Automotive · Head-to-head
CURT 18153 Folding Basket Cargo Carrier vs Thule Arcos Platform with Arcos Box L
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Trailer Hitch Cargo Carriers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The CURT 18153 is the sensible default for anyone with a Class III or IV hitch: the biggest usable deck here, a folding shank, and a frame that has been sold long enough for its failure modes to be well known. If your vehicle has a low tongue weight rating or you want gear to arrive dry and locked, the Thule Arcos system is worth the jump in price.
CURT 18153 Folding Basket Cargo Carrier
Buy itThe default steel basket for anyone with a Class III hitch and payload to spare.
- 60 by 24 inch deck swallows coolers, totes, and firewood without touching the roof
- Bent shank folds the empty basket up against the bumper, so it clears most garage doors
- Raised mesh floor and full perimeter rail give straps and nets somewhere to bite
- Limited lifetime frame warranty and parts you can still buy years later
- A heavy steel frame (CURT lists a 70 pound shipping weight) is spent before you load a single item, and all of it counts against tongue weight
- 2 inch receiver only, which rules out the Class I and Class II hitches on many crossovers
- Bolt-together assembly takes a while, and the hardware wants re-torquing after the first trip
Thule Arcos Platform with Arcos Box L
Buy itThe rare hitch carrier whose published load limit already fits inside what a crossover can legally carry.
- Standard platform (23.5 lb) and box (43 lb) together weigh under 70 pounds, leaving real headroom under a 200 pound tongue weight limit
- With Thule's separate Arcos tilt platform, the loaded box tilts down for hatch access, no unloading required
- Locking hard-shell 14 cubic feet keeps wet and filthy gear out of the cabin
- Thule sells the tilt platform in 1.25 inch and 2 inch versions
- Platform and box are sold separately, so the entry cost is the steepest here by a wide margin
- 110 pound box rating looks small next to a basket claiming 500, even though it is the more usable number
- Fixed box shape means long or oddly shaped items still have to ride somewhere else
Side by side
The 7 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| CURT 18153 Folding Basket Cargo Carrier Our pick | Thule Arcos Platform with Arcos Box L | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Truck and full-size SUV owners with a Class III or IV hitch who want the most open deck space per dollar. | Crossover and small SUV owners with a modest tongue weight rating who want dry, lockable storage they can access at a rest stop. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $$$$ · flagship |
| Carrier type | Open steel basket, folding shank | Locking box on a platform, tilt version sold separately |
| Cargo space | 60 by 24 in open deck | 14 cu ft enclosed box |
| Rated load | 500 lb | 110 lb in the box |
| Carrier's own weight | Not published, 70 lb shipping weight | About 67 lb, platform plus box |
| Receiver fit | 2 in only | Tilt platform in 1.25 in or 2 in |
| Rear hatch access | Folds up when empty, otherwise unload | Tilts down loaded, with tilt platform |
| Weather and theft protection | None, add a bag and a cable lock | Hard shell, locking |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the CURT 18153 Folding Basket Cargo Carrier if
truck and full-size SUV owners with a Class III or IV hitch who want the most open deck space per dollar.
Know before buying: a heavy steel frame (CURT lists a 70 pound shipping weight) is spent before you load a single item, and all of it counts against tongue weight.
Pick the Thule Arcos Platform with Arcos Box L if
crossover and small SUV owners with a modest tongue weight rating who want dry, lockable storage they can access at a rest stop.
Know before buying: platform and box are sold separately, so the entry cost is the steepest here by a wide margin.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the CURT 18153 Folding Basket Cargo Carrier - The default steel basket for anyone with a Class III hitch and payload to spare. Choose the Thule Arcos Platform with Arcos Box L instead if crossover and small SUV owners with a modest tongue weight rating who want dry, lockable storage they can access at a rest stop.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Trailer Hitch Cargo Carriers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).