Review on CURT 18112 Black Aluminum Hitch Cargo Carrier with Ramp: 50 x 30-1/2-Inch, 2-in Folding Shank - Ultimate Versatility for Easy Travel by Marco Huff

While I had really hoped to like this Curt cargo carrier with ramp, I've been less impressed with it than I have some of their other towing related products. I will go over both the pros and cons as specific to my personal experience, and as with practically anything opinion related, YMMV.Pros:- It has a relatively large area that can hold ice chests, a power chair, a walk behind tiller, push mower, or anything similar of size.- It has a ramp that makes loading some things easier. But there is also a con to this, which I'll point out later.- It is easy to assemble.- The anti-rattle hitch pin is effective and secure.- It has plenty of eye-bolts for tie-downs or ratchet straps.Cons:- The slats are somewhat widely spaced, so if you try to roll anything with small wheels up it, they will catch between the slats, making some wheeled items awkward or difficult to load.- The weight rating needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The deck slats will bend and warp with as little as 150 pounds on them if the weight is not evenly distributed across several slats.- The finish is not durable.- Arrived with dents, scratches, scuffs, and missing hardware.More about the weight rating: Just because they advertise it as being able to hold 500 pounds max, doesn't mean you should try to put that much weight on it. This thing sits in your receiver hitch and acts like a lever. If you have a strong hitch like a Super Hitch, it might be able to handle it without issue. Some factory installed hitches or lower rated hitches like Class II or possibly even Class III might experience enough lever torque from a heavy load (combined with bouncing up and down as the vehicle goes down road, amplifying the downward lever force by several times) that will cause your hitch damage in the form of bending or breaking. This isn't speculation, I've seen it happen numerous times and had to replace damaged hitches for people that don't understand the basic principles of physics.As such, I would never attempt to load more than 200 or 250 pounds MAX on this carrier (or any like it). Less if your hitch is of questionable quality or strength. Not all receiver hitches are the same! But go ahead and load it heavy and hit a few hard bumps and see what starts permanently dragging if you're feeling frisky. Just don't exceed the tongue weight of your receiver hitch itself, and factor in the weight of the carrier itself too, when you do your calculations.The fact that this carrier arrived damaged and missing some of the hardware is discouraging. The finish is very soft and easily damaged, but it's also easy enough to touch up or repaint if one is so inclined. I was able to replace the missing clips for the hitch pin and the folding yoke pin with spares I already had. A quick trip to the hardware store and I was able to replace the missing eye-bolts and nylon lock nuts without issue. No, I shouldn't have had to, but stuff like that does happen.The folding-up feature is nice for when you aren't carrying a load, but you need to think about whether this will work for you or not. If you drive a vehicle like an SUV where the license plate is on the tailgate of the vehicle, in the up position it can block your license plate and possibly even your taillights, neither of which is legal, both of which can get you a ticket, and the latter of which is dangerous. So look before you fold to see if it's feasible or not. The same when carrying a load, be careful that your load doesn't block your taillights especially. If it does, either find a different way to transport it, or get a taillight relocation kit for use with your carrier.The generous area of the carrier makes hauling bulky (not necessarily heavy) items a breeze. I was able to fit a standard sized clothes washer on it without any problem. And with an average of 175 pounds of weight, it didn't overburden the carrier or the hitch. My self-propelled walk-behind Troy-Bilt Pony tiller with it's large tires was able to climb the ramp of the carrier without any problems. However, a typical lawnmower with small wheels was problematic as the tires would dip down between each set of slats. It was easier just to physically pick up the lawnmower and place it onto the carrying platform, skipping the ramp altogether.Remember when in tight spots, there are several more feet of overhang behind your vehicle with this carrier, so be careful with turns so that you don't accidentally swing the carrier into anything or anyone.Good luck and happy hauling!