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Fully welded vehicle trailer hitch is strong and durable. Draw-Tite's Tested Tough guarantee ensures that this hitch exceeds industry standards. The combination of an e-coat base and a powder coat finish provides excellent rust protection.
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.
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Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (123 Customer Reviews)
Fully welded vehicle trailer hitch is strong and durable. Draw-Tite's Tested Tough guarantee ensures that this hitch exceeds industry standards. The combination of an e-coat base and a powder coat finish provides excellent rust protection.Great basic product at a fraction of the OEM price, though it won't allow the mounting of a full size spare (which I knew going in, from other reviews and the product description).
Was able to mount it up easily on my 2009 MDX without help (other than my wife handing me tools), no issues at all! Doesn't touch the plastic rear bumper fascia at all, fits perfectly. The large bolt heads, as compared the reduced-head flange bolts used with the Curt version, were no issue at all, just took about 1% more patience and finesse for the ones partially obstructed by the hitch tube itself.
I didn't happen to have the right tap on hand so chased the threads on all (8) of the frame weld-nuts with one of the mounting bolts before I got started, making sure to get it properly threaded in each hole before rattling it down with the impact gun. Blew any dust or particles remaining in the holes out with an air nozzle, then used blue thread locker when I bolted the hitch in. Make sure to tighten per spec (90 ft-lbs in my case).
Only needed to drop the heat shield and tail pipe on one side, FYI. Be sure to use a non-petroleum lube when prying the rubber isolation mounts off the exhaust system, BTW - plain oil will attack the rubber over time (I used white lithium spray grease). I only needed to disconnect the two isolation mounts near the muffler (leaving the one further forward alone), and zip tied the exhaust down and to the outside to get it out of the way in order to slide the hitch into position. The whole thing was really straightforward, and anyone with even moderate wrenching skills and basic mechanic tools can do it.
My one and only gripe was the flimsy packing of the hitch from the warehouse or factory. As so many other reviewers have noted, the mounting flanges had beaten their way thru the single layer of cardboard during handling, and the exposed flanges arrived somewhat bent. It was not a huge deal and was easily fixed, but could have been avoided altogether if the shipping carton simply had reinforced corners where the flanges ride.
But the flattened e-trailer shipping carton DID make a nice pad to lay on while installing!
Hitch is well made, easy to install, and comes with all hardware. It is not compatible with factory hitch wiring harness. The 7 pin connector bracket is positioned 3" too close to the receiver, and there is not enough whip in the 7 pin connector to reach the mounting bracket. Had to fabricate a spacer to span the gap.
Patrick B.
4/22/2014
The welded bracket on the hitch was designed to be used with aftermarket wiring setups and as you found may not work with OEM wiring packages.
Fitment is great. Had to remove the heat shield on the right muffler and pull the exhaust hanger, but I was able to squeeze the receiver in without completely removing the exhaust.
Very happy with the draw-tite hitch, the shipping, etrailer website, and the customer service.
Here are some (hopefully) helpful tidbits:
There are 2 exhaust hangers per side. One on each side is tucked under the bumper near the exhaust tips. I initially missed those. I also found it helpful to remove the hangers that are midway from the engine to the back and set the exhaust on the spare tire. (Don't worry. They are very easy to put back.)
Only 1 heat shield needs to be removed. (Either one.) there are 3 bolts. They are 10mm. I found a 3" socket extension worked best.
I propped the receiver up with my pelvis while starting a bolt on each side. (A sight I'm sure the neighbors just loved.) The piece fits fine with 1/8" gap on each side. no mallet necessary. The bolts are 17mm. I found a 6" extension worked best.
Initially I was disappointed with what looked like poor fitment (front tighter than back.) Rest assured, this corrects itself upon incremental tightening, and the fit turns out to be great.
Torque the bolts to 90 ft-lbs.
After reinstalling everything, guide the spare tire up above the receiver bars first so it goes all the way up. Guide with one hand while turning with the other.
Probably took me 90 mins or so, which I'm very happy with. (I'm slow.) Overall, very happy with the whole process. Went off without a hitch. Ba-dum. Tsssss.
Received the product within a week or ordering from etrailer.com. They even bumped up my shipping from the standard 5-7 day ground to a 3-5 day ground for no extra charge. The product came 4 days later and was packaged fairly well. The box had been punctured on one spot but there was no damage (dents, scratches, or chipped paint) to the hitch itself.
The installation took about 2 hours with prep and clean up, mainly because I was doing it alone using a jack. It will be much easier if you could have a friend help you out.
The hitch fits perfectly and is very sturdy without looking too out of place or ruining the design of the rear of the vehicle. I have not towed anything with it at this time, but I have had a bike rack on it with up to 4 bikes and it has performed as promised.
Great price hitch fit perfectly. Wiring harness plugged directly into vehicle couldn't have been simpler
The hitch receiver installed as expected based on the pictures and instructions on the web site. The fit is perfect. However, the hitch receiver arrived with a lot of deep scratches, various paint scuffs, and numerous areas where the black paint had flaked off. Plus, there were a number of sharp metal burrs that needed to be filed to prevent cuts or scraps during installation (or later when installing/removing a hitch and/or a bike rack.) Quality control could be much better. Note that the etrailer web site was great; very helpful and easy to use.
Jenny N.
1/19/2022
I will have our customer service team reach out to you. I recommend touching up the hitch with a rust resistant paint which you will have on hand for regular hitch maintenance.
Helpful Links
The installation went well and took about 1.5 hours. I did this with help from neighbor and I watched the video. I also had the correct tools, wrenches, extensions, etc. which helped immensely. I would highly recommend your website and products.
Overall very good experience. Fair prices, quick shipping. Minor caveat was I had to get some shorter screws but I think that was actually flagged in the video review by etrailer.
A very nice hitch at a good price. Ordered on Tuesday and the product arrived Thursday - a day earlier than estimated by etrailer. The box was a little torn-up by UPS, but the hitch and parts inside were in excellent shape.
I am not that handy so I studied the reviews/video and made sure my tools were adequate for the job before starting. I just followed the installation steps as shown and have to say that it is all very straight forward. As the video said, getting the hitch into place took a little jiggling and an extra pair of hands to get the first couple of bolts started made the task easier. Took a little more than one (1) hour total time in my garage (no lift) to install including prep and clean-up as I was slow and careful with each step. I have to say that I was surprised how easy it was and how quickly I was finished.
The hitch looks great and given that it will be used to carry a bike rack the class III rating is more than enough for that job. I couldn't be happier with the experience and will definitely be telling others to use etrailer if they need a hitch.
Works great and the bag that came with it is perfect. It’s a little clunky when folding it; the pin is pretty tough to get in and out, but that’s not the end of the world. Overall a perfect buy for what our family needed. We have five in our family, and an SUV to take camping. This allows us to take everything we need. Really great purchase.
The website videos really help me choose which manufacturer's hitch to purchase. The checkout process was quick, easy and secure (PayPal). But when my order was delivered 3-4 days EARLIER than expected, that was icing-on-the-cake. E-trailer did better than eBay, better than Amazon, and better than many discount retailers.
Robert S.
10/26/2021
After a year of use, the receiver hitch looks like new. I followed the installation instructions and it was a perfect fit. A shout-out to etrailer for fast shipping and follow-up.
video was perfect as far as description. I needed to remove the passenger heat shield and only loosen the drivers heat shield to bolt up the hitch. there's one bolt on each side that's very difficult to reach and tighten.
this is my 2nd hitch and my 2nd time purchasing from eTrailer. very happy overall.
Jim M.
1/19/2018
This is my 2nd time purchasing from etrailer and I couldnt be any happier. My only wish is that it specified if you can fit a full size spare tire or a doughnut. Some other brands unlike mine actually can fit a full size spare.
Trailer hitch was exactly what I ordered. However the description makes it look like it come with wiring which it does not. Would have easily paid for the wiring, but like is said, when you are looking to purchase the hitch, it looks like it come with wiring.
Mike L.
4/22/2019
The trailer wiring harness is indeed sold as a separate item, because a good-sized percentage of folks who purchase a hitch do so to use as an attachment point for hitch mounted accessories, and have no intention of towing with the hitch.
I'm happy with the hitch. Some paint was scuffed off, but the hitch is nice heavy construction. A few installation notes. The install took quite a while because you really need to clean out the threaded holes(WD40 and small brushes). Someone wrote about not being able to fully tighten the hitch to the car - I am convinced his holes weren't clean. The bolts will bind in the crud. I installed on a 2010 Acura MDX with a factory harness. The factory instructions call for removing the bumper trim panel. Turns out you don't need to. This hitch fits just right below. Instructions also call for unbolting the vehicle control unit. My car didn't have one (as shown in the illustration). Finally, the factory harness plug can't mount to the flange on the hitch. The backside of the plug collides with the frame. Also the harness is short. I will need to fabricate a bracket (not complete in photo). Overall nice product. I would buy again.
Installation was just as easy as advertised on a 2013 Acura MDX. Under one hour including cleanup and setup, one person, no lift or jack. There is a extra muffler hanger near the exhaust tip on the 2013 (not shown in the video), but it slips off easily by hand if you push the muffler up just a bit. I recommend unhooking only one muffler and removing its heat shield and sliding the hitch up in slightly diagonally, instead of unhanging both mufflers. If you do the install on your back under the car, you can just rest the hitch on your stomach and put a couple bolts in on each side by hand by yourself. The partialy-obscured install bolts go in easily with a 10" socket extension.
Perfect fit and the installation video was very informative!
Product arrived in great shape & instructions were very straight forward & simple to follow. Hitch looks great & have already started using it. 2nd time I've purchased from etrailer & have had a wonderful experience both times - both quality of products & support regarding installation etc. Will continue purchasing hitches as needed for new vehicles moving forward - great value & much cheaper than paying some local shop to screw in 8 bolts for 200-400 in labor!
Fit like a glove if not better! Great pricing as well. Install took two hours in my driveway.
Nice hitch. Packaging could have been better as rails were outside the box when it came. Install was as expected 2hrs but doable.
Note for my 2010 acura mdx I had to remove 4 rubber hangers from the exhaust portion they are located on either side of the muffler/heat shields also came off. When you are positioning hitch into place slide one side just above one muffler and raise the opposite side up into place then you can raise other side up.
looks beefy and tough was worried that it would stick out but with a hitch cover it blends in nicely
The product was fine and installed fairly easily. The videos are very helpful. Just a note on the MDX; the rubber exhaust hangars are pretty stiff when cold. Best to do this when the shop/garage is warm.
Also, like most wrenching, its best to wear protective eyewear; especially if your car has a few miles on it. I had a lot of salt/sand/debris falling from underneath. When you are looking up at the wrench, its bound to break something loose that falls down (along with the lubricant) and is a safety risk.
As for packaging and the item itself.... The hitch was sent in a box without any padding or packaging. The two plates had punctured the box. Unfortunately, I did not even notice until collecting the item from my front porch and dragging it puncture-side down damaging my floor. The package was too small for the item and poorly packaged which seems to be the biggest complaint on etrailer.
Finally, I live in a state that uses a lot of road salt. Choosing the best protected (e-coated, powder coating, etc.) was very important to me. This hitch came with more deep (to the metal) gouges and scratches than I could believe. There was no problem with the manufacture but it sure made me wonder if it was a cosmetic second.
The price was good, shipping and follow-up was excellent, product was okay. Plan to get some touch-up paint (easier before you install) if you worry about corrosion.
Ordered the hitch on Thursday and it arrived Monday using the free shipping option. Everything made it in great shape.
The hitch was easy to install on my 2008 MDX using the etrailer video. It took me a little over an hour, no lift, and most of the time was spent searching for the right size socket to get the heat shield off. Small tip, you only need to remove 1 heat shield to get clearance for the hitch to fit. The hitch fit perfectly and 3 of the 4 bolts on each side when in no problem. The lower front bolt is a pain and I recommend using a smaller socket wrench, my heavy duty wrench was just too big. Once installed the hitch is extremely solid and looks great. The wiring is a piece of cake, total of about 15 minutes.
Etrailer was fantastic and I could be any happier with my experience. I will use them again, no doubt.
The hitch appears well-built and fits nicely into the space.
A few install issues.
First, the hitch can be positioned with only one person if you get far enough underneath, head towards the front of the car. You can use your knee to hold up one side of the hitch while starting the bolts on the other side.
As other reviewers state, the hitch can be installed by removing only one heat shield/exhaust hanger, but removing both heat shields makes it easier to tighten the bolts for the hitch.
Beware of the limited room you'll have to sqeeze a wrench into place to remove/replace the heat shields and don't even think about using a long-handled torque wrench to tighten the hitch bolts, especially the bolts located towards the rear end of the car.
Hitch looks perfect....close to factory installed. Lines up perfectly and almost level with the exhaust. I purchased the wire harness and the mounting bracket for the 4 pole flat trailer connection. Looks great and pleased with the price/shipping.
Great customer service. Did not try to push other products. Reviewed what type of hitch and accessories I was interested in and explained what I would need to complete the project. The equipment came as scheduled. The box was a little beat up and the ends of the hitch came through the box but no damage or paint chipping. This could have been an UPS issues but I would recommend that etrailer put extra cardboard around the end of the hitch to prevent breaking thru. There was not any double sided tape in the wiring harness box so had to make a trip to the hardware store to pick some up. Also, the video does not address anything about the third row seating on the Acura and the placement of the harness box and ground wire. The hitch fit perfect and was easily installed with an extra set of hands to hold the hitch up into place. Overall a good experience.
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Sean H.
5/19/2020
Its now been a year and weve trailered our 17 boat and other trailers quite a lot, and the hitch has done its job perfectly. Excellent product, very solid and looks great. Would def buy again andor recommend to friends.