Use of Hitch Extension with Flint Hill Goods Aluminum Cargo Carrier FHG69ZR

Question:

I own a 2016 Roadtrek Chevy cargo express Van RV with a spare tire attached on left rear door side. You will appreciate the spare tire is attached on a hitch with mechanism that swing down for easy tire removal. I also have a standard rear tow hitch at the center. There is 17 inches from the center hitch hole to the back of the spare tire. Do I need an extension ? We are looking for a Alum cargo carrier that will work with the existing set up. I will be using it for two scooters. I was looking at your model fhg69zr. Will that work ? The size is ideal however not sure it will clear the spare tire hitch connection for the spare tire. Await your urgent response with interest,

asked by: Michael

Expert Reply:

There are a few things to keep in mind for your desired setup.

First, the weight rating of the hitch on your van must be more than the combined weight of your selected carrier and two scooters. Their combined total must be within the hitch's tongue weight (TW) rating. The Flint Hill Goods Cargo Carrier # FHG69ZR weighs about 77-lbs. You can add this to the weight of your two scooters to know the total TW load that will be on the hitch.

Next check the sticker on your hitch to confirm its Class rating. The Flint Hill Goods carrier requires a 2-inch hitch, either Class IlI, Class IV or Class IV. All hitches made for your van are shown on the linked page.

The Flint Hill Goods carrier provides 8-1/2-inches of clearance from its hitch pin hole. Hitch extensions can give you more clearance between the carrier and the spare tire but all such adapters also have the unavoidable side-effect of reducing the hitch's TW capacity by 50-percent. This means that if you used a hitch extender such as # C45796 to give you 18-inches of additional clearance you would lose half of the hitch's rated TW capacity.

Adapters also tend to introduce more motion to the setup. You may find it necessary to use some straps like # 317-412080 to support and stabilize the cargo carrier/adapter load.