You may be wondering, “Francis, why would you need a hitch carrier when you already have a truck bed?” It’s because I only have 5 feet worth of a truck bed, dammit! I need more space! Seriously though, other than providing additional space for your stuff, a hitch carrier is very useful.
More importantly for me, a hitch carrier saves my back from loading extra heavy gear onto my truck bed, and instead onto the lower carrier below. I don’t care if you’re young, old, strong, or weak—you must always protect your back. Or else, you’re going to learn the hard way.
Of the multitudes of hitch carriers out there, I found one that most suits my lifestyle and meets my personal standards for high quality. It is the Rola Vortex Steel Cargo Carrier which can be found on Amazon.
Main Features
High capacity for storage
With the carrier dimensions being 56″x23″x5.25″, it can hold large items without difficulty. The typical 48-qt Coleman cooler has a length of 26 inches and a width of 14 inches. If you wanted to, you could fit two of those bad boys on the carrier stacked next to each other—one for food and one for drinks. It also has a weight capacity of 600 lbs compared to other carriers that typically have a capacity of 500 lbs.
Made from steel
When something is made from steel, you know it’s going to be durable. Plus, the steel is coated a special black powder that prevent the carrier from rusting and scratches.
Easy Assembly
Some carriers require you to put together at least 4 parts to make a whole carrier. That’s not necessarily bad, but to me, it leaves room for loose screws and bolts, and eventually a carrier that starts to fall apart while in use. The Rola carrier is only a 2-piece assembly, plus it has attachment points for a license plate.
Optional Lighting
You have the option of adding a fully functioning lighting system to the carrier. This promotes safety and hopefully prevents drivers from rear ending your carrier at night. You can find the compatible lighting system on Amazon.
Why I need it
I personally use my carrier for one thing—to hold my cooler. My main cooler is the 45-qt Pelican Elite cooler with wheels. It’s heavy alone without anything inside at 37lbs. With ice, food, or drinks inside, it can weigh over 60 lbs!
When I’m by myself, it’s difficult to lift a full cooler into the truck bed which is why I love having my hitch carrier. In addition, by having my cooler on the carrier, I prevent any liquid inside from potentially spilling into my truck bed otherwise.
What I Like About The Rola Cargo Carrier
- Durability-Since it’s made of steel, this carrier can take a lot of abuse. I cannot stress enough how strong and unbend-able it is. It’s a bit more pricier than other hitch carriers, but it will last a VERY long time.
- High ground clearance-The shank (metal piece that goes into the hitch) is curved and sits 4-5 inches above the ground. This is especially good for driving off road to prevent the carrier from dragging on objects on the ground.
- Doesn’t wobble– When the carrier is full, you’ll never notice or hear it back there. It fits really well into the hitch receiver. That’s because the hitch pin is threaded. Once you put the pin in the hitch, you can bolt it into the shank for a more tighter fit. Other carriers usually don’t have this feature.
What I don’t like about it
It’s heavy!
With high durability comes a price. This thing weighs a little over 73 lbs! Yikes!
Decent security
This isn’t exactly a deal breaker for me but I’ll still address it. The hitch pin included isn’t lockable, meaning if someone walked by, they could steal it if they had the motivation. However, since the hitch pin is threaded and has to be tightened with a ratchet, a potential thief has to have a ratchet handy too in order to remove the hitch pin.
If you want a lockable hitch pin, I personally use the Connor Hitch Lock from Amazon. Just know that the carrier may not be as wobble-free with this lockable hitch pin installed.
Video Review
This is a short and visual review on the Rola hitch carrier:
Final Thoughts
Although it’s a tad pricey, you will come to find out that the Rola hitch carrier is well worth the investment. There are only a few hitch carriers out there that are made this durable and strong. You’ll be surprised at how much more stuff you can carry with this on your truck. For the most current price and additional reviews, click on this link to Amazon.