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Spare Tire Clearance Guidev. 081407
StowAway2 Cargo Carriers is firmly committed to developing a cargo carrier to fit every vehicle, including those with rear-mounted spare tires or ladders.
If your vehicle has a rear-mounted spare tire or ladder, determining which StowAway2 Cargo Carrier(s) will work on your vehicle is a simple two-step process.
To check if your particular vehicle has any fit issues, please see our Online Fit Guide.
Step 1: Determining Your "X Distance"
To start, please measure the horizontal distance from the center of your vehicle’s hitch pin hole to the back edge of your vehicle’s spare tire or ladder. This is your "X Distance" as shown in the diagram below.
Step 2: Using Your "X Distance" to choose your StowAway2 Cargo Carrier
Once you’ve taken this measurement, you can confirm compatibility with your vehicle in one of two ways.
A. If you already know which Cargo Carrier you are interested in:
Skip down to Table 1 to see if this model will clear your spare tire or ladder.
B. If you don’t know which Cargo Carrier you are interested in:
Skip down to Table 2 to see recommended cargo carrier models for your clearance distance.
Table 1
Want to know how we calculated the clearance distances for each model? Click here to find out!
| Model | Will Clear "X Distance" up to: |
| Basic Carrier (Part#021.1) | 2 inches |
| Sport Carrier (Part #022.0) | 2 inches |
| Sport Plus Carrier (Part #022.0) | 2 inches |
| Max Sport Plus Carrier (Part #024.0) | 2 inches |
| Towing Carrier (Part #022.2) | 2 inches |
| Spare Tire Carrier (Part #022.1) | 11 inches |
| LT Carrier (Part #032.0) | 2 inches |
| Max Swingaway Carrier (Part #024.3) | 14 inches * |
| Swingaway Carrier (Part#022.3) | 14 inches * |
| LT Swingaway Carrier (Part#032.1) | 8 inches |
| Swingaway Cargo Rack (Part #025.3) | 14 inches * |
| Swingaway Bike Rack (Part #025.7) | 14 inches * |
| Swingaway Rod Rack (Part #025.4) | 14 inches * |
* Please note: Our Swingaway frames are available in multiple lengths to accommodate an "X Distance" up to 14 inches; normal clearance is 9.5 inches. If your "X Distance" is greater than 9.5 inches, please be sure to include your vehicle’s Year/Make/Model when ordering to ensure a proper fit.
Table 2
| "X Distance" | Recommended Models | Explanation |
| 0 - 2 Inches | All carriers, except the Spare Tire Model. Browse our catalog! | At this distance, all of our Fixed Frame carriers will properly clear. All of our Swingaway carriers will properly clear. We don’t recommend the Spare Tire model because the carrier will extend quite far off the back of your vehicle unnecessarily. |
| 2 - 11.5 Inches | Spare Tire Model or Swingaway Models. | At this distance, you will not be able to fully open your carrier’s lid on our fixed frame carriers (with the exception of the Spare Tire Model). For this reason, we recommend either our Spare Tire model or one of our Swingaway models. |
| 11.5 -14 Inches | Swingaway Carriers Only. | At this distance, you will not be able to entirely open the lid of your carrier with any of our fixed frame carriers (including the Spare Tire Model). Our Swingaway frames are available in multiple lengths to accommodate an "X Distance" up to 14 inches. If your X distance is longer than 9.5 inches, please include your vehicle’s Year/Make/Model when ordering to ensure a proper fit. |
| 14 -16.75 Inches | Swingaway Carrier Plus Hitch Extender. | At this distance, you will need to purchase a hitch extender to ensure proper clearance. Please note your vehicle’s year/make/model during checkout or call StowAway2 Customer Service at 800.943.5377 to ensure a proper fit. Click here to read our Guide to Hitch Extenders. |
| 16.75 Inches + | Not Recommended. | This is an extremely long distance to clear and will put undue stress upon your StowAway2’s frame. We do not recommend using one of our StowAway2 Cargo Carriers if your spare tire extends this far. |
How To Calculate Clearance For Each Model
| With our Swingaway Carriers, we determine spare tire clearance by measuring from the hitch pin hole drilled on the frame to the back edge of the box. We do not allow extra distance for the cargo carrier’s lid to open because the carrier can be swung out prior to opening the box. |
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| For our Fixed Frame Carriers, we determine clearance is a similar manner, with one key difference: we allow 6 inches to ensure that the cargo carrier’s lid can be completely opened because the cargo carrier’s frame cannot be swung out. |
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