To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
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.
Features:
Specs:
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.
Tech Tip
Underbody panels will be removed for installation and may be left off or trimmed and reattached. No drilling required for installation , Fits Hybrid models as well , Keeps full size spare under vehicle , Tow hooks, if present, will be permanently removed
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (600 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.Delivery, service and price are excellent. I only gave it a 4 star because when installing the trailer hitch the holes were off by about 1" and took some time to make everything fit.
Sierra K - 11/12/2021took me about 2.5 hours start to finish. luckily a neighbor walked by at the moment I needed a little help lifting it and holding it in position to get the first bolts started. The templates for trimming the plastic panels wasn't quite right. The trim panel on the passenger side didn't actually need any cutting and I put it back in place fully intact. Drivers side trim panel did need a narrow cut to accommodate the hitch, but I recommend holding it up and eyeballing it rather than following the provided template that would have you cut a hole in the wrong place and removing more panel coverage than needed. Looks clean and feels strong. be careful not to cross thread the bolts, one of the welded frame nuts that was covered by a rubber gromet was pretty rusty and had to be threaded. As others experienced, I also had to use a clamp/vice to get the holes to all line up, but it wasn't too hard. I like the matte black finish.
Product arrived as described. All connections lined up perfectly allowing ease of installation.
The Trailer Hitch came bent. Apparently, this is a common problem. I contacted etrailer and they recommended I try to straighten it. I looked online and found techniques for this. I could not get it to budge. I took it to my local mechanic and he used a 6 foot long steel bar to get it straight. Not something I have laying around in my shop. Very disappointed with the product. I would have sent it in for a replacement, but it got marred up when I attempted to straighten it.
Jenny N - 10/03/2022This hitch is great for my 2011 highlander. This is the first hitch that I've ever installed on any vehicle, and it was a little challenging but very doable. I supported the hitch with a couple of jack stands and loosely attached the bolts closest to the hitch. Then I used a floor jack to gently raise the hitch into position and knocked it into place with a rubber mallet so that I could get most of the other bolts inserted loosely. As expected and forewarned, the last hole on the driver's side was about an inch and a half off, and the middle hole was off enough to be a very tight fit. I ended up using a pry bar against the spare tire to push the hitch into position, after which point it was easy to tighten and torque all the bolts.
The hitch was delivered on time and appears to be of excellent quality. The only problem I had was the bolt holes did not line up with the vehicle bolt points. It was off about two inches and I spent most of the installation time trying to pry, bend and stretch the hitch to get the bolts in. I'm sure I lost a year or so off my life from all the stress. This IS NOT A ONE PERSON JOB and should only be attempted by someone who is mechanically handy with lots of tools and patience. I'm fairly sure I'm going to hell from all the curse words I shouted as I struggled with the installation. I used a bottle jack and a two by four to spread the flanges and had to install and remove the hitch several times before I was finally successful. It was exhausting by myself. If a buddy owes you labor then call him first. Good luck with your hitch installation.
Mike - 05/11/2022Box arrived via UPS and was ripped open at the corner. I was worried that the hardware was missing but eTrailer was smart enough to tape the hardware into the receiver so it was all accounted for. The hitch is sturdy and seems well made. You definitely need two strong people for the install and either use a lift or ramps so you have more room to work. The only issue we encountered was that the middle hole on the driver’s side was a hair off which would have made the bolt go in sideways. With a lot of muscle we were able to get the hitch aligned to insert the bolt. Having to seriously struggle with the middle hole on the driver’s side for about 20 minutes made my rating 4 stars instead of 5. In total it took us about 2 hours to complete and we have some mechanical experience. All in all, the price was good, quality seems good, I would recommend this hitch.
Matteo - 09/17/2020Thank you for reaching out. I do have some feedback regarding the hitch. I had a difficult install due to a few issues from my order.
Firstly, there were no instructions provided. Therefore, I had to rely on videos online. In addition, several of the bolts provided would not thread into the holes of the frame. I was forced to use the original bolts in order to get the hitch installed.
Lastly, the Highlander’s manual calls for a 30A fuse. However, I was provided a 10 amp fuse.
Katrina B - 07/06/2022The hitch came to me shipped in the pocket box. During shipping it must have bent the arms in a little. Shawnee in customer service explained that the softer metal was designed to flex while under load and not destroy the car. Shawnee was able to make me feel comfortable with bending the arms a little wider and it fit perfectly. Thank you Shawnee you're amazing.
Purchased this for hauling mtb bikes on the back of our old highlander. Etrailer was recommended by a popular local hitch shop as they had no stock in inventory for our vehicle. Package arrived quickly, the box was a bit beat up, but the hitch was in good condition with no obvious blemishes/issues. Started installation on passenger side and found driver side bolt holes to be off by as much as 1.5". Followed instructions on [etrailer], using a 2x4 and car jack to spread out mounting brackets and after futzing for a bit, fit no problem. Some pointers.. much easier to install with 2 people; measure gaps before starting to force spread mounting brackets so you don't have to check by 'fit test'; only had to cut a small amount out of driver side plastic underbody panel to get back on, passenger side didn't need any; overall plan on 2-3 hours start to finish. Took a star off because of dealing with re-aligning mounting brackets, otherwise looks good and is solid.
Victoria B - 10/02/2020I would love to have used the proper hitch. Unfortunately I ordered a hitch for the wrong model year Highlander. So it did not fit. Because I took took long to ask about returning and getting the right hitch no return was offered. I purchased a hitch from another manufacturer because you wouldn’t take this one back
The receiver hitch bolt pattern was a little narrow was a little narrow for my vehicle. I got it installed but it would have been much simpler had the mounting brackets been 1/2 in further apart.
Overall, the installation directions, ordering and communications, install, and overall experience was great - Thank You!
A few things did not work as well as planned, however. Don't have a lift, like in the videos, but was able to use a floor jack with jack stands no problem. If you don't already sell it, you should consider including a prybar set in your product catalog. I know a flathead screwdriver works, but I've learned the pry bar set has the potential to do the least amount of damage to the underbody panels and clips. Positioning the hitch, just right, before setting some bolts was tricky, even with two people, and we had to pry a little to get it to fit just right. Did not see any prying in the video. One of the frame nuts got stripped and I would encourage users to start fitting the bolts by hand, until they grab the threads, then put out the impact wrench to complete the job. I would also encourage users to hold up the underbody panel, after the hitch is installed, and mark on the panel where to cut. I just followed the video and marked where the guy in the video did, and that was too much. I should have held it up, marked it, then cut it. The tin snips worked perfectly.
The hitch was deliver on time. It looked very nice. The instructions were clear and concise. However, the installation was difficult because the hitch did not fit properly. The sides were not parallel and I couldn't line up the bolt holes. I had to take the hitch to a local welder to get the sides bent to parallel. I was able to bolt the hitch with the bottom bolts but the side bolt holes did not line up.I will have to ream out the holes in order to install those two bolts. The hitch does look nice on the Highlander.
Jenny N - 05/24/2022Hitch was not packed properly to protect it during shipping. Called for Tec help and was giving Curt’s Tec number. Come to find out the hitch was bent 3/4” in on the driver side mount brace is why it would not fit. Your solution was I could return the hitch and once you receive it you would send me another one. Wrong! I trusted you an order from you but you can’t trust me to return a bent product before shipping the replacement?
Jenny N - 03/30/2022My friend & I just installed the hitch on my 2013 Highlander and it went well with no issues at all. It took us about an hour. The product seems very well made.
Excellent hitch an excellent customer s ervice.
Even thought the box it arrived in was mangled by the carrier, the hitch itself was in great condition. No scratches, blemishes or missing parts. Instructions were clear, easy to follow and installation was simple to do even by myself. It has been over a year now and we have not had any issues or problems or complaints. I would not hesitate to buy again if needed.
Great communication and delivered on date as promised. Installed without a problem; but this job might be a challenge for those that are not mechanically inclined due to clamping needed to align holes (also noted by other reviewers). This is my second experience ordering a hitch from etrailer, and both experiences were super. Installation video was very good.
Great product worked great never had an issue, my only complaint it the hitch did need to be bent a little by a floor jack so the bolt holes lined up properly but it was a very simple install in general.
The order came right away and installation went smoothly and looks like a factory install.
Highly recommend.
So easy to install and it arrived on the very day it was promised to arrive!! It’s a perfect fit for our 2013 Toyota Highlander. Thanks so much, to the fine folks at etrailer.com! I would recommend this site to anyone in need of a trailer hitch receiver.
Trailer hitch does not fit properly. The hitch is too tight and needs to be stretched about half an inch to line up the holes.
Brooke M - 08/15/2022Works perfectly with our 2013 Highlander, and ETrailer was very easy to work with!
Very nice product !! Easy to install, and it shipped here very quickly !!
Do you have a question about this Trailer Hitch?
Info for this part was:
At etrailer.com we provide the best information available about the products we sell. We take the quality of our information seriously so that you can get the right part the first time. Let us know if anything is missing or if you have any questions.
Thank you! Your comment has been submitted successfully. You should be able to view your question/comment here within a few days.
Error submitting comment. Please try again momentarily.