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Fully welded vehicle trailer hitch is strong and durable. Draw-Tite's Tested Tough guarantee ensures that this hitch exceeds industry standards. The combination of an e-coat base and a powder coat finish provides excellent rust protection.
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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Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (892 Customer Reviews)
Fully welded vehicle trailer hitch is strong and durable. Draw-Tite's Tested Tough guarantee ensures that this hitch exceeds industry standards. The combination of an e-coat base and a powder coat finish provides excellent rust protection.Everything about the experience was great. If you watch the install video and read the instructions you will have no issues! I rented the torque wrench from a local auto parts store. The hardest part is putting the trim back on.
I did this by myself within 2 hours.
Very nice hitch. Installation went pretty smooth on my '18 Outback. I know this is rated a 10/10 on the difficulty scale but I would think it's easier than mounting the hitches that are bolted beneath the car, which requires drilling, yet are rated 6/10. No drilling here which is why I chose this hitch, along with the clean appearance (no bar visible below the bumper). I've done very little car work in my time so this is definitely doable if you're reasonably handy. Some recommendations. I had to spend $50 on tools I didn't have, the most expensive being a torque wrench. I also picked up a 10" ratchet extension, a handy little mini ratchet for unscrewing the screws for the mud flaps (guy uses one in the video), and a bag of spare retaining clips for Subarus. The latter is nice to have because you might break some clips as you get them out, like I did. The bag of aftermarket clips of multiple sizes only cost a few bucks online. Also, be ready for a surprise or two. Mine came immediately: For some reason the first four retaining clips I had to remove (for the tail-light covers) were not the kind that could be unscrewed or popped out. They were permanently set (see photo), so I had to wedge a screwdriver in there behind the cover to get them loose. This took a while to do because I was worried about breaking the tail-lights. I don't know why those clips were used for my car. If you happen to have them, then getting them loose will require some finesse. I also recommend keeping the clips organized for re-installing them. As I took them off I labeled them and put them in numbered bags, and wrote the corresponding numbers next to the holes on the fascia. Kudos to eTrailer for having such great installation videos. They really do making it much easier. Also, the shipping was crazy fast. Got the hitch in two days. Nicely done, etrailer. Will be buying from you again.
Buy far the best hitch for the Subaru Outback. Installation is a breeze with minimal tools. Remove tail lights, then the bumper cover, remove 8 nuts from the factory rebar and remove it, place the hitch on the rebar studs, then reinstall the factory rebar and then the cover and tail lights and you are done. This company sells great products with fast shipping and great customer support!!!!!
I am pleased with this hitch. It does what its supposed to. The mounting of it was easy even after a few beers. I use a hitch basket with two 55qt coolers strapped down to it. It doesnt move, its very sturdy. The hitch doesnt stick out so its very shin/knee friendly. Pretty awesome. No compaints.
Nathan
12/3/2023
Still going strong, no issues.
As always I am very happy with the prompt service and shipping as well the quality of the product. My only disappointment is, I chose this Draw Tite hitch because it had the extra hole for the J-Pin (anti rattle device). Mine did not come with it. That was a let down
Ease of installation was fantastic! Instructions were clear. Harness installation was as simple as promised. The vehicle did not reject the relay box. All signals worked as promised. I like that the end result is as near a factory appearing as possible as it protrudes from the facia.
Sharon M.
8/8/2024
Excelent. everything is as promised.
I love the exact fitment of the hitch. I had no problem with the install and the video instructions was very easy to follow.
Pretty straight forward to install. works great for our little Subie to get a bike rack via hitch. 10 out of 10 dentists would recommend for white teeth and hauling sweet gear!
John
7/12/2024
Has been working solidly for a year now. No signs of rust or issues. 11 out of 10 dentists would recommend!
Installing this was far less painful than I had imagined. For one, the video is extremely helpful. I just watched it until I needed to pause it, and that was really great. It took me about 2.5 hours to get this installed, but that's only because I was by myself and had never done anything like this before. There were three things that I found difficult: the hardest part was getting the push pins back into their respective places (make sure you don't break them when you're removing them), my dremel kept acting up so it took a while to cut the proper sized opening on the bottom of the fascia, and I couldn't figure out how to get one clip into place to snap the bumper back into place. But if you'll notice, those things have NOTHING to do with the trailer hitch! Putting the trailer hitch on was seamless and so easy as far as I'm concerned. I haven't towed anything with it yet but I'm soooo looking forward to it! You can see all the tools I used to install the hitch in one of my review pictures. It's not a lot of tools, which I think is awesome! Some tricks I used to make the installation even easier: 1) taping the lights up with electrical tape once I removed the brake light covers to keep them out of the way, 2) putting the bumper fascia on two folding chairs to keep it off the floor, 3) I didn't have a ratchet screw driver to get the bottom screw off of the mudflap, so I used a drill bit and a wrench, which worked pretty well, 4) I kept the push pins and screws near where I took them off of the car so I would remember which parts went back where.
All in all, a pretty painless installation for a complete newbie at this kind of thing, and I love the way it looks.
The hitch arrived on time and in perfect condition, having been well packed. The video instructions and PDF annotated online instructions made the installation process easy! A friend helped me, which made it even easier as we bounced back and forth with what we found best as we went removing each of the clips and parts and so on, but nothing was difficult. The reason I wanted this hitch was to support a hitch-mounted bike rack that this friend sold me when he upgraded to a much larger rack for his truck. I've also ordered a hitch-mounted 500lb cargo carrier basket and matching bag for distant camping trips this year. I'm really excited now that I'll be able to rent a trailer and help my family with upcoming house moving. The new hitch looks sleek and perfect!
I purchased the Draw-Tite Max Frame Hitch Receiver for my 2017 Subaru Outback. The people at Etrailer were great to deal with and helped me to make my choice in purchasing the correct hitch receiver for my Outback. I wanted a hitch that was like a custom fit and the Draw-Tite Max is the one. The instructions were easy to understand and it took about an hour to install. The service from Etrailer was great and they were always there to help me with my questions. I also purchased the Hopkins Plug in simple wiring harness which was very easy to install.
Larry S.
7/30/2019
Looks great and works great . One great hitch.
I ordered my hitch and got it just 4 days later. I backed the car into the barn out of the sun at 9:45 and had the hitch installed and the car back on the road by 11:30 by myself. The hardest part was getting the clug clips out because of the dust and mud. Putting the bumper cover back on was time consuming, too, but I wanted to make sure everything fit correctly. I even located and replaced a missing plug to make sure all holes were filled. Installing the Tekonsha wiring harness went as per instructions, except I had to remove one cargo hook to allow the fender cover to lift enough to gain access to the vehicle harness. I ran the trailer plug under the interior padding and under the door gasket and will secure it to the hitch receiver with tie wraps. Looks good on my 2013 Outback 3.6R imited (don't mind the dust from the barn floor).
Bob
8/29/2019
We dont tow often, but this hitch allows us the flexibility to tow a small trailer and UTV when we need to go outside the county. It is an excellent investment and does not hang out in the way.
Got this hitch early this year, had it attached by my mechanic cause I figured he had more tools than I do. I just recently got a bike rack for it and all I can say it that it’s rock solid! Through rough gravel roads I’d peek in the rear view mirror and the bikes are solid back there. (A testament also to the 1Up rack. What I also love about it is that since it’s attached to the inner steel bumper, it’s practically invisible except for the receiver. A great product at much less cost than a hitch from the dealer.
Mike
6/9/2021
Same as the day it was installed! Ill be sure to get this hitch mount again when its time to trade in my vehicle!
Absolutely a plug and play installation. Literally the hardest part was bringing myself to cutting the fascia. The guidance on YouTube for the other hitches was thoroughly enough to give me enough confidence to take on the project myself, instead of paying someone else $150.00 to do it for me. I did try to save the attachment on the fascia near the hitch mount, I am hoping this will give a more secure mount using all of the push pins.
I wasn’t even close to feeling confident, but now a close friend want to do his, and I am certain the two of us can get his done in 45 minutes or less.
Paul
8/19/2019
Doing just great! Would choose this hitch receiver and etrailer again.
So I received this hitch in just a few days after placing the order, I opened the box to look it over as heavier items like this commonly get dinged during shipping. I needed to repaint a couple small spots, 10 minute fix. I ordered this hitch for my daughters 2016 outback to keep the vehicle looking sharp as the only thing visible after installation is the receiver. I prepped my tools per the instructions, opened an installation video on my phone and took it step by step, it was surprisingly easy and every one was please with the results!!
Paul
8/13/2019
Great!
I have recently ordered, received and installed a trailer hitch and roof rack for my 2018 Subaru Outback. Shipping was in good time, order was correct and installation was easy. Great instructions and how-to videos online were very informative. Etrailer will be first on my list when I need something for my cars.
Lance
7/19/2019
No problems at all with my hitch.
Went with the drawtite. Best value in my opinion..the eco hitch would have been my choice(I just think it looks a bit cooler and sits more at a factory height tow hitch..about an inch difference from the draw tite and eco hitch) but the drawtite looks super clean once installed!
It’s not a hard install and requires basic minimus tools. The video is real helpful. Tow infinity and beyond!
Cesar
6/25/2022
Sturdy! Always glad I made the purchase. Thing looks brand new still
1. I ordered the Draw-Tite hitch from etrailer based on the added feature of the extra set of pin holes for the stabilization pin. The hitch I received and installed did not have the extra pin holes. See pictures below. Unfortunately I didn’t’ realize this until I completed the installation. The packaging and instructions had the correct item number. But to tell you the truth I don’t know what I received…. Emailed customer service but the person who replied back was clueless… I am now shopping for a cargo rack but will most likely buy from that tool store in the northern part of the country.
2. Like others measure twice, cut once. I didn’t need to cut the center hole on the bottom of the fascia.. Used two zip ties to attach it since I couldn’t line up the hole sufficiently for the push pin.
Clayton O.
8/31/2021
Hi Tom, Thanks for your feedback! Draw-Tite updated their hitches and no longer have the second hole for the J-pin.
I was very pleased with the quality of the trailer hitch for the price and the ease of putting it on my Subaru Outback! I know how to use tools, but not a car person, so the video and written instructions made it simple to do. I am excited to use my bike rack or even toe a small trailer.
Tammie D.
4/27/2021
It has been a year since I installed the trailer hitch and it has been put to the test by driving from MD to CO with a [moving company] trailer. It passed the trailer test and I use it primarily for my Rocky Mount bike rack. Definitely got my moneys worth from the hitch and look forward to using it for years to come!
Easy install onto 2012 Outback. Only issue I ran into was foam panel had to be trimmed for plastic bumper cover to fit back onto the car. The hitch assembly pushing the bumper assembly out 1/4" so foam panel was preventing plastic bumper cover from fuller clipping in. Overall, very easy assembly with basic tools and torque wrench. Do not be afraid of doing this yourself, install videos can be found here and on youtube to help you out.
The video was very helpful and straight forward. completed the Hitch installation in 1hr 30mins, referring to the video during each step, since this was a DIY install. very happy and proud of this project because a did not break or loose in parts and saved expensive labor costs. Waiting for the new Hitch mount bike rack to arrive. thank you eTrailer staff.
The hitch was very easy to install on my 2019 Outback utilizing the video and instructions that came with it. I also installed the Curt wiring harness and I installed everything and was done and completely picked up in less than 3 hours.
Richard
6/29/2021
The trailer hitch is built Rock Solid. It will most likely Outlast my car. Excellent product fairly easy installation.
This is a great hitch for my 2018 Subaru Outback. It fit behind the bumper beam was excellent and everything went back together without any issues. I particularly liked the fact that I didn’t have to throw away the foam cover that came as part of the 5 mile an hour bumper. The written instructions coupled with the video of the install using the comparable eco-hitch was all that was needed to do a good job without mistakes.
The one thing missing in the instructions though was no mention of the electronic bumper distance sensors for the backup camera. This needs to be disconnected to remove the bumper facia. Also, I would recommend the height of the cutout for the hitch should be increased about another 1/4” to 1/2”. The recommended height is tight and although it fits, it is right up tight against the drop portion of the hitch frame. Also, I read reviews by others that questioned whether or not there are enough threads grabbed by the nuts you place back on the studs after installing the hitch behind the bumper beam.
After I completed the install with the Draw Tite hitch, I found there was just enough threads to grab and properly torque the nuts onto the studs, but only about 1-1/2 threads showing after the nut. I would have liked to have a bit more threads to spare than this. I also matched this hitch with a new bike carrier for mine and my wife’s bikes. I tested it out and everything worked as planned.
Mike L.
8/13/2018
According to Draw-Tite, having 1-1/2 threads showing above the nut is acceptable. Any less than that would be a problem, but as long as the stud protrudes a bit from the nut, youll be just fine.
Good product, fit well and good installation video.
Trailer hitch fit perfect and works great. The hardest thing was to find replacement fasteners for that vehicle for reassembly.
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Victoria H.
1/10/2025
Way to go Charles! That's how you get it done.