Hitch Mounted Cargo Carrier

[chowoo]

thinking of buying one of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001G4Z5J0/ref=gno_cart_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Anyone have experience with them?

We recently towed a small uHaul about 2000 miles, and absolutely do not want to do that again - thought this would provide added cargo space, without the hassles of towing.

thanks for any input.

[1990LS400]

That hitch mounted carrier looks like something made for a real SUV like a Chevy Suburban or a Ford Excursion - not for a passenger car disguised as an SUV which is what an RX really is. What is the maximum trailer tongue weight for your RX? That is the limit you can safely carry with a hitch mounted carrier regardless of its 500 lb. maximum weight rating. Exceeding the recommended tongue weight when using a hitch mounted carrier can cause dangerous instability.

According to the specs, your RX has 38.3 cu. ft. of cargo space with the rear seats up and 84.7 cu. ft. of cargo space with the rear seats folded. The trunk capacity of my 00 LS400 is only 13.9 cu. ft. and it has easily held all the luggage four adults have needed for an entire week - and, yes, we wear clean clothes each day. Any chance that you can take less stuff with you?

Or if you really need to carry a significant amount of crap, considering buying your own light-weight utility trailer instead of renting a heavy U-Haul trailer - check out the sub-$300 trailers at Northern Tool and Equipment for example. I bought my 4x8' utility trailer over 30 years ago and have towed it behind most of the vehicles we have owned since then - mainly to carry garden supplies or construction materials - never to carry luggage.

[chowoo]

How would I determine my tongue weight?

Some sites say 350#, others 750#.

I can't imagine anything we put back there will weigh mroe than a couple hundred pounds, at most, but am more concerned about size and being able to open the hatch while something is mounted back there.

[chowoo]

And it's not just a matter of capacity, it's a matter of having three dogs in the vehicle, thus we need the extra cargo space.

[lenore]

I would bet the tongue weight is 350 lb....BEWARE though of unstable front end with the transfer of weight hanging out the rear.

[1990LS400]

Have you considered roof mounted cargo box like one of these?: http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Roof_Cargo_Carrier-sf-Roof_Box.aspx

[chowoo]

we are older, so roof mounted presents a big challenge.

We are aware of putting too much weight back there, and the ramifications on the steering/handling. We'd only put light but bulky things on the hitch platform, like another dog cage.

Do any of you see potential problems with the particular model of platoform shown at the amazon link?

[1990LS400]

we are older, so roof mounted presents a big challenge.

We are aware of putting too much weight back there, and the ramifications on the steering/handling. We'd only put light but bulky things on the hitch platform, like another dog cage.

Do any of you see potential problems with the particular model of platoform shown at the amazon link?

Like I said, I've seen large bumper mounted carriers like this only on full size vehicles -- like the kind shown in all the demonstration photos on your Amazon link.

There won't be a dog in that cage, will there? That would be like in National Lampoon's "Vacation":

Time to go shopping for a larger vehicle?

A vehicle top shell carrier isn't all that bad if your belongings are in soft luggage. One would add some noise but would require less adjustment in driving style than a hitch carrier or trailer. You might have to watch out for overhead objects although I doubt that it would be nearly as much of an issue as it would be if you were carrying bicycles on the roof.

If it was me - and I'm in the Social Security "geezer zone" - I would choose a streamlined roof carrier if I needed extra space. Toyota dealers in Europe even sell a roof cargo box for our Prius Hybrid wagon as an official Toyota accessory - see attached photo from the Toyota Europe website: http://www.toyota-europe.com

If you go with that hitch carrier be sure to get the light kit and remember that you won't be doing any parallel parking and probably won't be raising your tailgate when it's loaded.