Review on 🚚 CURT 18145 48 x 20-Inch Basket Hitch Cargo Carrier: Ultimate 500 lbs Capacity Black Steel Solution (+1-1/4" & 2-In Adapter Shank) by Tim Paolucci

*Update to check below -- I called Kurt, spoke to Mike, the product specialist -- here's the thing -- If you follow the included assembly instructions, you're going to go wrong. To build this thing from the ground up. First you need to attach a 1 1/4" shank to the bottom two shelves. **** Incredibly important, there is an almost indistinguishable edge on the edge of one side of this shelf - Most of that edge has to be DOWN or else moves everything else a fraction of an inch. This small discrepancy is enough to move all the holes, which is why 10% of customers report misaligned holes. Make sure the top of the bottom flange is flush with the top of the 1 1/ 4" shaft. at both ends (front/rear) and make sure the legs with two holes are turned to the side facing the drawbar (look at the picture on the box to get an idea), and that the two holes are on the SIDE of the stem and (not the top). Once you have the bottom shelf properly attached to the shaft, two tees on each end, you need to loosely attach the 6 v-brackets to the bottom shelf. Once that's done, simply "fit" one of the top two bars over the V-pieces by sliding it into the female-threaded hole on the T-piece. Make sure all the holes line up and attach this top rail to both the tee and the bottom shelf. Do the same with the other side. You can then attach these two upper rails (again loosely) to the V-brackets. Use the smallest set of bolts/washers/nuts. From here everything is fully (loosely) assembled and you simply walk around the entire holder making sure all the nuts and bolts are tight. - Write these instructions. The instructions tell you to assemble in the WRONG ORDER and doesn't give you the important initial advice to make sure the bottom shelf has a tiny edge DOWN instead of up. Follow the order and details above and your build will work. , ask Mike to rewrite your instructions for God's sake! Dear potential Curt, let me save you from a nightmare. First, take a moment to read the list of 1 and 2 star reviews stating this product is faulty, warped steel, and misaligned holes. Secondly, please note that since 2018 this complaint has been raised again and again by frustrated customers (I'm writing this review in June 2021). Curt just isn't taking the time to fix this issue at the behest of affected customers who have spent over 3 hours building a non-assemblable product (FYI while you may be able to assemble some small parts in place, this is the LAST part, large diameter steel shank that absolutely FIT,NOT FIT) -- I say "damaged" here because if you're trying to align misaligned holes in thick, deformed steel (according to horribly written, inadequate, imprecise instructions) will expose you to serious risk of injury - when I tried to line up the holes on the last piece the steel bar rebounded and hit my shin and now I have a giant blue pump on my shin. I wasted 3 hours of my life to deal with this nightmare. Trying to piece together a puzzle that "almost" fits is definitely maddening. Do not believe me? Buy this item and let's talk. I'm pretty sure the sadistic villain from the Saw movies is behind this dark charade. If you read this review, please don't repeat my mistake and ignore all the screaming "NIGHTMARE" given the high percentage of positive reviews. Instead, just find a product that doesn't have customers screaming NO and doesn't ruin half a day of your life by forcing you to disassemble, repackage, return, and see a doctor. Good. you have been warned Have fun with the purchase of the luggage carrier.