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This fully welded, corrosion-resistant vehicle trailer hitch receiver is perfect for your light-duty towing needs. Draw-Tite's Tested Tough guarantee ensures that this hitch exceeds industry standards. Drawbar sold separately.
Features:
Specs:
Draw-Tite's Tested Tough program provides testing standards far superior to those outlined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the go-to source for engineering professionals.
Each Draw-Tite trailer hitch receiver undergoes extensive fatigue testing and static testing with the ball mount that is either supplied or recommended for use with that particular hitch, thus ensuring results that are applicable to real life use. Fatigue testing is also conducted on hitches rated for use with weight-distribution systems.
In addition, Draw-Tite performs static testing on a simulated automobile, as opposed to the rigid fixture used for SAE testing, resulting in a more true-to-life scenario.
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.
California residents: click here
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Today on our 2018 Toyota RAV4 we're going to be taking a look at and showing you how to install the Draw Tite Class Two Custom Fit Trailer Hitch Receiver.So here's what our hitch is going to look like once we have it installed on our RAV4. The cross tube's going to sit right below our bumper and it's going to give us an inch and a quarter by inch and a quarter receiver tube opening. That's gonna be great for a lot of things like bike racks or even some light duty towing.Now the way we're gonna mount any of our accessories, the hitch pin hole here on the side. It is going to accept a standard half inch pin and clip. Now these are not included in the kit, but you can pick them up here at etrailer.com along with some locking devices to keep your accessories secure.If you do plan on doing some light duty towing our receiver chain connection points are going to be a plate style welded to the bottom and you can see we have plenty of room to get most size hooks on or off, but if you are using a rather small hook, just keep in mind it may have a little bit of limitation when it comes to movement because of the flange right here.As far as the weight capacity goes, our hitch is going to have a 300 pound tongue weight, which is the maximum downward force of the receiver tube, along with a 3,500 pound gross trailer weight rating. That's the amount our hitch can pull including the trailer and everything we have loaded on it.
Now with those numbers in mind, you should always double check your RAV4's owner's manual because you don't want to exceed the manufacturer's recommended weight.Like to give it a few measurements. That's going to help you whenever you're looking for accessories for your new hitch, like a bike rack or even a cargo carrier. From the center of the hitch pin hole to the outermost edge of the bumper, it's right about three and a half inches. This measurement's going to come in handy when you're looking at folding accessories to make sure you have enough room and they're not going to come in contact with the rear bumper.From the ground to the inside top edge of the receiver tube opening, it's right about 13 inches. And at that height I would definitely recommend a bike rack or a cargo carrier with a raised shank.
That way we get a little bit more ground clearance out of it. And now that we've seen what our hitch looks like and gone over some of the features, let's show you how to get it installed.To begin installation, we're gonna come to the back of our RAV4 and on the driver's side we're going to have this plastic panel on the bottom. It's going to be held in by a few plastic pushpin fasteners. So we can grab a flathead screwdriver or a trim panel tool. We'll come to the center of the fastener and we're going to pop that out.
And once the center of its popped out, we can work on getting the rest of the push pin out.We'll have two at the very back here. And then if we move forward by the wheel right by the rear suspension and the rear tire here, we're going to have a plastic nut holding the panel in place as well. So we'll grab a 10 millimeter socket and we'll pull that out.I'm going to pull the panel out and set it aside. Now underneath that panel you may have a recovery hook. If not, chances are you're going to have a couple of bolts in the bottom of the frame.
We're going to need to pull those out. And if the hook is there, we're going to remove that as well. We'll take a 17 millimeter socket and remove the bolts.Now, we move over to the passenger side where our exhaust is and we look directly above the muffler. We're going to have this rubber isolator and the hanger. We're going to remove the rubber isolator off the hanger. So I'm going to take a little bit of spray lubricant. I'm going to spray it down, make it a little bit easier to slide that hanger off. You can take a pry bar or whatever you have available. We're just going to slide that rubber isolator off so the exhaust can come down a little bit. Now on top of the muffler, on the opposite side of the hanger, we're going to have this metal rod. Now it's bolted to the top using these two bolts and we grab a 12 millimeter socket. We can pull those two bolts out.We'll remove the rod and both bolts. With our tow hook and the panel out of the way we can get a better view of the bottom of the frame rail and we're going to have several threaded holes in the bottom. On the driver's side we'll have three. Those are going to be our three mounting locations. We'll want to take one of the new bolts from our kit. We'll want to make sure that we can easily thread it into the weld nut by hand. That way there's no dirt, debris or rust inside. We don't have to worry about it cross threading.So let's make sure we can thread it in to each one of the weld nuts. We move over to the passenger side of the frame and do the same thing. Just keep in mind that on the passenger side we're not going to have this middle mounting location. There is only going to be two. Now whenever where we do go to mount our hitch up, we'll take one of our new bolts. We'll take a conical tooth washer, we're gonna make sure that the teeth are facing up towards the hitch. We'll go through our hitch and secure it into the frame.Now with an extra set of hands, we're gonna lift our hitch up, lift it up over the passenger side so we can clear the exhaust and we'll line up the holes in our hitch with the holes in the frame. We'll take one of our bolts and a washer and we're going to get it started hand tight, at least one on each side. That way the hitch will support itself. We don't have to worry about it falling down. I'm going to come back with a 19 millimeter socket and I'm going to snug up all my hardware. Then, I'm going to come back and make sure I torque all my hardware down to the specified amount in the instructions.You want to do that for any remaining hardware that you have. I'm just going to take a little more spray lubricant, I'm going to spray down the isolator as well as the hanger, making it a little bit easier to get the exhaust back in place.That'll finish up your look at the Draw Tite Class Two Custom Fit Trailer Hitch Receiver on our 2018 Toyota RAV4.
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (208 Customer Reviews)
This fully welded, corrosion-resistant vehicle trailer hitch receiver is perfect for your light-duty towing needs. Draw-Tite's Tested Tough guarantee ensures that this hitch exceeds industry standards. Drawbar sold separately.Installation of the hitch took me 20 minutes by myself. Would have been faster, but couldn't find my socket extension. I used a swivel on my socket so I didn't have to release the muffler. The hitch mounted up to the factory holes just as the "how to" video said they would. Mine were nice and clean so no extra prep was needed.
I was nervous after having read some of the other reviews about slightly offset mounting holes, especially since I have a 2012 Rav4.
My order came with my accessories neatly wrapped to the trailer hitch, so nothing was rattling around in the box.
I pulled out the hitch and separated the accessories. I crawled under the car and removed the protective covers from the chassis mounting holes. (Adhesive paper discs) I held the hitch up to the holes and they were perfectly aligned. The hitch mounted very easily. I had to disconnect the two rubber muffler supports to mount right side, abd remove a tie down bracket from the left. The hardest part of the job was fishing the wiring harness, but that was more due to all the trim pieces that had to be opened up, and a tight spot passing over the wheel well.
Getting the positive lead through the firewall wasn't too bad, once I found a spot in the rubber grommet that I could punch a hole through. All-in-all, I'm very happy with the product.
The hitch was installed without any issues,, all holes lined up perfectly to the corresponding holes on my vehicle!!!
I had my mechanic do the install along with the wiring harness on my 2009 Rav 4 Limited, told him about the great How To videos that etrailer has and he said it was super easy! It looks great and I can’t wait to use it. Buying my trailer this weekend!! My only concern is did I get the correct size for the small 4X8 open bed trailer??
Heather A.
11/9/2018
This draw-tite class 2 hitch part # 36588 is rated up to 300 lbs in tongue weight. As long as you do not exceed the tongue weight rating with the small trailer you should not have any issues. If you ever decide to tow a larger trailer you will probably need a higher capacity hitch for your RAV4 such as etrailer class 3 hitch part # e98864. The etrailer class 3 part # e98864 can handle up to 525 lbs of tongue weight and is the same exact installation as the class 2.
Great hitch. Easy installation and perfect fit. Don't spend money on installation watch the video, you can do it.
Mike W.
8/25/2018
Great no complaints.
I purchased this hitch along with a Thule (TH912XT) bike rack. The install was fairly simple and quick on my 2007 RAV4, although a 2nd set of hands will greatly help you out. The only little problem I ran into was with the exhaust. It does need to be moved slightly out of the way in order to install one of the bolts. Otherwise, it was a straight forward install. Quality seems good and it appears to be well built. Only time will tell. If I had to purchase this hitch again, based on what I've seen so far, I definitely would.
Easy install thanks to a great video! I had to contact customer service to inquire about re-installing the plastic panel by the recovery hook. It wasn't mentioned in the video that it would need to be modified (trimmed) to fit and re-attach. It was noted in their database. Great customer service every step of the process. Thank you!
The hitch is exactly as described. The shipping was incredibly fast and free. Free is almost always a good price. I was afraid "free" meant slow but that was not the case. The hitch was amazingly easy to install. Thanks etrailer for a great experience.
To all you people looking for a hitch look no further best prices and installing there hitch was as simple as putting gas in your car no drilling they supply hardware all u do is bolt it up and enjoy towing your boat As I am or what ever u may
Very happy with hitch. Good prompt delivery The installation info was very helpfull. Installed the hitch myself in 30 minutes. With help could be done in 15. Have not installed the wire harness yet again your video should be helpfull. Great service great product.
RAV4 Limited hitch installationHere are some photos of my installation (including Hitch and the wire
harness.
Now, it looks good. I have 2009 RAV4 LIMITED (4-cyl)
INSTALL TIME WAS 45 MINUTES WORKING SOLO. AMAZING FIT AND APPEARANCE. DEFINITELY MADE FOR THIS A TOYOTA RAV4.
Product was exactly as advertised. It showed up at my front door three days after I ordered it. The install was just like the videos showed. A piece of cake to install.
A side note - The video is a great sales tool. I am not a gear head and I had some trepidation about installing a trailer hitch by myself. But after seeing how easy it looked I decided to give it a shot.
I will definitely be telling folks how easy this project was and how nice etrailer is to deal with.
Andy H.
5/5/2015
After one year the hitch and wiring are still working great. They get fairly light usage. I use them to haul my mower on a small utility trailer to a cabin. Ill be moving soon and the trailer will be getting a work out
Unit arrived before expected and without damage. All parts and procedures were intact and easy to follow.
Definitely needed to prep the existing weldnut holes and a good soak of PB and a small brush did the trick.
Needed some serious manual wrenching, but the 19mm bolts had plenty of threads to secure the hitch. Alignment was very nice, and it would have been a longer job if I did not have a helper.
Newrav
12/28/2017
So far the hitch has worked flawlessly, and provided easy access for a bike rack. We have taken many road trips with our bikes, and again, the hitch performs without worry.
I purchased a raw-Tite Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class II - 1-1/4". It seems fine so far. I'm disappointed that one of the bolts shipped with the trailer hitch was different than the rest. It would not thread and I had to opt for professional installation, ultimately costing me $90. Poor quality control, if you ask me....
Dave
3/2/2014
Yea mine too. 3 bolts fit and the 4th is too big. I think someone at the factory is angry at their boss and screwing up the bolts to make trouble.
Great company to deal with. Super fast shipping. Quality product that is easy to install in 15 minutes.
A company that cares enough to follow up on your order along with additional instructions for installation of wire harness.
Thanks Patrick and etrailer,
Ken C.
1/30/2015
Still own the truck it was installed on, has proven to be a quality hitch.
I have a small shop and install many of the items sold by etrailer, I find them to be excellent in product quality and customer communications. Fast action on returns and I am satisfied with the products I receive. For this Toyota Rav4, everything went well(hitch & wiring).
Suzanne C.
9/27/2013
I have a LandRover LR3. Will this hitch fit the LR3? I really like this hitch but I am afraid I will have to remove the full sized spare tire to install it? thanks! Suzanne
Hitch arrived in a timely manner and was easily installed. On-line video was a big help in the installation. My first purchase experience with you, I'll definitely purchase other products from you and refer you as the place to go for this equipment.
Landlocked S.
7/20/2015
Thanks for getting back to me! When I originally purchased this trailer hitch from eTrailer.com, I meant it to only be used to pull a small, lightweight trailer. Earlier this year, we took delivery of a new 18 foot sailboat w trailer. To save shipping fees, we opted to drive from Texas to South Carolina to pickup the boat/trailer rig. However, before taking on this task, we checked the towing requirements for our purchase and compared that with the specs on our recently-installed hitch before making our trip. The Draw-Tight trailer hitch we purchased from you worked just fine. Since we store the boat at our residence, we regularly tow the boat to lakes near us. This trailer hitch has performed without any issue. Id highly-recommend this product and eTrailer.com to anybody in the market for a trailer hitch.Regards,
Excellent product at a great price! The guys at the tire shop installed it for me and it only took them about 10 minutes. They said it fit perfectly into the predrilled holes of my 2012 RAV4 and only charged me $20 to pop it on for me. Very pleased with this product and the service from etrailer.com.
Suzanne B.
9/15/2015
Works as expected, not a single issue. Thanks for a quality product at a great price!
The hitch arrived ahead of schedule, it was packaged well and complete. This is my second time purchasing a hitch through etrailer and have been very happy with the experience.
David S.
8/7/2020
After a year of use the hitch is still working well!
This trailer hitch is very well made, it fit perfectly. The estimated install time was right on, it took me about 25 minutes to install.
Jeff H.
8/20/2015
Hitch still works great, no problems
Easy install. E Trailer kept me updated from day one. Fast shipping, well packaged, prompt delivery. Great job. Thanks
Gordon
1/30/2015
Hitch works great, Sturdy, easy to use.Great service from there peopleOne comment: If its a hidden hitch, why call attention to it by placing a label on it?
Product came fast and well packed- no damage. Installed myself in 45 minutes. Excellent service kept me aware of my shipment from the minute I paid for it. I would certainly recommend etrailer.com to my friends.
Bill S.
5/7/2015
Excellent! Paint is holding up well from a VERY harsh winter.No rust showing,Good product.
Ordered a hitch, online, from etrailer last July. Placing the order was very easy, and the delivery was very prompt. etrailer followed up a couple of times to ensure everything was ok with the product and their service. I had the hitch installed on my SUV by a local auto service, and I use the hitch primarily for my hitch-mounted bicycle rack -- it works perfectly! I also have ordered a few other items from etrailer and their service and delivery was first class again.
The hitch, ordering process and delivery all went well.
The reason for only 4 stars is the over priced brush that is NOT needed. After reading the installation literature I felt it was needed but I think I was gas lighted into thinking there was a need.
Sierra K.
10/19/2021
I am sorry that you feel like you wasted your money on the wire brush. Sometimes they are definitely needed to clean weld nuts, especially with vehicles over 5 years, because of all the road debris and possible rust. Here is a help article with the reasoning why we recommend that product.
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Dave H.
3/28/2015
Works great. Will purchase again when I replace this vehicle