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Hitch Carriers

CURT 18153 vs MaxxHaul 70107

Same basket size, same headline capacity, very different weights and very different prices. The folding shank is what you are actually paying for.

By Janet H.Last reviewed September 25, 2026
A steel hitch-mounted cargo basket viewed from behind a vehicle

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These two turn up in every hitch carrier search, and on paper they look almost identical: a 60 by 20 inch steel basket rated to 500 lb, on a 2-inch shank.

The differences that matter are not in the basket. They are the folding shank, the empty weight, and a price gap wide enough that you could buy the MaxxHaul twice over.

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.

#ProductBest forScorePrice
1
Representative photo of a steel cargo basket mounted in a vehicle's hitch receiver
CURT 18153 Folding Cargo CarrierYou are buying the angled folding shank. If your hatch needs it, nothing else here substitutes.
Vehicles with a tall rear hatch8.5
2
Representative photo of a powder-coated steel hitch cargo basket
MaxxHaul 70107Same capacity, much lighter, far cheaper. If your hatch clears it, the case for spending more is thin.
Most carriers, most budgets7.9

Prices checked September 25, 2026. Product photographs are representative stock images, not the exact unit. Affiliate disclosure.

#1 · Vehicles with a tall rear hatch

CURT 18153 Folding Cargo Carrier

Representative photo of a steel cargo basket mounted in a vehicle's hitch receiver
Representative photo — not the exact unit.

You are buying the angled folding shank. If your hatch needs it, nothing else here substitutes.

Basket
60 x 20 inches
Shank
Folding, angled
Material
Steel
Empty weight
Substantially heavier than the MaxxHaul

What works

  • Folds flat against the vehicle when empty
  • Angled shank clears tall rear hatches
  • Heavier-gauge steel and better finish

What doesn’t

  • Its weight comes directly off your usable cargo allowance
  • Several times the price
  • Assembly takes real time

Our scoring

Capacity9.0
Hatch access9.5
Build9.0
Assembly7.0
Value7.5

8.5overall

#2 · Most carriers, most budgets

MaxxHaul 70107

Representative photo of a powder-coated steel hitch cargo basket
Representative photo — not the exact unit.

Same capacity, much lighter, far cheaper. If your hatch clears it, the case for spending more is thin.

Basket
60 x 20 inches
Shank
Fixed
Material
Powder-coated steel
Rated capacity
500 lb

What works

  • A fraction of the price
  • Much lighter, so more of your tongue weight rating is usable cargo
  • The most widely bought carrier in the category

What doesn’t

  • No folding — a permanent extension until you remove it
  • Powder coat gives up first in a salted winter
  • You must verify hatch clearance yourself

Our scoring

Capacity8.5
Hatch access6.0
Build7.5
Assembly7.5
Value9.5

7.9overall

Weight is capacity, and this is where they differ most

Both are rated to 500 lb, and on most vehicles neither of those ratings is reachable — your hitch’s tongue weight rating runs out first.

Which makes empty weight the number that matters. The MaxxHaul is dramatically lighter than the heavier steel carriers in this class, and every pound of that difference is a pound of cargo you can carry instead. On a Class II hitch rated at, say, 350 lb of tongue weight, a 45 lb difference in carrier weight is a 13% difference in what you can load.

That is the counter-intuitive result: the cheaper carrier often lets you carry more, because it spends less of your allowance on itself.

The folding shank: who genuinely needs it

You need it if your rear hatch will not clear a fixed carrier — measure before deciding. You want it if the carrier lives on the car, because a fixed 20-inch basket is a garage-length and parking-space problem every day of the year.

You do not need it if the carrier comes off between trips and your hatch clears. Removing a carrier is a two-minute job, and two minutes twice a year is not worth a large price difference.

The verdict

Buy the MaxxHaul 70107 if your hatch clears a fixed carrier, or if the carrier comes off between trips. It carries the same load for much less and leaves more of your tongue weight rating for cargo.

Buy the CURT 18153 if your hatch does not clear a fixed shank, or if the carrier lives on the vehicle year-round. The folding angled shank is a real solution to a real problem, and that is what the money buys.

Whichever you choose, check your hitch class and tongue weight first. It governs both.

Common questions

Is the CURT 18153 worth the extra money over the MaxxHaul?
Only if you need the folding shank. If your rear hatch clears a fixed carrier and the carrier comes off between trips, the MaxxHaul does the same job for a fraction of the price and leaves you more usable capacity because it weighs less.
Do both carriers fit a 1-1/4 inch receiver?
No. Both are 2-inch receiver products. A 1-1/4 inch Class I or II receiver needs a different, lighter carrier — and an adapter changes the shape without changing the hitch's rating.
Which carrier can hold more weight?
Both are rated to 500 lb, and on most vehicles you will never reach either — your hitch's tongue weight rating is the real ceiling. Because the MaxxHaul weighs less, it usually lets you carry more actual cargo within that ceiling.

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.

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