Draw-Tite Sportframe Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class I - 1-1/4"
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2020 Mini Clubman
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2020 Mini Clubman
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This fully welded, corrosion-resistant vehicle trailer hitch receiver is perfect for your light-duty towing needs. Draw-Tite's Tested Tough guarantee ensures that this hitch exceeds industry standards. Drawbar sold separately.
Features:
Specs:
Draw-Tite's Tested Tough program provides testing standards far superior to those outlined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the go-to source for engineering professionals.
Each Draw-Tite trailer hitch receiver undergoes extensive fatigue testing and static testing with the ball mount that is either supplied or recommended for use with that particular hitch, thus ensuring results that are applicable to real life use. Fatigue testing is also conducted on hitches rated for use with weight-distribution systems.
In addition, Draw-Tite performs static testing on a simulated automobile, as opposed to the rigid fixture used for SAE testing, resulting in a more true-to-life scenario.
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.
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I installed this hitch on my 2017 GTI. It fit perfectly. I removed the rear valance panel, not the whole rear bumper as suggested in the instructions. I marked the exact center line of the valance panel along with a mark on the chassis before removing the rear valance. I used the reference lines to center the hitch on the chassis and to precisely cut the panel to fit the receiver. My cut out is 2" wide by 3" tall. I marked the cut lines and used a Dremel with saw blade. I then used a rat tail file at each upper corner to round out the corners to clear the top plate that the receiver is welded to. I am very pleased with the quality and look of the hitch.
Zero complaints. Love my hitch! Use it for a rear mounted bike rack. Love that it hides behind the bumper so all you can see is the hole for the hitch. So glad I bought this brand when I see some of the other common brand hitches that are hideous. Thanks guys!
Sean
4/16/2019
It’s been 2 years since I bought the hitch and it’s still perfect. Paint is holding up well. Still recommend to anyone with this vehicle.
I purchased this just before moving last year. Hiring a mover proved to be too expensive for the small amount of stuff I had and there was no way I was fitting a dresser and bed frame in my little VW Golf TDI. I got my hitch pretty quickly and one of my mechanically inclined friends had no problem installing it for me. It only took a couple hours and he only had to remove the flashing and loosen the exhaust a little. I was able to tow a small [rental] trailer all the way from Spokane, Washington to Yorktown, Virginia. I haven’t had a need to use it since but it made the 2000+ mile trip with no issues and even living near the ocean it’s only rusted where the paint was scratched. I love how it’s mostly hidden and only sticks out a few inches from the bumper. In the future I plan to get a bike rack and one of those carrier things that you can put coolers and such on since my small car doesn’t have much cargo space with passengers.
Great communication during ordering/shipping
Good product, can be improved from the bolted joint design
Marginal Installation instructions, they need to be improved.
Here are the things that need to be improved:
1) installation instruction need to show removing the tail lights to gain access to the bumper facia retention tabs. If you don't release the tabs correctly you will break out the retention holes in the bumper. Not an exciting prospect when you have a new car with only 1000 miles on it. To get access to them you need to remove the tail lights.
2) the fifth (5th) screw hold the front edge of the bumper facia in the wheel well. There is a picture showing it (top right of 1a) , but it is not well labeled in the instructions.
3) the bolted joint for the M8 bolts needs to be improved. Uncertain about the long term ability for the fasteners to not come loose. The issue is: the holes are to large in the washers, hitch, and space plates.
Overall very satisfied with etrailer and their products they sale. This is my 3rd hitch purchased through them and installed myself. With a little mechanical know-how most of these hitches go on without issue. I will say this hitch was a little more involved as I did remove the rear bumper cover to install two bolts. Others have claimed to be able to install without removal. I didn't mind the process just intended to take more time and gave myself good part of an afternoon to complete the task. From beginning to end I installed it in 2 hrs. All said and done it's a great hitch and fits nearly perfect. Also purchased a Swagmen bike rack, no more front wheel removal and stuffing the bike in the back. Will most diffinetly continue purchasing through etrailer!
The man who installed the hitch on our 2017 Golf was able to complete the task in a little more than an hour. He'd installed hitches before, but not this one. He had no complaints about the product.
We have now purchased and put together the bike rack that we'll use it with. No pictures of the hitch yet, but I do have a picture of the bicycle that it will carry. We know this hitch and rack will allow us to continue bicycling several more years. Thank you so much for the great service.
My only complaint was that the bolt holes for the bumper bolt holes could have been moved up on the flange about a 1/16"
I had some difficulty inserting the bolts. Other than that, Looks great. I did not have to remove the Bumper plastic to install the hitch reciever. I was able to drop the exhaust down and sneak the hitch behind/inside the bumper. Just looking for my next opportunity to use it! Thanks!
This receiver hitch fit my 2015 VW GTI perfectly. Super easy install. Hardest part is removing the bumper. The hitch is totally hidden except the actual receiver, it's barely noticeable.
Fantastic hitch that is barely visible and not at all an eyesore as some aftermarket hitches are. Tucks up nice and neat. Easy to install. Works great for my bike rack. I love it.
Struggled for a while to get the rear bolts into the bumper bolt holes because the hitch was slightly too low. Put a jack under the hitch to apply way more upward force and the bolts went right in.
I've never owned a trailer hitch before but was able to install myself in the driveway from the provided directions on a 2015 GTI. It's practically invisible under the rear bumper with nothing attached. With a bike rack attached it remains stable even at highway speeds.
Alex R
6/18/2021
This hitch has worked out better than expected. Very stable with a bike rack. Looks great and fits in with the car.
This is a solid piece of hardware kit. Installation instructions was average and there’s no blaring mistakes. The challenging thing about the install is you have to work in very tight spaces with only the lower bumper piece removed. The removal of the lower bumper piece was a pain in itself because of the way it is attached to the main bumper. Due to the lack of access and visibility behind the bumper, aligning the screws through the holes had to be done by feel. Perhaps this would go smoother if the whole bumper is removed ?
Perfect fit with aftermarket Corsa Exhaust on my 2015 GTI. I most definitive did not want the hitch to be visible below the stock muffler as other GTIs. To me that just looks hideous. Please note this hitch is NOT recommended for the GTI as it will interfere with the stock muffler.
Very nice hitch, great quality. Installation is a pain as the instructions are not detailed and you're left to figure out a lot. If you're not the type to take your time and do lots of googling, then save yourself some time and money breaking things by taking it to a dealer for installation.
This hitch fit great, installation was easy following instructions. Gonna use it for my bike rack, Staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. Thanks
Ken
5/31/2019
Still using it, good product
Hitch and wiring are working flawlessly. Adding a hitch was the best thing I did for easily carrying things that would not fit in my car. It is has made life so much more convenient and stress free.
Cliff B.
3/26/2018
Everything is still working very well and I am very pleased with my purchase.
Installed this on my GTI the other weekend. It fits well with my AWE aftermarket exhaust system. The elongated holes on each contact point of this hitch allowed the installation to go smoothly - NO issues with the installation such as nudging, prying or man-handling it to get things to line up. I was surprised as to how closely the hitch fit to the horizontal frame weld where the main crossbar of this hitch lines up. Seems well engineered.
Some installation notes: I didn't remove the bumper after reading another GTI'ers post about the hitch, just removed the GTI rear valence - piece that attaches to the bumper and creates the exhaust ports and lower bumper design.
If you go this route, there are lots of plastic 'germanly' engineered clips to manipulate (12-14), but it seemed easier to me than dropping the whole bumper piece and worrying about realigning it to the fenders. Going the valence route also allows you to line up and mark the valence for cutting after the hitch is installed - just plop it in there and mark you two edges, then cut the distance in it states in the directions to accommodate for the depth of the hitch - perfect fit !
I bought this hitch for my GTI to use my Swagman Trailhead 2 Bike Hitch Rack, which was left over from my VW TDi Jetta Sportwagon I turned in a few years ago. Saved me a ton of money over getting another set of roof racks, etc.
The next weekend, I put in the hitch rack, mounted my XL 27.5 mt bike and drove 2+ hours to go do some mountain biking - no issues or worries at all. Now my son and I can hit the trails without having to borrow the wife's car!
Hitch fit my 2017 GTI even though that year wasn't listed. Removing back tires would have sped the install up a bit but it fit just fine. etrailer.com comes through again.
While the quality with which this was put together is great, accuracy wasn't the best, neither were the instructions. What I mean by accuracy is the fact that the right most bumper mounting holes were about 1/16 inch too low and would not allow me to get the mounting bolts threaded onto the bumper weld nuts. I had to loosen all other bolts and really put a lot of force on the hitch itself to angle it far enough to somehow get the bolts to thread. A second issue is that the square tubing which is the receiver portion of the hitch, isn't square to the cross member that it is welded to, this is tough for me as i'm partial OCD but can also be an issue as this will now tow at a very slight angle, the long term effects of this are unknown at this time. Once that was done, the rest was pretty much good to go. As far as the instructions, i would recommend loosening the lower fascia and lowering the exhaust rather than removing the entire bumper. This dramatically sped up the installation process because in my case to remove the bumper you need to remove the taillights, weather stripping, 2 dozen or so bolts and fasteners, and take care of 10 or so plastic clips. if you loosen the lower fascia and lower the exhaust you can squeeze the hitch between the fascia and the mounting points for the fascia and pretty much bolt the hitch right on. This install was done on a 2015 VW Golf TDI.
This was a bit of a tight fit, but did fit my 2015 VW GTI SE 2dr. The fit and finish is very good and provides a barely visible solution for hitch mounted bike racks or light weight towing.
This is my third hitch from etrailer, and again I’m a happy customer. This hitch came quickly, was easy to install and looks great. I put this hitch on my little VW Golf just to carry a bicycle rack a couple times each week. And, in that role, it has worked perfectly. It’s a good product.
Fits great, looks great. Install was pretty simple, I didn't remove the entire bumper, instead just the rear valance. No moving the exhaust either, use a swivel 13mm socket and you'll be fine. Start to finish was about 1 1-2 hours. Installed on a 2015 VW Golf TDI S.
Ben
5/26/2016
Use it all the time. No issues, no lossening, no rust. Works great! Highly recommend!
This is probably the most discreet hitch, a class1, I have seen fitted to a VW Golf (mine is a 2015).
Companies such as "hidden hitch" are really obtrusive. It has only been fitted a year and have used numerous times and very pleased with it.
Hey and guess what??... it has not even started to rust!
Can certainly recommend.
Draw-Tite hitch seems well designed and is completely hidden unlike the last VW Curt hitch I bought. BUT!!!! The installation instructions are shamefully terrible, as figuring out how to get the bumper fascia off to install the hitch was a complete and utter nightmare. Granted, now that I know now where the fastenings are and how they work, it would be easy, but figuring it out for the first time involved more than a little hair-pulling and concern that I was going to break something. Online search showed others concerned with same problem!!!!
Hitch was relatively easy to install and works well. A bit low, but that is due to the design of the car.
I use it for a bike rack and light duty towing.
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Gary R.
7/9/2018
The hitch has held up perfectly after one year and through a winter season.