CARPOD Cargo Carrier (M2203)

I have mixed feelings about the product, though not necessarily the fault of any manufacturing or design problem. Plus, I'm pretty sure this is one of the best ones on the market, so it only goes downhill if you choose others.The initial assembly is fairly simple. The sides fold up and are held in place with pins. I added zip ties to keep the pins hooked to the corners when not in use. It's a tad tricky to determine which way the Z-shaped tongue goes in relation to the hitch and to the basket anchoring; you could easily hang it upside down.Attaching it to my trailer hitch takes a good 10 mins each time. You have to hold all 50# of the basket level while sliding it into the hitch then holding it with a cross bolt. It helps to mark (i used a thin paint marker) the optimal insertion point where you can easily push the pin through to hold it.the black paint, as others have noted, scratches or rusts easily and quickly, so over time this could be a problem. The square tube that slides into the hitch also is prone to rust and scratches.I spent 5 bucks and added more red reflective tape for safety.My biggest gripe involves the limitations of having something hanging off your hitch. My Subaru Outback can only have a "tongue weight" of around 270# total. A normal trailer could weigh a ton or more, but that weight is distributed onto the tires. Anything too heavy hanging off your car probably will snap the hitch off the frame.So in my case, a 270# max minus 50# of basket means my cargo cannot exceed 200#. At 40# per damp bag of yard mulch, that's no more than 5 bags yet the volume of the basket probably could hold 8 bags. Again, not necessarily a product defect but a problem with devices of this nature hanging off the car.Oh, and if you have a camera that protects you from backing into something, it will see the basket and slam on the brakes as you back up; disable the camera while using.In the end, I'm having second thoughts and think that maybe i should have bought a small, short trailer instead. Though it would present driveway storage issues, i would have a significantly higher cargo weight and volume limit with something balancing the load on tires instead of hanging off the car frame and hitch.This product is generally well built, but the difficulty in installing or removing it quickly discourage frequent use and make me wonder if i didn't really want a small trailer as i initially thought.

I suggest buying the locking top and a good set of quality locks. I wouldn't leave my stuff unattended for long in plain view, but I can stop for a restroom break or a meal and still have my gear when I return. It is solid, but I can still install it by myself.

You're going to need a 13mm and a 17mm wrench to assemble this. In fact, you'll need two of each. You have to really crank down the bolts and even then the tray will wobble all over the place as you drive. Every pothole makes a horrendous racket.I wish they had come up with a better solution for pinning the sides together. I just know I'm going to lose those cotterless pins. Something that remained attached to the cage would have been much better.The powder coating is very poor quality. It rubs off very easily. It also obscures the license plate and interferes with the backup camera in the up position.All said, it is priced reasonably and should do the job of getting trash to the dump once a week.

Bag fits great ... Not completely waterproof. Drove through pretty bad rainstorm and am guessing since my bag wasn't completely full(sags a little) water got in.

Works ok, not completely waterproof. Luggage is damp after rain storm. Would be better if the zipper flaps were larger

good carrier for art materials

Works perfectly for '22 Hyundai palisade calligraphy with no scraping. 4 stars due to the frame square tubing being bent from shipping(easy to bend back if you're handy in the slightest).

We have a Ford Expedition, this bag fits perfect in the car carrier. The material is high quality. We travel with a rottie & pitbull having the carrier & the bag give the babies inside room, and all our bags, fishing items fit outside. All items in the bag stay clean & dry. I would highly recommend the carrier with the bag.