Agreed…the hitch-mounted carriers may not be the best option, but they are an option.That makes sense. The only solution to that is going with the style of tire carrier that bolts into the door, like JW offroad one, etc. I'm thinking about doing that long term, but for now I'm just going to store the spare inside the car.
I can’t sacrifice internal cargo space, as I’m generally packed tight for camping etc.
Probably will do a after-market rear bumper at some point…