Kind of a long review on a Wilco Hitchgate. Enjoy!
Hitchgate™ Offset | WilcoOffroad.com
Ive owned a wilco hitchgate for two seasons now (discontinued but they still make the hitchgate offset model). My requirements were something to give me access to my spare on the trail, carry trash & still maintain a bike rack. I went with a hitch mounted instead of full bumper because it had to be removable for winter / ski season. I didn't want to deal with the weight and lift gate access during winter especially if the swing-out or pins were to freeze in place.
Overall a great product and I really like the full width lower bar here as opposed to most swingouts that only cover the passenger side. Ive had bad luck with oblivious drivers in Denver so I see this as "urban armor" from rear-end accidents. I hope that it scares drivers behind me from tailgating. Combined with a Yakima Spareride (
SpareRide Yakima) and a trasharoo (mounted backwards) It checked everything on my list. Yes its big, bulky, adds length to the vehicle but functionally it is perfect for my use. See some picks at bottom.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LandCruiser
Wobbly
Sticks out too far
Interferes with liftgate
Interferes with rear camera
Kills departure
Looks stupid
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Wedge Lock stops the wobble & knock.
Gives plenty of clearance for accessories mounted behind tire.
Swings out to allow liftgate access?
Relocate kits are available but if you rely on the backup camera then thats your problem.
Reducing departure is fair. Im no rock crawler but have not had any issues.
Looks again is your problem. Its highly functional and I like the rugged look of it.