Hitch Mount Rod Rack

They did a nice job with this. It ships in a few pieces, but they are well designed and made to align easily. I didn't have any difficulty where I needed to push or pull where holes didn't line up. The latch action takes a little downward pressure to close when it's empty, but none needed once I had a cooler on there.

The rod holders are very nice, but I would like to see a stopper at the bottom of the tube. My 12 and 13 foot rods extend through the bottom, and pick up sand at the bottom. It also worries me to have them exposed down there, but the tube itself may just offer me a false sense of protection.
Manufacturer's note - Thanks for the feedback and suggestion.

I ordered the stowaway carrier with fishing pole holders back in early July. I understand there are some shipping delays, so I waited patiently for the pieces to arrive, as I knew there was some assembly. I received 2 boxes, one with the pole holders and cargo net, and 1 with the hitch swinging assembly. I did not receive the carrier itself. I contacted customer support, and they kind of gave me attitude about it, saying: "You received 2 boxes." When I explained what was in the boxes, they still hesitated, and asked me to take pictures of what I received. Now I'm not trying to sound uppity, but I'm no dummy, and I think I'd notice if a 5' x 3' carrier rack showed up. After sending pictures, they finally relented and shipped me a rack. I had a trip planned for surf fishing the first weekend of August. The shipment was held up and I didn't receive it until this past weekend. Over a month long process. And to top it all off: the hardware kit for the carrier did not come with it, nor was it in the original shipment. I was going to contact the company, but said: "Screw this, I'll get what I need from the hardware store. About 9 dollars in bolts, nuts, washers, and screws did the trick and was better than waiting a week or two for them to ship it to me. That being said: assembly was fairly simple and straight forward. The pole holder attachment was a bit difficult, but I got the hang of it and it was no issue. The swinging feature is awesome. Fully extended, it misses the tailgate of my truck by about 4 inches. The hitch receiver with the supplemental hitch tightener makes installation sturdy. I hear no rattling and it certainly feels sturdy. The construction of the carrier is hefty. I feel like I'll get 10 years easy out of this, with a little maintenance and upkeep. I think I get get another pole holder on there for a total of 8, if the company makes a 2 pole holder. There's some structure in the way so you kind of have to "pick" your placement locations carefully. But again, I doubt I'll ever have need to carry 8 poles so 6 should be more than sufficient. Overall, I'm very pleased with the final product. If there were 3 1/2 starts, I would select that. But I can't give it 4 stars for the issues I experienced and the delay in getting me what I needed to put it together.
StowAway Comment: Unfortunately as a shipper we have experienced delayed, incomplete and mis-directed shipments this year like no other. We also received some number of false alarms, where the product or component was eventually found in the packages. For a missing item we do ask for images of what was received so we can confirm and then send the item. We do apologize that the mounting hardware was not included. We are pleased that the customer likes the product.

Still trying to assemble, there’s no real instructions on mounting the rod holder’s to the carrier

I retired in 2018 and have started back fishing among other things earlier this year; I own property in the outer banks (OBX) NC and certain times of the year, surf fishing there is awesome. Was looking for something to haul my fishing gear with my 4Runner including a 94-quart cooler. Have to say the Stowaway cargo carrier is very well built, and love the hinge that allows you to move the carrier out of the way to get into the back of your vehicle. Would have given it 5 stars except for the following:
• Generally speaking, the rod holders are ok, but could be improved; I have used the carrier on two trips to the OBX since early May 2019. Noticed damage to a new 12-foot surf rod due to the sharp edges at the bottom of the rod holder tube. The 12-foot fishing rod base is long enough that is hangs out of the bottom of the holder and was damaged during travel. Ended up filing down the edges and added a heat molded 1.5” PVC coupler to avoid future damage; am in the process re-finishing/repairing the rod;
• The Rod Holder liners did not hold up well; after two trips 3 showed wear through to the top of the aluminum tube. Contacted Stowaway and they sent replacements; however, ended up adding a 1.5” heat molded PVC Coupler with a cut-out on each side to securely hold the rod in place. Have not used the rig since this improvement was added.
• The outside holes in the rod holders used to mount the brackets to the carrier had metal filings inside the tube where they were drilled out. Took a file and removed excess metal to avoid potential damage to fishing rods. Two rods had minor scuffs to cork handles.
• The 2-inch hitch did not align with the hitch on my 2016 4Runner; have used other receiver hitches without incident (bike rack, 2” ball, etc.). The driver’s side pin hole was off by 1/16 of an inch. Had to file it down in order for the receiver pin to securely fit. Would have contacted Stowaway as I am sure they would have sent a replacement, but was heading out of town in 2 days and needed the rig ready for the fishing trip.

<p>have had this over 6 years and absolutely love it. it's heavy but well built. every time i'm on the beach there will be 2-3 guys come up and ask about it.</p>