has anyone used a hitch basket?

[vash]

i need just a bit more room for an upcoming elk hunt. my tacoma is probably going to be loaded to the gills. wish i needed a diesel

anyways, two bowhunters crammed into my truck with about 10 days worth of gear is gonna get cramped. my plans to borrow a tiny trailer fell through..understandably.

and this i going to the destination..even one elk down will add an additional challenge. i was thinking of buying a hitch basket. all the ones i see on the back of rigs are tweaked and leaning messes..

any insights? tips? i could force lowyder993 to drive by my house on the way home with my elk..he has a HUGE truck!! (rhymes with miesel)

[herr_oberst]

Welllll, it worries me to think that you can buy one from Harbor Freight.

[kaisen]

Most of those hitch baskets are rated for 500 lbs, but you've got to be really careful how you load them. The hitch coupling (i.e. bar into receiver) typically has plenty of slop, so they'll lean with that tolerance. I have a steel hitch rack and used it to carry gear from MN to CA a couple years ago. Works pretty well.

I have the cheap Harbor Freight version
500 Lb. Capacity Steel Cargo Carrier

I paid about $60 for it. No reason to pay more for a fancier one.

[gprsh924]

We have one at the lake to haul (6) 5-gallon gas cans back and forth to the gas station every few weeks. Works great for that purpose.

My friends and I also loaded it up with a couple hundred pounds of ski gear when we drove from Chicago to CO a few years ago. However, you need to make sure the weight is evenly distributed, as the metal floor isn't particularly strong (at least on ours)

[skunked]

I have one from harbor freight that I have used to haul my traeger, coolers & rubbermaid containers full of gear.

It does like to rock a bit as mentioned already however with several ratchet straps securing the the load I haven't had a problem.

[aigel]

I bought a hitch carrier long time ago at WalMart. It has served me well in the class 3 receiver of many trucks / SUVs. I often put the cooler on it (165 quart) during travel but also have put bikes, BBQ, x-mas trees etc. I also like to keep it on there while hunting from camp, so I can put the dead game animal on the carrier and don't have to throw it in the back of the SUV. I have also used it as a platform for gutting / processing when out in the field.

The only down side I see is that it is far out back and will put a lot of weight on your back axle, so you will want volume and not weight on there. It also will bottom out if you go through very tough terrain because it extends out so far. Also remember you have it on when you back up in parking lots.

G

[MBAtarga]

We have used one for more than 5 years on our Expedition. It's got a class 3 hitch and air leveling suspension - so I've never had a problem with its use. Mine is solid - welded together from a local trailer manufacturer.
I know I've loaded it down with >500 lbs most trips.

[MT930]

They work fine, the receiver rattle will drive you nuts. Make sure it's tight before you put the critter on it, could sag the rear end if the trucks full. Make sure the gear doesn't obscure the taillights - I see that alot.

I have never been able to get a whole Elk out of the field in one piece, to far and too heavy.
I need a easier place to hunt.

[Zeke]

Good idea about straps. Tie the thing off to the car if you can. You could weld on a nut for a 1/2" cinch/tightening nut to secure the bar into the receiver to counter rattle and sag.

What about a roof rack?

[juanbenae]

borrow pops' trailer and qwit f'ing around.

[yetibone]

I aim to put one on the back of my travel trailer to carry a genny, and a couple of rocking chairs. It'll have to be into two receivers though, because I'd like to make it at least 6.5' wide.

[porsche4life]

Take less stuff? Ain't you hiking in?

[look 171]

I borrowed a cheap Pepboys one from one of my workmen and hooked it up to my land cruiser last year and went on our annual camping trip. I am always responsible to haul fire wood. The LC was packed up to the eyeball (wife's crap and kids). The lumber was a bunch 8/4 oak and maple scraps from my shop. it must be at least a couple of hundred lbs on that thing. I metal shimmed the hitch so the movement was down to almost none. Gorilla taped the shim so it wouldn't fall off. the rack was a bit low and was scraping or hanging up on the big dips on the dirt trails. Its an 80 series with slightly larger tires, no lift and stock.

[Stanley]

I have the harbor freight one and use it on my Saab wagon. Works great except for the first time I used it the exhaust burnt a hole in one of the plastic bins that was behind it. I now use a little heat shield to prevent that from happening again. I have also let a few other people with various cars borrow it with no problems. For $60 you can't beat it, especially when used on a passenger car as it frees up interior room on a long trip.