Testimonials

RUSSELL & KIM from Brisbane (Qld) say –
Hi there, Robert and Annette, It has been nearly twelve months since I purchased the Hitchmate for our personal use. To refresh yourselves about our situation, we are a family of seven and even with a Toyota landcruiser, when we travel, space is at a premium with all the luggage, souvenirs and baby needs [cots etc]. For future trips I was faced with the possibility of towing a trailer, which we were not keen on as this would slow down our progress when country travelling. Towing a trailer means that we would be slower as the trailer tends to sway at high speed and when manouvearing creates further difficulty. I first read about the hitchmate in the courier mail and thought that this might be a solution to our problem. When I saw the examples of the hitchmate at the Brisbane Ekka, I knew that a solution had been found. My wife and myself drove to Roberts and Annette's factory on the north coast and saw first hand what the hitchmate had to offer and the accessories available. Speaking to Robert about our needs, he showed how he would slightly modify the stand to suit our four wheel drive more so. My wife and myself were impressed about his genuine interest regarding our needs. Since purchasing the Hitchmate, we have also bought the bicycle accessories and have used it as a bicycle carrier, which is much easier than the normal bike carrier. Also on a few short trips i.e. State Nipper carnivals, the hitchmate allowed us to carry our luggage as the roof was used to carry the nipper boards. Recently we did a trip to Broken Hill, we travelled approx. 6000 klms in twelve days. Fully loaded with the family and luggage. We have attached a photograph. We travelled over Highways, sand, gravel roads and bush tracks. In all instances we found the hitchmate to be sturdy, solid and we did not even notice we had it on except when people commented. It is easier to use than the roof cargo cage as all the packing is at tabular level not requiring us to stretch, or use ladders to load and unload. When attached during city driving, we found it to be easier than a trailer when reversing and the vehicle with the hitchmate can still fit into a normal parking spot. We consider the hitchmate to be value for money, suitable for a variety of purposes, of a high quality construction and not a vehicle accessory but an essential part for us. (August 2007)

RICHARD from Brisbane (Qld) says –
I will introduce myself and give the history of how I came to own a Hitchmate cargo carrier. I am 61 years old and have operated a one person gardening business for approx 9 years. My work vehicle up to February 2006 was a 1985 Toyota mid wheel base diesel Landcruiser wagon towing a 5x7 steel gardening trailer. Most of my customers are located around the Brisbane hilly suburb of St Lucia. In the last few years the traffic conditions making it very difficult with the trailer to find parking close to some customers and reversing into or out of a driveways, with one client living on a terrace with a very steep driveway that I have to take the trailer off at the top of the drive to be able to turn my vehicle around and then reconnect the trailer.

 The HitchMate cargo carrier has allowed me to do things smarter for the following reasons:-

1. Its given approx. 0.96 square meter more loading space.
2. Allowing me to do away with trailer making easier to find car parking spaces closer to my clients making it safer to back out or into driveways and on the health side of things not lifting the trailer on and off the hitch.
3. Have reduced my fuel consumption by approx 20% per month by not towing the trailer.
4. Loading the mower onto the Hitchmate is made easy and much quicker by the steel ramps and has taken the health aspect of lifting the mower onto the back of the ute tray out of the equation.
5. The amount of wear and tear on the vehicle, especially the brakes, back tyres and transmission is greatly reduced by not towing a trailer.
6. With no trailer to worry about I can drive in or reverse out of the garage without having to hitch or unhitch saving time and energy.
7. After finishing my gardening round I often have to do some personal errands which means coming home unhitching the trailer and then going out, but with the Hitchmate I go straight from the job saving time and fuel.
8. HitchMate is quickly removed from back of vehicle and stored.

Click image for larger view

The HitchMate is a quality product and is a valuable tool to my type of business and has reduced my operating costs plus help to minimize safety and health issues. (August 2007)

MALCOLM from Cooktown (Qld) says –
The custom-made HitchMate that I purchased in May this year was a fantastic product that I can recommend to anyone without reservation. I was particularly impressed by the thoroughness and detailed attention that manufacturer paid to the making of the final product. I travelled from Brisbane to far north Cooktown in Queensland and back in the last four months, the HitchMate excelled and transported my motor scooter safely for the entire trip. (September 2007)

REG from Baderim Pty Ltd says –
I am sure you will recall making a carrier for one of our trail bikes, following discussions at the Nambour Show. We use a variety of ATVs and trail vehicles for access to difficult areas during mineral exploration work, to take staff into remote locations. In the past we have used trailers to carry some of these, though narrow tracks make the use of these cumbersome when reversing and tight corners are necessary. Sometimes trailers create more difficulty than they are worth. Besides the usefulness of trail bikes in the field, we have also taken into account the need for supplementary transport if a single 4WD vehicle should become bogged or break down far from the nearest town. For those reasons we decided to trial a bike carried on a HitchMate carrier behind a 4WD. We have now had the opportunity for two of our geologists to test this in remote locations. May we say how very pleased we are at the way it has performed. The bike rides very securely with no significant rocking or bouncing. The loading/unloading ramp carries well with no rattling on rough roads, and if used by one person it allows the bike to be easily wheeled up or down to/from the carrying position. The tie-down attachments are strong and secure and we are very pleased with the unit as supplied. It is easy to remove and store when not required. As our work expands we will look to ordering more of these. (September 2007)

VAL from Buderim (Qld) says –
"Until last year I owned a small utility that I found useful for both business and pleasure. Unfortunately it was getting old and I traded it up for a late model Subaru Forester. I missed the ability to be able to throw the odd bag of cement or fertilizer in the back without having to worry about the smell or dirtying the interior. HitchMate was the answer for my needs. It is quick and easy to attach and is nowhere near as troublesome to drive with as a trailer, nor does it need to be registered." (September 2007)

BILL and VAL, Kippa-Ring (Qld) say –
"This is an unsolicited testimonial for the Hitchie we purchased in February 2008 for my Winnebago Leasure Seeker. We needed an external storage capacity to carry all the necessary bits & pieces for an around Australia trip. The Hitchmate product filled our need most admirably. Robert fitted a Trade Tools aluminium box to the platform and the bits and pieces fitted in perfectly, in fact we don't know where we found the room inside the motor home for all that stuff. We recently toured Australia, covering some 17,000 kilometres over all surfaces, some gravel included and the Hitchie did not move one fraction in that time. It continued to perform even when we were bouncing over some severe speed humps that are now installed in a great majority of caravan parks and shopping centre car parks. We would recommend Hitchmate to anyone who is seeking extra storage capacity. " (July 2008)

CLYDE and MARGARET from Dee Why (NSW) say –
Just wanted to say the HitchMate has arrived and we are very happy with it. It was very easy to install and very versatile. Thanks for your friendly and efficient service. (October 2008)

ALEX from Woolgoolga (NSW) says –
HitchMate works a treat, my little scooter is no problem for loading and unloading, travelling, it just does not move in any direction. (November 2008)

ALAN and DOREEN from UK (touring in motorhome) say –
Every problem for us was another success for Robert. HitchMate the problem solvers. (December 2008)

JOHN from Paddington (QLD) says –
I am extremely happy with the unit, and feel free to use me as a reference. Thought I would drop you a line to let you know that the kayak HitchMate set up is going great. (May 2009)

TREVOR from Mandurah (WA) says –
Many thanks for all your help. Please feel free to use my details as a reference to anybody in WA wishing to purchase. It is extremely stable and very solidly built. (June 2009)

RIC from Tingalpa (QLD) says –
My Hitchmate carrier is working out well for me, and I use it all of the time carrying different gear for work and for home. I have attached some photo's of just some of the things I have carried on my Hitchmate. (August 2009)

NORMAN ROE (KEA CAMPERS) from Milperra (NSW) says –
Towage - The HitchMate Cargo Carrier is an alternative to a trailer or roof rack, which fixes to the back of your vehicle by way of the towbar. It will add extra length to your motorhome, but it's worth it for the extra storage for anything from cargo boxes through to motorbikes or scooters. It's a clever, versatile and Australian-made alternative to more cumbersome carrying options. ("All I want for Christmas is…" in The Wanderer December 2009 - VIEW STORY)

SJAAK from Netherlands (travelling Australia) says –
The Hitchie with the Box have been a great feature on the van! Look at attached pictures for nice combination of van with Hitchie! Next year we plan to go north into Queensland and make a stop at your place to shake hands with you. (December 2009)

DENISE from Battery Hill (Qld) says –
As I prepared my van for the road trip around Oz, I wanted the means to carry a scooter as alternative transport...but how to do this? The answer was discovered in my own backyard (my home is on the Sunshine Coast), when Hitchmate was recommended to me at the camping/caravanning expo at Southport, 2009. From my first contact with them, Robert and Annette made me feel welcome. Nothing was too much trouble and we became friends. That has been the basis of this operation from the beginning. They recommended a towbar installer in Stafford, Brisbane, who saved me 2 months wait. They installed my carrier in less than a day, custom made and fitted to my requirements. They carefully instructed me in the use of it and supervised my first try. As a 70 year old, travelling solo, I can tell you, I appreciated this. They followed up with a phone call to make sure I was happy. I am about to embark on this trip of a lifetime, confident that my Hitchmate carrier will hold my scooter securely. Thank you for your superb service, Hitchmate! (January 2010)

ALI and DOUG from Gaven (Qld) say –
Thank you for the great service when we came to your workshop. We are thrilled with our scooter carrier and can recommend your product to anyone looking for a well designed and manufactured cycle carrier. (January 2010)

JONATHAN from Newtown (NSW) says –
Just a quick note to thank you both for your patience and help in getting me the most appropriate 'thing' to carry my son's bike. It was worth the wait. Very happy with the service and exceptional quality of the equipment. Thanks again. (February 2010)

RODNEY from Townsville (Qld) says –
I purchased my HitchMate in May of 2009; I have found their customer service to be excellent, they are extremely easy to deal with and accommodating of any request. I have found that in comparison to other products their's is by far the best. If you are intending to travel long distances across many different terrains I would highly recommend you trust your cargo with a HitchMate. (March 2010)

RICHARD from Doubleview (WA) says –
I purchased my HitchMate from Robert and Annette in July 2008, and subsequently had it fitted to my Jayco Conquest motorhome, to carry a Yamaha Scorpio motorcycle. I have been very pleased with the product and found it easy to use and substantially constructed. The Yamaha has done 22,500 km in the last 18 months, and has been on and off the HitchMate many times. It takes approximately 5 minutes to unload and about 10 minutes to reload, including the fitment of a cover. Having worked in the heavy equipment earthmoving industry, where the provision of service and backup is paramount, it is pleasing to note Robert and Annette's dedication to the improvement, and their ongoing interest in their product, once the sale has been made. (April 2010)

DAWN and COL from Cannon Hill (QLD) say –
We are very happy with the custom made HitchMate that you fitted to our Winnebago Birdsville in May 2010 to carry our electric bikes. It is perfect. Robert even came to his workshop on a Sunday just to fit it for us. That is very good service, and I would recommend, and have already done so, this company to anyone. And a big thanks to Annette for her constant feedback during the building of our HitchMate. Please feel free to use us as a reference at any time. (May 2010)