Wilco Hitchgate Solo vs. Rigd Supply UltraSwing

Has anyone tried to run either of these with an aftermarket bumper?

 

Why not just go with a full bumper for the price since you are already damn near close to the price?

 

Because if you ever want to use the truck as a truck , and have the tailgate down, you can just leave this spare hitch holder off. Its exactly why im making my own. I think what these companies are charging is too expensive for what it is.

 

Both of these would be incompatible with backup sensors right?

 

I looked long and hard for a solution for the spare mount. I gave up, and now I just slide it under my truck toolbox. I have the 6 foot box which helps. I can still fit all of my camping and fishing gear in front and behind of the toolbox.

Can't see the tire here, but it just slides under the truck toolbox, and does not budge even on the worse off road. I can also attach a chain to lock it to the truck bed.

I also still have the original spare under the truck. I take 2 spares every off road trip as I have blown 2 tires the same day far off road and not fun with 1 spare.

 

What size tire do you have? I am tucking a 285/70R17 in the spare tire spot. If you do that much to pop two tires, you might want to consider E-rated tires. Not saying they are perfect, but it takes quite a bit more to bust them up. I'd also be skeptical of using a stock spare in a spot that was beefy enough to puncture an already upgraded tire earlier on the trail. If the trail is that bad, then taking two upgraded tires would be a better option, wouldn't it?

But as for the Rigd vs Wilco, the rigid is without a doubt better constructed and gives you the option to move a back-up cam if you have it plus tons of other stuff. At least from the research I have done, that's what I concluded and most of it was concluded from people that had the Wilco and listing it's shortcomings.

 

The 2 tires were the stock Kevlar wranglers, total crap.

This is my 4th 4x4 in the past 35 years. All had 10 ply E rated. I had just got the Taco, used with 6K miles at the time so the tires were almost new and my bank account empty after the truck purchase.

Now on my second set of KO2s, E rating 10 ply. The first set were put on the same day I blew the 2 wranglers.

265 75 16s.

Check out the tire mount on front of an old 86 Ford of mine.

A 3 foot wide 1/4 inch steel plate, 2 bolts into the stock bumper. A 2 foot high x 6 inch wide plate with a stud welded onto it. So simple and effective and dirt cheap.

That drop off on the left is 3,000 feet straight down. The sign said extreme hazard, road closed. An old mining road long out of service. That photo from 1989 or so.