ROLA 59502 Heavy-Duty Steel Cargo Carrier with Vortex Technology

thomas: I found this to be strong and durable. The design is well thought through balancing the need for strength with a light weight product.

United States on Aug 01, 2023

JT: Used this carrier on the hitch of my 5th wheel trailer. I connected this to my trailer and used it to carry a Westinghouse 4650 inverter duel fuel portable generator. I drove from Las Vegas to Reno Nevada, through rain storms and snow, with no problems. Did have a cover for the generator. The generator weighs in at around 100lbs. I received the hitch on time and had no problems putting it together. Even with the generator on the carrier I still had room to put other stuff on the carrier. My trailer is 102" wide and the carrier did not cover the lights or the license plate. License plate holder is bottom left under my tail light. I would recommend this carrier it is heavy duty and very sturdy.

United States on Mar 22, 2023

Andy: I purchased this with the light kit (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008L17JRC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1). This cargo tray is used 2-3 times per year, and is hung in my garage when not in use. It's heavy (weighing over 70 lbs), so I usually enlist another people to help carry it over and set in the receiver; however, it is certainly possible to do by yourself. I have seen other cargo trays made of aluminum, and they simply don't feel as durable.

After 5+ years, I would purchase this cargo tray and light kit again. I also purchased the Rola waterproof bag (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E7WLJW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1), again, worth every penny! It was great for trips where you have random odds and ends, such as beach equipment, boogie boards, etc, and you want to place all of those items in a spot that you don't care gets sandy! Excellent products.

United States on Feb 20, 2023

Carley: Very well made. We have taken this on 2- 8 hour road trips and it's never raddled or given us any issues. The arm is far enough we can still open the back of our SUV. Excellent purchase if you require more cargo space!

Canada on Aug 06, 2021

NO: We were able to carry our gears (significant weight) without any problems on a long distance ride (over 1500 km). I strongly recommend it

Canada on Jul 19, 2021

Vaughan: Was not certain of how sturdy this carrier would be; however, this thing is well build. All welds are solid with no signs of slag or rust in the seams. Assembly is easy, even for one person with the carrier on it's side, it took maybe 10 minutes with the right socket and wrench to assemble and tighten everything down.

It is perfect for hanging off the back of our trailer. Does not shift or jiggle (not that I can tell from inside the cab of the truck) and is still steady after a few hours on the roads. I'll likely add a hitch stabilizer just to be certain it doesn't jiggle and to provide additional security.

My only complaint, the hitch pin is a bolt and although I can torque it down, it could be quickly and easily removed. Ideally, an extended bolt that could have a lock attached would at least provide a visual deterrence.

Overall very pleased with the construction and quality of this carrier. I have no reservations recommending this product to others.

Canada on Jun 21, 2021

MAVinWAMAVinWA: After trying 3 other cargo carriers, most around $100-$170 and one of those a fold up carrier, was disappointed in how these failed to carry cargo level. One cracked, one tipped so badly downward that it would hit the pavement on a bump and the 3rd was way too wobbly even with hitch tightener clamped on.
So bit the $$$ bullet and purchased this Rola 59502 Vortex cargo carrier.

first impression, box arrived perfect condition. Delivered by Amazon truck though and not another freight carrier. I think this makes a difference of Amazon truck vs UPS or Fed EX truck. Out of the box, the carrier was nicked, scratched in several places so I need to touch up with black paint ??? for this amount of money and no visible outside damage to box?

2nd impression: very good, sturdy quality cargo carrier. It fit into my 2" receiver hitch and actually remained level to slight up angled with a 100-lb load added to test. Much better quality & materials than the other 3 carriers previously purchased. Rola claims 600-lb weight capacity and I believe it.
However...Carrier weight alone is 74 lbs. But anything over 500-lbs is impossible as this exceeds my class III 2" hitch tongue...

United States on Dec 01, 2020

IanIan: I am very impressed with this carrier. Putting it together was straight forward. Yes you do need to use your own tools to tighten the nuts amd bolts (except the anti lock hitch pin which comes with an appropriate sized wrench). Parts all mated nicely and amount of work to put it together was not significant. Basically fitting five pieces together and a total of 12 bolts.

This carrier is attractive and solid. It is heavy duty and feels bomb proof. Once attached with anti rattle pin their was no rattle and in my 3000km first trip with it, there was no noise or detectable movement of carrier.

For those interested i find it easily accomodates three standard sized rubber made bins across (see photo) plus room for an additional narrow item (i am estimating up to 12 inches for such item)

Also note that with incandescent rola light kit there was space for rubber made bins to be placed without contacting lights (the back of lights protrude somewhat into carrier cargo area).

This carrier is more expensive and it is heavier than some others. What you get is a solid piece of kit that to my eye looks good, is strong, quiet and well made.

Note it does not fold...

Canada on Aug 22, 2020

Fadi: It is heavy, over 34 Kg.
The wrench key included can’t be used to assemble the three pieces together, I had to use my own wrench keys.
It is little bit hard to assemble and the paint might come out while you are tighten the screws.
The build material is good and it seems durable.
Wish if I has reflectors on the sides.

Canada on Jun 29, 2020

Dave DarbyDave Darby: Added an image of the carrier attached to our 2013 Suburban. We bought this in a hurry as we were embarking on a 1,500 total mile road trip for Thanksgiving to the mountains and we needed more space than our car-top carrier and interior could hold. It worked perfectly - great capacity/weight and peace of mind with it's sturdiness.

We ordered the carrier on Saturday to leave on our trip late Tuesday night. We chose prime to get it here Tuesday, the earliest option - it arrive Monday so we were thrilled to have extra time to sort it out.

We had pretty much the same experience as everyone else - the box arrived beat up, not terribly but the 2-piece box lid was loose. The shipper actually hung around for me to check out that the parts/product were all intact. They were so we were ready to pack and roll.

Our rear cargo door opens upward and cleared the carrier perfectly so we were able to load the truck rear with the carrier installed. We used product similar to  Roll of Non-Slip Sheeting / Mat, 37 cm x 90 cm. Perfect For The Home, Rugs, Car Boot  between the carrier and our boxes and between the boxes before strapping everything down so we had the utmost...

United States on Dec 15, 2012