[dvrice]

I am looking to add a set up for carrying luggage on a cargo tray behind my 2017 MDX. Looks like I need a hitch, the tray, and cargo bag. Anyone have setups they really like? I have searched on eBay and Amazon and this is the best set up I can find so far. Seems like the Curt hitch is the best recommended (other than OEM). I didn't want this tray to be huge, so I picked a nice bag first then picked the tray big enough to fit the bag. Would love to hear feedback for others.

Hitch:
https://www.amazon.com/CURT-13146-C...-2-0&sr=1-1&ymm=2017:acura:mdx&keywords=Hitch

Tray:
https://www.amazon.com/Goplus-500LB...orr&ymm=2017:acura:mdx&keywords=cargo+carrier

Bag:
https://www.amazon.com/ROLA-59102-W...1486346402&sr=1-13&keywords=cargo+carrier#Ask

 

[theXman]

I don't have the tray or the bag. I do have the hitch. If you ordered from jet.com, you get 15% off for the 1st 3 orders. Thats where I got my hitch recently for my '17.

 

[NVAKeith]

I went with the Acura hitch to keep the rack higher off the ground. I've had a few instances with other cars where the rack would drag on driveway entrances.

I picked up an aluminum rack from harbor freight so it would be light enough for my wife to handle if necessary. (Although I'm not sure it's actually any lighter than the steel ones)

I haven't tried a bag. Depending on the destination, I use Rubbermaid totes or a plastic Plano trunk. The totes are good for sandy beach items. The trunk usually holds food for camping trips.

 

[dvrice]

Thanks for the feedback. From your input I did switch to an aluminum model cargo carrier. It was only $10 more and as you said it should be lighter and also shouldn't rust. Thanks for the recommendation on jet.com also as that will be 15% less than the cheapest price I have found.

 

[blingman]

I went with the Acura hitch to keep the rack higher off the ground. I've had a few instances with other cars where the rack would drag on driveway entrances.

I picked up an aluminum rack from harbor freight so it would be light enough for my wife to handle if necessary. (Although I'm not sure it's actually any lighter than the steel ones)

I haven't tried a bag. Depending on the destination, I use Rubbermaid totes or a plastic Plano trunk. The totes are good for sandy beach items. The trunk usually holds food for camping trips.

I'm considering one, but have a few questions.

Does the tote on the rack cover the license plate? If so, do you move the plates to the rack?

Also, when you park at night, do you put the rack in the car or bring it into the hotel room usually?

 

[mrgold35]

I was looking a tray+bag; but, ended up going with the Stowaway2 MAX swing out cargo carrier. Concerns I had with my 11 MDX was:

- cargo carrier blocked license plate, move plate to cargo carrier when traveling
- blocked back up camera, I have a front/rear Blackvue dashcam I can use if needed as a back-up cam
- slightly blocked rear vehicle lights, Stowaway2 cargo carrier has 4-way plug with extra lights
- blocked back up lights, added additional back up lights to my hard cargo carrier
- blocks back up sensors, turn sound down when carrier is on
- cargo bag might block the opening of rear hatch, reason for swing out cargo carrier
- keeping the tongue weight under 500lbs and rear hatch weight down or your headlights will be pointing up blinding folks on the road
- installed metal exhaust deflectors on carrier or MDX exhaust might/could damage/melt cargo carrier
- security, I can lock my cargo box and wrap a security cable around the box at hotels
- weather proof, cargo box is weather resistant; but, I added a XL cargo bag as a liner to keep everything 100% dry

I think the big one is double-checking to make sure the +17 MDX dual exhaust doesn't hit the bag and damage your belongings. Might have to go with a smaller tray+bag for exhaust flow.

 

[dvrice]

That Stowaway thing looks nice but totally different price range and need a place to store it when not using. I purchased an aluminum carrier for under $60 and it stores almost flat so easy to store it against a wall in the garage. I only plan to use mine 2-3 times per year for vacations and such.

 

[NVAKeith]

I'm considering one, but have a few questions.

Does the tote on the rack cover the license plate? If so, do you move the plates to the rack?

Also, when you park at night, do you put the rack in the car or bring it into the hotel room usually?

I use a locking hitch pin to secure the rack to the car.

If I'm parking the car overnight with the rack on it, I'll weave a bike lock through anything reasonable valuable to secure it to the rack. There are usually beach chairs or a little kids bike in the mix that covers the bins. Knock on wood, haven't had any problems. I remove the rack when we get to our destination (usually a rental house) and stash it somewhere out of sight.

I rarely stack stuff high enough to obscure the license plate. The rack sits far enough away from the car (I can fit my skinny legs between the rack and the bumper) so the tailgate usually clears whatever I have on the rack.

 

[blingman]

I use a locking hitch pin to secure the rack to the car.

If I'm parking the car overnight with the rack on it, I'll weave a bike lock through anything reasonable valuable to secure it to the rack. There are usually beach chairs or a little kids bike in the mix that covers the bins. Knock on wood, haven't had any problems. I remove the rack when we get to our destination (usually a rental house) and stash it somewhere out of sight.

I rarely stack stuff high enough to obscure the license plate. The rack sits far enough away from the car (I can fit my skinny legs between the rack and the bumper) so the tailgate usually clears whatever I have on the rack.

Good to know, Thanks!

I was kind of curious how much people are packing on trips that they need the full space inside and a rack on top unless you're using the 3rd row also. You mentioned a kids bike so that make sense. I never really put that much thought, I got 2 little ones myself so I think I'll bring their little power car on trips.

 

[dvrice]

I got my installed this past weekend. Very easy set up. I held the Curt hitch up in place and had my wife help for just a second to get one bolt started on each side. I started the rest of the bolt, made sure it was centered, and tightened everything up. Probably a total of 15 minutes. Easy install.

 

[theXman]

The CURT hitch is quite heavy, it was a bit much for my wife to handle. So I used these 2 big buckets (upside down) with perfect height (i.e., high enough to hold the hitch in place and low enough to go under the car). I pushed the hitch and secured one bolt on each side first, then removed the buckets and finished the rest. It took about 10-15 minutes.