/
Draw-Tite/
Class II/
1-1/4 Inch Hitch/
3500 lbs GTW/
300 lbs TWItem # 36523
Retail:$200.25
Our Price: $119.78
You Save: $80.47To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
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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.
Installation Details 
2014 - 2018 Subaru Forester
California residents: click here
Video of Draw-Tite Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class II - 1-1/4"
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Today on our 2017 Subaru Forester we're going to be installing the Draw-Tite class 2 custom fit trailer hitch receiver, part number 36523. This is what our hitch looks like when it's fully installed. As you can see it sits really nice and close to the fascia of the vehicle. Now this hitch is going to use a standard half inch pin and clip, which is not included but you can pick one up on our website using part number PC2. The ring around the receiver tube is for reinforcement so you know you have a strong sturdy hitch. The loop style safety chain loops are big enough to accommodate even larger hooks. Now this receiver has a 300 pound tongue weight, that's going to be the force pushing down.
As well as a 3,500 pound gross trailer weight rating, which is the amount it can pull. Now you do want to check with your owners manual to make sure that your vehicle can handle that. Here are a few measurements to help you in choosing accessories such as a bike rack or cargo carrier. From the center of the hitch pin hole to the outer edge of the bumper is six inches. From the top of the inside of the receiver tube to the ground is 14 inches.
Now I'll show to install the hitch. To begin our installation, we're going to have to lower our exhaust down. I'm going to take this strap and before I disconnect anything, I'm going to go ahead and support the exhaust. Now I'm just going to wrap it right around the drive shaft here just enough so that it won't fall down and hit anything. We're just going to spray a little lubricant on the rubber hangers to help get them off. You're just going to want to try to work that rubber off of the metal stem here, just like that.
Another option instead of taking the entire exhaust system down is you can unbolt the muffler and then you only have two locations to take your hangers off of. The next step in our installation is to be taking down the heat shield and you're going to have four 10 millimeter bolts to get that down. As you can see on our frame rail underneath, we have four factory plugs. We're going to need to remove all of those. You can just take a flat head screwdriver, get underneath it and they'll pop out. We'll do the same thing on the other side. The next step in our installation per the instructions is to make this hole a little bigger but what we found is, is that the excess hole in the back is already larger so we don't have to take as much material off to get the blocks in there.
We're going to be using a step drill bit and we're just going to make this big enough just to allow our hardware to get inside. Now this is the plate it's going to be going through and as you can see we got just enough room to get our hardware in. Now what we'll do is we're going to take our fishing wire and we're going to feed it through this front hole here and we're going to go all the way until you can see it out the back here. Now I do want to mention we did just get done drilling this, so you want to be careful not to cut your fingers. Once we have our fishing wire through, we're going to take our supplied plate, go through the end and push it up into the frame. Now with that in there, we're going to thread our bolt on to the end. Now that we have our bolt on, we're going to come to the other end of our pole wire and we're going to feed everything up into the frame and pull all bolts out. Now we're going to repeat that process for the other tow holes as well. As you can see we have all our hardware in. Now I do want to mention since we did drill this and it's bare metal, I'm going to be applying a little bit of paint just to resist the rust and corrosion. With this side finished up, we're going to go ahead and do the same process on the other side. Now with an extra set of hands we're going to have help putting our hitch into position and you're going to want to make sure to thread the pole wires through the appropriate holes on the hitch. Just like that and then we can pull the wire off. We're going to take the conical tooth washer and you're going to want to make sure that the teeth are facing the hitch and install your washer and nut. Now with our hitch supported with one nut on each side, we can go ahead and install the rest of the hardware. With all of our hardware in place, we can go ahead and start snugging them down. With all our hardware snug, we're going to go ahead and torque it down to the specified amount in the instructions and we're using a 19 millimeter socket. Coming back to our heat shield that we originally took off in the beginning. In order for us to reinstall it, we're going to have to make a cut along here so it'll fit around the bolts on the hitch. Now on our application, we're not going to be reinstalling this and you can leave it off if you want. Just keep in mind there will be some trimming if you would like to reinstall it. With the hitch installed, we can go ahead and put our exhaust back up. Finally, we can take the strap off making sure that all our connections are tight on our exhaust and hitch. That'll finish up the look at the Draw-Tite custom fit class 2 trailer hitch receiver, part number 36523 on our 2017 Subaru Forester.
Average Customer Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars (72 Customer Reviews)
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.
Good hitch, works well, installation was fairly simple. I've pulled a few loaded trailers and use it for a bike rack, no major issues found. Pressed to find something to critique, I'd say there are two possible downsides- it's noisy from the interior and it doesn't come with a plug for the receiver opening. The noise might be solved by a rubber grommet between the rear mounts and the hitch bolt plate, but it really isn't that bad overall. The plug for the opening would just be a nice touch. I don't know why the manufacturers don't just include one with the hitch. Rust isn't generally a good selling point for a product you put your name on. 419802
Wife has a 2017 subaru forester, picked this up for a good price via etrailer. delivery was prompt, packaging was excellent. Came in a big durable cardboard box, with all required parts. The unit is burly for a class2 hitch. installation was straight forward. Though I am disappointed subaru doesn't make it easier to install the mounting bolts. You have to drill into the frame rails to make 1 on each side big enough for the head of the bolt to fit in. I think Drawtite did a good job to make it as easy as possbile to thread all the bolts. It just caused more pain than I thought it should. I have a CRV, and the unit from drawtite just bolts right on. After larger holes drilled out, the installation went pretty smooth. The muffler mounts need to be removed to install the bolts. If you never had to remove the rubber muffler mounts, you know how fun it is to put them back on. The last one nearest the rear of the car was a PIA. But once done, you can breathe easy. 280834
I bought the Draw-Tite trailer hitch receiver, Thule bike rack, and T-One wiring harness. They arrived within a week of ordering. Everything works great. Now I can tow my rowboat or haul our bikes when we go on vacation. Excellent products and service! 361708
I received my hitch and lighting kit quickly after ordering; using the standard free shipping. I waited until Saturday to do the installation so I would have plenty of time. In general, the products are high quality and easy to install, and I was very pleased with the result. My advice is to use the videos on the web site instead of using the instructions that come with the products. The instruction for the hitch only differed in how to widen two holes on the car frame. The instructions said drill small adjacent holes and file to get a slot wide enough to slip in the spacer bars. The video showed using a hole widening bit; which I had. Also, watching the video gave me a much more clear insight into the installation as opposed to the brief instructions. The instructions packaged with the lighting kit were just wrong for where to locate the car's lighting plug. I removed much more than I needed to looking for the plug just behind the rear driver's side seat. I grabbed my phone and watched the lighting kit installation online and found the plug was in the driver's side rear side panel of the compartment. With that knowledge the wiring installation only took a couple of minutes. 260279
I ordered one of etrailer's hitches a few years back for my Mazda Protege and install was easy and the video on the website made it effortless. So, when I was in the process of ordering a new Subaru Forester I ordered another hitch for it before I even picked up the car. I picked up the car on Saturday and Monday when I got home the hitch had been delivered. I had studied the installation video a few times during the order process and installed it myself with no instructions. The only thing I needed the instructions for were the torque specs. I use the hitch for a bike rack and you highly recommend one from etrailer. The Subaru dealer wanted well over $500.00 for that option and the price on the hitch I bought was a little over $100 before taxes. GREAT JOB ETRAILER! 380826
I have installed the hitch but not used it yet. I just wanted to say two things about installing the hitch and the wiring harness. The hitch installation instructions show how to enlarge a hole in the vehicle frame in order to get the mounting plates in, but it misses the fact that the mounting bolt heads are too large to get through the hole as shown. You have to make the holes larger. The Tech Writer should have caught that. The harness connector in the 2014 Forester is not easily found and the instructions give no help. It is up out of reach behind a panel where the tail light assembly is. I was able to pry the panel loose in that area with a screwdriver. 136781
got the hitch and had a local shop install it . Perfect and looks good. They went a step further and drilled holes in the heat shield where the n mounting bolts are and the fit was perfect. Looks factory. they did not cut the heat shield as shown on the video. Also the the ball mount was not in the box when shipped as I had ordered a bike rack and they were put in the same box. with one phone call the problem was taken care of, thanks E trailer great job
-- comment by: Paul H - 06/30/2015We received the hitch, harness and ball in excellent condition. The packaging was very good. The hitch is very well made, as expected. The wiring harness fit perfectly. The greatest part about this purchase, though, was the video showing the installation of both the harness and the hitch. It was a great timesaver for me and was accurate in all aspects. I did take a chance on using the 2016 hitch listed for our 2017 Forester. There was one glitch with this. It seems that Subaru modified their muffler hanger a bit on the inboard side of the car. The rubber hanger could not be reinstalled due to clearance issues. I am still looking for a good workaround to correct this. All in all, this has been our second great Etrailer experience. 289159
This is the second hitch I have purchased from you people, as with the last one I think the quality was excellent, the instructions were clear and easy to follow, I only had a little difficulty getting the muffler off (not quite as easy as the video shows) after that slight glitch the rest of the went smoothly. I would highly recommend this product and if the need arises I would purchase another one from etrailer again. This one was installed on a 2016 Subaru Forester. 247575
Third time I have purchased a hitch from etrailer.com Everything arrived on time, after watching installation videos everything went together quickly and easily. Good pricing, prompt delivery, good support. You guys rock! 574759
I received the hitch and wire harness rather quickly I went online and followed the video, that made the install alot easier. 573184
My hitch arrived on time and was easy to install. Now I can hook up my little motorcycle camper tent to my Subi and travel cross country in comfort. It's also great for hauling the utility trailer for dump runs or carrying my tricycle to the Local bike trails. 568694
The trailer hitch has performed well! 560698
Good product at a good price. Excellent installation instructions. I'm perfectly happy with the hitch. 607870
Great product Have used it successfully several times. 600002
Great hitch / quality for the price! Etrailer's video installation and supplied instructions made installation very easy. Any "weekend warrior" can install with no issues - 2 out of 10 of difficulty stage. 595148
I want to thank everyone at etrailer for excellent product and most of all great service I had my local dealership install hitch/wiring harness etc and technician said he was impressed with comprehensive instructions and available videos.. He was able to make a "better looking" cut on the heat shield and was able to route wiring through spare tire well and "hard" mount onto hitch its self with the plug mount provided.. All in all a FIVE star situation Thank you again 538453
Very well made,,,fits under vehicle very neatly,,,doesnt stick out ,and is very unnoticeable... Very happy.. 528701
Hitch for my 2015 Subaru Forester arrived quickly and installed with no problems. 521406
Perfect! Easy install. Watch the video and have this installed in less than an hour. 521180
My order was processed and shipped the same day. George emailed me with updates which was nice. The hitch went on easily and fitment was good. I went with the draw-tite hitch rather than the Curt hitch because the draw-tite sat closer to the bumper for a cleaner look. overall happy with everything! 511461
Heaviest hitch I have ever bought. Great quality ! Delivered in days ! ! 509912
Product arrived really fast and was easy to install. The affiliated youtube video was definitely a big help as well to pair up with the written instructions 504981
So far so good. The hitch seems to be holding up very well. 501941
Good, clear instructions, although the installation is a little challenging on a Subaru. The instructions warn on the hard part. This is the 2nd or 3rd hitch I have bought over the years. Never had an issue. Except I keep getting ads on my google page for trailer after the sale. The ads are annoying. 498105
I received my order yesterday and I must say that it exceeded my expectations. The product looks so well built, very strong. The delivery was on time and everything that I ordered arrived in perfect condition. I also asked questions regarding the hitch that I needed before ordering and I had an answer right away. I would definitely recommend eTrailer. Thanks 495045
Relatively easy install. Takes 2 people to hold up both ends for installation but I'm very please with the results. 482518
The trailer hitch continues to work well and I have no complaints.
Walt - 03/09/2019Was checking available hitches on various websites. Wanted hitch for a bike rack that wasn't a shin banger when installed or so far under the car it was hard to mount bike rack. etrailer had the best prices but that isn't the thing that sold it. The pictures installed and the how to video to install helped me determine which hitch company,design and ease of install was right for me and my skill set. Great site etrailer! 479686
One year and hitch is performing well. Holds a 80 lb Thule bike rack and 2 ebikes. Paint is still like new even being coated with winter salt.
William - 02/28/2019Works like it should and installed without any problems. 470886
Trailer hitch arrived in just two days with everything in order. Excellent service and prices. 455903
Install went great. Etrailer's videos make installation really easy to follow. There was an issue - I received the wrong hardware set (incorrect plates to fish into the frame), but etrailer's support staff were awesome in resolving the issue with DrawTite and getting me the right parts. 452141
The product was packaged well and in very good shape. Videos were very helpful. Especially since the printed instructions didn't seem to know about the access hole on the Forester. Using the videos as a guide I put this on an XT and everything went fine. Lubricating the exhaust hangars is key. I know it's not etrailer's responsibility but pointing out jack and jack stand points would be very helpful. 449221
Great price and not bad to mount. Only needed about ten min. from a neighbor to help me. Otherwise took me about an hr. to mount it. 449109
One of the better fitting hitches I have ever put on. Great product and service and thanks George on the upgraded shipping 435349
Can be self installed but I had car shop do it for reasonable cost. The hitch is very sturdy and I have had no problems with it. I've used the hitch to pull a utility trailer but most often I use it to carry my bike rack. Great product. Greatly extends the capabilities of the vehicle. 430770
The hitch and the wiring harness works great on my 2016 Subaru Forrester 430550
What I like about this hitch is it isn't noticeable. Very sturdy. Perfect for my bike rack. 430002
had professionally installed. works great no issues. 428424
Another very satisfying experience with etrailer! Hitch installed on a 2018 Subaru Forester exactly as described. 415302
Package delivered in perfect order. Installation was very easy by following the instructions. The "fishing" wires to pull the bolts into position included in the kit made the installation go much easier. It is exactly what I was looking for. 411186
No issues, glad i purchased it from you and would again when needed
Dennis W - 07/27/2018Can't say enough about how I am impressed with etrailer.com!! Going to the website made me feel very confident that I made the right choice! Step by step instructions, including where to find the vehicle pre-wired harness was very reassuring. Had the hitch put on by my local garage and he said it was a piece of cake to install! 409450
A very good hitch. Very each to install. Installed without putting the car on a lift. Also, I did not need a very costly step bit. Was able to use a round metal file to cut two small slots on either side of the large round holes to insert the flat metal pieces and the bolts through. 391622
Hitch arrived in a timely fashion - as others have reported the box was cut but everything was intact. Watched the videos and was able to install on my 2017 Forester without jacking the car up - only assistance required was extra hands from wife to lift hitch in place. 388331
Good quality, easy to install, fast shipping. I am pleased with this product and would recommend it to everyone. 376697
Fairly easy to install. Fits perfect although you do need to modify the muffler heat shield but instructions are provided. A really simple modification. I also purchased the wiring harness connector and it plugs right in to the existing vehicle harness. No splicing or crimp connectors involved. A well thought out system. This was installed on a 2016 Subaru Forester. 375056
Excellent experience buying and installing this Drawtite hitch from ETrailer. Prompt shipping, great packaging and the installation video was spot-on. I followed the steps for the 1 and 1/4 inch hitch rather than the 2 inch hitch video. Very competitive pricing and great follow-up. In the future, if I need something that these folks carry, they'll get my business. 362337
We just bought a 2017 Subaru Forester. To be fair, we didn't get the chance to see a factory/dealer installed hitch but it was crazy expensive! etrailer had so many choices but first off, they have incredible service and the installation videos are AWESOME! We only pull a small teardrop camper but this is a great hitch (heavy, quality welds, flawless paint) delivered quickly and carefully packed. Our typical camping trips cover a lot of highway miles followed by the off-road trek through terrain that makes you flinch every time the hitch slams. We're super happy with the hitch and the wiring harness and ready to roll. 361082
The bike trailer Hitch I bought was great. Had it installed it is excellent. Paid $1$$.$$ for the hitch, $50.00 to install. all in $1$$.$$ Great 358159
I have ordered and installed multiple hitches from etrailer and the install instructions are accurate, the videos are great, the hitch holds up and does what it is meant to do. I could not be happier. 357073
Ordered hitch and wiring arrived in 2 days. Awesome price with free shipping... great job everyone... 342776
no issues, paint still looks great
Danny B - 02/17/2018I believe my choice, with the help of etrailer, of this Draw-Tite trailer hitch receiver, along with a few other items to go with it, such as the drawbar, hitch ball and wiring harness, was a good one for my 2017 Subaru Forester. I also have to compliment etrailer for their excellent video on how to install it. All together, it really made the purchase very easy and smooth. Thanks etrailer. 322351
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