If your roof rack's full or you skipped one altogether, the Basic Hitch adds room for more gear. It's a hitch-mounted base rack that lets you carry traditional roof rack accessories like bike racks, ski mounts, and cargo boxes from any brand.
Yes. The Benton Basic Hitch turns your 2" hitch into open mounting space for the same accessories you'd normally put on a roof rack. Instead of lifting bikes, skis, or camping gear overhead, you get waist-height access that makes packing easier and safer.
If you've looked at modular cargo systems that promise flexibility but require you to invest in an expensive ecosystem, the Basic Hitch offers the same freedom in a simpler and more affordable form. It fits racks and cargo boxes from most major brands like Thule, Yakima, Kuat, and Benton. You can use the accessories you already own or choose the brands you prefer without committing to a proprietary system.
If you'd rather skip a roof rack entirely, or already have one that's running out of space, the Basic Hitch gives you a convenient place to carry your gear. It lets you mount bike racks, ski racks, cargo boxes, and many other accessories in a spot that's easy to reach. It works as a standalone solution or as added capacity and gives you more room without changing how you travel.
Yes. Most hitch cargo carriers are fixed platforms or baskets. What you see is what you get, and the shape limits what you can carry. The Basic Hitch is different. It uses a four-bar layout that lets you change the spacing of the top bars as needed, so the rack adjusts to your gear instead of the other way around.
The top bars slide side-to-side, giving you flexibility in how you space them. You can bring them closer together to mount two Benton ShellRaiser cargo boxes (B44FR - sold separately) without storing loose bars, or spread them apart for multiple bike or ski racks. If you want a different layout, the bars lift off easily. In most cases, sliding them provides all the room you need for boxes, bags, or mixed gear.
Each bar has channels along the top and sides, so accessories from brands like Thule and Yakima bolt directly in. There are also channels on the bottom for mounting fishing rod holders and other accessories vertically when the rack is folded up. The crossbar shape also works with clamp-on mounts, so gear that wraps around the bar instead of sliding into a track still fits. For everything else, you can strap items directly to the bars using the anchor points at each end. The Basic Hitch is a flexible platform that supports whatever combination of gear your trip requires.
Yes. The rack tilts down even when it is loaded, so you can reach the back of your vehicle without removing any gear. This helps when you've left a cooler or bag inside the vehicle and don't want to unload the boxes just to reach it.
When you're not using the rack, it folds up against your vehicle. This keeps the footprint smaller for parking in a garage or tight spaces. If you choose to remove the rack entirely, the compact folded position also makes it easier to store at home.
Mounting a hitch accessory can be more of a chore than you'd like. You slide in the shank, wiggle it around, and end up on your hands and knees trying to see daylight through a pin hole. The Basic Hitch fixes that with a collar that lines things up automatically so you can stay on your feet. Set the alignment once, and you won't have to touch it again unless you're moving the rack to another vehicle.
The Basic Hitch uses an anti-rattle hitch pin that tightens the connection to your vehicle, so you don't hear metal clanking while you drive. That banging may be rhythmic, but it's not music. Once it's installed, the only thing left making noise is your playlist and whoever's singing along too loud.
I really like how versatile the Benton Basic Hitch is. It works with any vehicle that has a 2" receiver and turns the hitch into usable space for gear you’d normally have to put on the roof. That makes loading and unloading a lot easier since everything stays at a comfortable height.
What stands out to me is the flexibility. I can use cargo boxes, bike racks, or other accessories I already own. The adjustable crossbars let me change the setup depending on what I’m carrying. If I don’t need the bars, I can remove them and just strap things down directly. I also appreciate the built-in tie-down points, it makes securing odd-shaped cargo a lot simpler.
Installation was straightforward. The alignment collar makes lining up the hitch pin easy, and the anti-rattle pin keeps everything tight and quiet while driving. Overall, this is a simple, practical option for adding cargo space without climbing on the roof or buying into a complicated system.
I first really appreciated the Benton Basic Hitch on a ski trip. Being able to load and unload skis and boards at waist height instead of reaching up onto the roof was a huge relief, especially while wearing ski boots. Everything felt easier and safer, and I didn’t have to climb around on my vehicle to grab my gear.
What I liked most was how flexible the setup was for that trip. I mounted ski racks on the top bars and could still fold the rack up or down depending on the size of the bindings. That also helped keep my skis more protected from road spray and snow while driving.
After using it like this, it quickly became one of my favorite ways to carry gear. If you travel with skis or bulky equipment and want easier access without relying on your roof rack, this is a really practical option.
This carrier is actually really versatile, especially for the price. I like that it allows me to use a wide range of racks and cargo boxes, and the adjustable universal crossbars give me a lot of flexibility. I can use the crossbars when I need them or remove them and just tie something down directly.
I think this is a great option for adding more cargo space or making things easier by keeping gear off the roof. Everything loads at a comfortable height, which is a big plus.
Setup was straightforward too, it took me about four minutes to put together right out of the box. Overall, it’s a simple, practical solution that offers a lot of flexibility without overcomplicating things.
Great product. There were no reviews of this cargo carrier when I purchased it and Etrailer actually called me to tell me I was the first buyer. I was looking primarily for a solution to attach my ski box to the back of my sprinter van because my roof is covered in solar, AC, etc. All options that I looked at required spending $4k+ to get a base cargo mount on the back door(s) plus a ski box. Neither of which seemed easily removable. This product solves that for a fraction of the cost, particularly if you already have a ski box. With my ski box on (which is fairly large), I can also attach at least one roof mount bike carrier to this rack.
The opportunities are somewhat limitless with this carrier- I am also looking at potential rooftop tent options that could fit on this carrier (with some temporary support under the carrier while in use as a tent). Would love to see Benton develop a whole hitch-roof-rack line of products designed around this as an alternative to the insanely expensive options out there for vans today.
I have this set up in a double hitch, which is plugged into a Kuat swing away carrier, but that’s mostly to try out the various possibilities you have with this rack. Without the double hitch, this would sit much closer to the van, especially when folded in a 90 degree angle. Driving down the road there’s essentially no rack movement (as verified by friends and family driving behind me and our camera).
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