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This fully welded trailer hitch receiver bolts onto your vehicle's frame with no welding required. Matte black, powder coated steel is durable and corrosion resistant and creates a rugged look.
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The sturdy steel construction is protected with a matte black finish for added durability. This unique powder coating gives etrailer hitches a carbide-like appearance and a rugged look that sets them apart from traditional glossy hitches. In addition to being rust and corrosion resistant, the tough matte coating hides dirt, scuffs, and dings better than a glossy finish.
At etrailer 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.
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (347 Customer Reviews)
This fully welded trailer hitch receiver bolts onto your vehicle's frame with no welding required. Matte black, powder coated steel is durable and corrosion resistant and creates a rugged look.I decided to go with the etrailer branded class 3 hitch for my wife's 2019 Outback after getting etrailer's recommendation on which one would be best paired with my Thule T2 Pro XTB bike rack, which is a great rack, btw. Main reasoning was that the hitch sits back on the vehicle a little more and gives better clearance for the rack when folded up. This would apply to other kinds of hitch mounted accessories too. The hitch is not quite as hidden under the vehicle as some of the others but I was more concerned about using the bike rack as intended. Installation was not too bad, with the biggest challenge for me being the tight spaces around the muffler to drill the necessary holes even with the exhaust lowered as described in the video. I even considered removing the muffler for better access but was able to get it done without that. Main concern was damaging the exhaust system in the front if it was lowered too much. Using lubricant on the rubber exhaust hangers worked great for removing and putting them back on at the end. The tip for using a step drill bit worked great to enlarge the access holes the appropriate amount, as well. I was able to do the installation by myself with the help of a small rolling dolly on which to sit the hitch on while I bolted up the first set of bolts. It held the hitch up enough to work on one side at a time without having to support the entire weight of the hitch by myself. Having a helper would be better for sure. The 6 out of 10 installation difficulty scale seems about right to me. The hitch itself seems to be good quality, nice welds, matte finish looks great on the vehicle too. It also fits like a glove around spare tire well. No adjusting really necessary, just install the first set of bolts in the existing frame holes and you are lined up. You do have to drill the 2 more forward set of holes but using the hitch frame as the template (it's already mounted on the vehicle at this point) of where the holes go, it was a snap from there. I'll attach a couple of pics with the bike rack installed to show how much clearance there is. I also tested with a bike on the rack and was able to open the rear hatch all the way with the bike rack in the lowered position (a feature of the Thule T2). Hopefully, this will help others that want to use accessories that require clearance for bumper and hatch. Great communication and follow up from the etrailer team too!
Phil - 05/15/2020This was a super easy install. I don't have access to a lift, so I just used ramps I picked up from Home Depot for oil changes. I am a pretty good sized guy but this gave me plenty of room to work. No issues at all on the install. Instructional video was great and easy to follow. The only comments I have would be that if you are using ramps, be sure to have a long sleeve shirt on and safety glasses. The metal chips from drilling are hot and sharp. The pull wires worked excellent, I only used one of them. You do need to put a couple bends in the wire which they don't mention in the video. All in all I am really happy and would highly recommend this as a DIY install.
Josh H - 08/04/2020I bought this hitch receiver to replace an existing one on my 2019 Subaru Outback 3.6R Touring. The receiver I had previously was recessed several inches from the edge of the rear bumper. It prevented me from being able to mount a swing-away fullsize spare tire carrier. This hitch solved that problem. The installation was not a problem, but re-mounting the dual exhaust on the 3.6 Outback was extremely difficult. My car has a 2" lift on it and is running 30" A/T tires so getting underneath it was not a problem. Lowering both mufflers, removing the heat shields, removing the old receiver, installing this new receiver, torquing the bolts to spec and reinstalling the heat shields took a little over 45 minutes by myself. I used a good, rolling floor jack to lower the old receiver down and to position the new receiver into place. It took me 1½ hours of wrestling with the mufflers to get the two rubber isolators per muffler back into place. I felt like I had wrestled a bear by the time I was finished. If I had to do it again, I would definitely pay to have someone install it for me.
Henry - 10/05/2020Hitch fit my new car and was installed by my mechanic with no problems mentioned. Customer service follow up was excellent.
Henry M - 08/07/2020
The trailer has worked out great and the installation was pretty easy. I was a bit worried of the bolt feeding wires but they worked like a charm. Great price for a great heavy duty trailer.
The hitch is built like a tank and fit perfectly. I watched the instructions online before beginning and the process was very simple. I was grateful they provided the wire fishes for the bolts. I managed to do the whole thing myself by simply laying the hitch on my belly as I was under the car, and set the first two bolts. I regret not following advice I saw in another review about making a hole for the heat shield, and capturing it under one of the hitch bolts, since with only 3 screws remaining, the heat shield might end up rattling in time. If I were to do it over again, I would do it that way. Do make sure to drill out the first holes big enough for not only the washer, but also the bolt head, which is a touch wider. The whole job took me about 3 hours, working slowly with gimpy knees. I was happy to spend a sunny morning doing that, rather than paying hundreds of dollars for such a simple task.
So I recently purchased mountain bikes and knew I needed a bike rack and hitch. When making more expensive purchases, I research the product, competitors, pricing, customer services and reviews. I finally decided on the etrailer Trailer Hitch Receiver. I had it professionally installed and it looks great! I appreciate the help and assistance Teresa J. provided in helping me make my decision. Thank you eTrailer!
When reinstalling the muffler heat shield, there is one hitch bolt that interferes with remounting the heat shield. All you need to do is mark and drill out the location of the one hitch bolt that's under the heat shield. Once hitch is installed and muffler is still hanging down, place the heat shield in its original location with the 2 small bolts under the muffler. Then in order to mark the hitch bolt location under the heat shield, take a hammer and tap on the heat shield to indent the hitch bolt location. Take the heat shield off and drill the hitch bolt location on the heat shield. Take the nut off that hitch bolt, reinstall the heat shield with the two small bolts behind the muffler and the nut on the hitch. I cut out the location of the bolt on the heat shield but I should have drilled it. Hitch was an easy install. I recommend having a step drill that's at least 1". Impressed with the hitch but was slightly disappointed that hitch was scratched up when opening the box.
This is the third 2" receiver hitch I have ordered through etrailer and each time the service and product have been excellent. I have installed each one myself, one on an Equinox, one on a Traverse and one on an Outback. The units have all been well built and solid and have fit as depicted with no complications. On the last unit I misplaced a couple of the bolts during the unpacking, called the customer service number and they express shipped me replacements that I received within two days at no cost and no questions asked. The company has been a pleasure to deal with and I remain very pleased with their commitment to quality.
Installed on 2019 Outback. High quality product and fits as advertised. Backed it up on ramps for the job. A few notes though.....watch the video several times. Actual installation make take more than a few minutes, plan on a few hours of extremely dirty work. Ensure you bore out the access holes big enough to fit both the plate AND the carriage bolt. I bored it out only wide enough to fit the plate then had to fish it out because the carriage bolt would NOT fit thru the same size access hole. It's just a little bit wider. DO NOT get your face below the step down drill bit while you're working.....hot metal shards! Goggles are a must. Get a pair of needlenose pliers to assist in pulling the piano wire thru the access hole; that whole process worked amazingly well. Be careful not to push the bolts back up thru the holes; don't be in a hurry to attach the nuts. This part is definitely a two man job. And a set of DEEP sockets is required to torque down the nuts. The video makes pulling the muffler hangers seem like a walk in the park, had to pull all three for access. Not so much on my Subaru, a real pain to remove and re-install, especially the two rear hangers. But that's not etrailer's fault, Subarus are built to a higher standard and things fit TOO exact to make it "easy". Good luck and be patient.
The install was quite easy to do, aside from one item. It is very easy to drop one of the springs that attaches to a bold, to drop into the chassis channel. It would be great to have a bit longer 'fish' springs on these bolts. I am very pleased with the hitch and refer your website to others, and will use you again if I purchase another vehicle.
I love the trailer hitch! It arrived as promised (undamaged too!). My neighbor installed it for me as he was familiar with the process. I have used it to transport our bikes, especially an e-bike, to many locations without any issues. I highly recommend this product!
Amayzing M - 11/18/2020This was without a doubt the easiest hitch install I've ever done. Perfect fit and the wiring harness was a breeze. GREAT PRODUCT, GREAT PRICE, GREAT SERVICE and UBER FAST DELIVERY! What else could you ask for...Many thanks!
Dave M - 07/29/2020It was a tight fit on our 2016 Subaru Outback but worked just fine. Husband and I were able to install with no major issues. Hitch came with some deep scratches but they were aesthetic and you can’t see once installed. Overall happy with the product. Would purchase again.
This is the fourth hitch I have bought so you must have done something right the first time. Good product, easy installation. FAST service. I am very pleased indeed.
Robert C - 12/15/2020 Robert C - 12/15/2020Great product, very sturdy and fits perfectly. Instructions are AMAZING. Follow the instructions and have a little patience and you will be able to get this hitch on. Will be a nice addition for the Outback. Only downfall is that hitch is not hidden at ALL compared to other hitches I have installed on different vehicles. However looking at the pictures provided on the site that is made well known.
Easy to order online. Fast delivery. I watched the installation video a few times before installing the hitch. It is very straight forward direction. The "Fish Wire" for installing the bolts and backer plates for the frame bolts are ingenious! They worked great!
Very nice trailer hitch, easy to install, good fit, looks very nice. This is my second hitch from e-trailer, highly recommended!
Easy ordering process and fast delivery. the instructional videos for how to install were great and made the installation a breeze. It's a perfect fit and I'm so glad I have a 2" receiver so I don't have to replace my bike rack. Subaru only offers a 1.25" receiver. Thanks etrailer!
Custmer service is great. They keep you well informed from the time you place the order to the time its delivered. The quality of the etrailer brand hitch is very apparent to the point that I would rate it above the others and making for a trouble free installation The hitch will be used for a platform bike rack.
Awesome hitch ez hook up plug n play no issues whats so ever 2014 Subaru outback
The hitch was very easy to install on my 2017 Subaru Outback. It looks great and functions perfectly with my Kuat bike rack. All the tips, tricks and videos on the website were very helpful.
It took Subaru a bit to figure it out when installing (they needed to watch the video), but they said it had obviously been designed to very tight specifications. They even said it was one of the nicer aftermarket ones they had seen. It looks great for an under bumper 2” hitch. Salesperson was very helpful and patient in researching and answering my questions to get the right one for my 2019 Outback and my needs.
Just put on etrailers hitch. This is my third one that I have installed from etrailer on my past Subaru. I went with the etrailer hitch because I liked the matte black finish over the gloss black Curt. This one is easier than the Draw- Tite because it weighs less and I was able to handle it myself. I would suggest using a good step drill bit when enlarging the holes and make sure they are big enough. It took me 2 hours to complete mainly because of cutting the new holes and enlarging the other holes. Hitch was delivery very timely from etrailer just like the previous ones that I installed.
Nice hitch. Easy to install it took me about an hour or so. Directions were easy to understand and the video makes simple to understand. This will be perfect for the bike rack we have. Just a tip- use windex on the rubber holders for the exhaust as a lubricant. It evaporates away when you are done. I’ve used it when changing motorcycle tires for forever.
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