Overall this is a great product. We used it on a Subaru Ascent during a drive from coast-to-coast across the US and it performed as well as expected.Pros: This is a very sturdy hitch mounted carrier. It allowed plenty of space for the rear hatch door on the Ascent to open even with the carrier attached and full of cargo; of course only with the carrier in the down position. It was perfect for carrying two oversized suit cases which fit exactly within the space of the carrier. There was also enough extra room for a gallon gas can and several other loose mid-sized items. Overall we carried about 250-300 lbs on the rack and it held up well and did not bend or drag near the pavement as some carriers have been seen to do. When in the folded up position the carrier was far away enough from the car that it did not risk bouncing against the back hatch of the vehicle. We also used the included black water-resistant bag and load straps which both worked extremely well; we encountered almost no rain so cannot comment on the ability of the bag to protect against water. We loaded/unloaded it every day and it held up to to frequent use without issue or wear-and-tear. The fold up feature is great when parking in tighter areas but often we would back into a parking space so the carrier would just hang over the curb/grass.Cons: As noted in other reviews, the painting is not uniform and it started showing rust at the weld joints almost immediately after we visited the beach. The rust is a minor annoyance and does not impact the overall functionality of the product. The other issue raised in several reviews is that some of the drill holes do no align perfectly and required filing or extra work in adjusting. For example the drill holes for the locking bolt were perfect when the carrier was in the down position. However, the drill holes for the same locking bolt were not properly aligned when the carrier was folded in the up position. Therefore I had to file the hole a bit and then carry a hammer with me to help bang the locking pin into place anytime I moved the carrier into the folded up position. I eventually became quite good at finding the sweet spot for the locking pin and getting in banged into place in seconds but the first time took me about 20 minutes to find the right alignment.Some other considerations: We purchased a removable taillight lighting kit to provide taillights in the event the cargo covered the vehicle’s taillights on the car. The lights in the kit were magnetic and therefore stuck to the steel carrier without difficultly. In the end the cargo was not high enough to block the vehicle’s regular taillights but we used the light kit as an added precaution. Also the carrier blocked our back-up sensors on our car and set off the back-up alarm every time the car was put into reverse. It would also engage the automatic emergency braking sensor when backing up. Both systems can be turned off on our car so it was not much of an issue but something to consider and to check with each vehicles in order to make sure it will not be a problem. The back-up camera was only partially blocked by the carrier and was fine.Assembly/Installation: Assembly was extremely easy and took about 30 minutes. The instructions were clear and easy to follow. (Remember to remove all the plastic shipping wrap before installation. We forgot and left some of the plastic wrap on and found that it got stuck between some of the parts.) It can be assembled by one person but having a second person to hold some of the nuts or bolts during tightening can be helpful. The finished assembly goes into a standard 2 inch receiver. It weighs about 70 lbs finished and although inserting the finished carriage into the receiver can be done with one person, again it is a bit easier with two. Folding the carrier up is very easy for one person but the misaligned drill holes did pose a minor challenge each time to lock it into place.We loved the added space this carrier provided and found in invaluable during the trip. We frequently commented during the drive that this was one of the best decisions we made in preparation and that it paid for itself many times over. Would highly recommend.