Happy New Year!

Put 2007 in the books! That's all she wrote.

One last post before the clock strikes 12...

Today, new StowAway2 Owner Syd L. (Canada) stopped by our factory to pick up a Max Swingaway. Got a great picture of Syd with the hitch mount cargo carrier installed on his Pleasureway.

Have a happy and safe holiday. See you in 2008!

Custom Swingaway Rod Rack

We've been selling the StowAway2 Swingaway fishing rod rack for a number of years. Since we debuted the rod rack, we've heard and seen a number of custom rod racks that StowAway2 owners have put together.

However, this one might just take the cake.

StowAway2 owner Steve A. (Pennsylvania) emailed in the following pictures, which show the custom Rod Rack he has set up on his rig.

Steve started by purchasing a Swingaway Frame a la carte. To this frame, he mounted a custom-sized rack for his large fishing cooler, a tail light kit for improved visibility on the road, six custom rod holders and a side-mounted fold-up cutting board.

Pictures are worth 1,000 words so we'll let the pictures do the talking.

Back view:


Great shot of his rod holders, which appear to be cut at variable lengths for a cool visual effect.

Sideview:

Here you can see the fold-up cutting board in the down position. Also, you can see that this rack system rides very close to the back of his vehicle.

Swung Out View:

As you can see, our Swingaway frame pivots back and away from the vehicle without any deflection. Here, the rack has been opened up to the 90 degree position.

Cutting Board View:

This picture shows the cutting board in the up position, perfect for preparing bait.

Truck Bed View:

Here you can see the truck bed access that is granted by our Swingaway frame.

Swung Out Back View:

Again, you can see the nearly total access to the truck bed offered by our swing out steel frame.

Night View:

Lastly, a cool night-vision shot of the tail lights in action.

Steve runs a tackle shop. For more information, check him out online at www.aoktackle.com.

Got your own custom StowAway2 setup? Let us know.

Yet Another StowAway2 Review

The emails have been coming fast and furiously! This is one of our favorites in recent memory. StowAway2 Owner Thomas H. (Illinois) writes in:

"Gentlemen: I have just completed my first round trip with my new Stowaway Max Swingaway and it proved to be everything I hoped. My wife and I used it to transport some of our belongings from our home in Illinois to our home in Texas. It was a 2500 mile journey.

Since we take our Golden Retriever with us, the Swingaway feature worked out perfectly allowing us to get the dog out of the car easily to stretch his legs and take care of business whenever we stopped for gas. As we returned to Illinois we were caught up in an ice/snow/sleet/rainstorm that wreaked havoc on the roads and traffic.

The Stowaway proved watertight and our luggage came through dry as a bone. It looks great on the Mountaineer and we will probably use it on the Navigator for our next trip to Texas!"

Good stuff! Thanks for the kind words and happy travelling during the new year.

Another StowAway2 Review

This StowAway2 review came to us recently from Owner George C. (Alberta, Canada).

George writes, "I just wanted to drop a note and say that I am very very happy about the service from StowAway2 Cargo Carriers and Fed Ex. This was the best service and delivery time I have ever experienced. I just finished assembling the Stowaway and it looks great as well. Thank you very much!"

Whether you live here in the States or in Canada like George, we ship all StowAway2 Cargo Carriers directly to your door via FedEx. For more information, check out our Quick Shipping Guide and our full Shipping Guide.

Now is the perfect time to get your own StowAway2 ordered up; after all, we are running our annual $29 shipping sale through December 25!

Stowaway2 Annual Holiday Sale

Happy Holidays, travellers.

If you're gearing up for a trip to grandma's house, dreaming about golf season or adding this must-have accessory to your RV, now is the best time to order your StowAway2 Cargo Carrier.

Why, you ask? Because our Annual Holiday Sale is in full effect.

Now through Christmas, pay just $29 shipping for all StowAway2 Cargo Carriers and Racks. Standard Shipping generally runs $79 on our most popular models, so this promotion represents a savings of up to $50!

Trigger the promotion on StowAway2.com using promotion codes or by calling to place your order: 800.943.5377.

Looking for some holiday gift ideas? Here's our staff recommendations:

1. For the entire family: Check out the Total Max Swingaway. Get a top of the line cargo carrier and a Bike/Cargo Rack at a great discounted price.

2. For the bargain hunter: Check out our popular Sport Special Combination and enjoy big savings on accessories.

3. For the SUV/Truck owner that has it all: Three words... Super Max Swingaway.

Pleasureway Cargo Carrier

A friendly Canadian couple stopped by yesterday in their Pleasureway motorhome on a Dodge Sprinter chasis. They picked up our Total Max Swingaway bundle, which combines our very popular Max Swingaway Cargo Carrier and our Bike Cargo Rack combination.

Here's a picture of the cargo carrier installed on their Pleasureway.

GMC Envoy XL

One of the most popular vehicles on the road, the GMC Envoy XL is super-versatile, great for the large family or the adventuresome couple.

Envoy owners are one of the largest StowAway2 owner groups. So it's about time we featured pictures of one of our Max Swingaway carriers (with Wheel Kit) on an Envoy XL on this blog!


Sideview:

The sideview shows you what to expect clearance wise. The box is set far enough back so it can be opened when it's not swung out. Also, it's far enough back so that the Envoy's rear glass can be opened without swinging the box out. To access the rear cargo area by opening the liftgate, simply swing the cargo box out to 90 degrees and you're good to go!

To see a video of how our Swingaway frame pivots, click here.

Thinking Inside the Cargo Box

Yes, thinking inside the box runs counter to the cliche, but even big-thinking, adventuresome StowAway2 owners do it sometimes. Why, you might ask? Well, when it comes to bringing along extra gear, you want to be sure everything will fit. Hopefully, the following pictures will give you an interesting, top-down perspective on their capacity.

First up is the Max Box (our most popular), which can be purchased a la carte by clicking here. The Max cargo carrier box has a capacity of 16 cubic feet, with dimensions of 51" L x 23" W x 26" H.

For more information about the Max Box, check out our Max Box Showroom page. Also, observant viewers will see that this particular Max box features our flush-faced, upgraded LED tail lights. To order the LED lights, simply click here.

Our second cargo box is the Standard Box, which can be purchased a la carte by clicking here. The standard cargo carrier box has a capacity of 12.5 cubic feet, with dimensions of 49" L x 21" W x 24" H.

For more information about the Standard Box, check out our Standard Box Showroom Page. The standard box pictured above features our standard, full-function trailer tail lights built in.

Sportsmobile Conversion Van

After what's been our biggest October ever, we-- like you-- are starting to consider the long, beautiful countdown to the winter holidays. But we're not quite there yet! So check out the recently-fallen leafs in these shots of StowAway2 Owner Jane G.'s Sportsmobile conversion van. The hitch cargo carrier pictured below is our popular Super Max Swingaway model.


Alternate Angle:


Sideview:

One of the great things about StowAway2 Swingaway Cargo Carriers is that they can clear just about any rear-mounted spare tire. Here, the spare tire is mounted to a swinging frame of its own, just below the rear door. As you can see, there's more than two inches of clearance behind the spare tire, plenty of room to swing open the cargo carrier and acces the rear of the van.

For more information, check out our comprehensive StowAway2 Spare Tire Clearance Guide. Click here.

For more information on Sportsmobile conversion vans like the one pictured above, head on over to Sportsmobile.com!

2007 GMC Yukon with StowAway2 Cargo Carrier

Recently, we installed a Max Swingaway cargo carrier on a brand-new (so new it still has the dealer sticker on the back and no license plate yet!) 2007 GMC Yukon. Here it is pictured:

As you can see, this Max Swingaway also features the StowAway2 Wheel Kit as well as an accessory that we haven't mentioned yet on the StowAway2 Blog, the Travel Counter.

The Travel Counter hooks onto the base of your Max Box, providing a horizontal surface for preparing food during a tailgate or camping trip. If you have either our Standard Box or our Sport Box, the Travel Counter will come with a Lid Stay, which helps prop open your box's lid. The Max hitch cargo box box does not need a lid stay, as it has a grooved notch which secures the lid open in the vertical position.

StowAway2 Review

We always love hearing from StowAway2 Owners. Here's a nice message from StowAway2 Owner Bob E. who writes in from Michigan with a review of his StowAway2 Cargo Carrier. Bob purchased the Max Swingaway.

"I have utilized my new unit both on the highway, 11 hours from Ann Arbor to St. Paul MN and back and three tailgating days. The unit works great. It is a snap to move the unit around on the frame and it works great on game day. Numerous individuals have come into my tent to see exactly what I have. I show them the name and the web site.

I thank you again for your outstanding customer service from the initial contact, to guiding me through the process, your solid recommendations and the super speed in getting my unit to me in time for the first game. This entire experience was outstanding and I thank you very much for everything."

Bob uses his StowAway2 for Tailgating. How do you use yours? Let us know.

Owners Gallery -- Pleasureway Motorhome

Just the other day, into our mailbox came these great shots from StowAway2 Owner Mike C.

As you can see below, Mike has installed a Max Swingaway cargo carrier onto his Pleasureway motorhome.

To access the rear storage area of the Pleasureway, simply swing the carrier on its pivoting frame.

Swinging the carrier open allows full clearance on the left-hand rear door and roughly 70 degrees clearance on the right hand door.

"This is a good product," says Mike.

"Thanks for the pictures," we say to Mike!

Winnebago View

StowAway2 Owner Bill M. was gracious enough to let us snap these pictures of his Max Swingaway Cargo Carrier (with Wheel Kit) that is hooked up to the back of his Winnebago View.

In the following picture, you can see that the StowAway2 provides plenty of clearance for his rear mounted ladder. If you look close, you can see Bill has a Ladder Bike Rack as well. Looking for a similar Ladded Mounted Bike Rack? Click here to see the Speciality Bike Racks offered on FastTrackRacks.com.

In the last picture, you can see the clearance off the back of the vehicle that our Swingaway Cargo Carrier offers, as it is tucked up nicely behind the rear mounted spare tire. Curious about clearance for your vehicle? Check out our StowAway2 Spare Tire Clearance Guide by clicking here.

Owners Gallery -- Northstar Camper Shell

As the weather turns gloomy here in the Pacific Northwest -- it is October, after all-- we got to looking through the photo archives from the past summer. What a summer it was! Here's some great shots from August that we forgot to pass along, sent in by StowAway2 Owner Jeff P.

First up is Jeff's new Max Swingaway attached to the back of his Chevy Truck (with Northstar Camper shell).


Initially, Jeff was concerned that the Swingaway Cargo Carrier might not allow access to his rear camper door. As you can see from the following shots, however, our Swingaway Cargo Carriers allow full access to the rear of his camper shell.

Like many StowAway2 Owners, Jeff said he was ordering his cargo carrier to bring along on for extra storage space on camping trips. Here's a few shots that he sent in of his setup as he trekked through the California wilderness.

As you can see, Jeff has added a custom telescoping pole to support the underside of his StowAway2 carrier.

Here's another shot of the support pole in use.

Have your own vacation shots of the StowAway2 in action, or have a custom suggestion like Jeff's? Email us!

Owners Gallery -- Bike Cargo Rack

It's been awhile since we've written about the StowAway2 Bike Cargo Rack (here's one post and here's another from back in the day).

Today's post will catch you up: here's a few shots taken this summer, when some intrepid travellers and hardcore mountain bikers stopped by our corporate office. Here's a shot of their sweet Dodge Pleasureway conversion van with the Bike Cargo Rack attached.

Here's another shot with the rack fully loaded with 4 mountain bikes.


If you've got a keen eye, you'll notice the bike rack post in the picture is actually quite a bit taller than our normal bike rack post. If you've got large mountain bikes, we can custom-size our post to fit your bikes, as we did for this gentleman. The longer post also means more vertical room underneath the bikes for storing your gear in the cargo rack basket.

For more information check out our Bike Cargo Rack page. Don't forget: the Bike Cargo Rack swings 180 degrees for total access to the rear of your vehicle.

For a brand-new diagram with schematics of the Bike Cargo Rack, click here.

Fold Down Bike Racks

All of our StowAway2 Bike and Cargo Racks feature a Swingaway design, pivoting 180 degrees to allow for access to the rear of your vehicle.

Recently, however, Fold Down Hitch Bike Racks (also called tilt down bike racks) have become perhaps the most popular style bike rack style on the market. While Swingaway racks provide the maximum amount of clearance, Fold Down Racks can provide enough clearance in most situations.

Our friends at FastTrackRacks.com have pulled together a guide for Choosing a Fold Down Hitch Bike Rack. Included in the guide are a list of key considerations, a feature-by-feature comparison and their staff recommendations for best Fold Down Bike Racks.

If you are looking for a quality fold down bike rack, head on over to the FastTrackRacks.com How-To Guides section for more information. A fold down bike rack makes a great complement to one of our Swingaway Cargo Carriers.

Dodge Durango

One of America's favorite utility vehicles, the Dodge Durango is totally compatible with both our StowAway2 Cargo Carriers and our Cargo Racks, such as the Swingaway Rod Rack pictured below.

Close-up View:

Panoramic View:

Something is Hooked on the Line View:

The Fishing Rod Rack is great for surf fishing, as it plugs directly into your vehicle's trailer hitch. Its swingaway mechanism ensures you have full access to your rear hatch and its rod holders accommodate up to 6 rods! The large cargo tray is perfect for bringing along coolers, bait, tackle-- whatever. Now hit the shore!

Roadtrek Cargo Carrier

Problem: Roadtrek Conversion vans have a very large rear-mounted spare tire-- the Continental Kit-- which is notorious for causing problems to hitch-mounted products, such as bike racks and cargo carriers.

Solution: With the help of a 7" Hitch Extender, the StowAway2 Max Swingaway Cargo Carrier can sit far enough behind the Roadtrek's Continental Kit to provide proper clearance. Check out the picture below.

Right-side View:

If you look closely, you can see 2 Hitch-Coupling Tighteners securing the carrier to the vehicle. The first Hitch-Coupling Tightener is used to secure the hitch extender to the vehicle's hitch. The second Hitch-Coupling Tightener is used to secure the Swingaway carrier to the hitch extender.

For more information and a close-up picture that shows how to use Hitch Extenders with StowAway2 Accessories, check out the StowAway2 Hitch Extender Guide.

Now, for some more images of a StowAway2 Cargo Carrier on a Roadtrek van with a Continental Kit!

Alternate Angle:

Left-side View:

Swung Open:

As you can see, when the carrier is swung open, the Continental Kit can be fully lowered. Also, you should expect full access to the left-hand rear door. Lastly, you should be able to open the right door about 30 degrees.

September Sale!

September means savings on StowAway2.com!

Now through September 30, save up to $50 or more by enjoying a special shipping promotion: pay only $29 shipping on any cargo carrier or rack system.

For our most popular Max Swingaway: save $50!

For our popular Swingaway Cargo Carrier: save $40!

Looking for our Basic Model? Save $20!

Save $30 on the Swingaway Bike Cargo Rack!

Biggest savings: Total Max Swingaway, save $70.

Chevrolet Suburban

The Chevy Suburban is an instantly recognizable piece of Americana. When outfitted with a Black Max Swingaway Cargo Carrier, it takes on a bit of a Batmobile-on-steroids vibe.

Rear View

For larger families, the Chevy Suburban makes everyday-driving much more comfortable. But for those long-distance summer or winter holiday trips? Space in the Suburban is still an issue.

The solution? Simply plug a StowAway2 into the Suburban's heavy-duty trailer hitch and away you go-- bringing all your gear along, leaving nothing behind.

Subaru Outback

While we don't recommend using one of our enclosed StowAway2 Cargo Boxes on the Subaru Outback (unless it has an upgraded towing package with a tongue weight capacity greater than 230 pounds), our Swingaway Cargo Rack works great.

Our Swingaway Cargo Rack uses the same frame as our StowAway2 Swingaway Cargo Carriers, so it pivots a full 180 degrees for total liftgate clearance.

It features a very large basket making it easy to transport big, bulky items that might not fit inside a box. Keep in mind, you can add a Bike Rack to the Swingaway Cargo Rack and transport up to 4 bikes as well.

The Swingaway Cargo Rack is available to fit either a 2" trailer hitch or a 1.25" hitch.

Kia Sedona

By popular demand, we are pulling together an image gallery of StowAway2 Cargo Carriers on various vehicles. This will build over the months to come, but here's a few shots of a StowAway2 Cargo Carrier on the very popular Kia Sedona.

This particular Sedona is fully kitted out-- with 16 cubic storage space in its rooftop box and an additional 16 cubic feet with its Max Swingaway on the hitch.

Alternate Angle:

As you can see, our Max Swingaway offers great trailer hitch storage space with full-function tail lights built in to the box.

Rear View

Check out the right-hand menu for more Owner Pictures submitted in the last 2 years.

StowAway2 Showroom

We like to think it's our attention to detail that makes StowAway2 Cargo Carriers so great. Finally, we've created the means for sharing these little details with you. Check it out: the brand-new StowAway2 Showroom.
This new feature of StowAway2.com allows you to get up close and personal with all of our cargo boxes and steel frames. Each box and frame is highlighted on an individual page that includes all of the necessary product specs and tons of high-quality images.

If you're considering investing in a StowAway2, we highly recommend investing a moment of your time browsing through the StowAway2 Showroom!

Knowledge is Power

Information is king.

One thing we love about StowAway2 Owners: they like to know everything about their cargo carrier. For that reason, we've updated some of our older guides to reflect our latest information and procedures. We've also designed a number of new guides to make that information as readily available as possible.

Recently Updated Guides

Why StowAway2 -- Updated with new, helpful reasons to choose a StowAway2 Cargo Carrier for your vehicle.

Frequently Asked Questions -- our general FAQs have been updated and re-organized with the latest information about our products and services.

Spare Tire Clearance Guide -- Use this to determine if a StowAway2 will work on your vehicle, if you have a rear-mounted spare tire, ladder, or camper shell.

Tailgate Clearance Guide -- Pickup truck owners, this one's for you: this guide has been updated for maximum clarity.

StowAway2 Shipping Guide -- Find out how quickly a StowAway2 can be shipped to you and investigate your shipping options if you live in Canada.

StowAway2 Hitch Guide -- Everything you need to know about tongue weight capacity, safe use of hitch-mounted products, and more.

StowAway2 Towing Guide -- An in-depth guide to the StowAway2 Towing Model with information about towing limits.

Outlet Store Grade Guide -- A key that describes the general condition of products on the StowAway2 Outlet Store.

Brand New Guides for 2007

Why Buy Direct -- This quick-hitting guide highlights the three reasons most StowAway2 owners choose to buy factory-direct.

Quick Shipping Guide -- Just looking for some basic information about how long it will take to receive your StowAway2? This is the guide for you.

StowAway2 Hitch Extender Guide -- Answering common questions about Hitch Extenders with a great diagram showing the best safe use practices.

Hitch Coupling Tightener Instructions -- Our very popular, very functional Hitch-Coupling Tightener has had its instructions updated and put online for easy reference.

Exhaust Guide -- A limited number of vehicles require redirection of their tailpipe exhaust to ensure safe use with StowAway2 Cargo Carriers. This guide contains all the necessary information.

Express Checkout

In a hurry?


Order a StowAway2 Cargo Carrier online using StowAway2.com's new Express Checkout system!


Express Checkout orders are still protected by our site's secure encryption; however, you no longer need to register and login to place your order. Simply enter your billing and shipping information and away you go!

Outlet Store

Hey, bloggers, we have a new listing on our StowAway2 Outlet Store. Check it out: a discounted Towing Model!

For more information about the Towing Model, check out the product page, the Standard Box Showroom and the Towing Frame Showroom!

StowAway2 Showroom

It's time for a blog-exclusive sneak-peak! Check it out: the brand-new StowAway2 Cargo Carriers Showroom. In the Showroom, you will find a bounty of high-quality, large-size images and tons of product information. The answers to all your product questions are just a few clicks away!

The StowAway2 Showroom is divided into two sections: The Cargo Box Showroom and the Frame Showroom. Each showroom focuses on one of the two parts to a StowAway2 Cargo Carrier.

The Cargo Box Showroom includes each of our three boxes:

Max Box
Standard Box
Sport Box

The Frame Showroom includes three sections, our Swingaway Frames, our Fixed Frames and our Speciality Fixed Frames. All told, these three setions feature all seven (yes! seven) of our frames:

Swingaway Frame
LT Swingaway Frame
Basic Frame
Sport Frame
LT Frame
Towing Frame
Spare Tire Frame

Questions or feedback? Let us know!

Golf Club Storage

Looking for an easy way to store your Golf Clubs while you travel? Not enough room in the trunk? Click on the banner above (or here) to see why accessorizing your vehicle with a StowAway2 Cargo Carrier is like traveling with a hitch-mounted caddy.

The StowAway Max Carrier is Perfect for Folding Bikes

Looking for an easy, convenient way to transport two folding bikes, like the ones pictured above? If you are like a lot of RVers and travelers we hear from, you are looking for a way to transport your folding bikes without packing them inside. The Max Swingaway cargo carrier is a great option.

With 16 cubic feet of storage space, our Max Cargo Box has plenty of room -- in the picture above, you can see two Dahon folding bikes fitting nicely inside the Max.  While not every folding bike model will fit inside the Max but some of the most common ones do.

If you're wondering whether your Dahon folding bike will fit in our carrier, take its length, width and height measurements (once it's folded down) and email them to us. We're glad to confirm the fit for you!