Hitch cargo carrier
Ledge XL Hitch Cargo Carrier
5.0 out of 5 stars 5.0 (22)
38" x 24" of reinforced aluminum rated to 200 lb, with removable side rails and the dual swing arm included.
$525.00$350.00
· Platform Only
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Haul, Prep, Cook in one place
Hitch-mounted cargo platforms rated to 200 lb that rotate 180° on a locking swing arm - so you can open the tailgate without unloading a thing.
Patented Dual-Swing Arm
Full tailgate access, loaded
2-Year Warranty
On all hardware
No Drilling
Mounts in the receiver you have
Based in Santa Cruz, CA
Designed and shipped from the USA
Two platform sizes, a locking box, and the swing arm that carries all three.
Hitch cargo carrier
5.0 out of 5 stars 5.0 (22)
38" x 24" of reinforced aluminum rated to 200 lb, with removable side rails and the dual swing arm included.
$525.00$350.00
· Platform Only
Hitch cargo carrier
4.9 out of 5 stars 4.9 (17)
31.5" x 17.5" stainless platform rated to 100 lb. The compact carrier for smaller receivers and lighter loads.
$450.00 · With Dual Swing Arm
More Info →
Locking cargo box
4.0 out of 5 stars 4.0 (1)
77 litres of keyed, weatherproof aluminium storage rated to 125 lb - a hitch cargo carrier that closes.
$959.00 · with Dual Swing Arm
More Info →
Hardware
4.6 out of 5 stars 4.6 (9)
The patented dual swing arm on its own, for a DIY cargo carrier build on a 2" receiver.
$299.00 · Dual Swing
More Info →A hitch cargo carrier is the cheapest way to add real capacity to a vehicle you already own. It drops into the 2-inch receiver at the back, carries the gear that will not fit inside, and costs you none of the fuel economy or garage clearance a roof rack does.
It also, on almost every carrier sold, blocks the back of your vehicle completely. Load the tray and the tailgate is done. Need the cooler at the bottom of the pile? Unload the tray, open the door, reload the tray.
A fixed hitch cargo carrier is a tray on a shank. It is inexpensive and it works, right up until you need something out of the back.
The usual fix is a bolt-on swing-away adapter - a second piece of hardware stacked between the receiver and the tray. It adds cost, it adds a hinge that was never engineered for the specific tray you bolted to it, and most adapters reduce your usable load rating once you account for the extra leverage.
HitchFire builds the swing into the carrier instead. The Ledge XL and Ledge Cargo Platform mount on a patented dual swing arm that rotates up to 180° and locks in both the travel and the camp position. The platform moves loaded. Nothing comes off first.
The swing arm
Most hitch cargo carriers make you unload the whole tray to open the back of your vehicle. The patented HitchFire dual swing arm rotates up to 180° on a locking hinge, so the platform moves out of the way instead - with the gear still strapped to it.
Ledge Cargo Platform - 100 lb. 31.5" x 17.5" of stainless steel with removable side rails. The right hitch cargo carrier for firewood, recovery gear, a couple of totes, or anything you want off the back seat. $450 with the dual swing arm.
Ledge XL Platform - 200 lb. 38" x 24" of reinforced aluminium, 5.5" deep inside integrated rails. Twice the rating and enough deck for coolers, bins, fuel and a full camp load. $525 with the dual swing arm.
Field Box - 125 lb, and it locks. 77 litres inside a keyed aluminium enclosure, 39.75" x 17.5" x 11". A hitch cargo carrier with a lid and a lock, for gear you do not want to leave under a strap in a trailhead parking lot.
All three mount to the same standard 2" receiver, and all three ride on the same dual swing arm. If you already own the arm, every platform is also sold on its own. If you are building something of your own, the DIY Dual Swing Arm is sold separately.
| HitchFire Ledge XL | Typical fixed carrier | |
|---|---|---|
| Tailgate access | Swings up to 180°, fully loaded | Unload and pull the tray first |
| Swing hardware | Engineered into the carrier | Bolt-on adapter, bought separately |
| Side rails | Removable | Usually welded in place |
| Deck | 38" x 24" reinforced aluminium | Steel mesh tray |
| Locking positions | Travel and camp | None |
| Warranty | 2 years | Varies by brand |
Ledge XL shown. The Ledge Cargo Platform is 31.5" x 17.5" and rated to 100 lb; the Field Box is 39.75" x 17.5" x 11", 77 litres, rated to 125 lb. Fixed-carrier column describes the common bolt-on tray category, not any one product - many fixed steel trays carry more weight than a swing-away, and that trade is the point.
A hitch cargo carrier is a platform, tray or box that slides into your vehicle's trailer hitch receiver and carries gear outside the cabin. It adds capacity without the fuel-economy penalty, wind noise or height restriction of a roof rack, and without the lifting. Most fit a standard 2-inch receiver.
HitchFire platforms are rated to 100 lb (Ledge Cargo Platform), 125 lb (Field Box) and 200 lb (Ledge XL). The carrier's own rating is only half the answer, though - your vehicle's hitch has a tongue weight limit, and the carrier plus its load has to stay under it. Check the sticker on your receiver or your owner's manual before you load up.
A standard 2-inch receiver. If your vehicle has a 1.25-inch receiver, a HitchFire cargo carrier will not fit it, and we would rather tell you that now than after it ships.
Yes - that is the point of the swing arm. The platform rotates up to 180° on a locking hinge and stays there, fully loaded, so the tailgate, rear doors or barn doors open normally. With a fixed hitch cargo carrier you would have to unload and remove the tray first.
Sometimes. Vehicles that carry a spare tire on the back door - Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco, some 4Runners - usually need the 12-inch Hitch Extender so the platform clears the tire when it swings. Rear-mounted ladders and bumper-mounted spares are the other common reason. Send us a photo of the back of your vehicle and we will tell you which you need.
Less than a roof rack does. A loaded roof rack sits in clean air above the vehicle and can cost meaningful fuel economy at highway speed; a hitch cargo carrier rides in the low-pressure wake behind it, where the aerodynamic penalty is much smaller. You are still adding weight, so expect some effect - just not the roof-rack kind.
It can, depending on your vehicle and how you load it. Most US states require the rear plate to be visible and legible, and rules on obstruction vary state to state - some are specific about cargo carriers, some are not. Check your own state's requirements, and if the plate ends up covered, relocate it to the carrier or add an auxiliary plate and light.
On the "With Dual Swing Arm" variant, yes - arm and platform ship together and are priced as one system. The "Platform Only" variants are for people who already own a HitchFire swing arm. The DIY Dual Swing Arm is also sold on its own for custom builds.
No. It mounts in the receiver you already have. Nothing is drilled, welded or permanently attached.
Every HitchFire product carries a 2-year manufacturer warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.
We ship direct within the US and Canada. Anywhere else, you can order to a US freight forwarder, or we'll quote the whole order for you. See how international orders work or request a quote.
The same 2-inch receiver and the same swing arm carry more than cargo. The Cook Station puts a burner and a sink on the platform, the Forge 15 and F-20 put a full grill back there, and the overland cargo setup shows how the pieces stack for longer trips. If you tow or travel in a rig, the RV and fifth wheel pages cover mounting on the trailer instead of the truck.
