Hitch Carriers
The Best Hitch Cargo Carriers for SUVs
Cheaper than a roof box, loads at waist height, and costs a fraction of the fuel. For most SUV owners with a receiver, this is the correct answer.
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If your SUV has a receiver and you are choosing between a roof box and a hitch carrier, the hitch usually wins, and it is not close. You load at waist height instead of over your head. You pay a small fraction of the fuel penalty. And the whole setup typically costs less than a set of crossbars before you have even bought the box.
There is one number that decides everything, and it is not on the carrier. It is your hitch’s tongue weight rating — the downward force the receiver is rated to take. The carrier’s own capacity is irrelevant if the hitch under it is not rated for the total.
Look for a sticker on the receiver itself, or check your owner’s manual. Then subtract the carrier’s empty weight — a steel basket can be 60-70 lb on its own — and what remains is your real cargo allowance. Our hitch classes guide explains the numbers and which class you probably have.
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up below. Scores are our editorial judgment on published specifications — not a star rating, and not a product we claim to have tested.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  CURT 18153 Folding Cargo CarrierThe folding shank is what makes this the right basket for an SUV with a tall rear hatch. | Best overall, best hatch access | 8.5 | |
| 2 | MaxxHaul 70107Same 500 lb rating and roughly the same basket for a fraction of the money — and it weighs far less, which is capacity you get back. | Best value, lightest steel basket | 7.9 | |
| 3 | MaxxHaul 70108 Aluminum CarrierAluminum instead of steel: you pay more and get a third of the weight back as cargo allowance. | Lightest carrier, most usable capacity | 7.8 | |
| 4 | CURT 18151 Cargo CarrierThe fixed-shank version of the same basket. Buy it if your hatch clears and you want the money back. | CURT build without the folding cost | 8.0 | |
| 5 | Mockins Hitch Cargo CarrierUsually bundled with a waterproof bag, a net and straps — everything a basket needs, in one box. | Cheapest complete setup | 7.4 |
Prices checked September 25, 2026. Product photographs are representative stock images, not the exact unit. Affiliate disclosure.
#1 · Best overall, best hatch access
CURT 18153 Folding Cargo Carrier
The folding shank is what makes this the right basket for an SUV with a tall rear hatch.
- Basket
- 60 x 20 inches
- Material
- Steel
- Shank
- Folding, angled
- Receiver
- 2-inch
What works
- Folds up against the vehicle when empty, so you keep the garage and the parking space
- The angled shank is what actually lets a tall hatch clear it
- Steel construction that takes years of salt and abuse
- 60-inch basket is genuinely large
What doesn’t
- Heavy — that weight comes straight off your cargo allowance
- 2-inch receiver only, which rules out a lot of crossovers
- Assembly is a proper job, not a five-minute one
Our scoring
8.5overall
#2 · Best value, lightest steel basket
MaxxHaul 70107
Same 500 lb rating and roughly the same basket for a fraction of the money — and it weighs far less, which is capacity you get back.
- Basket
- 60 x 20 inches
- Material
- Powder-coated steel
- Rated capacity
- 500 lb
- Shank
- Fixed
What works
- Dramatically cheaper than the brand-name equivalents
- Much lighter than heavier steel baskets, so more of your tongue weight is usable cargo
- Same headline 500 lb capacity as carriers costing several times more
- The most widely bought carrier in the category, so there is no mystery about it
What doesn’t
- Does not fold — it stays sticking out until you remove it
- Rear hatch clearance is on you to check before you buy
- Powder coat is the first thing to go in a salted winter
Our scoring
7.9overall
#3 · Lightest carrier, most usable capacity
MaxxHaul 70108 Aluminum Carrier
Aluminum instead of steel: you pay more and get a third of the weight back as cargo allowance.
- Material
- Aluminum
- Weight
- Far lighter than comparable steel
- Receiver
- 2-inch
- Corrosion
- Does not rust
What works
- Light enough to fit and remove without help
- Every pound saved is a pound of cargo you can carry instead
- No rust, which matters if you drive salted roads
What doesn’t
- Costs more than the steel equivalent
- Aluminum dents where steel bends back
- Fixed shank
Our scoring
7.8overall
#4 · CURT build without the folding cost
CURT 18151 Cargo Carrier
The fixed-shank version of the same basket. Buy it if your hatch clears and you want the money back.
- Basket
- 60 x 20 inches
- Material
- Steel
- Shank
- Fixed
- Receiver
- 2-inch
What works
- Same steel build as the folding version
- Cheaper than the 18153
- One less hinge to seize in winter
What doesn’t
- No folding, so garage and parking clearance is permanent
- Check your hatch swing before committing
- Heavy
Our scoring
8.0overall
#5 · Cheapest complete setup
Mockins Hitch Cargo Carrier
Usually bundled with a waterproof bag, a net and straps — everything a basket needs, in one box.
- Material
- Steel
- Bundle
- Often includes bag, net and straps
- Receiver
- 2-inch
- Use case
- Occasional trips
What works
- One purchase gets you a working, weatherproof setup
- Cheapest complete route in the category
- Fine for a few trips a year
What doesn’t
- The bundled straps are the first thing we would replace
- Finish and hardware are built to the bundle price
- Fixed shank
Our scoring
7.4overall
Tongue weight is the number that matters
A hitch carrier rated to 500 lb does not mean you can put 500 lb on it. It means the carrier will not fail at 500 lb. Whether your vehicle will is a different question, answered by the hitch’s tongue weight rating.
Tongue weight is the downward force on the receiver. A Class I hitch — common on small crossovers — may be rated for 200 lb of tongue weight. A steel carrier weighing 65 lb leaves you 135 lb of cargo, not 500.
Worse, a hitch carrier applies that weight on a lever arm extending behind the receiver, which is a harder load than a trailer’s coupler sitting right at the ball. Some manufacturers publish a reduced rating for cargo carriers specifically. If yours does, use that figure.
Find your rating on the receiver sticker or in the owner’s manual, and read hitch classes explained before you buy anything.
Rear hatch clearance, before you order
The most common regret with a hitch carrier on an SUV is a rear hatch that no longer opens. It is entirely avoidable and it takes two minutes.
- Open your rear hatch fully.
- Measure from the receiver opening to the lowest point of the open hatch, and how far back that point sits.
- Compare against the carrier’s shank length and basket height.
- Remember the load. A basket that clears empty may not clear with a cooler strapped on top.
A folding shank buys you margin and a garage space back. An angled folding shank — what the CURT 18153 uses — buys more, because it drops the basket lower relative to the hatch arc.
Dealing with hitch wobble
Every carrier moves a little in the receiver, because a 2-inch shank in a 2-inch receiver needs clearance to go in at all. Loaded, that clearance becomes a knock you hear over every expansion joint.
An anti-rattle device — a threaded clamp or a wedge that takes up the slack — fixes it for very little money, and some carriers include one. It is worth fitting on day one rather than after a hundred miles of noise, and it also reduces wear on the receiver.
License plate and lights
A loaded hitch carrier can obscure your license plate and your rear lights. Requirements vary by state, and a carrier that blocks either is a straightforward ticket.
The fixes are cheap: many carriers offer a plate relocation bracket, and magnetic or wired light bars exist for the same purpose. Check both before the first long trip rather than at the roadside.
Common questions
How much weight can a hitch cargo carrier hold?
Will a hitch cargo carrier block my rear hatch?
Is a hitch carrier better than a roof box?
Do hitch cargo carriers affect gas mileage?
Sources
Not sure it fits your car?
Our vehicle pages carry the published roof load limit, the roof type by model year, and what actually mounts to it — cited, and honest about what the manufacturer does not publish.
Read next
CURT 18153 vs MaxxHaul 70107
The two most-bought hitch carriers compared: folding shank versus weight and price.
Hitch Classes Explained
Classes, receiver sizes and tongue weight ratings — and why tongue weight is the number that matters.
Roof Rack or Hitch Carrier?
Bulky and light goes up top; heavy and dense goes on the back. The full comparison.
The Best Ratchet Straps
Ratchet straps ranked, plus how to read a break strength figure properly.