Very sturdy, bikes were completely stable on 500+ mile trip. Highly recommend this if you need a 6 bike carrier. The hydraulic piston works great when lowering the carrier but is a PITA to get the thing back in position to pin it once you disconnect it to lay it horizontally to take the carrier off, which is about the only functional way to manipulate it. You would need to men to instal it angled up. Horizontally 1 man and a teen can get it done. But like I mentioned the only way for it to get into this position requires you to un pin the hydraulics and they don’t go back together easily. I wish it was a little lighter and I wish the main vertical support had the ability to be adjusted for hight. My Escalade hitch is plenty high so If could lower the bike hight it would be way better for fuel economy. Believe it or not mountain bike tires about the roof will wreck your fuel economy to the tune of -6mpg. I’ve check with my 4 bike flat tray style and 4 bikes on the velocirax and that’s the difference