Don and I were sent the Curt Active Link Cargo Carrier for our review and it arrived to our destination before we did and was waiting for us to get to our destination where we had it delivered. The cargo carrier packaging was sturdy and intact and only had one small dent on the internal cardboard packaging and there was no impact scratching or dents in the frame of the carrier itself. We unpacked and laid out the product parts and found that all the necessary parts were present for a complete installation and we were happy to see that it even included the Active Link Shank. We were a little concerned it would not be included as the LCI Curt website product store lists the shank as a standalone product to purchase. Reviewing the owner’s installation booklet revealed a couple of errors. On the list of tools needed to complete the installation it did not list a required ¾” wrench and the bolt for it was not identified. Also on the list of parts, the booklet did not identify the “Anti-rattle bolt”, so it was a little confusing but we managed to figure it out by process of elimination. Upon assembling the support brackets to the basket, we were surprised to find the shouldered I-bolts did not match the square carriage type penetrations through the metal framing. We still were able to tighten these bolts down sufficiently in spite of them not being carriage bolts. Installing the shank to the receiver was straightforward and easy to do. We do suggest that the locking pin have a grove around the end to decrease the risk of the lock mechanism from pulling or snagging off the end of the pin by brush or road debris depending on road or trail conditions. Another option would be to provide a keyed locking pin. Installing the basket was very simple and easy; we were surprised as to the lightness of the basket and yet have a rating for up to 500 pounds carrying capacity. Once installed, the basket, while empty, was easy to move or shake from side to side, but once loaded, the basket was stable and secure. Due to the ease of removal of the cargo basket, we’re concerned of the risk of theft as the basket does not come with any means to lock the carrier basket to the hitch and no way to lock the shank to the receiver. Don did use a coated locking cable to tie and lock the cargo basket to the safety chain openings on the receiver itself. We were surprised to read this in the safety warnings “Do not carry loads taller, wider or deeper than the cargo carrier”, which means that you are not able to carry anything taller than 3-3/4” (the inside top to bottom) and is very restrictive on what you can carry if one follows the warnings. In spite of this warning, we did carry a box that fit the inside dimensions of length and width, but was taller than the side rails. We did use bungee cords and a ratchet strap to secure our load. While driving the Jeep with the loaded basket, we did not notice any unusual movement, noises or added weight on the rear. To remove the basket was fast, easy and accomplished by simply removing the box from the basket, removing our locking cable, pulling the pin and lifting it off the active link hitch. We would like to thank Lippert as we were sent this Curt Activelink Cargo Carrier at no cost to us for an honest and unbiased review of the new product. We do plan to keep this carrier and continue to use it due to it being so lightweight and easy to put on and take off the rear of our Jeep.

Posted by Lucy Seijas at 2023-05-27 00:07:04 UTC