Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"

Hitch was delivered fairly quickly but as others had experienced I had damaged packaging and needed to spray a little Rustoleum on it in a few places. I was able to follow the instructions that came with the product and did not have to enlarge any hole in the frame to fish the spacers and bolts as in the video. The video was very helpful though and I recommend watching it. I did remove the muffler and that made it much easier. I had the help of a friend with better tools than mine and it took us about an hour. This was installed on my 2017 Forester Premium. Would have given five stars if not for having to touch it up. I also installed the Curt C56040 wiring harness on my own and it went smoothly and exactly as in the video.1014426

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Hitch has been working great. I use it to pull a utility trailer as well as for a basket carrier and bike rack

Ken B - 04/19/2022

I chose etrailer.com for my Hitch because of the good background information they provide for the hitch's installation (the good price was also a major consideration). This is my second installation of a etrailer.com hitch on two different cars. The hitch arrived in good condition even though the box it was shipped in was lost in transit. I reviewed etrailers.com installation video and the written installation instructions that came with the hitch from Draw-Tite. etrailer.com video made the installing fairly easy. It really helps when you can watch how it is done. However I did not like slicing the heat shield as detailed in the video's instructions and followed Draw-Tite's instructions for the heat shield modification. etrailer.com's heat shield modification would have been much faster but I wanted more metal to help keep the heatshield from vibrating. Over all it took about two hours to do the installation. Only problem encountered was forgetting to put the rubber drain plugs back in the car's frame. It is really difficult to install the rubber plug back in once the muffler/hitch is in place. The hitch works perfectly and best of all I don't have to install a strap to steady the bike rack. Have just done a 1000 mile trip with no problems.909377

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Hitch is working fine. No problems have been encountered

James M - 11/08/2021

My husband and I put the receiver on in about 45 mins-1 hr.
Nothing too difficult. We used small ramps to hold up the rear of vehicle. We then used basic jack stands to help hold up the receiver in place and that helped a ton! It would def be a challenge to do by oneself.
*The only complaint would be that the paint was already flaking off in two small spots BEFORE we even put the receiver on. Doesn’t look as though there was even primer put on underneath the paint. The overall quality /assembly parts, etc seems great. However, I will note that the box the receiver was shipped in was probably not a proper size because the receiver had busted through and had scraping on the ends in the metal. That didn’t affect the receiver for us, but box damage was significant enough the UPS delivery man was even concerned.
The fit on my car seems perfect. We used a hole saw for the two places in the heat shield that required mounting bolt access, so we were able to retain 95% of the heat shield. We put it back on and it all fits great. So far we are very pleased with this receiver, seems to be very good quality.1267786

I will have our Customer Service team reach out to you. I recommend touching up the affected places on the hitch with a rust resistant paint. This will help to prevent rust and also you will have it on hand for regular hitch maintenance.

-- Jenny N - 03/10/2022

Rust Prevention

by: Scott05/30/2022

Subaru Forester

Hitch works great. Easy to install. Just remember, watch the exhaust side of the Forester. We put a tray into our hitch and melted a tote that was on the exhaust side. Not the hitch's fault. I raised the tray with an adapter. Yes, I know this reduces the carrying capacity of the hitch, I am just careful.1306836

I installed Drawtite hitch # 75876 on my 2015 Subaru Forester. It arrived in good condition and there were no parts missing. The installation went without a hitch (pun intended) and it fits perfectly. I think the key to my successful installation was the instructional video on etrailer's website. It was very clear and concise. There is however one thing I would like to add for an even better installation. Instead of trimming the heat shield to allow for bolt access and have it dangle, I drilled two holes in the shield, threaded the bolts through it and clamped it between the car's frame and the hitch. If you're concerned that the heat shield will somehow interfere with secure bolting, it won't. Subaru intentionally marked the heat shield with two small dimples for drilling position. I drilled holes 1/16" larger than the bolts and the hole position was perfect. I should mention the dimples are very small, so wipe the heat shield to help find them. There's an R and an M on the shield and the dimples are within those letters. (See photo.) Lastly, this hitch is rated for heavier towing than a Forester can handle so choose wisely. I'm using it only for my bike rack and cargo carrier, so I will never exceed 2500 lbs. of towing weight. Thank you etrailer for the excellent video!443694

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Its working out very well, thank you. Whats important is that I noticed other installers used my review to locate the two dimples on the heat shield for a more secure installation. It helped me and Im thankful it helped others. On another note, I did just notice a typo in my review that you might want to correct if you can. In the next-to-last sentence I state 250 lbs. of towing weight which should read 2500 lbs.

Perry D - 10/18/2018

This is the 2nd trailer hitch I have purchased from Etrailer. I spent $7 for the upgraded shipping at the hitch arrived 4 days after I ordered it. I installed this hitch on my 2015 Subaru Forester XT. The installation video was dead on, I followed step by step and it took about 45 minutes using a cordless impact, a few deep well sockets and a couple wrenches.
-I used my floor jack to raise the hitch and align the bolts. A must if you don't have a second set of hands.
-Using the hole saw saved a lot of time to trim the heat shields. I used the dimples as suggested and it was close enough to re install the shield. I bought the hole saw at Home Depot for under $10.
-I used a lot of penetrating oil on the muffler hangers, made it a lot easier to remove and reinstall. Reinstalling the mufflers was the most time consuming step, but was well worth it to have the access to get the bolts.
-The hitch is tucked under the bumper, my thule bike rack fits perfect and is much more rigid than when I had it installed on a 1 1/4 receiver on my old car.
-There is no visual obstructions in the rear when the bike rack is installed.
-I saved about $300 using this setup over the factory hitch.
I would highly recommend Etrailer. The customer support is excellent and this hitch was a perfect match for my bike rack.
Thanks Etrailer!
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From April to October, I had the bike rack installed on the trailer hitch and used it almost on a daily basis. I took several extended road trips with my mountain bike, and the hitch performed excellent. I remove the bike rack during ski season, but once the trails are snow free again, I will be using the bike rack and hitch on a daily basis. I am still super happy with the hitch I purchased from ETrailer and will definitely be buying towing products from this outstanding company.

BM - 03/08/2016

by: Chris04/25/2022

Used it about four times total and it’s already rusted. Really not impressed. It wasn’t the most expensive hitch so perhaps that’s on me. It’s not exactly something you can return once installed either.1290311

Thank you for leaving a review! You could try lightly sanding the rusted spots and touch up with paint in order to prevent the rust from growing.

-- Brooke M - 04/29/2022

Installed in just about 1 hour, I needed to step drill the center hole for clearance for plates and carriage bolts. The fish wires worked great and easy install. My Subaru Forester is ready to go camping and fishing. Thank you etrailer.552634

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It’s been working great , I’m going to need to purchase a new bike rack from you, haha

David - 08/11/2019

I am super happy with the receiver, the quality seems excellent and the price is amazing. I did have a local repair shop install it, so I can’t comment on that process.1053089

The receiver is still working great. I do use it only for a bike rack, but it seems super sturdy and still looks like new.

Paul - 06/02/2022

by: Randall05/19/2022

Perfect fit! Fairly easy install with help of one other person. It's been a very useful addition. Glad I bought it. This is my second hitch I've bought from etralier. They are very helpful and a pleasure to do business with.1299799

The trailer hitch is very good quality. The installation Instructions were easy to follow. The only issue I had was the box it was shipped in had some holes in it by the time the hitch got to me. I will have to paint over a small spot where it had been scratched.1052019

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Simple installation with correct tools on my 2016 Subaru Forester 2.5. I used an impact gun for the heat shield bolts and drilled out the heat shield as there are two dimples for starting the hole instead of hacking apart per the formal instructions. Another set of hands helps too. I used my 14 year old but I suspect you could use an adult too they are probably less moody.
Box was damaged during shipping as it weighs 40lbs plus. Etrailer buy better boxes or wrap it better. Wrap it better which reminds me I have three kids and we will be using this for our bike trailer. The hitch had some paint chips but i touched them up. Could be from bad wrapping or poor paint prep on the steel edges from Draw-Tite.1032343

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After pricing hitch installations locally ($700 at Subaru—nearly fainted??), I watched a few videos and decided to purchase the #75876 hitch for our 2015 Forester and do the job myself. The cost savings were significant and I had all the necessary tools so why not? I’m so glad I did! Once my tools were lined out and vehicle positioned on ramps the install took about 90 minutes (yes, it really does go that fast). The etrailer videos are very helpful and describe the step-by-step procedure perfectly. Some notes on my install: I chose to remove the muffler only and left the tailpipe in place. It was easy to remove and provided plenty of working room. It is unnecessary to enlarge the 4th service hole (which some videos say you must do) since plate and bolt fit right through the existing opening (very happy to see this). Feeding the wire and hardware through was super-easy. For raising the hitch I chose to use a floor jack and this worked fine. My wife assisted by simply stabilizing the hitch on the jack while I raised it to the bolts. It was aligned easily with the first two nuts going on. At that point, the jack was removed and all other nuts/bolts tightened and torqued to specifications. Next, I trimmed out the heat shielding and placed back on. Finally, the muffler wash reinstalled and....Presto! It looks great and is ready for our hitch bike rack. I highly recommend this product for DIYers who have the basic tools. Installing this hitch (in my case, on a Forester) was easy and fun to do! Thanks etrailer!572999

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by: Jesse 01/24/2022

2018 Subaru Forester

This Draw-tite Max-Frame trailer hitch was a straight forward install on my 2018 Forester. Had it a year now and worked perfectly for supporting a 2 bike rake daily.1251527

Great product, good price, helpful customer service, fast and free shipping, exactly as described. The installation went off without a hitch. bada bum. I used part of the box to cover the ground when completing the install, and followed the instructions just like in the video. There was no need to jack up the car at all as there was plenty of room. A second pair of hands was extremely helpful to raise the hitch and get one bolt on each side. After that a quick hit with my impact driver and then torqued to spec the hitch was secured.

Why buy any of the other hitches when when this one installs without any modification to the cars frame/unibody. The heat shield needs to be trimmed with tin snips or removed all together to complete the install as indicated in the videos. The hitch is made from very heavy steel approx 3/8" thick and is assembled in Mexico however, I knew that before I bought it because their customer service staff was excellent. I have no doubt this hitch will outlive the rest of the car.

Thanks etrailer.com for offering a great product and all the support & research that comes with it.200998

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Third hitch and wiring harness I've purchased from Etrailer (3 different vehicles). Most difficult hitch to install.
Easiest wiring harness to install. Just myself and didn't jack up vehicle. Took 3 hrs. The muffler was the hardest to remove and put back on.
Pretty much followed the videos for installation.
Hitch doesn't stick out beyond bumper.398225

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Thanks for all the interesting reviews/comments on hitch installation on Subaru Foresters!
Great service by etrailer folks.
A few of comments that might be of interest to future DIY hitch installers.
1) An inquiry to etrailer help line about the heat shield: They recommend definitely cutting out a portion of the heat shield as described it the instruction video. Interposing the aluminum heat shield material between the frame and the hitch attachment site may pose a problem with torque. Basically, just follow the installation video and all will go well. Some may dispute this but I will go with etrailer recommendations.
2) If you don't have the proper tools, find a willing relative/friend who does or have a mechanic install the hitch. A torque wrench will run you $50-$60 and the step drill bit cost $45. The step drill bit did work extremely well and I'll use both tools in the future. But buy a few more tools and you will soon match the cost of professional installation.
3) Safety. Work with the car on a flat hard surface. Cement garage floor is perfect. Make sure the car gearshift is in PARK and put on the car's emergency brake. Elevating the car on lifts or jacks is not necessary and adds unnecessary risk for the occasional DIY. Wear safety glasses or better yet goggles. Expect your face as well as the rest of you to be covered with road dirt that falls down on you while working under the car. The stepped drill will cause small hot pieces of metal to fly everywhere...Eye protection glasses very important! Use gloves while cutting the aluminum heat shield to avoid cuts. Only time I did not use gloves was fishing the bolts thru the car frame. Gloves will prevent a lot of nicks, cuts and scratches to your hands.
4) Collect all tools ahead of time and make sure they are all available next to the car. (see photo below). With the muffler removed from your car, its hard and noisy to drive your car to the store to pick up an extra tool. Likewise, check to make sure all the parts are present and all nuts thread into the bolts.
5) A good light source and heavy pad to lay on will make it an easier and more comfortable installation.
6) Figure out ahead of time how you will raise the hitch to bolt it on. An extra set of hands is ideal, but other reviewers offer many ingenious one-person methods. I zip tied a square piece of wood to the center/bottom of the hitch (see photo) and slid an additional number of square boards underneath the hitch until the pile of boards raised it to within an inch of the bolts that had been inserted in the car frame. Then a slight lift up to secure the initial bolt on each side. Zip ties cut off to released initial board after hitch attached to frame
7) Before you start installation check out the underside of the car and get oriented. The installation video is from the perspective of a car on a lift with the instructor STANDING underneath the car. You will be LAYING on your back in a confined space looking up...a much different perspective.
8) Finally, Subaru Foresters are not really vehicles for towing...1000 lb max (1500 with electric brakes). Hitch is great for larger bicycle racks. Besides a bike rack, I will buy a small 5X8 ft lightweight trailer for moving the occasional bulky items that don't fit in the back of the Forester but nothing really heavy (think screen door replacement or a few sheets of 4x8ft plywood). Also, small 400 lb.utility trailers are typically rated for 45mph max speed limit so I will only use the trailer for short distance drives on secondary roads to local stores. Rent a truck for bigger/long distance moves and avoid disasters.
Good luck with your next DIY and other adventures.571986

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I installed this hitch on my 2014 Subaru Forester. The instructions (especially the videos) were extremely helpful and well put together. With the help of my father, we installed in hitch in about 1.5 hours. I'm not quite sure why other customers are using the holes that can be accessed from within the rear of the interior, the fishing of the bolts as mentioned in the instructions went very smoothly. So far I have only attached my hitch-mounted bike rack, but I'm loving the hitch! Thank you etrailer, I will be back!387782

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Hitch has been wonderful over the last year. There is a little bit of rust starting, but that is expected in Minnesota. Thanks for the great product and service!

Tim D - 06/06/2018

I bought this product for a 2014 Subaru Forester XT Touring model. I am very pleased with it. I choose this particular hitch for several reasons (the Draw-Tite and the Hidden Hitch for this vehicle are the same hitch with different product stickers).

While I have no intention of towing the weight this hitch is rated for as that would exceed the recommendations for my vehicle, I wanted the 2" receiver for my platform style bike rack. Also, while I realize it is unlikely, I didn't want to be close on the tongue weight if I loaded several bikes onto a 1 1/2" receiver. For a few extra dollars I don't have that concern.

There were two other things that sold me on this hitch. One was that the competitors hitch recommended an additional strap from the bike platform back to the car or their warranty is voided. Draw-Tite does not require this for their product. I called them to confirm that this was not needed. I guess it might make a difference if you travel rocky / off road. Platform bike racks are typically not recommended for that type of travel.

The other selling point was that Draw-Tite provided instructions on how to trim the muffler heat shields so that they could be kept in place. The competitors instructions called for those shields to be removed. Might be another "peace-of-mind" issue, but my feeling was that those shields were installed for a reason. I just felt better keeping them there. I am sure someone more mechanically inclined could figure that out with the other products (by even just using the instructions for this product) but I was having mine installed by a mechanic that deals with Subaru vehicles and I thought it better to have those instructions to provide them.

Very pleased with the product, the instillation and how it looks on the car. I would recommend this hitch receiver. 140822

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Gary mentioned that he did not do the installation himself, so he might not be able to tell you if the frame holes were needed to be enlarged. Although, according to the instructions this is not needed. The only trimming that is needed is for the for the heat shield. Thanks again to Gary for the review and photos.

-- Rachael H - 7/21/2014

Hitch Receiver was ordered on Wednesday, arrived on Friday, with free shipping! Box was damaged, but the hitch was in good shape when I went to unbox it. Install video on the Etrailer website was very helpful when in came to installing. It is possible for 1 person to install this as long as you have some blocks of wood and WD40. It was still a balancing act at times to get the hitch up into place. Our Subaru has dual exhaust which made it a little more difficult to get the hitch into place but it fit as is should with a little monkeying around. Overall I am very satisfied with this receiver hitch for just over Probably took about 2 hours to install. Would recommend to anyone looking at buying one!!502009

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etrailer is an excellent company. Their website was easy and friendly and guided me to purchase the correct bike hitch product for my 2016 Subaru Forester. Their email follow up and status updates as to delivery were super and the delivery of my product was actually much faster than I expected even though I had only asked for standard delivery. I had my hitch installed at an Autoplex Dealer in my area ( yet another great company). Pictures are attached. Thanks!437470

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Product is still great. Service was exceptional!

Harv B - 10/02/2018

by: Reece05/23/2022

I like the trailer hitch it was easy to install and has proven to be well worth the money1301132

by: Bejan12/01/2021

I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to install the hitch by myself. The etrailer.com install video instructions were very easy to follow. The hitch is stronger and more affordable than an OEM hitch from the factory. Fitment was excellent!1214903

I want to thank etrailer for the prompt order delivery. Thanks to them, I was able to put my hitch on my 2016 Subaru Forester in time for my vacation. Also, the installation video was invaluable. It gave me the confidence to attempt the install in the first place. The hitch looks great. I'd recommend etrailer and draw-tight hitch to everyone. 269327

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A year later my hitch is working perfectly. It is still tight as the day I put it on, no rust has formed on it, and Ive used it several times. I would still recommend this product to everyone.

Mark V - 07/08/2017

Solid product. With the videos, install of the hitch, wiring, and ball took under an hour. My only complaint was that my hitch had a couple spots where paint was chipped away and lot of lumpy bubbling on it. I would ask for a replacement and send it back, but I'm having to haul things this week and don't have the time to return. Outside packaging didn't seem damaged when delivered.428534

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