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

This is for packaging and install, have not used it yet. Arrived quickly and well-packaged. Directions were Spartan but clear and easy to follow. Would buy again without hesitation. Removed muffler instead of dropping the exhaust, since I don’t have a tool for the hangars. As another has suggested, it is easier to reverse fish the wire through the holes in the frame and put the hardware on after, rather than trying to find the smaller hole with the loose end. A creeper is nice. Having a crate or something to put the hitch on is really the only way to do this alone, but it’s doable. 2 hours install time, and I’m pretty slow in general.1020848

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After a year, still looks great, paint is holding up, and worked awesome for bike rack all last summer and fall. Would buy again.

Chris - 04/25/2022

I am happy with my purchase,this is the second tow hitch I purchased from etrailier. I was able to install it by myself in under two hours without having to drill any holes. What a great fit and this after market hitch rates better and has a higher rating than the hitch that Subaru offers for less than half the price! Thank you etrailier1306419

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I needed a hitch for my 2022 Subaru Outback to mainly carry a bicycle. The OEM hitch is around $385 with an install price of about the same. That seemed ridiculous to me, and also why doesn't this vehicle come with a hitch?? So I looked into an aftermarket hitch at etrailer because I have purchased from them before, for a Honda CRV, and had a wonderful experience. The quality, fit, install video, and customer service (SHOUTOUT to Pamela E!!)was top notch. And the experience of buying this hitch was the same. etrailer is just a pleasant company to do business with. My main concern with aftermarket was how low would it hang and how clean would it look? After install, which took about 1.5hrs, it looks like it belongs there and hangs just below the exhaust. For $xxx and a little of my time and effort, I'm very happy with it.1291662

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Installation was easy. Take your time. Maybe have a second person. Pro tip for Installation: when putting the hitch on, install the thread wires so that the bolts DO NOT go back onto their holes and not be saved. That way install is way easier. The directions are very very easy and short. I think it took me and a friend 1 hour and we were joking around and taking our time. Took no real brain bytes to do this as long as you have some very basic tools.

(Sorry for the horrible and late night photo of the hitch).1303692

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"Confirmed fit" for our Subaru they say, and had to modify and bend the steel plating to fit the holes on the hitch to the actual hole widths on the car frame. If you look closely at the measurements for where the steel tubing is welded to the steel plating, there is an inconsistent number on either side. I measured front holes and back holes center-to-center and they were different. Looking down on the hitch in the one picture, you can see how what would be the passenger side is bent inward. The corresponding measurement from the edge of the steel plating to the end of the steel tube is greater than it is on the driver's side. Hmm, if only they would have measured between holes before they welded it???? Nope, seems overly logical to double-check a product's final dimensions before selling it for $200+.

This hitch was slapped together and "powder coated" in a hurry. Lots of spots where the powder coating has flaked off, and it hasn't even been used. I have a hard time believing that happened during shipping. Said they'd give me $10 towards paint. How about a better product? I get it, demand is high and inventory low, though that's no excuse for shoddy products and poor craftmanship. I ordered a Curt hitch from etrailer a few months before this one and had ZERO issues. I will not be shopping for a Draw-Tite again.

Be warned, if you are installing this hitch yourself, be prepared to have to put your hitch into a bench vise and bend it till you get the width you need. I ended up having to bend both sides of mine to get another full inch of width. The etrailer representative I spoke with told me that these hitches may need to be flexed to be installed. My response was that might potentially weaken the steel to which then I'm ultimately responsible for, not etrailer and this substandard product. I'm disappointed etrailer; this is a new low for an otherwise reputable company.1193140

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I will have our customer service team reach out to you. It sounds like the side bracket were flexed as you have mentioned. The side brackets are made to flex with the vehicle frame as the vehicle travels the road. They can be flexed out of alignment while in transit to our facility or to you. I have a good FAQ that can assist with a flexed hitch. In regard to the paint I would recommend touching it up with a rust resistant paint that you will then have on hand for regular hitch maintenance.

-- Jenny N - 11/02/2021

My Trailer Hitch Doesn't Fit

Rust Prevention

In my option this hitch is way too short for my 2022 Outback. When mounted the receiver sits at least 3" under the rear bumper while other receivers I have had on other cars are even with the back of the bumper or even protruding a bit. My fold-up bike rack barely fits. I bought a Curt hitch from etrailers a few years ago for my 2016 Outback and it sits about flush with the back of the bumper. So if you have a 2022 Outback the Curt is probably a much better choice than the Draw-Tite.1312836

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The item # C67JR
Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"
$291.06 hitch does sit a little closer to the vehicle.

-- Sierra K - 06/20/2022

Helpful Link

Marvin ordered the wrong hitch. Fortunately, I discovered this prior to shipping and was able to get the correct hitch ordered. When it arrived, it was packaged poorly, this allowing the hitch to tear large holes in box. There was NO hardware. I called and left two messages for
Marvin, no calls were returned! My husband had to get our own parts to
Make our trip on time. Very disappointed in the Customer Service!1291849

Customer Service will reach out to you.

-- Sierra K - 05/03/2022

by: Patrick 06/29/2022

I love our hitch! It was a little tricky to install because I didn’t put the car up on a lift or blocks. I also had to remove the muffler, as I couldn’t reach my arms around to the bolt locations. The directions were very clear and helpful, though. I forget that we have it when not in use b cause it’s so low profile. Would definitely recommend to others!1317434

Put this on my 2022 Subaru Outback Premium. This is a very good hitch and I am happy I bought it. etrailer's install video was clear and was all I used to install it.

A star comes off because the "powder coating" on the hitch was chipped off in a few places. In part, the box it came in from etrailer was insufficient to protect it -- the box was ripped and the hitch had scraped where it protruded through the box, but in a couple other places it was just chipped. That said, this isn't an expensive piece, and it seems very strong and well-made. 4 stars is very, very good. I do recommend it.

I installed it in 90 minutes by myself. I used jack stands and some contortioning to get in place without the much-recommended "second set of hands." I wouldn't recommend my method, but I did it!1306331

It is definitely a challenge installing by yourself, on your back in the driveway.Etrailer needs to update videos for Hopkins wiring harness. The plug in the 2022 is at the back hatch...literally pop the cover at the latch off and plug it in. It's no longer by the fender on the driver's side.1298090

To begin with the shipment was damaged during the process. I have included pictures. I think a header cardboard box or a better protection should be considered.
Additionally I was missing one of the install bolts, luckily I have enough stuff at home to resolve that issue.
Lastly installing the product was meet with some challenges, as I guess the hitch was dropped resulting in the distance between the two distal mounting point to not aligned with the vehicles mounting points. I had to use some creative techniques to install it.
Now it is on the vehicle secured, but it could of gone much smoother than this. Mind you I have installed hitched in the past and some even required more modifications, which I was glad your product did not. Stull I need to touch up pain the unit.1243784

I have sent a note to customer service so that they can reach out to you about the missing bolt and damage. The flex you mention is a common issue that happens during shipment to our facility and shipment to you. There are a few ways to fix a flex issue with the help of this article:

-- Sierra K - 01/17/2022

Helpful FAQ

I could not believe how quickly I received the trailer hitch, it was approximately 3 days. Installation was extremely easy and the hitch fits the car perfectly!1306889

by: Tom04/09/2022

2018 Subaru Outback Wagon

Pulled a 2600 lb. Boat/motor/trailer with my 2018 Outback up to 75 mph on the 45 mile return home from purchase trip, no problem. I have launched and retrieved multiple times since, no problem. I'd buy it again, no problem!!1287687

Arrived in two day even though it left Earth, box was in ok shape but battered. The directions were to small to read, but the video told me enough. I drilled the hole needed with a spade bit trimming with a utility knife on the heat shield, I also had removed the muffler as the car was 7 days off the lot, and a 2021 model. I rested hitch on a cinder block while putting bolts on left side. Then got the right side in place. Used nut driver to run up, then torqued to the spec. Took me one hour and a half, I am legally blind so not a hard job for a person with good sight.911618

Still working great

Michael - 11/14/2021

Overall the hitch meets expectations as a trailer hitch. I'd like to point out a couple of things that are not meant to be specific negatives, but considerations. My 3-stars is directly related to item 2 below. I really don't want to have to go through two install procedures.

1. Installation: 2020 Outback XT
The XT has dual exhaust, and there simply was/is not way to get the hitch in to position without removing the mufflers. There is not the room to contort the hitch in to position with the mufflers released from their mounts, but still connected.
THE GOOD - the mufflers are very straight forward to remove - two fasteners each and with the car being new, everything came apart easily and back together without having to replace any washers/seals. Add 45 min to your install time, take your time and all is good.

2. Use of Yakima 4-bike HoldUp Evo. The rack is angled down at the back. It is very noticeable on the 4th bike being titled toward the ground. This is not an issue on my '15 outback with Curti hitch (from e-trailer) - so it is not the rack (I tried it side-by-side to double check). The instructions say to add a washer between the rack and the car frame to only the ear mounting bolts which causes a slight down angle on the hitch receiver verified by putting a level on the receiver - in hindsight. I may end up going back through the whole process to remove those washers in an effort to even out the rack. I would suggest installation without the washers!

3. Shipping - UPS can't seem to deliver something of this composition without rough handling (same issue when I took delivery of the Curti for my 15 Outback). The hitch punched through the box in two locations. No damage done, but be aware and try to be present when they deliver to reject the shipment if they damaged the hitch during transit.795543

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Rec'd my Hitch (DT73RR) and Wiring Harness (C56040) in just a few short days after ordering. Kimberly in customer service was great! She answered all my questions about my 2020 Subaru Outback and even placed my order while I was still on the phone. I installed both in less than 2 hours. The hitch looks great and was easy to install with no drilling! This is the 2nd hitch and harness I've purchased from etrailer and couldn't be happier with my purchase. Great products and excellent customer service!789889

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I order it on Friday, and it arrived noon Wednesday and by 6 pm it was installed. I paid the extra $[XX] over free shipping to get it here 5-7 days earlier, worth it. It took me about 2 hours to install, but I am slow, a second one would go much faster. No problems installing. One of those pictures is looking up at the 2 bolts that hold the hitch on the left side of the 2021 Subaru Outback. Mainly plan to use it for a bike rack.1030148

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Got as advertised, instructions were simple and easy to navigate. Easy to install. Looking forward to many years of use. I would highly recommend e-trailer for anyone who needs towing products, customer service was fantastic and answered all my questions. Thank you1281056

We chose this particular item because it was the least amount of removing parts of our vehicle than the other hitch receiver and we are glad we did. Other than lowering the exhaust system, it was fairly easy. I do recommend 2 people install. Shipping was quick and we had no issue with the product upon arrival. This is the second hitch receiver we have ordered and will always use etrailer for any future needs.1244141

Box did not prevent item from being scratched. Flimsy padding and shipping protection. Item came scratched like a used item.1299734

I will have our Customer Service team reach out to you.

-- Jenny N - 05/19/2022

Fits 2022 Outback. There is one weakness to this installation- no access to the frame on which the tow hitch receiver is mounted, so carriage bolts are snaked into position using a wound wire that pulls the bolt/retainer into place through one of the frame holes. Luckily worked ok on 3 but on the fourth, the wire wrapped around the threads that serves as the attachment point got sucked up into the nut as it was being tightened, but before the carriage bolt was seated in the retainer. This application needs a two-stage thread like snowblowers have, so that you can install the nut and washers over the smaller diameter thread and then remove the wire retainer once there's no chance of losing the bolt in the frame. I wound up having to use 6 washers to cover the part of the carriage bolt that stripped and was lucky not to lose the bolt as there is virtually no way to recover/remove the bolt if lost. Appears to have worked- made one trip already with a small trailer.1132259

Thank you for your review. The bolt wire trick is handy in getting your carriage bolts in your frame. It is absolutely necessary and pretty simple once you get the hang of it. You can watch it be done at the 6:45 mark in this attached video:

-- Sierra K - 08/31/2021

Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Installation - 2022 Subaru Outback Wagon - Video

Man, you guys are the "cats meow". You got plenty of info for any vehicle on the market today. You have videos on how to install your trailer hitches. You have videos on how to install the trailor electrical kits. Man, you guys sell all the items needed for a trailer. A One Stop shopping center. The prices are pretty dam good too. Glad I looked you guys up. Keep it up. If ever I need any trailer hitch or anything, I'll be calling you guys.1239011

It was unbelievable how seamless this installation was! Everything fit as described even down to the heat shield trim work. The accompanied video instruction saved the day! Give a big thanks to the team for putting those fish tapes in the order. The only fix I suggest is possibly putting some foam packing on the edges of the hitch to protect it from ground freight. My hitch had a minor paint chip. Other than that, excellent process and excellent product!1227662

Very easy installation & the etrailer video was very helpful. Rather than lower the muffler & tail pipe by removing the rubber grommets holding them up, I opted to just remove the muffler from the tail pipe (only two bolts) & pull the muffler all the way out (the support grommets require some wrestling) for easy access to the heat shield. I found that using a 1 1/2" spade bit to drill through the aluminium heat shield made for a perfect bolt hole (best to lay the heat shield on a block of scrap wood & bring the bit up to speed before drilling). Since I'm only using the hitch to carry a bicycle rack I did not install wiring for trailer lights.901777

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Excellent fitting product on my 2022 Outback Limited. The online videos were very helpful and the provided hardware had everything I needed. etrailer is truly the leader in this industry. Keep up the great work!1259646