# Hitches Online Swing Away



## shark21 (Aug 21, 2007)

Has anybody used the swingaway surf rack from Hitches Online? I am putting a rack on my 04 Explorer and was considering a front hitch, but, it seams that the $ will be close and I will not have to remove my air dam to put on a rack and still access to my cargo bay. Any opinions will be appreciated.


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## Outrigger (Nov 6, 2006)

*won't leave home without it...*

I bought one just last year and i absolutely love it..however i don’t use it for surf fishing as much as i do carrying all my sandy gear back from the beach... problematically ran afoul of the same issue front mounting a receiver to my ride as well..tossed down the gauntlet at the CAD-savvy engineering dept and discovered it would have required carving up my bumper fascia like an X-mas goose just to get the mounting straight..and i didn’t want to go that route in case of reselling my 4wd.

Last week i was hobbling out from Dick’s when two camo-clad hunters were curiously standing around my Jeep with questions about that rack..when i demonstrated how the swing arm pivots out their jaws fell agape and asked if they could buy it from me on the spot..it definitely works as advertised.. told them i bought it online direct from the Oregon-based company’s website after peppering their customer service reps with a litany of first-timer questions.

At around $450+ with shipping for the whole setup (which is exactly what I bought) it is a little on the pricey side..you are basically buying three items with that setup…1)the heavy-duty steel-framed swing arm…2)the basket that mounts on top of the arm…3)the two surf rod attachments…i found out after the fact that the surf rod holders aren’t really suited for their intended purpose..the flared but caps on most heavers won’t fit inside the too narrow diameter tubes…only lighter rods will..also while the rubber-tipped rod tubes are very solid the mounting brackets are plastic and prone to cracking (happened to me) if you over-tighten the mounting screws..so that’s the big hang-up..i took off the rod holders and just leave the basket hitch mounted on the rear of my Jeep.

I’ll add that if your are indeed a zealously dedicated surf fisher (one that makes it a religious pilgrimage to hit the beach and will fearlessly wade out into the icy chop) and want a dream setup…just buy the swing arm ($229) with the hitch tightener..and get Shooter or one of the other welding maestros here at P&S to custom fab you a rack that mounts right on top…i guarantee you won’t be disappointed…their craftsmanship is without equal.

Good luck

Forgot to mention that the swing arm itself will support I think a load of 450lbs so if you customize your setup it’s no problem..the basket pictured is rated at 200lbs.


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## shark21 (Aug 21, 2007)

*Thanks!*

I appreciate your response and personal insight. I am glad I found P/S!


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