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This custom-fit trailer hitch with a hidden cross tube installs behind your vehicle's rear bumper, leaving only the receiver visible beneath it. Aluminum and steel alloy construction is durable and eco-friendly. Powder coat finish resists rust.
Features:
Specs:
The EcoHitch Hidden trailer hitch is designed to be as inconspicuous as possible. The hitch's cross tube bolts onto your vehicle's frame, behind your rear bumper. No drilling or welding is required. Once the hitch is installed, only the receiver will be visible beneath your bumper. This means that your vehicle can maintain its stylish, from-the-factory look, and you won't have to do any major modifications to its body or frame.
With a combination of aerospace-grade aluminum, steel, and stainless steel, each EcoHitch is made of a strong metal alloy that will withstand the test of time. The lightweight alloy is composed of recycled materials. Traditional steel hitch manufacturing can use coal or oil, which can contribute to harmful gas emissions. The EcoHitch's recycled materials limit the carbon footprint during manufacturing, so you get a sturdy trailer hitch while also helping the environment.
This EcoHitch trailer hitch is tested for durability and sturdiness. Using Finite Elemental Analysis (FEA), individual points of stress on the hitch can be detected and remedied. Designers can accurately test the hitch to ensure that it will meet or exceed SAE J684 standards. The EcoHitch Hidden trailer hitch is carefully researched and strength tested for a durable, high-quality hitch that can resist damage while on the road.
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.
Average Customer Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars (38 Customer Reviews)
This custom-fit trailer hitch with a hidden cross tube installs behind your vehicle's rear bumper, leaving only the receiver visible beneath it. Aluminum and steel alloy construction is durable and eco-friendly. Powder coat finish resists rust.Shipping was lightning quick and item arrived in top shape. Video instructions were a big help and I managed to fit it on my 2015 GTI in about 2.5 hours. The hardest part is unclipping the rear fascia without breaking anything. Patience and careful study of the clips' layout is the way to go. A butter knife was my trustworthy tool for that part. Other than that the hitch itself is sturdy and well built.
Jean-alexandre
4/12/2023
Still as good as day one! Not getting regular use but still works awesome whenever I need it!
Installed this hitch on 2015 VW Golf. The installation was straight forward with the video posted on the etrailer site on the product page. The fit was perfect and has worked great for trailering small boats. I highly recommend this ecohitch product. This was the first time I used an ecohitch product, as they were the only company offering a 2” hitch receiver for this generation of Golf.
The product itself is fantastic! etrailer was the only place I could find a 2" hitch for my vehicle. The installation was not easy though. Luckily, I have a lift and an extensive tool shop at my disposal. Taking the bumper off was a pain. A lot of the bumper is put on with press fit type fittings so it really was not meant to come off. I broke on plastic piece on my car while trying to get those tabs out. You also have to remove the tail light assemblies and the steel impact bar that is under the plastic bumper. There were a couple screws way up in the wheel well and other places that were quite hard to get to, but we managed. Once all that was done, that actual installation of the hitch was not hard. The prep work and getting the bumper off was the worst part. We had to cut the fascia piece a little so it would fit around the hitch. In the end, stoked about this hitch! I plan on mainly using it for a bike rack but occasionally pulling a small trailer.
I was able to install the hitch on my GTI in about 2 hours, working independently with Jack stands (no lift). The instructions provided with the lift are garbage but the video etrailer has [on-line] is, as always, perfect. Crystal clear instruction, good identification of which tools you need and when. I know this hitch is rated as one of the more difficult to install, but I really wouldn't consider that to be the case, getting the rear fender off takes a bit of work but installing the hitch itself is actually very easy. One thing to note though, if you don't have one, you should borrow a torque wrench from an autoparts store, the critical 3/8 and 1/2" bolts require some pretty heavy torque, much more than I had initially thought to be enough before getting my wrench.
Also, when I ordered this part, I received an email saying that it was on backorder and the part wouldn't ship for 2-3 weeks, I was pretty disappointed to hear that. Then, the next day I got an email that my item shipped, I was pretty confused but checked the shipping weight of my item and it was clearly the hitch, so somehow they pulled some magic and got the hitch to me about 3 weeks earlier than originally planned.
I had high expectations with regard to customer service at etrailer.com. I ordered the ecohitch hidden hitch 2in receiver. The initial product came damaged with no hardware and missing the stability straps. I called etrailer, they apologized and said they would ship me a new one after I went back the damaged one.
The second one came and had minor damage (paint on the receiver needed touched up) but all the hardware appeared to be included so I decided to keep the product. I followed the directions on the online video which I think is excellent. Etrailer did a great job in breaking down exactly how to install this product on my VW GTI.
Where things really went south with this project was when it came to installing the side straps. Etrailer sent 2 straps but they were identical instead of mirror images. That meant I could only install one strap. Unfortunately for me, the entire rear of my car was all taken apart. I called etrailer and they struggled to understand the issue. They raised my concern to a manager who told me they’d expedite the product to me. I had to explain that that was all well and good but that my car is in pieces and I can’t complete the project until I have the piece.
Anyway, I put the car back together with the pieces installed that I had and waited for etrailer to send me the missing piece. Weeks went by with no word when I finally started calling them. I left messages and emails with no response. I called the general customer service line and repeatedly told the story to the new person on the other end. And while they listened politely, nobody seemed able to help, telling me that they are a third party supplier. I estimate that I called 8-10 times with an average call time of 30 minutes to finally get my part.
I was told over the course of these calls that because of my inconvenience, etrailer would “do right by me” and give me a discount on a future product if I order again with them. The whole process took approximately 4 months. When I called to order a bike rack for my now completed trailer hitch, I was told that a 5% discount was the best they could do. A 5% discount on a $400 bike rack seemed extremely flimsy considering the fact that I couldn’t get anyone at etrailer to do their job. I politely told the representative to get bent. I went and bought a bike rack from Walmart for $100 and I love it!
Even though the trailer hitch is satisfactory at this point, I am done with Etrailer.
etrailer has always been so awesome - their shipping is fast and their videos (which I used for this install) are amazing. This is the first order that was damaged upon shipment. The hitch and it's parts were pretty beat up, and the receiver was so badly bent that only 3 of 7 bolts aligned to the GTI. I was able to get everything aligned only by using a 3 ton hydraulic jack. So in the end, it worked.
I reiterate that I am extremely grateful to etrailer for their helpful videos and will continue to purchase from them.
Sierra K.
12/6/2021
I apologize for the trouble you went through installing this hitch receiver. Hitch receiver brackets are designed to flex so they can sometimes get knocked out of alignment. Here is more about flex in this help article:
Helpful Links
Hitch took a little extra modification.
Looks good once completed. 2015 Golf TDI
This hitch went on a 2015 VW Golf TDI. I paid to have it installed due to having to remove the rear bumper cover. Bolted on easily and looks great. I use it for a bicycle rack. This is probably the best hitch for this vehicle. Went with the 2 in receiver for better strength and durability. I highly recommend this hitch for anyone in a small car/SUV that wants the ability to add a bicycle rack or luggage carrier rack.
Attention Etrailer.com You were unable to confirm that this hitch would fit an E-GOLF. IT FITS PERFECTLY WITHOUT ANY MODIFICATION so add a 2016 VW E-GOLF to the compatibility list. We wanted a 2" receiver hitch to broaden the type of attachments that we could use and this was the only one we could find to avoid custom fabrication. It is very robust and strong. We love it.
Box came without mounting HW. 2 weeks later I’m still waiting for the mounting hardware. Missed my install appointment and will need to wait at least a week after/if the hardware ever arrives.
Really like my hidden hitch. Has been reliable. Installed on my VW gti and most issues were related to the install rather than the product. The bumper was a pain to cut. If I remember correctly I used sewing thread to hacksaw the bumper. The styrofoam impact insert would no longer fit. I did go to an automotive store and purchase higher quality hardware than what came with the kit. My biggest regret was not installing a trailer wiring harness at the same time. Currently using the hitch for a bike rack but there may be a trailer in it's future.
This hitch fits beautifully on my VW GTI 2016. It is discreet when I take off the bike rack and doesn't ruin the aesthetics of the car. Great hitch, working great after one year of near daily use. I had it installed at a dealer and though they had to take the bumper off and cut the fascia, they did a good job and the hitch is discreet but functional.
This is the 2" hitch receiver I got for an eBike rack. I had a guy do the mounting (he did an excellent job), so I cannot comment on that part. But the receiver itself is totally solid and works great with my bike rack. I like the 2" for these heavier bikes - very secure system.
Well, I haven’t actually used the hitch yet, but installed it and mounted my bike rack, and backed out of our driveway which drags the front of our standard (non-GTI) Golf if you take the wrong angle, but cleared the hitch by about 6”. Anyway, delivery was quick, packaging was OK (one tear in the carton, no product damage), loose parts were well bagged and secured. Installation was tedious but not hard. Video was generally good, certainly more detailed than the written instructions. I took advantage of a helper for the final removal of the plastic bumper cover but the rest was a one-person job. A few comments, at least on our model year 2015 Golf: the lower valence screws with T15 heads are plastic. One of mine was stripped (both head and threads) before I removed it, presumably at the factory. I was able to get it out with pliers, and replaced it with a steel M4 or M5 screw. The T25 head screws near the seam between the fender and the rear bumper cover were very difficult to reach. Blame VW not the hitch manufacturer. Jacking up the car to increase the clearance between the tire and fender helped a lot. Double jointed hands and X Ray vision would help more. There is much less slack on the twilight harness on the driver side (at least our car) so I could only remove the plug reaching through the access hole in the trunk liner. Note that these access holes aren’t necessarily open unless someone has replaced a bulb or removed the light before, so I had to slit the perforated seam with a utility knife. Finally, the hitch wasn’t quite centered despite encouraging it with a hammer, maybe 3/16” off, so I measured my own cut lines for the notch in the valence. The printed instructions aren’t really clear on where the 6” dimension starts ... the edge of actual hole in the valence, or the edge of the recess around the hole ... and the video refers to the instructions. With the non GTI valence, at least on my car, the extra notches on the sides of the hitch clearance notch weren’t really needed. If you don’t cut them and the valence fits, the edge trim will look much better. Anyway, looking forward to using it with our 1Up rack and getting 40 mpg on long MTB road trips, where we don’t need to take more than 2 bikes or go off pavement, instead of using our truck and getting 20 mpg. Plus the Go,f is more fun!
Got this for my '16 GTI. Friend told me to get the 2" receiver size to have more options as I was getting this for a bike rack.
Instructions (both the video on etrailer's site and the ones that came with the receiver) were super easy to follow and made the install a breeze. A second pair of hands definitely would have helped out, but can be done by one person. Great part is technically you don't have to jack up the vehicle to install, or have to do anything with the exhaust/interferes with the exhaust.
So far have used it several times, checked the bolts a couple days after install, and everything is working great!
I just installed the EcoHitch 2" receiver on my 2016 Volkswagen GTI. This is the fourth trailer hitch I have installed, and it was by far the most time consuming. The reason for the longer install time is that the hitch is installed behind the bumper cover, rather than below it. I selected this hitch because I like how concealed it is, as well as it being the only 2" receiver available for my car.
The fit and finish of the hitch is excellent. The powder coating and decals look nicer than the Curt, Pro Series, and DrawTite hitches I have used in the past. (The EcoHitch cost twice as much as those other brands would have, so I would expect it to look nicer.)
The installation difficulty rating provided by eTrailer is 10 out of 10. Relative to other hitches I have installed, I think this is accurate. Don't let the difficulty rating intimidate you, though. If you follow the instructions and take your time, you'll be fine. The provided instructions are good, and there are several installation videos available online.
One thing that the included instructions fail to mention is the wiring that runs to the license plate light. You will need to either disconnect the wire completely (low on passenger side) or unclip the wire from the bumper cover in a few different places in order to move the bumper cover out of the way. Also, the instructions tell you to DISCARD the foam that is originally between the impact bar and bumper cover. I ignored this and put it back in. I got the whole thing back together and couldn't get the bottom screw holes to line up. I also couldn't figure out why the panel gaps looked bigger than before. I realized that the foam needed to come out, so I had to take everything apart a second time. Once I got it back together, everything looked great.
Even though it is only used for bike racks, the paint and finish has held up really well and I am still really happy with my purchase and have recommended these to my friends looking for a hitch.
worked great, towed a 1,800lb uhaul from Oregon to Colorado non stop.
I would recommend getting the trailer light wire kit when you order this.
High ground clearance for my Volkswagen. It never scrapes and I can use my 2 inch receiver bike rack with no issues. Instructions were clear.
The hitch was exactly what I was looking for since it is truly hidden except for the receiver. Shipping was super fast. Install was straight forward except the holes didn't quite line up with threaded holes in the body, most likely because the steel pulled when the hitch was welded. I had to use a lot of force with a line-up bar to get all the bolts started. The 1/2-13 nuts for the side braces were missing from the hardware kit so I had to go to the hardware store, otherwise I would have given it a 5 star review.
Awesome hitch. It’s little more difficult to install since you have to remove the rear bumper cover, but this this is solid and I would never go a different direction.
Although it can be tricky to get the right one for your model of car, it works great with the bike rack I have.
Never seen a company with so many polite employees! But the lack of knowledge and commonsense is so over the top. Albert Einstein used to say don't argue with stupid They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. This company kicked my ass.
This item goes on EXACTLY how the video shows. It took me a little more than 2 hrs. Because I needed to make sure everything fit back together correctly. The receiver looks great.
Good product. Everything fit. No missing parts. Installing it is not easy, but a video was very helpful. I will use it for carrying bikes.
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Robert A.
7/17/2022
Worked great with our 1-Up rack. Secure and stable connection. Helpful customer service.