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Perfect for light-duty towing, this custom, Buick Encore trailer hitch receiver features fully welded, gloss powder coated steel construction. Drawbar sold separately.
Features:
Specs:
At etrailer.com we're committed to the products we sell, and to our customers. Our experienced and knowledgeable staff are available via both phone and email to address your questions and concerns for the lifetime of your hitch. The technicians at etrailer perform hitch installations on a daily basis, making them a valuable resource for do-it-yourselfers. The one-on-one, personal service you'll receive comes straight from an expert in the towing and automotive field. We've installed it, we've wired it and we've towed with it, so whatever your question, we can answer it.
Tech Tip
Hitch does not fit Encore GX. No drilling required for installation , Access holes may need to be enlarged by drilling, filing, or rotary tool , Keeps full size spare under vehicle , Underbody trimming required (not fascia)
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (76 Customer Reviews)
Perfect for light-duty towing, this custom, vehicle trailer hitch receiver features fully welded, gloss powder coated steel construction. Drawbar sold separately.I was thinking at first that I would need another pair of hands on this job. Not so.
A single handed install by a doddering old very retired guy is no worries.
Everything you need, ( except the sockets, hands and a brain, ) are included. Instructions are good (remembering that I used to teach engineering) with some really good videos available on the old confuser.(I know, computer, but that’s not amusing).
For anyone who doesn’t want to mess with lowering the exhaust pipe, you don’t have to. I didn’t because I don’t have good tools to uninstall the rubber exhaust mounts. Found that there is enough space to slide the hardware around the pipe. (It’s why I had a “shape sorter” as a kid).
My other concern with doing this single handed was presenting things straight enough to fit over the ‘frame’. No worries, the flat parts are well dimensioned to slide right into place.
My install did not require any trimming, grinding or other cutting and the welded nuts were already in place and even better, they took the bolts without the need of cleaning out with a tap.
Like the instructions said, it took me an hour, in Florida, with a ‘dangerous heat’ warning in effect requiring frequent trips indoors to sample the a/c.
The hitch was a decent price, came quickly, and installed rather easily.
I have to admit, I was watching the wrong video for the install of this. I was already prepping with steps that were not applicable. I did have some notes to add. I did not find I needed to expand the holes in the chassis for the bolts and spacers.
There are two things I need to emphasize is, you really really really need to grind down the sealant that is left over where the side mounting holes are. If you miss any you will find that the holes will not line up and at that point, you're going to need to remove the hitch from under the car, prep again, and repeat.
Secondly, I did not find anything obvious enough showing that the bolts in this kit come with two different thread spacings. I spent at least 15-30 minutes wondering why I couldn't screw them in until I finally looked at them and realized there is a difference. That may not be an issue for some of you that think of those things, they just all looked the same, same color, same length..etc.
I would like to note, the pricing on the website is good however, the total costs shipping wise ended up slightly more expensive than another site. I needed to use paypal so this worked better. I just hope for future reference eTrailer compares their pricing for themselves since, this experience was so good it would be a shape to lose a customer over $5.
All things considered I would still come back to etrailer again. Everything was as described, shipping was quick, customer service has been excellent, and they have quality videos on Youtube to understand how to install your hitch and electronic hardware specific for your vehicle.
Thank you for the follow-up Carol!
Great product at a great price. Fast delivery. Bought this for my dad. He bought a new car and his old bike rack wouldn't work. Install was completed by a local garage recommended by etrailer. Happy with everything.
Fit exactly as described, the hardware supplied is well with thought out, it covered any possibility. The fish tools are particularly helpful, accomplished a hard task just as demonstrated. I installed it myself, the video is excellent, it left no surprises. Thank you!
Installation was perfect fit , well built trailer hitch .
It's pretty easy to install. I have had no issue with it after a year.
Easy to install and fit perfectly
Excellent fit, quick and easy to install
I moved from Arkansas to Washington State last year and towed a small UHaul with my 2017 Chevy Trax, which has the new hitch that I purchased from you. Everything worked great and I had no trouble whatsoever.
hitch and all parts arrived quickly and in good shape. Now the bad, one hole in the side plates of the hitch(both sides)did not line up with both threaded holes in the frame. I suspect if the frame holes were not threaded there might have been sufficient wiggle room with the carrage bolts for all 4 too align. As it was, had to lower hitch and ream all 4 holes to insure alignmentwhen reinstalling. Other than that I can see how it could be installed in 35-45 mins.
Worked Great! Thanks!
fit like it should and easy to put on
Excellent service! The hitch I ordered was delivered 2 days before the estimated time of delivery!
Only reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 was the absolute perfection of the hitch. It was so perfect it didn't allow for the imperfections of the vehicle unibody. Took an extra 20 minutes and some strong arming with a crowbar to get it in place. Once there, it bolted up nicely. I'm overall pleased with the product and would recommend!
I am disappointed that this hitch has a 1 1/2 inch receiver. I was hoping fir a 2 in receiver. My trailer requires a 2 5/16 ball. A 2 5/16 ball dies not come with a 34 in shaft required from 11/2 receiver. I'm screwed trying to make it work. The draw tight I wanted is no longer available.
The hitch arrived quickly. We had it professionally installed so that we could mount a bike rack. It's working perfectly -- low profile but effective. eTrailer's website was super-helpful in steering me towards buying the correct hitch. Thank you!
This kit had everything I needed, and the instructions guided me through a trouble-free installation. I am very happy with this purchase
Joseph B.
11/11/2022
One year later- this hitch continues to be trouble free. Corrosion protection has been great. I am happy with this hitch as well as the support from etrailer
This product could not have been any easier to install. I watched the installation video several times even before the hitch arrived so I had it in my head how things should go. I put the back end of my car (2019 Chevy Trax) up on my car ramps and went to work. I followed the instructions and it was like everything fell into place. Once I got the hitch up past the exhaust I could hold it up with my knee on one end and my hands on the other end. Got the screws started on each side on the bottom of the frame to hold it up and then the side bolts were a piece of cake. If you have a Trax like I do and need to haul small loads around, I highly recommend this product. It truly is a well designed custom fit product. I plan to purchase a 5 x 8 foot trailer with a fold down ramp that weighs 400 pounds so my pay loads will be around 800 pounds max. I think I'll nick name it "The Mini Hauler Express". No pictures because mine wouldn't be any better than the video.
Bolt up was perfect and the hitch installed well other than a stripped bolt on the vehicle. Will buy others from etrailer in future.
Everything was terrific. Delivery was fine. Installing was perfect. I installed on my 2020 Chevrolet Trax in less than an hour. Everything lined up perfect. I didn't even jack up the car. Otherwise I watched the tutorials. I saw where people say the bolts don't line up. I might suggest to not tighten all of them up before you get all of them started in place. If you need a receiver hitch this is a terrific place to get it. Looks great on the car. Extremely happy!
Product is very nice. Installation was a bit tricky as there is what appears to be some OEM fire retardant caulk that needs to be trimmed prior to bolting the vertical pieces unto the frame. My instructions didn't identify that and it made the install time frame a bit longer than anticipated. The install wasn't too difficult overall. I give the install 3 stars and the product 5 stars.
Thank you; great service and products:)
I like the design. It is as easy to install as about any hitch on small SUV's, looks great and is sturdy. The only issue is that there was an area of rust where the tube and top cap are welded when I received it. I need to address rust before I even install it.
The install went great! Bike rack fits like a glove.
My only criticism is for the directions. I realize they are meant to be pretty universal however they were more complicated than they needed to be.
For my 2017 Chevy trax, there was no need to make holes bigger, only thing that needed to be done was to move the exhaust out of the way and cut a little bit of the plastic that was in the way.
I was Very Impressed With My Hitch for My 2022 Chevrolet Trax, It was Shipped in just a Few Days to Me and The Quality was Great! Fit Perfect, Really Have to Take My Hat Off to The Person Who Engineer The Wire to Install the Carriage Head BoltInside The Tubular Frame!! Took Me Approximately 2 Hrs to Bolt It Up!!
USE FOR MY BICYCLE RACK. NO PROBLEMS.HITCH LOOKS GOOD ON THE CHEVY TRAX 2020 WENT ON OK
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Info for this part was:
At etrailer.com we provide the best information available about the products we sell. We take the quality of our information seriously so that you can get the right part the first time. Let us know if anything is missing or if you have any questions.
Katrina B.
9/30/2022
If you are having troubles with the holes not lining up, it could be that the hitch has been flexed during shipment. This is common amongst hitches, since the mounting brackets are made from a mild steel that allows the hitch to flex with the vehicle after installation. If the entire hitch was made of rigid steel, there would be a greater chance of the hitch being damaged and experiencing stress cracks. Such cracks could cause the hitch to malfunction. This flexing often times will cause the holes not to align. Because of this we do have a help article I have the link attached below that will walk you through the process of straightening the hitch.
Helpful Links
faq-my-trailer-hitch-doesnt-fit.aspx