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This custom-fit trailer hitch with a hidden cross tube installs behind your vehicle's rear bumper, leaving only the receiver visible beneath it. Aluminum and steel alloy construction is durable and eco-friendly. Powder coat finish resists rust.
Features:
Specs:
The EcoHitch Hidden trailer hitch is designed to be as inconspicuous as possible. The hitch's cross tube bolts onto your vehicle's frame, behind your rear bumper. No drilling or welding is required. Once the hitch is installed, only the receiver will be visible beneath your bumper. This means that your vehicle can maintain its stylish, from-the-factory look, and you won't have to do any major modifications to its body or frame.
With a combination of aerospace-grade aluminum, steel, and stainless steel, each EcoHitch is made of a strong metal alloy that will withstand the test of time. The lightweight alloy is composed of recycled materials. Traditional steel hitch manufacturing can use coal or oil, which can contribute to harmful gas emissions. The EcoHitch's recycled materials limit the carbon footprint during manufacturing, so you get a sturdy trailer hitch while also helping the environment.
This EcoHitch trailer hitch is tested for durability and sturdiness. Using Finite Elemental Analysis (FEA), individual points of stress on the hitch can be detected and remedied. Designers can accurately test the hitch to ensure that it will meet or exceed SAE J684 standards. The EcoHitch Hidden trailer hitch is carefully researched and strength tested for a durable, high-quality hitch that can resist damage while on the road.
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.
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (168 Customer Reviews)
This custom-fit trailer hitch with a hidden cross tube installs behind your vehicle's rear bumper, leaving only the receiver visible beneath it. Aluminum and steel alloy construction is durable and eco-friendly. Powder coat finish resists rust.Great hitch, but expect the install to be a PITA, especially if done solo. Install instructions were good, however the fascia will need trimming on 2018 models as well, not just 2019 as described. The whole job including the bumper uninstall/re-install took around 4hrs by myself, however I also coated the hitch and impact bar with rust preventative which probably took an extra hour. Satisfied overall, but definitely get an extra set of hands if you can.
Only 2 inch hitch i could find for a 2019 VW AllTrack. Overall a very good hitch. Welds and coating look strong. Fit is very good. Didn't give 5 stars because left mounting plate needed corner cut off to be like factory bumper (which only has 3 holes). Now there is exposed metal. Also instruction booklet pictures are crap. I found a few videos online that helped a lot.
Installation of the hitch required removal of the bumper cover on my VW Sportwagon, which is more effort than typical hitch installs. But it looks great installed, and functions as expected. No issues after one year of use.
Daniel
6/9/2024
After 2 years in service still very happy with the ECO hitch. The 2 inch receiver allowed better options for bike rack. Also use to tow utility trailer.
Hitch is very strong and well engineered. However, it is a difficult install process. 10/10 difficulty means tail lights out (easy), rear bumper off (I needed to remove both rear wheels and put the car on jack stands to get to the bolts in the wheel wells). Then, the crash bar needs to be taken off (easy), then bumper needs to be trimmed (this took me three times to trim enough to fit the hitch), followed by everything back together. It took me about 3:30 to install, but next time it would probably be a 2 hour job. In my opinion, worth it to save the $300 two shops quoted. Only reason not a 5 star review is the difficulty with install
The hitch is very well made, but it didn't fit on a 2018 Golf Sportwagen SE without modifications. The left-hand mount has a tab at the top that interferes with the body, preventing the mounting holes from lining up. Removing a small amount of material from the hitch with a reciprocating saw got the holes in the right place. There was also a sheet metal lip on the car body that interfered with the bottom of the mount on both sides, requiring some bending to allow the mount to sit flat against the mating surface.
Once the fit issues were resolved, and the cut metal repainted, the rest of the installation process was straightforward. I have installed a 1 1/4" version of this hitch on another Golf 7 with the wheels on the ground, and it was challenging to reach all of the bumper cover fasteners; this time, I jacked the car up and removed the rear wheels, which made the job much easier.
The product is really solid but there are clearly some issues with tolerancing. Reviews suggest this fits just fine on other cars and requires modification on others - unfortunately, you won't know which category your car is in until you've already taken the rear end apart. Be prepared for either frustration or some light metalworking.
eTrailer and the manufacturer were both very responsive and helpful in discussing options for resolving the fit issues and approving the necessary modifications to the part. Now that it's installed, I've used the hitch for hauling bicycles and it works great.
I was just commenting on my ecohitch the other day.
I would say I am very happy with it, from purchase to install. I've used it a few times with a 5-bike hitch rack and just recently added a 35" hitch extension that holds a 15' umbrella.
However I am disappointed with the coating. It has flaked and chipped off and has already started to rust in many areas, that I can see. I recently taped off my car. Sanded the rust areas and repainted with brush on rust-oleum to protect.
I have two other vehicles with stock 2" trailer hitch receivers. They have far more use and do not have any rust issues.
I think the coating needs improvement to make this product perfect.
The installation of the hitch on my '17 AllTrack was fairly straight forward with a couple of caveats. The Instructions did not address the parking sensors on the sides, or the harness plug behind the bumper cover. There was also considerably more trimming required than what was referenced in the instructions, both width, and depth. The instructions covered both their 1 1/4" and 2" receivers. Finally, there was no tool list in the instructions. Thankfully etrailer had a comprehensive video on how to do it that I was able to follow along with. Total time from start to finish, including jacking the rear of the car up and taking the wheels off, and polishing my exhaust tips, was just over two hours. The craftsmanship of the hitch is great and if the instructions were more clear I would have given it five stars.
Brett
3/3/2021
I have used the hitch extensively for hauling mountain bikes all over kingdom come. It has performed flawlessly. I continue to be very happy with my purchase.
Great product, fast shipping, super easy to install; there are videos that walk you through the install process every step of the way. The hitch fits perfectly behind the bumper. I use the hitch for a tandem bicycle rack. I have a friend that also has a VW sportwagen and tows a camping trailer.
Michael P.
9/18/2020
Great, still functioning as expected. Holds a bike rack and a tandem bike perfectly. Another friend of mine uses it to tow a small camper. Easy to install.
Easy Install. It took a couple hours. I had to figure out how the fascia worked. I used an online video for reference.
While my 2017 had a few subtle differences, the video helped me install my EcoHitch. The main difference is the rear valance does not have the cutout as the 2015 does. It required some "eyeballing" to get the hole cut for the hitch.
Kendall
7/4/2019
I have used the hitch to pull a sailboat from California to Tennessee and pull my utility trailer to the recycling center. Im happy with the utility of having a hitch.
Installation was easy and i like how sturdy the hitch is mounted, great workmanship on the product it self (welds,squareness,sharp edges,etc.)
Definitely would recommend this to anyone looking for a solid 2'' hitch.
My only recommendation to anyone that is installing it don't do it outside when its cold because you could break some of the clips while removing your bumper.
Minja
9/4/2020
Still exceptional performance, used it to tow several different things no issues with product
Installed on a 2016 VW Sportwagen TSI. Very happy with my purchase. The product seems generally well-made with solid welds and a decently thick coat of paint.
The installation instructions were clear enough for me to follow easily (and there are several supplemental instructional videos that exist on the web for those who want some extra guidance). I did the job by myself in my driveway without removing the rear wheels or jacking my car up. As others have said, the most difficult part was cutting the hole in the black plastic part of my bumper panel. The funny thing about these cars is that a hole already exists on the underside of the bumper panel (courtesy of the European version of the vehicle, which could be optioned with a hitch from the factory), it just needs to be expanded to fit the girth of this particular hitch receiver. But after some creative trim work with a Dremel, I ended up getting a really good fitment.
I use the hitch receiver to carry a Thule T2 2-bike platform rack. Since installing about a year ago, I've taken several 1000+ mile road trips, loaded up with various bikes. No concerns - the hitch receiver has been very solid. Attached a before and after pic, and one with the bike rack installed too.
Note: I did not buy the accompanying wiring harness since I only use the hitch to carry my bike rack, no trailer towing.
Being a VW lover can have it's ups and downs, and the Golf Alltrack has a formitible obstacle that must be cut off to install this excellent tow mount.This hitch was very well designed and a breeze to install aside from the lower bumper trimming that is 100% necessary to install on this car. The rear bumper skin must come off and you must take some sort of Saw to trim a small square from the lower section where the receiver will ultimately live. I used an airsaw to get the job done. The finished install looks factory and has more than enough strength to support my very large 4 bike rack filled full of adult bikes.
I installed this 2" receiver hitch on my 2017 VW Golf Alltrack for the purpose of carrying bicycles with a Thule T2 rack. I used the T2 on my previous vehicle (Subaru Outback XT) as well, but with a different receiver hitch.
The Ecohitch itself is very burly and feels like it could stand up to anything. It also looks good and has a nice, custom, stealthy look on the Alltrack.
The install took two of us 5 hours, mostly because of cutting the trim. We left the rear wheels on the vehicle. Removing all the screws was pretty easy - just make sure you keep them in a container, as there are many. Peeling back the sides of the bumper and releasing the clips was a bit scary because it felt like you could crack the plastic. Just go slowly and look for where it's attached before yanking. Aside from that, the bumper came off without a hitch (pun intended).
Taking off the impact bar, attaching the hitch, and reinstalling the pair was relatively easy. The biggest challenge came when we needed to cut the lower part of the bumper trim to fit around the hitch. The square receiver hitch opening is 3" across, but the neck behind it is smaller. We tried to cut the opening as small as possible and wedge the bumper back on. The tow hook flange on the hitch made this difficult. We had to make several small cuts to get it just right, which took a lot of time.
Once on, the hitch looks and performs excellent. I definitely recommend it. Just leave yourself a decent amount of time for the install. If we did another one, the time would be about half what it took us.
I've had the hitch on my 2018 VW Alltrack for over a year now and have nothing but positive things to say. Installation was pretty easy for my brother and I. It would have probably been harder, but doable with one person but I would recommend a second person to help. The instructions were just okay, but we managed to figure it all out. Cutting the trim was intimidating, but ended up being pretty easy as well. I didn't know what to use so I ended up using a small dry-wall saw which did a surprisingly good job. Once installed, I have used it many times to mount my bike rack and it works as you would expect.
Trailer hitch has been amazing and the customer service I received from etrailer.com when I originally purchased was excellent
Overall excellent product. After a year of use, it has been a great addition to my car for light towing and bike racks. It fits really well in the rear bumper of the Alltrack and is higher than a lot of hitches for cars which is really nice. Install wasn't all that hard, but it does take time but all said and done I would do it again. 10/10 would recommend.
It works fine. The instructions were good, but not accurate about trimming the rear valence for 2019 VW Alltrak. But then anybody who undertakes to do the install should be handy enough to deal with that.
The install process for me was about 4 hours but that was including adding a wiring harness and I would recommend if you are going to install a harness you do it at the same time as it's easier to run the wires at that time.
The included instruction and vid on line do a good job. The biggest slowdown I found was cutting the hole in the bumper. I would recommend removing the black cover plate from the bumper then trimming and reinstalling it at the end when everything is back in. The reason being if you cut the hole a little wide that will cover some of it up. The hole size they give is larger then needed. I found 3" with a bit wider at the bottom worked.
Overall it's a good fitting and well made hitch. If they included a template for the cutout I'd give them 5 out of 5.
Installed the 2" Ecohitch on my 2019 VW Alltrack SE w/ Appearance Package. Overall quality of the product is excellent. The coating on the hitch appears to be applied generously and should stand up to the elements just fine. The hitch does require trimming of the lower bumper insert, but it is well worth the outcome. The hitch mounts flush with the rear bumper and does not jeopardize the rear clearance or look of the vehicle, like a number of conventional hitch mounts.
2018 VW Golf Alltrack. Great product. Well constructed and durable. Worth the extra cost for a much better hitch. Only issue was an interference between the upper left bracket. Had to make a hole and bend up the metal locally to get the bracket to fit and bolts to line up. One of the plastic bumper tabs cracked. Repaired with epoxy. Try to be as careful as possible taking the bumper off. Also applied rust proofing while the bumper was off.
As opposed to my last "Hidden Hitch" on my old minivan, which bottomed out every time I hit a bump or pulled out of my driveway, this one is truly a hidden hitch. Only the receiver sticks out of my bumper. With the help of the instructions and a friend who has his own lift in his garage, we installed it in about 2 hours. And we only broke one of the plastic snaps on my bumper, but fixed that with a little epoxy.
The hitch fits nicely under my car.. Usually have a bike rack or a small basket for cargo in it. It’s done a great job thus far.
Trailer hitch is great; very well made and installed perfectly.
Sadly it was shipped INCOMPLETE and the customer service was terrible. I missed an important event because of the incomplete shipment and weeks of waiting for parcel post shipment of the replacements.Agents didn’t care. Great equipment but don’t buy it here
Fit great, love the hitch on my 2019 VW Golf Alltrack SEL
I did need to mount my blind spot monitor radar units on top of this hitch plate, which angled my monitors out a bit more than factory, but I haven't had any issues with blind spot monitor functionality!
Great product. One of the few if not the only 2" trailer hitch for our 2016 VW Golf Sport wagon.
Product came on time, in perfect condition and with detailed step by step instructions that made installation a breeze, including taking off and putting back the bumper.
Took less than an hour from start to finish.
Hitch looks great when installed and appears to be of great, sturdy quality
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Robert
7/23/2024
Overall no complaints. The best and worst part about this receiver is that it’s tucked under the car a ways… great when not using it but pin hole is just out of reach. I mostly use it for bike racks.