Choosing a Hitch Mount Cargo Carrier

Consider load weight, capacities, construction, and purpose before fulfilling that desire to have space for all your gear on the trails.

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Words by Perry Mack

Until reality catches up with science fiction, space inside your vehicle will always have a limit. Hitch mounted cargo carriers provide extra storage space on-demand. When it’s time for that trail or overland adventure, connect it to your hitch, load it and get on your way.

Before we talk about how to choose a hitch-mounted cargo carrier (HMCC), let’s decide if it is a good option for you. Driving with a loaded carrier means your vehicle just became .9 m (3 ft) longer. What type of trails do you drive? The tight trail turns will be tougher to navigate and you’ll have to be extra careful backing up during three-point turns. The departure angle also decreases so coming down a step or slope will require more care.

The other disadvantage is they will most likely interfere with your driver-assist rear sensors. Typically, these are automatically disabled when you hitch your trailer via a trailer connector for lights and brakes, but this won’t be the case with the carrier so you’ll have to be able to disable them manually. 

On the plus side, hitch mount cargo carriers have an advantage over roof-mounted racks in that they can sometimes carry more and are much easier to access with the lower load height. Loading 136 to 226 kg (300 to 500 lb) on your roof is not only back-breaking but will make your rig top heavy – not great on those side slopes. 

Plus, you don’t have to be as mindful when you load an HMCC as you can pull items from the middle of the rack, which is not easily done on a roof rack. Roof top carriers are also less aerodynamic, which usually makes them noisier, the 4x4 less fuel-efficient and they increase clearance height. Are your usual trails topped by low-hanging branches?

At the beginning (not end) of the road, you may not have a choice. If your overhead rack and interior storage are maxed out with an RTT, kayak and camping gear, then an HMCC could be a better choice over towing a trailer.

Sizes and Load Capacities

Hitch-mounted cargo carriers come in sizes up to 1.5 m (5 ft) and varying widths, usually starting at 45 cm (18 in) with advertised weights of up to 340 kg (750 lb). However, the weight carrying capacity is dependent on your hitch. A typical receiver mount on a Jeep Wrangler has a max tongue weight of 159 kg (350 lb.) You can attach a 340 kg (750 lb) capacity cargo carrier but it’s unsafe to load it beyond the 159 kg (350 lb) maximum of your receiver hitch. Will the loaded carrier partially or completely block the signal lights? You may want to play it safe by getting one with built-in trailer lights.

Construction

Materials of HMCC’s are usually steel or aluminum or a combination of both. The advantage of an aluminum carrier is it’s often half the weight of a steel carrier, perhaps 15 kg instead of 30 kg (33 lb vs. 66 lb) to achieve the equivalent load-carrying capacity. The aluminum bars will also be bulkier, which means you may lose some interior storage space. This is an important fact to research since almost all carriers are advertised using their outer dimensions.

Some carriers are designed to fold in a vertical position when not in use, making it easier to back up and walk around your vehicle. Unload it at your campsite and fold it vertically for exploring – a handy feature if you don’t have storage for your carrier on the road or at home. In another case of give and take, the folding option means the extra joint adds some movement to the rack, meaning it may not feel as solid.

Foldable raised sides are a feature that will allow you to store taller items more securely and/or stack smaller items. They’re often made of lightweight fencing, so they are best for a lightweight load. There are also bags available to cover your load and protect your gear from the elements. 

Another option is to buy or build a cargo box. Buying saves you some work. You choose the size and features you want and layout your cash. Building your own lets you customize the size and features you want, but naturally, you may need the tools and skills to create it.

Regardless of what you choose, even distribution of the load is key. All cargo mounts we’ve used have been wobbly from side to side. Keep your loads close to the vehicle with the heaviest mass in the centre and lighter towards the edges, with everything secured so there is no movement of cargo. A rough road can shift the load to one side and cause a catastrophic failure of your carrier. 

The maximum weight capacity is calculated based on an evenly distributed weight. Two people standing in the middle will hold, two people standing on one side will break the carrier. Add in the extra force of a bouncing load on a rough road and you’ll be picking up your gear that’s left on the trail like debris from a sinking ship.

Our choice was the DK2 HCC502A aluminum folding cargo carrier that weighs 14.5 kg (32 lb) and measures 127 cm wide x 61 cm wide with a 10 cm rail (50 x 24 x 4 in), which we bought on sale from Canadian Tire for $189.95 plus taxes. It doesn’t have a mesh screen floor to contain smaller items, nor does it have extended storage sides as some carriers do, but we plan to buy/build a lockable box. We like the lighter weight of the aluminum construction as we like to save on weight when we can. The max carrying capacity is 227 kg (500 lb). It’s more than our Wrangler or RV can hold with their max 350 lb tongue weight, but it’s not even close to our 2011 Silverado 3500HD diesel, which can take up to 680 kg (1500 lb) on the tongue.

We like the fact that it folds up so we don’t have to move it very often and we are less likely to hit something when backing up. We also like the three heavy-duty steel, powder-coated supports beneath the bed rather than the typical two – and some less expensive carriers have none.

Unfortunately, the aluminum basket is not welded. The bottom platform is riveted together and the top carrier frame is attached by 40 M5x12 screws. Welds would have been preferred. But apparently, there is a limit as to what you get for $200 in aluminum. Time will tell how well it lasts.

Other accessories you may need include a receiver hitch adapter. When you choose your carrier make note of the carriers’ receiver size (most are 5 cm (2 in)) and compare it to your vehicle. Adapters are available to increase or decrease the size to fit. Once again, the part with the lowest load capacity is your maximum (i.e. the weakest link in the chain is the strength of your chain).

Adding a hitch-mounted cargo carrier can provide a 0.5 cubic metre (18 cubic ft) or more easily accessible, affordable storage space – and that could be more than enough to bring along all of the gear extra you need.