REESE Explore 63153 Rambler Hitch Mount Cargo Carrier, 60 X 24 Inches, Fits 2 Inch Receivers, 500 lbs. Capacity
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Availability:
Only 1 left in stock, order soon!
Arrives
Oct 12 – Oct 14
Features
- CARGO HITCH CARRIER: REESE Explore Rambler Hitch Cargo Carrier Basket is ideal for bikes, camping gear, or anything else that can be loaded up and strapped down to the back of your car, pickup truck, SUV, or vehicle.
- 500 POUND CAPACITY: Up to 60 x 24-inch (inside dimensions) cargo platform with 5.5-inch side rails offers up to 500 lbs. capacity, making it perfect for camping storage or as a luggage rack.
- IMPROVED GROUND CLEARANCE: Cargo carrier hitch with two-piece construction fits 2-inch trailer hitch receivers and features rise shank design that elevates cargo for improved ground clearance.
- MESH FLOOR: Smart, rugged mesh floor design makes cleaning up truck accessories quick and easy.
- CORROSION RESISTANT: Durable black powder coat finish resists the elements, scratches, and rust.
Description
Reese-Hitches.com is a Midwest based, family owned business that specializes in trailer hitches and towing products for light duty to heavy duty applications. Our company opened for business in 1957 as a manufacturer of trailer hitches and has grown to become an ISO 9001-2015 certified company and a leading supplier of hitches, trailer parts and truck accessories to customers throughout North America.
Color: Black
Vehicle Service Type: Car, Truck
Material: Alloy Steel
Brand: REESE
Item dimensions L x W x H: 60 x 24 x 5 inches
Item Weight: 4.3 pounds
Load Capacity: 500 pounds
Mounting Type: Hitch Mount
Number of Packs: 1
OEM Part Number: 63153
Brand Name: REESE
Number of Packs: 1
OEM Equivalent Part Number: 63153
Global Trade Identification Number: 42
Number of Items: 1
Manufacturer: Pro-Series
UPC: 016118055542
Unit Count: 1 Count
Included Components: REESE Explore 63153 Rambler Hitch Cargo Carrier Basket, 60 X 24 Inches, Fits 2 Inch Receivers, 500 lbs. Capacity
Item Type Name: 63153
Item Length: 24 inches
Item Width: 60 inches
Model Number: 63153
Manufacturer Part Number: 63153
Manufacturer Warranty Description: 1 Year
Compatible with Vehicle Type: Car, Truck
Load Capacity: 500 pounds
Mounting Type: Hitch Mount
Automotive Fit Type: Universal Fit
Color: Black
Material Type: Alloy Steel
Item Dimensions: 60 x 24 x 5 inches
Item Weight: 4.3 pounds
Frequently asked questions
If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is:
Oct 12 – Oct 14
Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
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Top Amazon Reviews
***UPDATE*** We had a surprise moving party and I used this rack to help move (mostly boxes). Again, it worked flawlessly. I ended up buying the stowaway hitch tightener (which does work) more for my own peace of mind and not because I felt it moving around when loaded. I also found that when the rack is installed, there's plenty of room to load my SUV with it attached. I could slide in between the rack and the car and load things without much of a hassle. That's nice so I don't have to continually install and remove the rack. ********************** After leaving on vacation with family that carried a portion of our luggage in their pick-up, and then having that family member needing to leave early, we were stuck with a way to carry all of our stuff home. So, I searched amazon for a hitch carrier (something that I was wanting to purchase previously) and found this. Because it was Prime and had such good reviews I decided to buy this. This took me all of 10 minutes to put together. I didn't use a torque wrench, just a long handled open-ended wrench to tighten it as much as I could. My first impressions were that this was a quality product. It feels very sturdy and is solid. I had no worries that it wouldn't hold up. The rack slid into the hitch easily. There was a little bit of play that I was worried about. I also bought a wedge type device that's supposed to take the play out, but it wouldn't work with this. I was a little worried about the play in the rack, but after I loaded it up with around 150-200 pounds of luggage it held solid. I could move it slightly with my hands, but when driving, it didn't move around or make any noise. We drove 800 miles with this on the back and I nearly forgot that the thing was back there. The vehicle drove the same and it was out of view of the back window (which may be a bad thing when backing up). It was nice to not have our gas mileage affected like a rooftop carrier or a trailer can. It was a little heavy, but I can fairly easily manage to install the rack by myself. We have a 2010 Honda Pilot and it has dual exhaust that goes out the back. I know other reviewers of other racks had mentioned issues with the exhaust melting parts/luggage/bins while it was on the back. With the included riser (the folding arm is not included with this, but the riser arm is) the rack sits far enough away to open the hatch door, and when we stopped for gas, I felt around the rack and luggage and I couldn't feel any excessive heat on the rack or luggage. It seemed the rack was positioned high enough and far enough pack to not have a this problem, at least on the Pilot. I would recommend this rack over others because it is larger than others, fits very well, is very solid and sturdy and overall seems much more quality than other racks I had looked at.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2013 by Dave L.
Bought this as I lemon'd out my pickup truck, and need more room for the family when going on trips. I have a 2022 and 2014 Acura MDX. I put this on my 2022 MDX. FIRST THINGS FIRST :) Do not fully tighten the 8x nuts for the basket rectangle bracket (x2, 4x nuts for each) until you put on the square bar that attaches to your hitch. If you do, that square bar won't fit in. My instructions didn't say anything about that (or I didn't take time to read it). This was my first trip with the basket. It's rated to hold 500 lbs. I also bought a hitch bracket to help keep the basket from bumping up and down (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001CMUV4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1) . I could still move it up and down, but it didn't jump when I was driving. I'm not sure if that after market bracket really did anything. It was not sold by the company that makes the basket. The basket, 63153, is the 60x24" basket. Even at 60", I still could not see it in my side view mirrors. Driving with it, I really couldn't tell it was there. For my first trip with it, I took it to the snow where it had about a 50lb cooler (the one in the picture) and a 30lb crate in it. The car, the road, the conditions, all piled on sand/much from the roadway - it was actively snowing during the drive. Even the items in the basket were not spared from the muck (that's ok, was expected and I garbage bagged up the large crate, so it was protected). I also bought lights https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0888T79RP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 which are not in the picture. I attached it to the top bar of the back using tie straps. Sadly, the light wires were short, so I could not run the wires outside of the basket - I had to run them in the basket and put in a reinforced carboard box to keep items in the basket from slipping onto the wires and damaging them. I bought the lights, my choice, for extra safety. With the cooler and crate side by side, it really wasn't high enough to block the back lights. I used tie straps to attach the lights. It comes with everything you need including the hitch bolt and pin. It feels sturdy enough. I travelled over 350 miles both ways with this and no issues. I hosed it off when I got home, no issues there either. WARNING: Some cars have safety features which when it detects something behind the car and you are backing it up, it automatically engages the brakes. At home, I was backing up and the car violently came to a stop. OMG! I thought hit something (hard to see with the reverse cameras with this thing in the way). On the 2022 Acura MDX, I had to disable the parking sensors (because they constantly beeped when I was in reverse, so you won't be able to use those). I also, and this is a MUST, had to disable the low speed braking assist when helps stops the car when something is in the way. It was the only way to back up. On the 2022 MDX, every time you start the car, it re-enables this feature, so remember to turn it off. THIS IS NOT THE BASKET'S FAULT! I only mention it in case you have an MDX or similar safety feature. To secure the load, they do sell a bungie web. I kind of wish I had gotten it. Instead, I used my 4 truck tie downs. 1x for the cooler (front to back). 1x for the crate (Front to back). 1x for both items (side to side). The final one, I ran from the hitch hooks, under, around the back, over the top and back to the second hitch hook. This 4th strap is just plain paranoia on my part, but it was installed to 1) hopefully keep the hitch IN the receiver should anything (and no way it would) to the hitch bolt and pin holding the basket to the receiver; and 2) in case, for some reason, the basket or the entire unit DID come undone, maybe it would hold it to the car while I stopped safely without hurting anyone. It took me about 7-10 mins to complete the four straps (10 mins??? Yes, 10 mins because I didn't want to over tighten it and damage the basket rails, so was tightening, checking). I think the bungie web, the company that sells the basket I think sells one, but I don't have one that I bought or recommended, would have been preferable over the tie downs. I also LOVE the fact that with this installed, I can still open my tailgate (depending on what you put in it of course, but with my crate and cooler, side by side, and the box protecting the light wires) I had zero issues with clearance or opening/closing the back hatch. LOVED this thing, would rather have a truck, but this works very nicely. Just remember, with road grime, dirt, stink, debris - bag loads you care about or don't want to clean. To put it together, I used a socket wrench and a ratcheting crescent wrench. I would buy this again if I needed one. All in all, I would buy this again.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2022 by Dean
After years of discussing the possible need to expand our carrying capacity for our 2014 Toyota Highlander, we finally bought a hitch carrier. We purchased the Reese Pro Series 63153 Rambler Cargo Carrier Basket for 2 Inch Trailer Mounted Hitch. I am writing the review after our first trip, so my comments don't reflect anything with regard to durability over time. In summary, we were extremely pleased with performance of the carrier, which we used with a Reese waterproof cargo bag. Total driving distance was about 650 miles, mostly freeway and well maintained roads. The carrier arrived in excellent shape (other reviews discuss damage to packaging). It was easy to assemble and install. Construction is quite solid. However, I strongly suggest you use the recommended torque wrench to tighten bolts to the recommended tightness. The bolts that hold the two sides together are recommended to be tightened to 70 ft/lbs. Other bolts to 25 ft/lbs. I was surprised how much pressure I needed to apply to reach the specified 70 ft/lbs and would not have intuitively tightened to this degree without the torque wrench. We installed the carrier with a hitch tightener, which seemed to help with the stability of the carrier (we had zero sway or rattling; when driving loaded or empty). This added only a couple of minutes to the install and removal (LIBERRWAY 304 Stainless Steel Hitch Tightener). We also purchased the Reese Explore 63604 Rainproof Cargo Tray Bag and a ROLA 59516 LED Light Kit. The cargo bag was excellent; fit perfectly, easy to install and load; protected our load. Although we encountered some rain we can't yet comment on how rain proof this bag is. The straps attached easily to the carrier and held everything tight; no loosening during the trip (summer temperatures were often in the high 90s). The light set is admittedly an extra that may not have been needed since the carrier and bag did not obstruct our tail lights but we wanted extra visibility (would recommend). The LED lights do this well. The light set was easy to install and needed no extender wire harness; plugged easily to our hitch receptacle. However, we were disappointed that the rubber grommets for the lights were too loose when installed with this carrier. The lights are for another (Rolla) brand of carrier. Black duct tape resolved the acute need; I'll will do a more permanent solution with our next trip. On our first trip, we used the hitch carrier for carrying all our luggage, a 10X10 folding canopy, a plastic bin of cookware and other heavy items, 3 beach umbrellas, a fold up REI camping table, tools, and a number of other assorted items. The hitch rides high enough to avoid exhaust and contact with the ground on sharp inclines but even with the cargo bag loaded, didn't obstruct our tail lights and license plate. There is enough clearance between carrier and vehicle to easy to load and unload the vehicle with hitch installed. No impediment to the tail gate with cargo bag loaded (see picture of side view). No noticeable impact to mileage. In summary, we're really happy we have made the purchase of this equipment as it will make our future travel a lot easier. We are also glad that the 2" hitch we had installed when we ordered the vehicle can be used for more than just a utility trailer. As the carrier ages I will update the review if there are any issues encountered. Update: September 2022. Still love the carrier. Used several times per year. Easy to put on and take off. Cargo bag has kept our stuff dry even when we’ve encounter driving rain. Has held up well. Still glad we got a LED light set (duct tape has been an adequate solution for loose grommets). We’ve added a locking hitch pin.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2020 by ThriftyGuy
I purchased this cargo carrier with a Pro Series cargo bag to transport luggage on our yearly family Christmas trip that covers about 2,000 miles. We were using a roof basket, but had some issues with water intrusion via the zippers on our hard luggage. We hope that the combination of this carrier with the bag will add another layer so that even if some water gets through the bag it won't get all the way into our luggage. Assembly was very easy. Basically flip the pieces of the basket upside down, slide them together, put on the two plates but don't tighten them down, then put in the big bolts, then tighten the large bolts first then the little ones. The hardest part was the 75 ft-lb torque requirement on the larger bolts. My torque wrench had the setting for that much, but it is a lot of torque and even though I'm a big guy there was plenty of grunting. The one thing this carrier is missing is a pin or bolt for the hitch itself. I guess if you have plenty of hitch items you'll have one or two laying about, I only have a bike rack which has a bolt, and I keep that with the bike rack. A quick trip to a local store and I got a hitch bolt and pin set and I'm good to go. I can get this on the car myself, although it is a bit heavy and unwieldy and the next time I do it if there is someone helpful around I'll probably go ahead and get help. The hardest part was lining up the holes for the bolt/pin in the hitch. It fits my Hidden Hitch (Hidden Hitch 87568 - Class 3 Hitch here on Amazon) almost exactly, which means sliding it a slight amount forward/back can be tricky. I took a quick trip on the highway at 75 MPH to test this and the bag out and didn't hear any rattles, although my 2011 Subaru Outback does a decent job of dully road noises and such. The raised rails give plenty of opportunity for tying down the cargo. Luckily the way it fits on my Outback it doesn't block my lights at all so I won't need the optional lighting kit. It also is smaller than the width of the car, and so while driving I don't see it at all via the windows or mirrors. However it does obviously block the view of the backup camera. My hatch can open fine with the carrier and the bag. However with some taller cargo that would obviously be a problem. With the price and functionality this is pretty much a no brainer purchase. I don't know why I waited so long to get one.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2015 by Shawn Parr
The carrier arrived on time and the packaging was excellent with sturdy foam covers for the corners and each section wrapped in a thick plastic bag. I assume that packaging has been upgraded due to prior complaints. I gave this carrier 4 stars because their is a issue of the instructions clearly stating and illustrating that the heavy part of the load should be centered. Due to the loose fit into my hitch ( which several reviews speak of ) this allows for play which then results in the carrier tilting some to one side or ROCKING slightly back and forth on a completely balanced load. This I assume could eventually lead to wear which could result in a higher level of tilting. Since my scooter weight is heavier in the back end where the batteries and motor sits the carrier tilts in that direction mostly. *** I will need to address the back and forth play/tilt/slop issue however and plan to add 2 support arms to the vehicle at both ends of the carrier or add a optional ANTI RATTLE/WOBBLE kit to the bar as other reviewers here have mentioned. http://www.amazon.com/TMS-Rattle-Bracket-Wheelchair-Carrier/dp/B007C7GBB6/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1392567860&sr=1-6&keywords=anti+rattle In addition my Caravan hitch only has the 1 1/4 receptacle so I bought an adapter to handle the 2 inch connection needed for this carrier. The addition of the adaptor however adds more distance from the carrier to the back end of the vehicle which may or may not be a problem. The added length may reduce the MAX load capacity slightly also but not sure. http://www.amazon.com/Reese-Towpower-7020500-Receiver-Adapter/dp/B001IH8Q0A/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1392559241&sr=1-1&keywords=hitch+adaptor At this time I am not sure if the play/wobble is because of the dimensions of my vehicle hitch, the carriers hitch tube dimension, the adaptor or a combination of all 3. I am considering just replacing the vehicle hitch to a 2 inch set up for $150.00. Although this carrier does not include a hitch pin I would prefer to find the highest quality one on my own . I also acquired the type with a lock on it so that it is less likely to fall out and for added security from theft/accidents. http://www.amazon.com/Heininger-6011-Advantage-SportsRack-Receiver/dp/B0032DBQHS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1392558310&sr=8-4&keywords=hitch+pin+lock It is possible that the hole in the carrier hitch bar for the locking pin to your vehicles hitch may not match up to this one depending on how deep your hitch receptical cavity is. I had some weld drippings/slag at the back of my hitch cavity that prevented the carrier hitch from going back far enough for the pin holes to match and once I removed the slag I had a match. I like that the center support/connecting bar incorporates a rise in the hitch bar as my DODGE CARAVAN/MINIVAN rear end sits low and does not allow for much ground clearance, the extra rise angle makes the difference in being able to use such a carrier especially for hauling my mobility scooter. I also appreciate the ROUNDED corner tubular construction of the outer frame/rails rather than steal plates as some carriers are constructed of so that their are no sharp corners to bang into. Noticed that the grate/floor material is bordering on thin and know that China metal is prone to rust easily so I will have to keep an eye out for detoriation especially when traveling on winter salted roads. (Will do what others have done and add a coat of paint or rust prevention spray if needed). I must say that the many tack welds that connect the bottom grate floor to the frame seem quite good and solid with a few places on the corners having barbs that hang out from the weld. The paint coating seems thick. Overall I am very satisfied with the quality and the rather lighter weight to other carriers I have lifted. (of course aluminum carriers are lighter) The instructions are adequate and clear to understand. Using a torque ranch as the instructions recommend can be a problem if u have to go out and buy one just for this project as they are not cheap. FORTUNATELY FOR ME auto supply stores like AUTOZONE have a tool loan policy and I had to pay nothing (added project time however) for the use of a torque wrench ... [...] Depending on the type weather/terrain/situation you drive in this will effect how much dirt ,mud, snow ,rain, vehicle exhaust, road debris ,ect will effect your cargo so consider what might be needed to adequately protect your cargo. Depending on the size and profile of your load and covering... your license plate and/or tail light view may become obstructed. (so may your rear view camera and back up sensor/s) I chose to buy a LED brake light/turn signal kit (rather than a higher amperage draw filament light bulb type)for less drain on the electrical system. The LED's last almost indefinitely especially considering that filament bulbs can become damaged just by vibrations and impacts of taking the carrier on and off. The light kit came with a bracket for holding a license plate to include lighting up the plate as required by law. I also put reflective tape on for added safety. This is the URL to the kit I bought on AMAZON.These can be bought at your local auto supply/Walmart also. http://www.amazon.com/Reese-Towpower-86006-Trailer-Light/dp/B0016KFY0O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1392557528&sr=8-2&keywords=tail+light+kit One must always be aware of steep driveways if your carrier sits low. I carry my mobility scooter on the back of my Caravan and all is good. UPDATE FEB 14 I just measured the hitch tube diameter with a high quality digital caliper and both sides measured EXACTLY 2 inches so I guess my rating should be higher since the issue of the carrier tilting is not because of a poor fit from under sized carrier hitch tube... I would round my rating up to 5 in this case. So I would suggest then that if YOUR vehicle hitch reciever tube is slighty oversized then one could expect some wobble in the carrier under certain circumstances.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2014 by Amazon Customer
After researching many other hitch racks, I bought this Pro Series rack for a long trip from Georgia to Utah and back. Total mileage was about 4,000 miles over the course of two weeks. Let me tell you why I like it: 1. It has raised sides to keep gear from sliding around or falling out. 2. The "stinger," which is the part that slides into your vehicle receiver hitch, has an upward bend that gives the rack more ground clearance. I have a steep driveway, and I can still go up and down without the rack ever scraping the ground. 3. Another advantage of the extra ground clearance is that the rack sits high enough that it is totally protected by the vehicle. As you drive, the rack is in the vehicle's slipstream, so there's no additional drag that reduces gas mileage as you drive. With a loaded down '14 Dodge Durango and 6 people in the car, I averaged 25.1 MPG on a two day drive from Georgia to Utah. Without the rack, I get similar mileage. 4. It's sturdy. If you look at the welds and feel the weight of the metal, you'll see that this thing is built with quality materials. 5. It has cutouts for installing lights. I bought the ROLA LED light set on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008L17JRC/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_3). Lights give you an extra measure of safety and visibility as you drive. 6. Ease of installation. Out of the box, I put this thing together in about 30 minutes. It comes in three parts with all the hardware necessary. You might have to go to your local auto parts store and borrow a torque wrench to torque the screws to factory specs. Not a big deal. 7. Even with a cargo bag full of luggage, there is enough clearance to raise the back hatch of my Durango. 8. With some racks, you might risk having the exhaust melt your cargo bag. Again, with this product, because it has a slightly raised platform, you avoid all exhaust problems. A couple of tips that will make this already great cargo rack even better: 1. after you put it together and torque the nuts, spray some black paint on all nuts and bolts. I think this may prevent rust later one. I keep a can of black spray paint handy and just touch up parts that get scratched occasionally. 2. Buy a locking hitch pin on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009V1WS4/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_10), which is helpful to keep the rack from being stolen while you're spending the night in a hotel. 3. Use this hitch tightener (also from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001CMUV4/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_11). Anything you plug into a receiver hitch is going to have a small amount of play, which can create wobble back and forth. The hitch tightener will prevent that wobble, so as you're driving down the road and hit a rough patch, you won't hear a bumping sound from the hitch rack behind you. 4. Buy a quality cargo carrying bag to use with your rack. I happened to buy a bag made by the same company, Pro Series. It's called the Amigo, and it can also be purchased on Amazon, where I got mine https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HVVVEYM/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_4. I highly, highly recommend this bag. We encountered rain on almost every day of our trip. At the end of the day, I would check the contents of the bag and they were bone dry. No moisture at all. This bag is made out of some kind of vinyl rubber, the same kind of material you would find on a heavy, quality raincoat. The sturdy zippers are covered by flaps and secured by velcro. The bag also comes with built in lashing straps so you can secure the bag to the cargo rack. I also used some separate lashing straps for added security. If you are looking at other hitch racks, don't get caught up in how much weight they will hold. This one is rated at 500 lbs, but I guarantee you will not likely max it out. In the attached pictures, I have filled the bag with luggage, and the total weight was only about 200 lbs. Also, you may not want to fully load this rack. The more weight you add to the rear of your vehicle, the more it may lift the front of your vehicle. 200 lbs didn't affect the steering on my Durango, but if I had 500 lbs, it might have. You will also want to check the tongue weight rating on your vehicle to see if your vehicle can even withstand 500 lbs of tongue weight. Final comment. As I was driving across the country, I saw many other vehicles with hitch racks. Most were the $50 kind you can buy at WalMart or any other auto parts store. Many were sagging or leaning to one side. My was straight, secure, and strong. I love this Pro Series rack.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2015 by Amazon Customer
Got this for a road trip because we had too much stuff to fit it all in the Suburban. We ordered it through Amazon Prime and got in two days as promised, which was helpful since I waited until the last minute, and a big savings on shipping for something this size and weight. Shameless plug complete, let's talk about the product itself. It seems sturdy. I didn't stick it in the hitch and stand on it because I didn't really feel the need, but it seems like it can hold the advertised 500 lbs. We probably didn't have more than 100 lbs on it because it was a lot of sleeping bags and similar high volume low density stuff, plus a fairly big stroller, some firewood, a decently heavy tent, etc. No problems there. This particular one came in two pieces and needs to be assembled. If you are like me and you have a middling amount of attention span and too many kids running around you might also put it together wrong to start with so I would advise that you refer to the instructions even if it seems obvious how you're supposed to do it. The downside to having to assemble it is that you have to trust that the nuts won't come loose while driving. We drove something like 2000 miles and they didn't come loose, but I still had the ratchets with me just in case. I would advise paying attention to how you load your stuff on it. Since it just has the trailer hitch to rest on, there isn't really any way for it to balance itself. It's not like it's going to break if you overload one side, but it will tilt quite a bit. There's several inches of play on either side. The side rails are tall enough to keep stuff from sliding around but you'll need to secure it. Don't expect the rails to keep anything in there by themselves. All in all, seemed like a good product for what it cost. You might want to look at the one piece model, which is around the same price. We couldn't get the two day shipping on that one for whatever reason. I don't think there's any real likelihood we'll ever take this apart for storage so as far as I'm concerned the one piece might be a better choice for overall rigidity and all that. But it worked as described so no complaints.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2016 by Jeff H
I recieved this in 1 day...I don't know how it arrived so quickly. It comes in two pieces. You only need to attach 4 small and three large bolts and you are ready to go. Be sure to get a hitch pin ( sold seperately) I went to Home Depot for mine. This carrier is nice cause it is extra large, very sturdy, but not overly akward to attach. I store mine on 2 recycling bins so that I can easily slide it a bit to adjust for attaching to the hitch. You need a torque wrench ( or a friend who has one ) to secure the 11 bolts. Very simple assembly. This one is the larger size and I'm glad I chose it cause as you will find that in practical use you can haul many more items. I bought wratcheting straps, but the "octopus-style" bungee cords seem to work best for my uses unless you really have a top-heavy or tippy item. I also like the fact that with this one you can add lights...the cutouts are built in the frame. You dont need them for day errands but if I were driving long distance or night travel I would go for the lights. The frame seems very sturdy and I have kept it outside uncovered for several months now. There is the start of rusting at the bolt heads, but I suppose that is to be expected. Perhaps you could spray rustoleum on them as a preventitive. I also notice that there is a very light rust tinge along only one support bar where the steel mesh lies over and must be welded to it. If I could, I would store it in a shed or garage. The hitch bar has a rise to it and I wouldn't buy one without the rise feature as it adds necessary clearance. Mine has had zero problems over gradings and culverts. For 125 dollars delivered, it is well worth the price for saving me and my forester the aggravation of loading messy/bulky/stinky items into my car and adding lots of cargo carring capacity.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2011 by Mary Wilson