Not familiar with the HF cargo rack, but had a
Hitch-Haul as seen below. I liked that it came in halves, which I rotated and planned to use on the tongue 'deck' of one of the 1/4 ton military trailers I was messing with.
That particular one is no longer available, at least for now, though there are a ton of
other options.
I know from experience that not all hitch mounted cargo carriers are equal in stability or strength. They range from cheaply made and flimsy imports to the rugged and very stable
PakMule Cargo Carriers meant more for off-road. You can see more of the Pakmule carriers in action on various vehicles on their insta at
@PakMule. I've seen the PakMule carrier in person down in the borderlands last year, on the truck owned by the company. It's an impressive, well-designed bit of kit.
Seen a ton of others in action, too, among the expedited delivery crowd as well as hunters, who both will put hitch-mounted cargo carriers on their front hitch receiver to carry small generators, firewood, etc. I may do that myself for my front hitch receiver after I install it.
Things to watch for with a hitch cargo carrier and going backcountry, even if not serious off-road, will be:
- that it changes your departure angle dramatically. Meaning, if you cross a ditch or gulley, as you climb out the other side, the more you have sticking out past the rear axle, the more your ass is going to drag and potentially hang up or get damaged. That's why you see a sharper angle on the front and rear of a lot of vehicles and on the rear of trailers; it allows a steeper approach and departure angle. More important the more extreme you get in terrain.
- that the one you choose is stable and strong enough to not move a bunch when driving dirt and rocky roads. You don't want to lose your load. Check PakMule's carrier design to see what they do to mitigate potential problems.
- that you learn to load it wisely and with balance. By nature they're kind of screwed up in principle; to have such a potential load depending on a single center point. I cringe to see what some folks do with their hitch carriers for load and balance. I won't follow them down the road.
- that it not interfere with, or be willing to work around with the way it interferes with, your tailgate or back doors. It's a pain in the ass to have to unload all or part of your gear in the carrier just to open your tailgate or doors.
Hope you find one to suit your needs just right.
.
