How to Determine if a Hitch Cargo Carrier Will Fold Up and Clear Spare Tire on a 2011 Jeep Wrangler

Expert Reply:

To determine if the Curt Hitch Cargo Carrier, part # C18131, will fold up without hitting the rear-mounted spare tire on your 2011 Jeep Wrangler, you will need to measure. You will need to measure from the center of the hitch pin hole out to the distance needed to clear the spare tire. This measurement will let you know if a hitch cargo carrier will clear the spare tire when folded up.

When looking at hitch cargo carriers on our website you will need to look at the measurement in the specifications of the cargo carrier that says center of hitch pin hole to the carrier when folded up. You will want this listed measurement to be larger than the measurement you took on your Jeep.

The Curt cargo carrier #C18131 measures 3 inches from the center of the hitch pin hole to the carrier when folded up. If the measurement on your vehicle is less than 3 inches, then the Curt cargo carrier will clear the spare tire on your Jeep.

If you find that you need more than 3 inches of clearance, we have the Surco Products Hitch Cargo Carrier, part # 52018F, which is also a 20x60 folding cargo carrier. The Surco Carrier measures 5 inches from the center of the hitch pin hole to the carrier when folded up.

A cargo carrier that is smaller (20 x 48) than the Curt and Surco Carriers, is the Draw-Tite Hitch Cargo Carrier, part # 6502. The Draw-Tite Carrier # 6502 provides the most clearance as it measures 7-1/2 inches from the center of hitch pin hole to the carrier when folded up.

I am including links to video reviews on all three of the hitch cargo carriers mentioned above.

expert reply by: Jeff D