CURT 18112 50 x 30-1/2-Inch Black Aluminum Hitch Cargo Carrier with Ramp, 2-in Folding Shank

We live on a mountain and its too dangerous for my little ones to drive their ride-on car in the streets. I know, I know, uptown problems.I looked for weeks trying to find a basket to haul the ride-on car to the park. Nothing decent fit as most are made to look like a jail cell attached to the car. This thing is the best looking of the bunch.I am fully aware how both amazing and absurd it looks driving around like this but this is the cost of being an awesome parent. I laugh when I see people smiling and pointing at the ride-on car attached. I’ve seen a dozen phones out taking pictures. People trip out and I’m happy to make their day. I’m happy to purchase a sturdy option that I never fear will fall off or injure someone.I came to discover Curt is a good name brand in towing peripherals. The aluminum scared me at first, thinking it would crumble or bend easily. That’s not the case here. Everything feels super sturdy. Ive owned it for a month now and we use it weekly. I’ve come up with a clever way to install it by myself but I still need a second person to pull it off. It’s pretty heavy and the shape demands it.I had to get a tow hitch extender to be able to fold it up when we’re at the park. My rear tire sticks out too much. The ramp folds and unfolds nicely. It came with everything you need. I especially like that they included the no-rattle connectors. All around great quality and superb craftsmanship. I highly recommend.

I bought this carrier to carry a 3000 watt generator on the back of my 29 ft fifth wheel. The problem I had was with the carrier bouncing up and down as I trailered the fifth wheel down the highway to the point that the 180 lb generator bounced loose of its hold down straps and crashed against the carrier. That put a major dent in the carrier's upper rail and also bent down and scratched the paint off of about half of the floor supports. It also damaged the generator's outside cases and leaked gas everywhere. Lucky it didn't catch fire to turn a bad experience into a disaster. This happened after trailering the carrier for only about 35 miles on normal roads at normal speeds. What caused this was not from the hitch rattling around in the receiver - Curt's anti-rattle solution works well. The problem was caused by rattling at the joint where the hitch folds up and down. That connection is very loose and because the hitch arm extends so far behind the hitch, any road irregularities are amplified by the time it gets to the carrier itself. Additionally, the aluminum floor supports and upper rail are made of very soft aluminum which is painted black, of course. Although this hitch is rated to carry 500 lbs., I seriously question that rating because the aluminum used in the carrier is so soft. The hitch itself is steel, which is good, but the rest does save weight but not without a big cost in its durability. Unless you can secure the hitch at the folding joint, don't waste your money. I sure would like to have my money back on this one but can't return it since it was so damaged in my first use.

To begin with, the carton arrived on time and in good order, some minor scuffs but nothing serious. Upon opening it, the pieces were well-blocked and padded, and there was no damage. Clear instructions were included, but in very small print. A list of tools and parts was included. Nothing was missing, and there are only 10 bolts to install.Assembly is very straightforward. The tool list does not mention a 24mm socket, which is much preferable to the open end wrench noted, for the long-threaded bolt which fastens the tongue to the receiver on the vehicle. Be aware that 24mm sockets come in 1/2” drive only.I am 83 and just 9 months out of open-heart surgery, and was able - with some effort - to get the carton up onto a work table, assemble the unit, and mount it on our 2016 Hyundai Tucson, with absolutely NO assistance whatsoever, though I did have the Curt receiver installed at a local tire shop. Assembly help was offered but I like challenges. Not bragging, just trying to provide input as to the labor required. One thing though - lining up the final bolt is tedious - I recommend that, once the carrier is installed, paint a white line on the top of the tongue, right at the receiver. This really speeds up installation if working alone.Since the rack, when folded fully up, obscures the rear license plate, you will need to remove your plate and mount it to the underside of the rack. This is not required on carriers having wire-mesh floors. You cannot open the deck lid with carrier folded up. To avoid scratching your vehicle, when carrier IS folded up, it is advisable to fold the ramp ALL the way over flat into the basket, rather than just once. There are keepers at both positions.A nice feature for storage, is that the edges of the carrier basket are 4” wide, and flat, so the unit may be stored vertically as long as it is up high enough to allow the tongue to clear the floor. I modified a furniture dolly to carry it at the proper height to align with receiver, greatly lessening the amount of jockeying needed. We are leaving the unit on the car for awhile, but can see there would be times when we’d like it off. The dolly makes this very easy. I am surprised that no one seems to offer such an accessory.Finally had a chance to test it with a load - using another power chair much heavier than ours (on which the batteries were dead) and it scooted up the ramp with no problem at all. From an engineer’s viewpoint, I don’t “like” that much weight cantilevered out from just one mounting point, but it seems to work. I plan on driving very carefully until I’m satisfied that all is well, but so far, I’m a happy camper, and have only praise for Curt.

The deck is nice and the ramp is great. The folding hinge is way too long and way too floppy loose. I removed the hinge and mounted directly in the receiver. It was still rattle loose so I put an antirattle clamp on it. Much better. Overall this is a nice carrier and fits our needs. I carry an xp trike and a mobility scooter on it. It's mounted on our 35' class A motorhome.