You could build a better swing away tire gate if you ever feel like ditching the hitch rack. I find that they kill your departure angles and you risk losing gear.
For example..
I used to live in Surprise, AZ. I don't know if you've ever wheeled into the Bradshaws, but I tried to with a hitchrack on my old Jeep XJ. It had a 3" lift and sat on 32's, but somewhere along the trail, while bumping and crawling around, my rack got slammed, bent up, and bungees snapped/slipped allowing two duffels containing about $300 worth of gear to tumble into the unknown.
I have a roof rack on my Bronco now, and even though I don't encounter the steep trails and drop offs here in the south like I did back home, I still don't trust a hitchrack offroad, and seeing as how I'll end up back in the valley here in the next few years, I'm glad I've already learned my lesson.
Good luck, though. I hope it works out for you.
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