Rola Expandable Cargo Bag - Water Resistant - 9-1/2 to 11-1/2 cu ft

I purchased this bag along with a curt cargo carrier #C18145 and installed in my 2006 Subaru forester. The hitch on the car was also purchased from etrailer and is a curt #C12038. I loaded the bag for a weekend camping trip and strapped it into the cargo carrier. It did not take long for my exhaust to melt a large hole in the cargo bag. I wish there would have been a clear warning on the product about exhaust clearance. I measured a distance of 5 inches between the exhaust and the cargo rack with my setup. etrailer suggested I purchase an adapter that would raise the location of the cargo rack and offered a 5% discount on a new bag. 426367

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We recommend at least 12 inches of space between the exhaust tip and a cargo bag to avoid damage to the bag. Especially if your exhaust tip points straight out and does not point downwards or to the side. You can use a multipurpose ball mount like D210 that will lift your cargo carrier up and away from the exhaust. Please keep in mind the tongue weight of this ball mount is 750 lbs so your cargo carrier weight and its contents cannot exceed that weight. Another option is purchasing an exhaust tip that points downwards. To get the correct exhaust tip you would need to measure the outside diameter of your exhaust pipe. Most of these exhaust tips are weld on applications. I have attached a link below.

-- Heather A - 08/29/2017

Helpful Link

This fits the Hollywood 2-bike rack and cargo carrier combo, also purchased at etrailer. I padded the bottom of this cargo bag with custom-fitted squares of anti-fatigue mat. I also cut the foam matting to fit the short sides, which props the bag up nicely to facilitate loading it. I'm amazed how much this bag can carry! It carries all of our sport and camp equipment behind our campervan: rug, chairs, folding table, propane grill/stove combo, 5 lb propane tank, beach shade & blanket, hammocks, dog cable, bike helmets, and bladder backpacks. I'm going to use a couple of 12' cable locks to tether this bag to the carrier to deter grab'n'go theft. 756556

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by: Cheryl06/22/2021

We bought this bag to go on a StowAway cargo carrier, behind our miniature camper van. We'd call it a perfect bag - very large, very weather proof, dust proof, with secure straps to attach it to the carrier. We have no concerns, and nothing we would want to improve it. We use it with a cargo net for extra security, but we'd feel fine using it without the cargo net as well. We did a three week drive across the country, and had no problems. We did need to learn to pack things in it that we didn't want at quick rest stops - the cargo net and then straps were a lot to open for just a rest stop. Definitely a good buy for us! 1072510

Even my wife said so Prior to our family trip I purchased the following items for my 2004 Hyundai Tiburon: Draw-Tite Class I Trailer Hitch Receiver #24726 20x48 Cargo Carrier Fits 1-1/4"" Trailer Hitch Receiver Hitch #6500 Rola Expandable Cargo Bag, 9.5 to 11.5 cubic feet #59102 Tiburons do not have a lot of cargo space, and mine has even less as I have 2 twelve inch subwoofers in an enclosure in the cargo area. I did the installation myself, which was easy, and the setup worked flawlessly. I was able to take luggage for two adults and two teens for a three day trip without stuffing items between the kids in the back seat and floor spaces. I could not even tell I had a cargo carrier on the back of the car. My fuel economy was not adversely affected because the carrier rides behind the car instead of on top where it would cause drag. I still had complete access to my rear cargo area via the lift back. This was one of the best purchases I have made, even my wife said so. 4840

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Solid build, durable. Easy to attach to the cargo carrier. Felt very secure once strapped on. Drove 9 hrs both ways, no issues. Filled it up with several duffle bags, and didn't need to expand it to the fullest. Have a Mazda 5 and this solved storage issues for long journeys with 3 kids. 285717

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by: Kari05/13/2021

Best purchase!! This bag allows me to travel with so much more things on the hitch tray. They are secure and dr. Would highly recommend. I put off buying it for a few years and wish I would have gotten one sooner! 1036122

I was pleased to see the mailtruck drive up to my back door (2 days earlier than expected) with my ROLA Expandable Cargo Bag. The bag/box were in perfect condition. I'll commend the shipping person I talked to. He told me the box would go out in two days and arrive in less than 7 days. That was a hiccup! I Asked him to get it out today because I was leaving for a month in Fl... in 6 days. He must have done that. The bag arrived in 4 days from my call.... 4 days before our trip was to start. Good work in your warehouse/shipping shop. The bag exceeded my expectations. The fabric was heavy duty, the zippers were massive, the fabrication was neat and stitching was very secure, the expandable compartment was well done. The smaller internal organizational compartments were a welcome surprise, Lastly, the expandable compartment zipper was unobtrusively hidden (and waterproofed) under a overlapping flap. Since my exhaust pipe directs flow near the bottom of my basket, I took the advice given to a buyer who had an issue with damaging heat. I built a heat-shield out of "Hardieboard" that will deflect heat from my tailpipe. (Cost was 2 hours of work and 14 bucks at Lowes.) The alternative would have been to weld up a 5' rise in my receiver hitch which adjusts from 1 1/4' to 2" . That would cost $[XX]... more than the bag and my receiver/tray put together. I am confidant in bag during our upcoming 1000 mile trip. I appreciate the customer service in my discussions with the ETRAILER office staff during my initial scoping call, the ordering process, and the "put a hurry on it' chat with the shipping crewperson. GOOD JOB TO ALL STAFF INVOLVED !!!! 990599

by: Robert06/05/2021

The bag size was useable and useful on our cross country trip, but water resistant (was strapped to the roof)is a negative,went through rain on the way home and and when we got home bag was full of water glad we sealed everything in water proof bags, zipper pulls only lasted that 1 trip. 1056737

by: Reggie06/25/2021

Rugged-well built. Zippers and straps can take a beating. 1075410

I ordered the ROLA rear cargo carrier with the rise in the hitch, the ROLA Walleroo(?) carrier expandable bag, the lights and a locking linch pin. I did extensive research to find what I needed for my car. The etrailer videos were extremely helpful. I have a Toyota RAV 4 and the hitch with the rise was the perfect fit. The cargo carrier is sturdy and well made, solid steel. Everything was easy to put together for two 65 year old women. The cargo bag holds an amazing amount of stuff, withstanding rain and road wear very well. All that research paid off with a worry free camping trip. 426170

The Rola cargo bag (model 59102) was purchased in conjunction with the Curt carrier (model C18145) to take the family on a 2000 mile round trip to Disney Magic Kingdom and also Universal Park in Orlando, FL. The Rola bag did all that it was advertised to be! It is very well made, expandable, easy to tie to the Curt rack and protected the stowed items even in rain encountered on the way to Orlando. The Curt rack is simple to assemble and is stoutly made. it took me approximately 1 hour and that was including coffee breaks (I am 75 years old). Just sort out the parts and follow the instructions. Tools to use are the properly sized sockets with ratchet or just two adjustable wrenches. it is easy to mount to the auto receiver, whether 1-1/4 or 2 inch size. Price is very affordable for both products. 453679

by: Seth07/03/2016

Only used it once with the hitch hauler but it work out great! We went through a tremendous rain storm going to the beach in Florida from Georgia and it rained so hard I just knew our luggage would be a little wet from being in the "waterproof" bag but it was bone dry and not a drop of rain made it inside! Great addition to the hitch hauler or by itself if you want to use for extra storage on a boat or dock! 267723

by: David11/24/2017

We took this bag from California to Florida in winter weather (lots of rain) and it performed beautifully. It was a perfect fit for our hitch rack, and carried 4 suitcases and more all the way. 454520

by: MjK11/24/2016

Put about 5,000 miles on this bag the first year, ranging from a blizzard at Flagstaff, AZ to 111 degrees at Las Vegas, NV. Packed full all the time. Repelled the rain and snow. Outstanding size and value! I'd buy it again. 319444

The Rola Bag is still doing great after a year. I am planning to use it going to the LA area after Christmas.

MjK - 11/25/2017

by: Duane S.07/04/2017

I love this product. One for my hitch carrier, and two for my truck bed when towing 5th wheel. keeps things secure and dry. 401580

Purchased this to use with the ProSeries #6500 Cargo Carrier to use on our 2005 Toyota Matrix (base model) - see pics with my review of that product. Works great - fits the carrier perfectly, can get lots of stuff in the bag and the bag feels really well made. The bag gets pretty stiff and hard to flex in single-digit weather, but no problems with it yet. 115415

1 year later and still working great - its been through several snowstorms, rainstorms, and below-zero temps and still keeps everything dry!

Alan B - 02/12/2015

This product was just okay. It served us well enough but it's not near as roomy as it might seem - 2 carry-on suitcases, a large Cabela's duffel and a small bag were about all it could hold. The tabs on the zippers tore off the first time we tried to zip it up and whatever it is made out of is incredibly stiff when it is cold. That all said, it did keep our stuff dry and secure. I just wish it were bigger. 66829

Part 3 of 3 of my order. Ok, Hitch...check...Cargo Carrier...check...now the bag. A lot of space in here for the average traveler of 4. Very durable material with large zippers to protect everything inside. The velcro straps help keep any moisture from running up and into the zipper area. With 6 tie downs, this bag is really durable and safe. 8853

We love the cargo bag. I am attaching 2 pictures of it after it was loaded. 36853

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I used the cargo bag on top of the car (on the roof rack) instead of using the bag in the rear of the car (on the trailer hitch). I was moving across the country (Massachusetts to Oregon) and needed a waterproof bag for extra stuff. I also have a hatchback, so having the bag in the back would not have worked. The bag itself was waterproof and durable (and kept everything dry for pretty much a week of driving through rain, hail and wind). Loading the bag on top of the car was a disaster because it essentially lost all shape when sitting on the cross beams of the roof rack. I ended up putting a plastic shelf in the bottom of the bag to give it structure (this would not be a problem if the bag is used how it is intended, on the back of the car). I would recommend this product to a friend. 44840

3300 Mile trip, very pleased with product. Bought this to fit on top of my CarPod M2200 with bag and lid. The CarPod bag is less than water resistant so I wanted to try the Rola for extra dry protected space. It fit perfectly atop the CarPod and was very secure. I also used the SportRack straps for additional lateral hold and they worked well. I am considering getting another Rola bag to replace the CarPod bad for greater rain resistance but the dimensions are different and capacity of the Rola is less. The lack of structural support was somewhat annoying so I made two frames for the ends using 1/2 inch PVC pipe and 90 degree corners which made loading easier and didn't seem to effect the capacity. 161901

This is great. I've used the bag to carry chairs, tent, sleeping bags, and other light, bulky items on a couple of car-camping trips. The straps do a good job of holding the bag on the cargo rack and, with my 2009 Subaru Forester, I can even open the rear hatch when the Rola bag is full and expanded to its greater height. As for bring waterproof, I've only had one rainy experience: a deluge of near biblical proportion. The contents around the edges of the bag were vaguely damp which, under the circumstances, I consider a win. Any lesser rain storm (which, I'm certain, will be 99% of rain storms) will surely be kept out of this bag. 142682

Great product. Lots of space and very durable. Fits perfect on my cargo tray. 17749

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I ordered this cargo bag to store luggage and create more room in the vehicle during a long distance move. We have not used it yet but it looks like quality construction overall and in the seams. Customer service through the ordering and delivery has been fantastic. I ordered standard UPS ground delivery which the company upgraded and the bag received in 4 days. Can't wait to put it to use next week! 107887

The Rola bag we purchased for our MaxxTow Cargo Carrier worked great, and we went through a lot of rain on our way to the Outerbanks and back! The only issue I would like etrailer.com to resolve is how it was packaged. We received it inside a box that had been stapled shut with very large staples, which of course punctured the otherwise water resistant bag inside. Since we didn't have time to send it back, my husband had to patch it with duct tape. 204292