pdxzzr
Well-Known Member
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- Nov 20, 2020
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- Location
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- Grabber Blue Mach-E First Edition
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I’ve posted some of this earlier in other threads, but I took advantage of the recent REI Anniversary sale to round out my cargo carry system and thought it would be ok to share as its own thread. I have the EXO-
-SwingBase (base rack)
-TopShelf (riser)
-GearLocker (cargo box, lockable)
-GearWarrior (cargo basket)
-DoubleUp (bike carrier)
-LitKit (light extender kit)
-Hitch extender (to add some space between the rack and car body)
thoughts:
- I assume this has the advantage that it won’t create as much drag or wind noise as a roof top carrier, and therefore won’t impact range as much.
- However, it’s heavy, takes a bit of time effort to put the base on the hitch. It’s also a bit of a storage puzzle, in that I’ll have to figure out a way and a place to hang the riser part, and will need a dedicated box to store the various nuts, wire cables, and tools that go with this system when not in use.
- it’s heavy and Complicated, Part II: if I were the type to go somewhere every weekend to go bike riding, I think I’d wind up getting a dedicated hitch mounted bike rack, because it would be much simpler. However, I do think this is much more the way to go for a long trip going over several days.
- It’s also rather spendy, frankly, especially taking into account having to add the hitch and installing a trailer wiring kit. I already had a rooftop cargo box, and if Thule had come out with their roof rack about two months sooner I probably would have gone with that instead despite any hit on range.
- that said, this is probably more universal in that it will go on just about any 2” hitch receiver, rather than having to get a new roof rack for each car. Yakima also rates it to hold a total of 180# (100# on lower tier, 80# on the upper), which may be more than their roof mounted cargo boxes?
anyway, here are all the pics
cargo box on bottom, bike rack up top.
brake likes on,with cargo basket on top
rack swings out of the way to open the hatch. And the top swings around to be able to open the cargo box.
the hitch extender installed. So it isn’t quite as close to the hatch.
and for good measure, I put on this brake light cover to help hold the wire harness when not in use.
-SwingBase (base rack)
-TopShelf (riser)
-GearLocker (cargo box, lockable)
-GearWarrior (cargo basket)
-DoubleUp (bike carrier)
-LitKit (light extender kit)
-Hitch extender (to add some space between the rack and car body)
thoughts:
- I assume this has the advantage that it won’t create as much drag or wind noise as a roof top carrier, and therefore won’t impact range as much.
- However, it’s heavy, takes a bit of time effort to put the base on the hitch. It’s also a bit of a storage puzzle, in that I’ll have to figure out a way and a place to hang the riser part, and will need a dedicated box to store the various nuts, wire cables, and tools that go with this system when not in use.
- it’s heavy and Complicated, Part II: if I were the type to go somewhere every weekend to go bike riding, I think I’d wind up getting a dedicated hitch mounted bike rack, because it would be much simpler. However, I do think this is much more the way to go for a long trip going over several days.
- It’s also rather spendy, frankly, especially taking into account having to add the hitch and installing a trailer wiring kit. I already had a rooftop cargo box, and if Thule had come out with their roof rack about two months sooner I probably would have gone with that instead despite any hit on range.
- that said, this is probably more universal in that it will go on just about any 2” hitch receiver, rather than having to get a new roof rack for each car. Yakima also rates it to hold a total of 180# (100# on lower tier, 80# on the upper), which may be more than their roof mounted cargo boxes?
anyway, here are all the pics
cargo box on bottom, bike rack up top.
brake likes on,with cargo basket on top
rack swings out of the way to open the hatch. And the top swings around to be able to open the cargo box.
the hitch extender installed. So it isn’t quite as close to the hatch.
and for good measure, I put on this brake light cover to help hold the wire harness when not in use.
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