Raising the Height of a Cargo carrier on a 2011 Subaru Outback for More Ground Clearance

Updated 01/09/2017 | Published 01/07/2017

Products Featured in This Question

Curt Multipurpose Ball Mount with 2" Receiver for Bike Racks and Cargo Carriers - 7,500 lbs

(236)

$73.71

Hitch Adapter 1-1/4" to 2" Trailer Hitch Receiver with 5" Rise

(564)

$104.66

Question:

I used a CarPod cargo rack with the Hidden Hitch Class II receiver on my 2011 Subaru Outback 3.6R and the CarPod kept scraping the ground whenever Id go through a driveway. To prevent scraping, would this #D210 be the best mount for extra ground clearance? I plan to use it with a 500lb capacity aluminum cargo carrier - and I only intend to load the carrier with less than 140 lbs of equipment. Thank you!

asked by: Gina

Expert Reply:

If your trailer hitch is a Class II that means it has a 1-1/4 inch receiver and # D210 will not fit since it is only for 2 inch trailer hitches. But if you meant that you have a 2 inch trailer hitch receiver opening then you can use the D210 multipurpose ball mount but it is possible that the ball mount part of it will make contact with the ground instead of your cargo carrier.

If you do have a 1-1/4 inch hitch opening then you could potentially use # HT5R. However, the use of this adapter will reduce the tongue weight capacity of the trailer hitch by 50 percent. So the combined weight of the cargo carrier and cargo cannot weigh more than half of the tongue weight capacity of the trailer hitch. The Class II Hidden Hitch trailer hitch for the 2011 Outback has a 300 pound tongue weight capacity meaning if you used adapter HT5R it would be reduced to 150 pounds.

Both the D210 and HT5R are made in the USA. It is on their stickers but hard to see it in the pictures. But they do say Made in the USA.

expert reply by: Michael H