Hitch Mount Cargo Tray Bag

This has been amazing and a life saver! It took me forever to figure out how to modify it the way I needed so while I don't do many reviews, I'm going deep on this one. I don't get paid for reviews and have no affiliations with any product links below. Just sharing what I did because other reviews gave me some good ideas to run with.I looked at lot of bags and I'm sure there are others that are just as good, but this one seems to be as advertised. I would highly recommend it and I would also recommend a few at home upgrades to make your traveling easier. I've taken it on two trips over 1,000 miles total on highways, bumpy roads, through winding mountains, and have had ZERO issues. I also didn't even notice it was there while driving...except for me constantly checking on it just in case. It only rained one day when it was parked and empty, but zero water came in. From what I can tell I don't see this not being able to withstand a severe storm as long as the rain isn't coming at you backwards from the ground and getting in the seam. The material is thick like a swimming pool liner and sewn together well. On the second trip (not pictured) we had the entire bag full, and every side was pushing out a little bit. The bag held up great and handled an insane amount of camping gear and suitcases. From what I can remember we had 1 extra-large suitcase, 3 check size suitcases, 3 backpacks, 5 camping chairs, 5 sleeping bags, random equipment, folding tables, and a lot of outdoor family games.Because we have captains chairs and use a third row in the vehicle there is almost zero trunk space so for 2 adults and 3 kids. I need this to last. Below are some ideas you might find helpful for long term use and travel.- I put in a PVC frame after looking at other reviews. Great idea!! Can't tell you how much easier it was to load, unload, and tie down. I also think anyone that has water getting in the bag is having that problem because the bag is folding over itself. It took a minute to build, and I did make it a tight fit. The vinyl has stretched ever so slightly after we jam packed it for two long hauls and now it's a little easier to zip up.- A friend just bought and used a roof bag for his family (different brand) on the trip we went on. I am so happy that I chose the hitch route. Even if I had to buy a hitch trailer for the bag vs. going with a rooftop bag I would. Their roof was caving in and packing and unpacking was horrible. A mother-in-law that was helping them fell and hurt herself, so if you go the roof route, pack a small ladder.- I did order the pad for a rooftop carrier and put it at the bottom of the bag under the PVC pipe frame. I was worried about something puncturing the bottom if the wrong gear was thrown in there haphazardly.- I also ordered and cut a rubber floor mat like you see in restaurant kitchens to go on top of the metal rack on the cargo hitch so the vinyl bag didn't rub against it and somehow tear. I highly suggest putting something between whatever bag you buy and the rack. Otherwise, every bump will slowly rub against your bag and eventually wear a hole in it.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073QMGDB8?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details- The straps work very well. It may take a second to figure out, but once you do they actually stay without issue. Not one came loose on either of the long hauls. HOWEVER, on the first trip I forgot to address the slack in the straps after cinching them so I quickly grabbed some binder clips and they held for a roundtrip 500-mile drive over 80 mph. I wasn't really happy with the look so I got some Velcro I could cut and use to cinch them on the next trip. They worked great. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7XX9MBV?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details- And because it's always better to be safe than sorry, I purchased a lock I could thread through carrier rack and over the bag a few times. This ensures the bag doesn't go flying off the hitch if the straps ever do fail and is a decent deterrent for anyone looking to get in there while it's parked and you are in a store or restaurant. If someone wants to get in they can just cut it, but I think this definitely deters your standard person that would just take advantage of a random situation. I also know the bag isn't going anywhere when I'm driving and that is a piece of mind that makes the purchase worth it. Again, the straps haven't moved at all, but.... if they did for whatever reason this would be the safety net. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QYCLK28?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details- Didn't even bother with the combo lock because of above. It's your standard airport luggage style lock that you should use if it's all you have. Again, if they want in the bag.. any bag you find like this no matter the fabric, it can be cut into.- My particular, old, hitch carrier does not have any rails to cinch the straps on to. If yours is the same, then I suggest using these straps and putting them through the grate before you put on the rubber mat or the bag. I put the lower straps through them to cinch and voila. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1NV536?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details- And lastly, when you go on a trip that isn't packing the bag full I recommend some bungees that can go from one side to the other and keep anything from bouncing around. I used these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F73XDPM?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details- I am not collapsing this bag after use and instead am using it to store camping gear and other frequent travel items that are kind of a pain to store. For this purpose, I put two pieces of Velcro over the top section of the PVC so they can catch the outside of the bag and help it keep its shape even when it's not zipped up.All in all, I got the bag on a lightening deal and thought heck.. that was cheap. Then, I did all of the above and killed the "cheap" deal. However, I feel like I can get a lot of use out of this bag and if it ever does die on me the rest of the items are all transferrable to the new one.For the quality, the size, and the price, this is a good purchase you won't regret it. I've had several compliments wherever we go.

I had a small car and had to drive from Southern California to East Texas (one of many Californians getting out). I had extra stuff to take and filled this thing with as much stuff as it would take - it stretched a bit but it held more than I expected. I cinched it down tight and did 75-85 MPH most of the way (except an area in New Mexico at 2:00 AM where a trooper let me know it was a 70 MPH zone... he was kind enough to let me off with a warning). I went the whole way in one trip and the container held up great - it's made of a thick material. I hit rain for about an hour and all my stuff was dry - no leaks, and the zippers held for the whole trip.

I have used this for two 1000+ mile roadtrips which included multiple heavy downpours (think Florida rainstorms). This really works! First, it is waterproof as long as you make sure you velcro every part of the container. It holds a lot of cargo (unsure of the amount of suitcases but at least 3 medium size plus other containers). The straps are well made and there are plenty to ensure that your cargo is secure. Highly recommend tying loose ends to prevent the sound. Once we did that, we barely knew the container was above the car due to n o noise. As a woman, I was able to assemble this and load it by myself on a medium sized SUV.

Update: I think this is worth the price unless you are going through some extreme conditions. I don’t see this lasting 10,000 miles as a roof carrier, but for the price, lasting 2,000-3,000 is not bad. Some thoughts:1. This will last much longer if you use it as a carrier that sits on the rear of the vehicle, if you can use a metal carrier that inserts into a receiver.2. If you have to load the carrier each morning, as I did, due to concerns about theft, either do it yourself or have someone helping who understands the process. A well-meaning helper can cause you extra work.3. I found it best to have the plastic cinch on the same side of the door loop as the clip.We purchased this for our twins to use for college, but we also needed something for a family vacation in a vehicle without runners for a hard top. The weather has been windy but clear and sunny, so this first review will not be able to evaluate waterproof qualities. Also, we have not had any debris fly off at us, so the carrier has not had to take a sustained hit I am aware of.Instructions: The instructions are horrible. And I have seen some horrible instructions. A high school technical writing class full of students who spoke English as their second language could have created something better. You are better off just giving yourself time to play around with the carrier to determine what works best for you.Installation of Door Straps: The door straps were easy to put on, although I can see where some people might have trouble due to grip strength or the design of their vehicle. I cannot fault the carrier for this, though. I do not think the door straps will cause leaking into this vehicle (a midsize suv, 2018 model). I have not traveled with them attached without the carrier, so I do not know if they cause an issue in that situation.Carrier Construction: First, stop using “military grade” to advertise. Most of the design seems sturdy and likely to last with care and proper use. One of the velcro wraps was unattached on arrival, but that is not a huge issue (see velcro straps). If the carrier is faced properly and aligned with the door straps properly, I think this will last several years (barring unlucky hits from debris). The design is probably as good as you’ll get for the price. I do expect to have to reinforce the stitching on the straps at some point, depending on how the carrier itself holds up.Straps: The plastic clips are not my idea of military grade anything. They are large clips and they seem to bear weight well. Again, you get what you pay for. If you are wanting to lock down a bulky load that has significant weight that will shift, you could see issues. Again, you get what you pay for, so not the company’s fault.Suggestions:Another reviewer made several recommendations that I agree with and to which I will add.1. Velcro: My wife has an unseemly amount of velcro wraps that allow one end to loop through a slit in the wrap. I wrapped these INSIDE the orange velcro wraps provided. When doing this, I made sure the extra strap material was folded over into a rectangular shape that poked out of the straps about 1” on each side, and the end of the wrap was securely inside this velcro strap. Then I wrapped it all with the orange velcro. I did all of this to ensure the extra strap material did not start playing the bongos on our vehicle in the middle of Virginia.2. Mat: I second the recommendation to get a heavy duty mat (with holes) for this. The provided material is flimsy and bunches up easily. Note that the mat linked by the other user (a) will cause any area, even ventilated, to smell of industrial rubber for DAYS, (b) must be laid out flat outside of sunlight for two weeks, and (c) has an amusing warning about sunlight. We did not use it for this trip due to the two week curing process. If you do not have an outdoor/ventilated area for the curing process, find a different mat!3. Carrier Placement: Place the carrier on the vehicle, spread out, pack it, ensure you like the placement, pull out the straps to the windows, and THEN place your door frame latches. Otherwise, you may end up with a strap that is not aligned to a latch, which can cause the strap to run against parts of the carrier. I suspect some of the wear and tear I have read about in other reviews is due to this type of placement. When you put pressure on material AND drive 70+ MPH, rips will happen. The straps are designed to run straight out from where they attach to the carrier. The carrier has elements not intended to bear load during the trip.4. Aligning Straps: Packing your carrier first will help you ensure the straps are aligned. Since this carrier can be contorted, the strap alignment will move based on what is inside.5. Contortion Straps: The straps at the front and back of the carrier connect to the NEAREST clips. The instructions make it seem as though you should connect them to the clips at the opposite side (i.e., front strap to back clip), but doing this creates a balled up mess begging for wind to put extra stress on your door straps. If you connect the front straps to the front clips and the back straps to the back clips, you are able to cinch down the front and back of the carrier, giving it more stability, limiting weight shift, improving aerodynamics, and lessening the load on the door straps.

Used it for a family trip to the beach. Worked amazingly well!I did do the internal pvc frame. Don't think it would suit my needs without the frame.Went through a significant storm with no leaks.Only glued up part of the frame so I could take it down easily and stored the bag,frame, straps and all in a large duffle bag when we arrived.