The Hitchgate Solo

Ser_Egg

Forum Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2019
Messages
286
Location
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Car Year
2005
Car Model
Subaru Forester SG series 1
Transmission
5Spd Manual
so been looking at spare tyre carriers because i wanna carry more stuff on the roof tray.
Found this Hitchgate™ Solo
Seems better than some other ones i looked at and even comes with a Hi clearance version :)

Any good or is there something better available in Australia??
 
Seems like a reasonable solution - shipping costs may be an issue though ;-)

The SubaXtreme rear bar with carrier is about A$3K - if they'll still make one of course.
 
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I'm not keen on hanging anything off a towbar apart from a trailer. (or maybe a bike rack).
But that's just me.
Subaxtreme used to make one back in the day, but was a bumper replacement.
 
The SubaXtreme rear bar with carrier is about A$3K - if they'll still make one of course.

They are on hold at the moment, they started revamping them into a V2 (That White Forester is a good friend of mine that was prototyping it with them).

I do love my Subaxtreme Rear Bar though, it is quite useful to have a empty spare wheel well, and it compliments the lines of the forester nicely.
 
revamping them into a V2
Looks like they are not doing the nice arm bends of V1? My carriers were the first made by the Goulburn mob based on the original design. (I already had the rear bar). Very expensive though (I got a good deal!)
 
Looks like they are not doing the nice arm bends of V1?

Nope, they were too costly and time consuming to make (Goulburn had to make a custom rig bender to make them).

Their aim with the redesigned one was to make it less cost prohibitive to increase sales
 
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The physics and geometry says that having a significant mass suspended any distance behind the rear axle line will probably cause rear suspension problems. Bent or broken struts and/or other components.

A spare wheel weighs over 20 Kg. A 20L jerry can weighs similar.

Our Foresters are not built like Landcruisers.
Hell, even Landcruisers aren't built like Landcruisers anymore ...
 
well guess its to the roof then until Subaxtreme makes affordable parts, hell im even thinking about scrapping the bullbar and going for a nudge bar instead
 
Quite strangely, putting the SubaXtreme bar on the front of my series 2 SG made a just noticeable difference to its handling (for the better). Also a great place for a lightbar and aerial.

E-510_JAK_2015-_6208258_Ew.jpg
 
Whats the weight on the those bars anyway. Thats whats im really looking at as well as price. If its to heavy im not even going to bother. Ive got steel rims with BFG KO2s on it and that has definately added some weight
 
It weighs about 30 Kgs more than the plastic one.

It's the distance the weight is in front of the front axle line that improves the handling.
 
No difference. Goes like s*!t off a shanghai.

What many forget is that the n/a EJ253 has a flatter torque curve than the turbo engine. It's not as fast, but has better low end torque.

Any faster and I would lose my licence more often than I did in my late teens ... :poke: :nod: :lol1:
 
well guess we'll see what happens then, maybe a 2nd hand bar will appear somewhere. By the way there is an 2016 outback subaxtreme bar for sale on gumtree
 
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