Comparing Draw-Tite and Curt Class III Hitch for a 2017 Subaru Forester

Question

Question:

John; Your firm was recommended by two Subaru groups I recently joined after purchasing my first Subaru. A 2017 Subaru Forester with only 16,000 miles. Both groups on FB : Subaru Enthusiasts and 2014-2018 Subaru Foresters recommended your firm and I can see why. The price is great, the quality is there and if this the personalized customer service you provide, I will become another one of your fans/customer. So I will order the Draw Tite along with the j pin. Is there a hitch that does NOT require any cutting/alteration of the rear bumper area? Also my intent is to initially carry bikes/cargo but am thinking of getting a light trailer to take my 800lb motorcycle. Should I be thinking of getting the wiring now and possibly a ball hitch? If these questions have been addressed on your site, please excuse me and direct me to them. Thank You

asked by: Carlos

0

Expert Reply:

The Draw-Tite # 75876 and the Curt # C13144 are very similar hitches. Both are Class III 2 inch hitches with 3500 lbs. GTW and 525 lbs. TW; making them both excellent options for your Forester.

Check out the links below for some helpful installation videos.

expert reply by: John W

0

Carlos V.

8/26/2020

John; Your firm was recommended by two Subaru groups I recently joined after purchasing my first Subaru. A 2017 Subaru Forester with only 16,000 miles. Both groups on FB : Subaru Enthusiasts and 2014-2018 Subaru Foresters recommended your firm and I can see why. The price is great, the quality is there and if this the personalized customer service you provide, I will become another one of your fans/customer. So I will order the Draw Tite along with the j pin. Is there a hitch that does NOT require any cutting/alteration of the rear bumper area? Also my intent is to initially carry bikes/cargo but am thinking of getting a light trailer to take my 800lb motorcycle. Should I be thinking of getting the wiring now and possibly a ball hitch? If these questions have been addressed on your site, please excuse me and direct me to them. Thank You

John W.

8/26/2020

I am glad to hear that you came to us from recommendations by other customers. I am happy to help with wiring harness and ball mount questions as well. I would get the wiring harness and ball mount installed at the same time just so you are ready to go for pulling the motorcycle trailer. The Curt Wiring Harness part # C56040 is a good fit and should be easy to install. Check out the link below for a video walk through if need be. Ball Mounts can be tricky because they depend on a number of factors like trailer height and weight, towing capacity, and ball configuration. That being said, below is a link to our FAQ on Ball Mounts. Unfortunately, any hitch you buy will require some modification to one part or another under the vehicle. The good news is that the installation guide will walk you through this. Please let me know if you have any further questions, and thank you for your time!

Answer 1

Exactly! Both hitches are very similar in design and construction. That is usually what happens when hitches are custom-fit for your vehicle. The main difference is the finish. I personally prefer the matte finish that #e98839 has. We have them on…

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Answer 2

You could do that if you wish, you'll just want to make sure that the heat shield is NOT sandwiched between the hitch and the chassis of the vehicle at any point. We frequently hear from folks with concerns about the vehicle being harmed because…

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Answer 3

For your 2018 Subaru Forester, the Curt hitch that meets your criteria and is a confirmed fit is the Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2" #C13144 and will work great for a 3 bike rack. For a 3 bike carrier, I recommend going…

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Answer 4

There are several hitches we offer that require modifying or removing the heat sheild for the exhaust. It has never been an issue for those vehicles that the heat sheild was removed. In a worst case scenario you might feel the floor in that area of…

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Answer 5

Hello Jeff, thanks for reaching out. The best thing you can do for that is to sand down any rusted areas to remove the rust. Then touch up those areas with a black rust resistant paint. Rustoleum is what I typically use for this and it works great. I…

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Answer 6

That is an excellent question, and I believe you were referring to the trailer hitches for your 2017 Subaru Outback that have concealed cross tubes, the Curt #C13410 and the Draw-Tite #76227. The Curt and Draw-Tite are both cost-effective and they…

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Answer 7

You are correct that there is a bit of a difference in the trailer hitch. The Curt Class III Trailer Hitch #C13144 for your 2016 Subaru Forester has undergone a change in the length of the receiver tube. This is the difference you noted in the…

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Answer 8

Hey Brendan, thanks for reaching out! You're correct that it's best to keep the heat shield installed. I'm not sure why Curt doesn't recommend installing it back, but if you check out the linked installation video of the Curt Trailer…

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Answer 9

The heat shield actually has to be permanently removed to install the etrailer Trailer Hitch Receiver #e83ZR on your 2024 Subaru Forester.

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Answer 10

We don't have the items kitted, but I'd be happy to recommend a hitch, wiring harness, ball mount and trailer ball for you. For a hitch, I'd recommend either the Curt Class III #C13144 or the Class III #CU64FR. Both hitches have the same…

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Answer 11

Actually, removing and leaving off the heat shields won't present a problem. Instead of the thin metal of the heat shields, there's now a hitch installed which will provide much better heat shielding than the factory heat shields did. Plus,…

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Answer 12

I can verify for you that the etrailer trailer hitch receiver for your 2017 Subaru Forester does fit the Forester 2.5I, 2.5I Limited, and 2.5I Premium; the hitch actually fits all models of '17 Forester with the correct part number being the…

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Comparing Draw-Tite and Curt Class III Hitch for a 2017 Subaru Forester

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