Ground Clearance for Curt/Draw Tite Hitch for 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

Published 10/17/2019

Question:

I read that one of the hitches has a 10inch ground clearance, and dont understand how this is possible since the 2019 RAV4 Hybrid Ltd only has 8.3inch inch clearance per mfr spec. Going on rough rural roads, dirt parking lots, etc., I have often bottomed out my hitch on another vehicle, so I need more detailed information than avoid steep driveways. Do different RAV4 hybrids have such radically different clearances or ... where does that 10inch number even come from? More to the point, what is the actual ground clearance for each hitch assembly on a 2019 RAV4 Hybrid limited trim, if that matters - does it matter? Is there somewhere on your site or the web that lays all this stuff out clearly by brand/model of hitch and make/model of car? Lastly, spouse mentioned a fold-away hitch specifically for saving ground clearance when not in use. Is there such a thing for this make/model? Does it work? Does it work *well*? What are the trade-offs? The nominal tow rating for the car is 1750 lbs. The nominal tongue weight is apparently 10 of that, 175 lbs? So, if Im reading correctly, every one of the hitches you offer is about 3x more capable than the car is, and that isnt a useful measure for deciding which hitch to install. Thanks kindly for your time and advice/answers.

asked by: S H

Expert Reply:

I looked up the differences between the 2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Limited models and the Adventure model like the one we installed the Curt hitch part # C13416 and Draw Tite # DT82QR and there isn't a height difference so you'd have the same ground clearance of right at 10 inches if you installed either since from the top of the hitch opening down to the ground measures right at 12 inches. Neither hitch has a ground clearance advantage over the other.I am not sure where you found that the vehicle only has 8.3 inches of ground clearance but I don't believe that to be accurate based on what I was able to find.

There are some "invisible" hitches out there from brands like EcoHitch, but there isn't anything at this time like that for your RAV4.

Both of these hitches would work well for you. I can't find a substantial reason to recommend one over the other so I would check the prices at the attached link and go with the one with the better price if I were you.

These hitches are over built for your vehicle too as they have much more capacity than you'd need, but that's not a bad thing as basically ensures that the hitch won't be likely to fail.

expert reply by: Jameson C