeds would help this. The raised support shaft helps with clearance on shallow inclines when turning into restaurants, gas stations, etc., but the extra length off the rear means it won’t help much with anything steep. Best to go over those areas at an angle to avoid dragging. Also, even with the raised shaft the carrier was still low enough that our tail lights and license plate were visible. The shaft had no noticeable wiggle and felt solid throughout the drive. This carrier worked perfectly for what we wanted and we’re completely satisfied. If you don’t need to keep the carrier on your car when you get where you’re going you may want to go without the fold-up option, as it will sit closer to the vehicle and the wind will have less effect, but you also may not have access to the rear of your car, depending on what’s on the carrier. Pros: lots of space, can access rear of a car even with the carrier loaded, sits far enough away to prevent hot exhaust damage of cargo, no worry about storing the carrier at final destination (or having to drive around with it still sticking out and possibly forgetting it's there). Cons: more wind resistance due to sitting so far from rear of vehicle, will scrape on steeper entrances/exits if driving straight.