Why a Ramp Makes a Hitch Cargo Carrier More Useful
A hitch-mounted platform carrier gives you extra cargo space outside your vehicle. Add a ramp, and that platform becomes useful for an even wider range of jobs.
Most people think of ramps as something designed for mobility equipment, motorcycles, or e-trikes. But a ramp can be just as useful when you're using a platform as a general-purpose cargo carrier.
Instead of asking, "Can I lift this onto the rack?" you can often simply roll it up the ramp.
Not Everything You Carry Is Easy to Lift
A cargo item doesn't have to be extremely heavy to be difficult to load.
Some things are bulky. Others are awkward to grip. And even a manageable item can become difficult when you have to lift it from ground level and reach forward to place it onto a carrier.
A ramp changes the loading process.
If an item has wheels—or can safely be placed on an appropriate cart or dolly—you may be able to roll it onto the platform instead of lifting its entire weight.
That can make loading and unloading considerably easier.
What Can You Load With a Ramp?
Think beyond bicycles and e-trikes.
Depending on the size and weight of the equipment, a ramp-equipped platform carrier can be useful for moving things such as:
- Wheeled coolers
- Portable generators
- Pressure washers
- Lawn and garden equipment
- Camping equipment
- Storage totes transported on a cart or dolly
- Other heavy or wheeled cargo
Of course, anything placed on the carrier still needs to fit properly, be securely tied down, and remain within the applicable weight limits of the carrier, hitch, and vehicle.
But having a ramp gives you more options for how you get the cargo onto the platform in the first place.
A Large Platform Makes the Ramp Even More Useful
A ramp is especially helpful when it's paired with a large platform.
A small cargo carrier may provide additional storage space, but you're still limited by the size of its deck.
A larger platform gives you more room to arrange different types of cargo and position the load appropriately.
That makes the combination of a large platform and loading ramp useful for everything from a weekend camping trip to projects around the house.
Today you might use it for a cooler and camping gear. Next weekend it could carry gardening supplies or equipment.
That's the advantage of a multi-use platform.
Detachable Ramps vs. Folding Ramps
Ramp design can also affect how you use the carrier.
A full-width folding ramp is always attached to the platform. That's convenient because the ramp is there whenever you need it, but the ramp also becomes part of the carrier during transport.
Detachable ramps work differently.
They can be installed when needed for loading and unloading and then removed for travel. This leaves the platform more open and eliminates the need for a large ramp to remain folded upright behind the cargo.
Neither design is right for every situation. The better choice depends on what you're carrying and how you plan to use the platform.
Ramps Can Help With More Than Wheeled Equipment
A ramp doesn't necessarily mean the cargo itself needs wheels.
For some loads, a hand truck, dolly, or other appropriate wheeled equipment can help move an item from the ground onto the platform.
That can be particularly useful for bulky items that are difficult to lift even when their actual weight isn't especially high.
The important thing is to use an appropriate loading method and maintain control of the item while moving it up or down the ramp.
A ramp should make loading easier—not encourage someone to handle a load that is beyond their ability to control safely.
Loading Is Only Half the Job
Getting cargo onto the platform is important, but securing it properly is just as important.
Once loaded, cargo should be positioned so the weight is distributed appropriately and the load cannot shift while traveling.
Use suitable tie-down points and straps for the cargo you're transporting, and verify that nothing can roll or move during acceleration, braking, or turns.
Heavy items should never be able to move freely across the platform.
More Than an E-Trike Ramp
At Hitch-Rack Pro, ramps are an important part of transporting e-trikes—but that's only one way to use them.
When you look at the carrier as a multi-use cargo platform, the ramp becomes a feature that can make the rack useful for many different activities.
Camping. Yard work. Home projects. Travel. Outdoor equipment. Everyday hauling.
Instead of owning a carrier designed to perform one specific job, a large platform with a ramp gives you the flexibility to use the same rack in different ways throughout the year.
And that's ultimately what makes a ramp-equipped platform so useful:
It doesn't just give you more cargo space. It can make that cargo space easier to use.
