Class I Hitch and Compatible Hitch Cargo Carrier for 2015 Buick Encore

Question:

I am interested in a rear receiver hitch for a 2015 Buick Encore. I do like c11527 for the receiver hitch and 63155 for a carrier. The carrier would be used for extra room for vacation, used to haul a cooler and some more things we could put on it. We have a carrier but we would have to buy an adapter because its for a 2 inch receiver and if I understand correctly this cuts your tongue weight to half of the recommendations, can you please explain why? The cargo carrier I mentioned will work with the encore, right? Feel free to recommend any cargo carrier. By the time you add about 300lbs on the carrier, put some stuff in the small trunk area and add the weight of the passengers we are not being unsafe are we? Thank you

asked by: Michael S

Expert Reply:

We can help you with a hitch for your Encore that will allow you to take advantage of the extra cargo space/weight capacity provided by a hitch mount cargo carrier.

Only 1-1/4-inch hitches are made for the Encore, we have the light-duty Class I hitch by Curt, # C11527, which only has a 200-lb tongue weight rating. Installation instructions and a video are linked for you. It is also a good idea to check your owner's manual to confirm the car's own tongue weight capacity which could differ from the hitch; the lower rating always applies.

You are correct that using any type of hitch adapter, such as # HT5R or any of the ones shown on the linked page, will indeed cost you half of the hitch's 200-lb tongue weight capacity. This loss of capacity results from the adapters moving the actual weight load further away from the hitch. This greater distance means more leverage is applied to the hitch and that is what reduces capacity. This means your total combined carrier + cargo weight would be limited to 100-lbs.

For this reason, I suggest you choose a new 1-1/4-inch Class I cargo carrier that will fit the hitch directly without needing an adapter. This means that you can safely carry MUCH more weight.

Curt carrier # C18110 will fit nicely in your hitch (by the way, it also fits 2-inch hitches) and it will allow you to keep your 200-lb capacity. This means that once you deduct the carrier's 30-lb weight from the hitch's 200-lb rating you still have 170-lbs of cargo weight capacity, a whole lot more than if you buy an adapter and use your existing carrier.

You will need to use the stabilizer strap # 18050 when using this hitch with your cargo carrier.

If you wish you can also add a water-resistant cargo bag # e98990 or a cargo net # C18200 to the carrier.