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| Wilco's Hitchgate Solo mounted on our 4Runner. |
However, the problem of where to carry a large, 70-lb. (32 kg.) or heavier second spare wheel is difficult to resolve.
To get the the added security of a second spare tire, we opted a few years ago for Texas-based Wilco Offroad's Hitchgate Solo, a spare-tire carrier that mounts on the tow hitch. Initial fitment difficulties, and subsequent difficulties getting Wilco to fulfill our order for small replacement parts (worn Delrin washers for the swing arm) left us no option but to give a luke-warm early recommendation, with warnings.
Now, after thousands of backcountry miles, we've resolved these issues, but only after some effort by us.
Now, after thousands of backcountry miles, we've resolved these issues, but only after some effort by us.
The Hitchgate Solo remains solidly mounted, wobble free and easy to use regardless of the terrain. The only maintenance has been to snug up the swing arm's pivot bolt, a simple and infrequent task; and replacing the Delrin washers on the swing arm, also an infrequent task. (They do wear out, so order spares.) We've found that it does indeed provide the peace of mind that a second spare tire provides, as well as a place for our trash container and extra-fuel can.
Getting one flat tire leaves you without a spare, unless the flat can be plugged in a roadside repair. Often, however, damage such as sidewall punctures and tears, and large tread punctures, are unrepairable. Mount your one spare tire, and you then have no spare. If you get a second flat, you're in trouble. It happens.
For years, a means to carry a second spare tire and wheel safely, conveniently and affordably was elusive. We tried the roof rack, but you're talking about a 70-lb. or heavier tire and wheel. That eliminated rooftop cargo space. We put the spare in the rear cargo area, but that devoured space where we needed it most.
We did not want to spend thousands of dollars on a permanently mounted, heavy-duty aftermarket rear bumper/wheel carrier. Since we use 4Runners, we needed to be able to carry the second spare on whichever 4Runner we needed to use.
As the 2017 wildland-travel season got under way, we learned of the high-clearance version of Wilco Offroad's Hitchgate Solo. The heavy-duty swing-out spare-tire carrier mounts into a rear two-inch trailer-hitch receiver. An internal wedge tightened inside the receiver keeps the carrier secure and wobble-free.
We purchased a Hitchgate Solo High-Clearance (retail ~$1,140 in 2024), assembled it and mounted it -- with much difficulty due to an important defect -- onto our 2005 4Runner. We purchased a good-enough used tire at a local shop; and a refurbished matching wheel on eBay.
We've tested it extensively for both on-pavement and off-pavement travel, including wildland roads in Arizona, California, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah. We've camped with it, accessed the cargo area repeatedly each day, and never found it awkward or cumbersome. It has never posed a functional problem.
The carrier's swing-out arm allows easy access to the 4Runner's cargo area. A FuelpaX 3.5-gallon spare-fuel can (not prone to leaking, as are Rotopax cans) stays securely attached to the wheel carrier. (We don't carry a Hi-Lift jack, but a mount for one comes with the fuel-can attachment).
It is necessary to relocate the license plate, as the extra spare tire conceals the plate in its stock placement. Wilco's optional license-plate mount, made of thick steel, has been damaged repeatedly by contact with rocks and ledges, but remains intact.
Most who travel off-highway on four wheels will need a rear-mounted spare-tire carrier if their vehicle is equipped with oversize wheels and tires that will not fit in the stock spare-tire position. Our tires are close to stock size, so we retain a spare in the stock position. That was the source of the first installation problem, as the Hitchgate is intended for vehicles that no longer have a spare tire in the stock position.
The long bolt that tightens the wedge inside the hitch receiver protruded into the stock-mounted spare tire. With oversize wheels and tires, there wouldn't be a tire there. In our case, there is. That required nudging the tire forward some before raising it, and substantially shortening the bolt.
The second installation issue occurred when we tightened the wedge that utilizes that same long bolt. Doing so nudges the hitch just enough inside the receiver to force the hitch-pin holes out of alignment. No matter what we tried, we could not tighten the wedge as required, keep the holes aligned and slide in the hitch pin. Provided instructions make no mention of the problem, which Wilco is aware of.
The makeshift solution suggested by Wilco's staff: replacing the hardened-steel hitch pin with a long, threaded bolt of a smaller diameter than the pin, one that would fit through the misaligned pin holes. Secured with lock nuts and thread locker, the setup has remained tight and secure since installation. But doing so loses the trailer-towing security of a dedicated hitch pin. (The Hitchgate has a built-in towing receiver, which we've used for light towing.)
But for these issues, the Hitchgate Solo continues to impress us with its build quality, powder coating, ease of use and reliability. Our business documenting western wildland roads keeps us traveling the backcountry of the American West more than most people. So the security of a second spare tire and convenience of the Hitchgate Solo make its early flaws easy to forget.
For years, a means to carry a second spare tire and wheel safely, conveniently and affordably was elusive. We tried the roof rack, but you're talking about a 70-lb. or heavier tire and wheel. That eliminated rooftop cargo space. We put the spare in the rear cargo area, but that devoured space where we needed it most.
We did not want to spend thousands of dollars on a permanently mounted, heavy-duty aftermarket rear bumper/wheel carrier. Since we use 4Runners, we needed to be able to carry the second spare on whichever 4Runner we needed to use.
As the 2017 wildland-travel season got under way, we learned of the high-clearance version of Wilco Offroad's Hitchgate Solo. The heavy-duty swing-out spare-tire carrier mounts into a rear two-inch trailer-hitch receiver. An internal wedge tightened inside the receiver keeps the carrier secure and wobble-free.
We've tested it extensively for both on-pavement and off-pavement travel, including wildland roads in Arizona, California, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah. We've camped with it, accessed the cargo area repeatedly each day, and never found it awkward or cumbersome. It has never posed a functional problem.
The carrier's swing-out arm allows easy access to the 4Runner's cargo area. A FuelpaX 3.5-gallon spare-fuel can (not prone to leaking, as are Rotopax cans) stays securely attached to the wheel carrier. (We don't carry a Hi-Lift jack, but a mount for one comes with the fuel-can attachment).
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| Extra fuel, spare tire, Trasharoo |
Most who travel off-highway on four wheels will need a rear-mounted spare-tire carrier if their vehicle is equipped with oversize wheels and tires that will not fit in the stock spare-tire position. Our tires are close to stock size, so we retain a spare in the stock position. That was the source of the first installation problem, as the Hitchgate is intended for vehicles that no longer have a spare tire in the stock position.
The long bolt that tightens the wedge inside the hitch receiver protruded into the stock-mounted spare tire. With oversize wheels and tires, there wouldn't be a tire there. In our case, there is. That required nudging the tire forward some before raising it, and substantially shortening the bolt.
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| Long wedge-tightening bolt had to be shortened. |
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| The swing arm keeps cargo access easy. |
But for these issues, the Hitchgate Solo continues to impress us with its build quality, powder coating, ease of use and reliability. Our business documenting western wildland roads keeps us traveling the backcountry of the American West more than most people. So the security of a second spare tire and convenience of the Hitchgate Solo make its early flaws easy to forget.
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