HAUL MASTER 500 LB. CAPACITY KNOCKDOWN CARGO CARRIER Installation manual

500 LB. CAPACITY
KNOCKDOWN CARGO CARRIER
Model 66983
SET UP AND OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Diagrams within this manual may not be drawn proportionally.
Due to continuing improvements, actual product may differ slightly from the product described herein.
Distributed exclusively by Harbor Freight Tools®.
3491 Mission Oaks Blvd., Camarillo, CA 93011
Visit our website at: http://www.harborfreight.com
Read this material before using this product.
Failure to do so can result in serious injury.
SAVE THIS MANUAL.
Copyright©2009 by Harbor Freight Tools®. All rights reserved. No portion of this
manual or any artwork contained herein may be reproduced in any shape or form
without the express written consent of Harbor Freight Tools.
For technical questions or replacement parts, please call 1-800-444-3353.

Page 2SKU 66983 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
SAVE THIS MANUAL
Keep this manual for the safety warn-
ings and precautions, assembly, operating,
inspection, maintenance and cleaning pro-
cedures. Write the product’s serial number
in the back of the manual (or month and
year of purchase if product has no num-
ber). Keep this manual and the receipt in
a safe and dry place for future reference.
IMPORTANT SAFETY
INFORMATION
In this manual, on the labeling,
and all other information
provided with this product:
This is the safety alert
symbol. It is used to alert
you to potential personal
injury hazards. Obey all
safety messages that
follow this symbol to avoid
possible injury or death.
DANGER indicates
a hazardous
situation which, if not
avoided, will result in death or
serious injury.
WARNING
indicates a
hazardous situation which, if
not avoided, could result in
death or serious injury.
CAUTION, used
with the safety
alert symbol, indicates a
hazardous situation which, if
not avoided, could result in
minor or moderate injury.
NOTICE is used to
address practices
not related to personal injury.
CAUTION, without
the safety alert
symbol, is used to address
practices not related to
personal injury.
General Safety Rules
WARNING! Read all instructions
Failure to follow all instructions
listed below may result in
serious injury.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
Area safety1.
Make sure the area in which the Car-a.
rier is assembled is clean and well
lit. Cluttered or dark areas invite
accidents.
Keep children and bystanders awayb.
while using the Carrier. Distractions
can cause you to lose control.
2. Personal safety
Stay alert, watch what you are doinga.
and use common sense when using
the Carrier. Do not use the Carrier
while you are tired or under the inu-
ence of drugs, alcohol or medication.
A moment of inattention while us-
ing the Carrier may result in serious
personal injury.
Use safety equipment. Wear ANSI-b.
approved safety goggles and heavy
duty work gloves when setting up
or taking down the Carrier. Safety
equipment such as non-skid safety
shoes will reduce personal injuries.
Do not overreach. Keep proper foot-c.
ing and balance at all times. This

Page 3SKU 66983 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
enables better control of the Carrier
in unexpected situations.
3. Carrier use and care
Use the correct Carrier for your ap-a.
plication. The correct Carrier will do
the job better and safer at the rate
for which it was designed.
Store the Carrier out of reach ofb.
children and do not allow people
unfamiliar with the Carrier or these
instructions to use the Carrier. Use
of carrier by untrained people may
not be safe.
Maintain the Carrier. Check forc.
misalignment or binding of moving
parts, breakage of parts and any
other condition that may affect the
Carrier’s operation. If damaged,
have the Carrier repaired before
use. Many accidents are caused by
poorly maintained equipment.
Use this Carrier in accordance withd.
these instructions and in the man-
ner intended for this particular type
of product, taking into account the
area conditions and the task to
be performed. Use of this Carrier
for operations different from those
intended could result in a hazardous
situation.
4. Service
Have this Carrier serviced by aa.
qualied repair person using only
identical replacement parts. This will
ensure that the safety of the Carrier
is maintained.
Specic Safety Rules
Maintain labels and nameplates on1.
the Carrier. These carry important
safety information. If unreadable or
missing, contact Harbor Freight Tools
for a replacement.
This Carrier has a maximum weight2.
capacity of 500 pounds. Do not ex-
ceed the 500 pound capacity.
Always secure the Carrier as close3.
to your vehicle as possible, minimiz-
ing the distance of the Carrier and its
load from your vehicle.
Beware of dynamic loading! Drop-4.
ping or bouncing a load may briey
create excess load, causing personal
injury and/or product failure.
Inspect before use, including all bolts5.
and nuts in the Carrier. Do not use if
damaged.
Turn off the vehicle’s ignition and set6.
the parking brake before loading an
object onto the Carrier or unloading.
Make sure to read and understand all7.
instructions and warnings set forth by
the manufacturer of the vehicle that
the carrier will be used with.
Keep Carrier clean and dry.8.
This product is not a toy. Keep it out9.
of reach of children.
Follow D.O.T. (Department of Trans-10.
portation) guidelines for installation
and use.
Make sure to secure load with ropes,11.
and/or tie-downs before transporting.
Load heaviest items toward the cen-12.
ter of the Carrier. Be aware of open-
ings and use larger containers that
will not fall through gaps in the Car-
rier’s framework.

Page 4SKU 66983 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
Only use Carrier with a properly13.
installed Class III or Class IV 2 inch
hitch receiver capable of supporting
the Carrier and its load.
The warnings, precautions, and in-14.
structions discussed in this instruction
manual cannot cover all possible con-
ditions and situations that may occur.
It must be understood by the operator
that common sense and caution are
factors which cannot be built into this
product, but must be supplied by the
operator.
SAVE THESE
INSTRUCTIONS.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
Maximum
Weight Capacity 500 Pounds
Construction Heavy-duty tubular steel
construction.
Vehicle Hitch
Receiver Size
2” (Vehicle hitch requires
a Class III or Class IV tow
rating.)
Hitch Pin Size 5/8” dia. (with clip)
UNPACKING
When unpacking, check to make sure
that the item is intact and undamaged. If
any parts are missing or broken, please
call Harbor Freight Tools at the number
shown on the cover of this manual as soon
as possible.
ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
Read the ENTIRE IMPORTANT
SAFETY INFORMATION section
at the beginning of this manual
including all text under
subheadings therein before
assembly of this product.
For reference, please refer to the As-
sembly Diagram on Page 6:
Align the mounting holes on ends of1.
the Right Frame (2) and Left Frame
(3) with the mounting holes along the
sides of the Post (1).
With a wrench (not included), fasten2.
the Frames to the Post by using the
Connecting Bolts (10) and the Flat
Washers (11), Spring Washers (12)
and Nuts (13). See Assembly Dia-
gram on Page 6.
Set the Cross Braces (6) over the3.
Frames (2,3) and fasten the Cross
Braces to the Frames by using the
Bolts (7), Flat Washers (8), and Lock
Nuts (9). See Assembly Diagram
on Page 6.
Make sure all connections are tight-4.
ened securely.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Read the ENTIRE IMPORTANT
SAFETY INFORMATION section
at the beginning of this manual
including all text under
subheadings therein before use
of this product.

Page 5SKU 66983 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
WARNING!1. Do not exceed this Car-
rier’s maximum weight capacity of
500 pounds.
WARNING!2. All persons not involved
in loading or unloading the Carrier
must stand clear of the unit.
Remove the Cotter Pin (4) from the3.
Carrier’s Hitch Pin (5). See Assem-
bly Diagram on Page 6.
With assistance, lift the Carrier by4.
holding the Post and insert the hitch
end onto the towing vehicle’s tow
hitch (not included.)
Slide the Hitch Pin through the pin5.
holes and fasten in place by inserting
the Cotter Pin.
With assistance, place items to be6.
loaded onto the Carrier. Make sure
the load is equally centered on Car-
rier. Secure the load in place using
appropriate tie-downs, ropes, ags,
etc. (not included).
WARNING!7. Contact local DOT to
verify all safety guidelines are being
followed before transporting load.
MAINTENANCE AND
SERVICING
Procedures not specically
explained in this manual
must be performed only by a
qualied technician.
TO PREVENT
SERIOUS INJURY
FROM ACCIDENTAL
OPERATION: Remove any
load from the unit before
performing any inspection,
maintenance, or cleaning
procedures.
TO PREVENT SERIOUS
INJURY FROM EQUIPMENT
FAILURE: Do not use
damaged equipment. If
abnormal noise or vibration
occurs, have the problem
corrected before further use.
Inspection, Maintenance, and
Cleaning
BEFORE EACH USE,1. inspect the
general condition of the Carrier.
Check misalignment, loose or dam-
aged parts and any other condition
that may affect its safe operation.
BEFORE EACH USE,2. make sure
any dirt, debris, oil, grease, etc. are
cleaned off the Carrier. Clean the
Carrier with a clean, moist cloth. Do
not use solvents.
PERIODICALLY,3. check all hardware
for tightness.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY
THE MANUFACTURER AND/OR DISTRIBUTOR HAS PROVIDED
THE PARTS LIST AND ASSEMBLY DIAGRAM IN THIS MANUAL AS
A REFERENCE TOOL ONLY. NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER OR
DISTRIBUTOR MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY
OF ANY KIND TO THE BUYER THAT HE OR SHE IS QUALIFIED TO
MAKE ANY REPAIRS TO THE PRODUCT, OR THAT HE OR SHE
IS QUALIFIED TO REPLACE ANY PARTS OF THE PRODUCT. IN
FACT, THE MANUFACTURER AND/OR DISTRIBUTOR EXPRESSLY
STATES THAT ALL REPAIRS AND PARTS REPLACEMENTS SHOULD
BE UNDERTAKEN BY CERTIFIED AND LICENSED TECHNICIANS,
AND NOT BY THE BUYER. THE BUYER ASSUMES ALL RISK AND
LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF HIS OR HER REPAIRS TO THE ORIGINAL
PRODUCT OR REPLACEMENT PARTS THERETO, OR ARISING
OUT OF HIS OR HER INSTALLATION OF REPLACEMENT PARTS
THERETO.

Page 6SKU 66983 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
PARTS LIST & ASSEMBLY DIAGRAM
Part # Description Qty. Part # Description Qty.
1 Post 1 8 Flat Washer M8 8
2 Right Frame 1 9 Lock Nut M8 4
3 Left Frame 1 10 Connecting Bolt (M10x1.5x80) 4
4 Cotter Pin 1 11 Flat Washer M10 4
5 5/8” Hitch Pin 1 12 Spring Washer M10 4
6 Cross Brace 2 13 Nut M10 4
7 Bolt (M8x1.25x35) 2
Record Product’s Serial Number Here:
Note: If product has no serial number, record month and year of purchase instead.
Note: Some parts are listed and shown for illustration purposes only, and are not avail-
able individually as replacement parts.

Page 7SKU 66983 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
LIMITED 90 DAY WARRANTY
Harbor Freight Tools Co. makes every effort to assure that its products meet high
quality and durability standards, and warrants to the original purchaser that this prod-
uct is free from defects in materials and workmanship for the period of 90 days from
the date of purchase. This warranty does not apply to damage due directly or indirectly,
to misuse, abuse, negligence or accidents, repairs or alterations outside our facilities,
criminal activity, improper installation, normal wear and tear, or to lack of maintenance.
We shall in no event be liable for death, injuries to persons or property, or for incidental,
contingent, special or consequential damages arising from the use of our product. Some
states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so
the above limitation of exclusion may not apply to you. THIS WARRANTY IS EXPRESS-
LY IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS.
To take advantage of this warranty, the product or part must be returned to us with
transportation charges prepaid. Proof of purchase date and an explanation of the com-
plaint must accompany the merchandise. If our inspection veries the defect, we will ei-
ther repair or replace the product at our election or we may elect to refund the purchase
price if we cannot readily and quickly provide you with a replacement. We will return re-
paired products at our expense, but if we determine there is no defect, or that the defect
resulted from causes not within the scope of our warranty, then you must bear the cost
of returning the product.
This warranty gives you specic legal rights and you may also have other rights
which vary from state to state.
3491 Mission Oaks Blvd. • PO Box 6009 • Camarillo, CA 93011 • [phone]