Basket Mounted to Hitch Recommendation

[KAIONE]

Hello All,

I am going to a course in UT with some over landing pieces to it, and would like to take 15 gal‘s of gas and 10 gal’s of water on a hitch mounted basket; instead of going out and rushing into buying a roof rack and/or rear bumper for 10x the cost.

Can anyone recommend a solid basket for 1-3 trips around town and then the final? I’ll be on road for 900 miles to UT, the course is 3 days off road, and then 900 miles back, so I need it to hold. I have a 2021 4runne.

I posted a pic of a basket I saw today that you can get on amazon.

Anything helps! Thank you in advance

 

[Red_Leaf_Overland]

I use a smittybilt basket. They are pretty cheap and seem to hold up pretty well. I have been using mine for at least 5 years on and offroad.

 

[MMc]

Check your weight. I don't use a basket carrier, you'll be adding 100# to butt end of your rig. I wouldn't go cheap. YMMV

 

[KAIONE]

I use a smittybilt basket. They are pretty cheap and seem to hold up pretty well. I have been using mine for at least 5 years on and offroad.

Awesome! I’ll take a look. Is there anything that you had to do to it to make it last or help it along?

 

[KAIONE]

Check your weight. I don't use a basket carrier, you'll be adding 100# to butt end of your rig. I wouldn't go cheap. YMMV

Absolutely don’t want it break or fall off at anytime with my extra fuel and water. Great point! If 1 gal of gas = 6.5lbs = 97.5lbs and 10gal of water = 80lbs; if I use regular plastic containers I estimate the load to be around 190lbs. Which I am skeptical about the baskets holding. They say 500lbs….but we know how that goes.

Do you know of another way for me to mount or carry?

Thank you!

 

[Red_Leaf_Overland]

Awesome! I’ll take a look. Is there anything that you had to do to it to make it last or help it along?

Havnt really done anything to it. The paint seems so holf up well. I'll see if I can find some pictures but it's been well used over the years between my TJ and other vehicles.

 

[Old Tanker]

...Do you know of another way for me to mount or carry?

You could put the light stuff on a roof rack, and use a Rigd Ultraswing for a set of Rotopax. Pretty expensive, though.

 

[MOAK]

If you’re planning on driving on any off pavement roads, forget about having one of those things hanging off the rear of your vehicle. It’ll get ripped to shreds. When you eventually go to a roof rack, you’ll look back and wonder why you wasted money on a receiver carrier. A good one that you may consider would be built like this one Security Check
At that though, why not spend a little more and get a roof rack? Oh, BTW, been there done it. Decades ago had a jeep, I bought one, used once for a trip. Ended up giving it away.

 

[MMc]

Absolutely don’t want it break or fall off at anytime with my extra fuel and water. Great point! If 1 gal of gas = 6.5lbs = 97.5lbs and 10gal of water = 80lbs; if I use regular plastic containers I estimate the load to be around 190lbs. Which I am skeptical about the baskets holding. They say 500lbs….but we know how that goes.

Do you know of another way for me to mount or carry?

Thank you!

Sorry I don't. I have a full size truck with a lumber rack over the shell. All the fuels go up in a sub rack on the roof, water goes inside. I have plenty of room. Do you need all that fuel? I take 15 gal when I go to remote Baja and my mileage is bad. You know better than I about your needs.

 

[KAIONE]

Havnt really done anything to it. The paint seems so holf up well. I'll see if I can find some pictures but it's been well used over the years between my TJ and other vehicles.

Ok great! No need to find me pics, your info was helpful enough. Thanks again, really appreciate it!

 

[KAIONE]

You could put the light stuff on a roof rack, and use a Rigd Ultraswing for a set of Rotopax. Pretty expensive, though.

Whoa! Just what I was looking for, until the price tag. You were spot on tho! Definitely an option instead of a rear bumper with swing out. Any opinion on the Rigd? Definitely an option now, thank you very much for that info!!

 

[KAIONE]

If you’re planning on driving on any off pavement roads, forget about having one of those things hanging off the rear of your vehicle. It’ll get ripped to shreds. When you eventually go to a roof rack, you’ll look back and wonder why you wasted money on a receiver carrier. A good one that you may consider would be built like this one Security Check
At that though, why not spend a little more and get a roof rack? Oh, BTW, been there done it. Decades ago had a jeep, I bought one, used once for a trip. Ended up giving it away.

I was afraid someone would say that, because I don’t disagree. I think it would be fine for the road trip there and then thought while off road I could strap the tanks to the roof on a mat/pad and leave them there until back on the road. Ugggggh, not really a great way to do this without spending thousands and quickly. That Security Check one is the best I’ve seen so far, so thank you for that.

So to answer your question, I am getting a roof rack, I just don’t know which one to get and am going through a vetting process now. So far I can do the Rhino Rack Backbone system with the rack on top, looking at around $2k. My local install shop can get me a Prinsu installed for around $1350. And then the other one I’m considering is the ROAM or LFD Steel bars to the stock racks.

Thoughts or Suggestion? Thank you!

 

[KAIONE]

Sorry I don't. I have a full size truck with a lumber rack over the shell. All the fuels go up in a sub rack on the roof, water goes inside. I have plenty of room. Do you need all that fuel? I take 15 gal when I go to remote Baja and my mileage is bad. You know better than I about your needs.

Good questions; I think I’d like to have at least 10gals, because going into areas that I don’t know with limited gas stations can get bad quick. Especially alone. And I’d like to also test to see if/how far and much I can take before something breaks. So, I don’t really know and this will be my first trip, so I guess I’m erring on the side of caution.

I miss Baja, great place! I used to go down there when I worked for Collins Motorsports and Pflueger Racing out of Vegas. Looking fwd to getting back soon. Have great trips and enjoy!!! Very special places down there.

 

[Old Tanker]

Any opinion on the Rigd? Definitely an option now, thank you very much for that info!!

No personal experience - I have a dual swing replacement rear bumper on order. But from the discussions on toyota-4runner.org, Rigd makes a very sturdy product, without the wobbles that some of their competitors seem to have.

 

[MOAK]

I was afraid someone would say that, because I don’t disagree. I think it would be fine for the road trip there and then thought while off road I could strap the tanks to the roof on a mat/pad and leave them there until back on the road. Ugggggh, not really a great way to do this without spending thousands and quickly. That Security Check one is the best I’ve seen so far, so thank you for that.

So to answer your question, I am getting a roof rack, I just don’t know which one to get and am going through a vetting process now. So far I can do the Rhino Rack Backbone system with the rack on top, looking at around $2k. My local install shop can get me a Prinsu installed for around $1350. And then the other one I’m considering is the ROAM or LFD Steel bars to the stock racks.

Thoughts or Suggestion? Thank you!

I’m a firm believer in aluminum racks. I’ve had two steel racks, both of which rusted out and had to have new hoops custom made for the last one. Aluminum is lighter, and does not rust. The Aussies and the South Africans make the best rack for the money. Sadly, they’ve doubled in price over the past 10 years. Ya, FrontRunner and ARB do not look like or have a name that sounds as cool as some of the more popular racks, but I’m all about utility, dependability, and longevity.

 

[coffenut]

I’m a firm believer in aluminum racks. I’ve had two steel racks, both of which rusted out and had to have new hoops custom made for the last one. Aluminum is lighter, and does not rust. The Aussies and the South Africans make the best rack for the money. Sadly, they’ve doubled in price over the past 10 years. Ya, FrontRunner and ARB do not look like or have a name that sounds as cool as some of the more popular racks, but I’m all about utility, dependability, and longevity.

Do you have any aluminum racks that you recommend. I’m starting from scratch and would like something strong but as light as possible.

 

[Road]

First thing - you don't need to haul all those fuel and water containers full all the way there then all the way back over 900 miles each way.

Carry those jugs empty 'til you need to fill them (or some, that's a lot of extra fuel) the night/day before starting the course.

That's close to 200# of unnecessary weight on your vehicle before you ever go off-road. A lot of extra and unnecessary weight no matter where it is mounted, actually, for the highway. In my experience the rear hitch on a single point is not the place to store that kind of fluid weight, especially if flammable. You don't want to get rear-ended with 15gals of gasoline strapped to your ass that low.

And especially not the place to carry it on a trail. I'd shed the whole carrier for the trail, honestly, depending on the trail. Can dramatically change one's departure angle from deep arroyos/ditches/gullies.

Secondly - amounts to carry: I've gone all over hell and back with my van and trailer for years and have spent a ton of time off-pavement and back country, and have yet to dip into more than one 5gal jerry of extra fuel. My van does have a 31 gal tank and over 500 mile range, though. Water I like to carry more, as I favor extended base camping. So though my vehicle may see few miles when way back country compared to long-distance travel, I may be out in an area for multiple weeks, so carry more water.

I usually carry enough jugs to carry an extra 10 gals of diesel and up to an extra 20 gals of water over the amount my van can carry for fuel and my trailer can carry for water in its own tank.

I don't keep all my fuel and water jugs or the trailer tank full while on the highway, though. I fill what I think I'll need just before heading off-pavement or at the last place with reasonably-priced fuel.

.