Most Popular Reese for 2000 Toyota RAV4

My wife and I spend the winters in southern GA and needed a cargo carrier as we make our move between TN and GA. Everything we pack will fit into the car with ease, but we're a tad cramped. When I say we, I mean our dog and two cats. :) Having the cargo carrier will allow us to pack our clothes, etc. outside the car while everyone has more room inside the car. On this particular hitch (Curt Class III), I can haul 300lbs back there. The three containers you see in the pics will probably be full, but not weigh anywhere near 300lbs total. This will definitely make our travel more comfortable. It also alleviated the need for a larger car where the bigger volume of cargo space would only get used a couple of times per year. Smaller car for a daily drive equals less gas. The cargo carrier is a bit on the cumbersome side so my wife helps me get it connected. It's heavy duty and expect it to last many years.

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I haven't actually used the hitch carrier yet, but I can say that the ordering and shipping process went very smoothly and was easy. Also the carrier is very easy to assemble and took maybe 15 minutes tops.

My wife and I spend the winters in southern GA and needed a cargo carrier as we make our move between TN and GA. Everything we pack will fit into the car with ease, but we're a tad cramped. When I say we, I mean our dog and two cats. :) Having the cargo carrier will allow us to pack our clothes, etc. outside the car while everyone has more room inside the car. On this particular hitch (Curt Class III), I can haul 300lbs back there. The three containers you see in the pics will probably be full, but not weigh anywhere near 300lbs total. This will definitely make our travel more comfortable. It also alleviated the need for a larger car where the bigger volume of cargo space would only get used a couple of times per year. Smaller car for a daily drive equals less gas. The cargo carrier is a bit on the cumbersome side so my wife helps me get it connected. It's heavy duty and expect it to last many years.

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Okay. Here’s the scoop on the Draw-Tite 20x48 Folding Cargo Carrier For 2" Trailer Hitch Receiver. I bought it since it looked like the best choice to carry camping cargo on my 2010 RAV4. I believe I was right and that it was and is the best choice. In the “up” position it clears the rear door-mounted spare tire. No extension is needed to get it to clear the rear spare tire. I thought that the 48” width was perfect and that a 60” wide carrier was a too wide for my RAV4. Also, the #59102 (waterproof) Rola Expandable Cargo Bag, 9.5 to 11.5 cubic feet fits PERFECTLY in this cargo carrier I had no need for a larger carrier. I just use it for camping and carrying extra gear so the back of the RAV4 is not loaded with stuff. When I’m at my destination I empty the Rola bag contents, put it inside the back of the RAV4 and put the carrier in the “up” position until I’m ready to break camp, re-load the Rola bag and move on. I use a Draw-Tite Receiver that I mounted on my RAV4. So to hold the 2” shank firmly in the Draw-Tire receiver and keep it from rattling I got a #63201 Draw-Tite J-Pin Stabilization Pin and Barrel Lockset from etrailer. It you do not have a Draw-Tite Receiver, then this stabilization pin may or may not fit. If it doesn’t fit then—at least—you can get a #SR25219 Stainless Steel Locking, Anti-Rattle Threaded Hitch Pin for 2" Trailer Hitches from etrailer. It looks like it will accomplish the same thing if the Draw-Tite J-Pin Stabilization Pin will not fit your receiver. The Draw-Tite J-Pin Stabilization Pin is a little easier if you take the Draw-Tite 20x48 Folding Cargo Carrier on and off a lot, but it is no big deal. Anyway, the Draw-Tite 20x48 Folding Cargo Carrier folds up when you’re not using it and down when you’re using it so the point is that it is the kind of carrier that someone would get when you don’t want to be putting the carrier on and taking it off your vehicle a lot. I suggest using Draw-Tite J-Pin Stabilization Pin or the Stainless Steel Locking, Anti-Rattle Threaded Hitch Pin, or something similar to hold the shank firmly. But the Draw-Tite 20x48 Folding Cargo Carrier would still rattle ALL THE TIME as I drove down the road. It didn’t matter if it was in the “up” or “down” position. The reason is that the outer two holes that the included ½” safety pin goes through (this is the pin that you remove and reinsert every time you want to lower or raise the cargo carrier platform) are bigger than ½”. This is the cause of the rattle. What was the cure? I bought a 3-1/2” x ½” hex-head bolt (not a carriage bolt!) at Home Depot. (3” is too short.) I also got a ½” nut, two ½” flat washers and one ½” split lockwasher. This replaced the included safety pin. That way I could snug down the nut on the ½” bolt and every bit of the rattle went away. This “cure” cost about $1.60. I also recommend torquing the pivot bolt as much as you can. You’d have to be a competitor in the 'Worlds Strongest Man' competition to be able to over-torque it. Granted, I now have to carry a pair of wrenches to tighten or loosen the nut and bolt whenever I want to raise or lower the cargo carrier platform. But on long rides it keeps me from going crazy from rattle noise. No rattle at all.