For those with Wilco Hitchgate Solo

I don't have one, but after looking at it I'm not a fan.
I need to access my hatch way too much for me to
want one. It looks pretty cool, but I can just see myself
trying to load/unload my DJ gear, or coming out of the
store with 2 fist fulls of groceries. 0.02



Picture with the back up camera on their web site. Plus
not sure how well it would play with the rear parking
sensors..

mchkc240 said:

Thanks for the input, guys. If anything, i will only use the Wilco set up when I go on trips. I like the fact that it can be easily removed at anytime. Does anyone else have experience with the Wilco set up?

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Let me know if you do get it how you like it. Right now I'm running a nearly full length roof basket and rear rack for longer trips. I got a cheapo rear cargo rack from Harbor Freight for under $40 and have had it on the Jeep 75%+ of the last year we've had the Jeep. It's starting to show a little surface rust but nothing major and I'll probably get another when this one dies. Right now for longer trips we use two of the bigger Action Packers from Rubbermaid that fit perfectly on the rear rack - one for food and one for stuff for the kiddo. Roof we put chairs, folding wagon, etc. Inside are my two tool/recovery/strap totes that stack, a Yeti Knockoff with cold food, luggage, pillows, etc and the back seat is a car seat and a dog crate. If I could move the recovery totes and some other stuff into the wheel well I could probably do without the rear rack, but it would be tight.

I do have a rooftop hardsided carrier (Thule knockoff I think) but it's made for an Audi and super long. Most importantly I hate the way it looks so we rarely use it. I've gotten pretty creative and can cram enough stuff in the winter to hunker down in the mountains for a week with two adults, one kid, and 1/2 dogs.

I will tell you that anything in my hitch rattles like heck, so if it doesn't some with a stabalizer I'd get one. We have the type that's a U-Bolt with a Metal Plate and it does a great job stopping the movement and noise.

deez said:

Seems like a fair bit of cost and trouble for what it gives you in return...

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The gain of space under the hatch really isn't that much.

I'd rather have the spare there, then the sideways mount
on an XJ, or the lower by cable on the commander. 0.02

mchkc240 said:

Hey JCC, I have been really thinking about getting the Hitchgate Solo lately. For those with the set up, what are some of the pros and cons you have experienced? I read through another thread regarding the hitch mount tire carriers already, but would like additional information too if possible.

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I got one recently and have used it around town and on a 5 day trail trip. My opinion:

PRO:
- Well made. I just don't see this breaking, ever.
- Once it's mounted it's very solid. It will not not come lose even on the most evil or trails. The mounting system is somewhat tricky to get it mounted "just right", and I regard my installation as "permanent". taking it off and on for each trip would be a major pain in the rear area. I didn't intend to do that anyway, so it's just an observation.
- It - obviously! - allows you to fill the cargo space with stuff without having to consider how to get to the spare tire if getting a flat mid-trail...
- It frees us the spare wheel well for other useful stuff. I'm using mine for a deep cycle battery for my fridge, a compressor for re-airing the tires, some tools and stuff and - soon - a fresh water tank. All heavy stuff that I can put at a very low center of gravity.

CON:
- It does make accessing the hatch a little more cumbersome. But less than you probably think.
- It also moves quite some weigh way out back. With all the stuff I'll be mounting permanently in the spare wheel well, plus a roof top tent, it more than cancels the gains I got with the HS lift. I'd say, fitting stiffer springs is pretty much a must if you plan to go where it's bumpy (and what's the point of the tire carrier if you don't?!! :wink. I certainly will.
- Mine didn't come with 12mm bolts, only 14mm. The reseller contacted Wilco who sent the hardware, no problem. I don't know if this was just a fluke (the instructionw say it comes with both 12mm and 14mm hardware), but to avoid delays you may want to make a point at the time of ordering that you need the 12mm mounting hardware.
- The holes in the mounting plate are just on the limit for the KL wheel bolt spacing. I had to modify the main mounting bracket so it would mount in the lowest position without interfering with the weld seams. And still, the bolts can't be completely straight; the have to be pointed slightly inward.
- The mounting hardware doesn't come with nuts and washers to allow mounting all the bolts permanently; their system is to hang the tire to the main mounting bolt and then fit loose bolts and nuts for the remaining holes. Which makes it more cumbersome on the trail. A trip to the hardware store fixed that.
- You will need to relocate the licence plate. Wilco has a kit, but I didn't like the look or the price so I made my own. In that regard, remember to also make arrangements for license plate lights! I'll be hard wiring mine later this year; for now I've just plugged it into the trainer harness.
- The swing mechanism doesn't come with a system to ensure it doesn't swing back at you when open. I've found that to be much less of a problem that I anticipated - not once has it swung back at me, or into something else. But I'll eventually be modifying mine with some king of latch system to ensure 100% against mishaps, especially when parked on a slope.

mchkc240 said:

What reverse camera image do you see with the Hitchgate Solo attached? Does the tire block the view 100%? Or the reverse camera would still be somewhat functional?

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I don't have the factory camera so I can't speak to this specifically. What I can say is that you still have some visibility to the sides in the rear view mirror. And I will be putting in an after marked camera and hook it up to the uConnect radio via the Customtronix harness when I get some time in the fall.

mchkc240 said:

I see that Wilco sells that hi-lift jack/ rotopax attachment mount for the Hitchgate Solo as well, any experience? Thanks!

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It looks very cool, and I almost went for it. I think you may have to go for the dual Rotopax mount; I don't think the space to the hatch is sufficient for the single mount version. Which is good - I want my center of gravity as optimal as I can get it and I sure wouldn't mind if if it was 1 1/2" closer to the hatch.

The main reason I didn't go for it has nothing to do with Wilco. The instructions for the Rotopax cans say to check and equalize the pressure daily if you have significant altitude or air pressure changes, and that just ticked me off the concept. I plan to make my own mount to fit a 5 gallon metal jerrycan instead.


OK, this got a little longer than I intended, but hopefully someone finds it useful. I just snapped a few pictures of my current setup (with temporary license plate wiring) also.

mchkc240 said:

KL14, do you mind explaining why the mounting system is tricky? I normally remove my trail gear whenever I am back in civilization, so that's pretty much going to be my main consideration. I was thinking I could just temporarily relocate my license plate and use one of those small led light bar to draw power from the power outlet in the trunk.

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Sure :smile:. The mounting system is actually fairly ingenious, in that you pull a wedge with a bolt so that it expands inside the hitch tube and makes a REALLY firm fit. There is no wobble of any kind.

But you have to alight this up with the holes for the hitch pin, since that needs to be put in to secure everything 100%. The issue is, when the pin is in it blocks access to the bolt that tightens everything. And when the pin is out and you tighten the wedge, the holes misalign slightly. I had to make a quarter turn, then use the pin to force a re-fit, then another quarter turn. It took a few attempts to get it just right.

I did this with just the 'fixed' part of the assembly. Which is heavy enough in itself (this is built to last!). If you try to do this with the swing arm mounted (forget about the tire!) I'd say it gets a lot more difficult.

It can certainly be done, but it's quite a lot of work. If you ONLY need to carry the tire and won't use the hitch received on the tire carrier itself you COULD probably omit fitting the hitch pin. That would certainly make it easier. I personally would prefer fitting the pin, just for that extra security that it it physically impossible for the assembly to come off, even in the extremely unlikely case the wedge system breaks.

I unfortunately don't have any pictures, but I hope the description makes sense.

mchkc240 said:

You also mentioned that the mounting plates are at the limit for KL wheels. Does it mean that the KL wheels' bolt pattern is the reason for the issue? I thought the Wilco would make it pretty "universal" for all types of car.

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Yes. It apprears are bolt pattern is very small (holes close together) compared to what - I assume - the average Hitchgate customer. So the slots Wilco makes are only barely long enough (toward the center) to work once welds and powder coat is added.

I've taken some pictures that hopefully illustrates what I mean. Again, I made it work fine using nothing more than a hack saw and some smaller washers [edit: washers on tire mounting bolts not shown on pictures, which is from a test-fit], and I am happy with it. I just wish the fit was better straight out of the box.

Pictures show (hopefully in this order, I haven't quite mastered getting the attachment order right on this forum yet...):
- Front of mount (where the tire goes on).
- Same, with simulated bolt pattern overlayed. The orange arrows shows where the slot edges are.
- Back of mount.
- Bracket with threaded bolt. This bolt goes through the top slot and is where you hang the tire when mounting it.
- Bracket as it looks on my carrier.
- Bracket showing where I've sawed off material to clear the welds. I painted it black afterward to help avoid corrosion where I modified it.