Draw-Tite Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class II - 1-1/4"

This is my third Draw-Tite hitch from e trailer. The others have held up well. The install is as easy as it appears in their videos. However, this time I didn't drill into the frame to install the bolts. I had to replace the bumper cover on the car so while I had the old one off, it was only 8 nuts to remove the bumper and get access to the channel in the frame. The fishing wire was even long enough to reach the front holes.
On past installs, I always took the time to paint the drilled holes to prevent rust.125244

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Steve G.

4/15/2015

This has been used mostly with a 4 bike rack to take the family biking. No issues. This year we will be towing a trailer on vacation.

Over all I could not be any happier with my hitch / cargo basket buying and install experience. A huge thank you to Chris and George on the etrailer team. All of my pre-order questions were answered promptly, and everything arrived as scheduled. The boxes were a little banged up, but after reading the reviews, that was to be expected.

The install of the Class III hitch on my 2012 Legacy 3.6 could not have gone smoother. The videos really help to set expectations, and lets you know exactly what you need to do. My Legacy 3.6 has a dual exhaust set-up so there was a little more work involved with dropping the exhaust and another heat shield needed to be trimmed, but other than that the instal is exactly the same as the video that shows you how to instal the larger Class II hitch.

A few tips, when dropping the exhaust, you will need remove the rubber hangers that support each muffler and the next rubber hanger located right before the exhaust splits from one pipe into two. This will allow you to lower the exhaust far enough out of the way. I had the car supported by jack stands and used a small jack to support the exhaust (see picture). As for drilling the access holes, I did it from under the car and had zero problems. All said and done from the time the car was put on jack stands to the time it was ready to be lowered was exactly two hours. Again, zero complaints!

Thank you etrailer!
-Sean191719

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Trailer was great to work with, very helpful and knowledgeable.3143141

First off I'd like to thank the previous reviewers that mentioned that they had gotten the wrong size nuts in the bag of installation hardware. On inspection PRIOR TO BEGINNING I too had the wrong size nuts so it was simply a matter of a quick run to the hardware store beforehand. So, CHECK YOUR NUTS BEFORE YOU START!!
This is the 2nd time I've bought a hitch from trailer.com & as usual the parts arrived quickly & with little to no damage in transport. The installation went exactly as shown in the great video only I chose to drill the access hole from the inside the trunk area rather than underneath as another reviewer mentioned. I feel there will be less of a chance of rust developing in the frame using this method. I happened to have a couple of plastic plugs left over from something & used them to plug the 1 1/8" holes after a little touch-up paint on the bare metal. BTW, save those rubber plugs!! You may need them for a future job!
Go the Mrs on a creeper to help me get it in place. The funniest part was watching her get up & off that wheeled beast. Did the job in the garage with just the rear end on jack-stands in 2 hours taking me time. 179581

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Brian F.

7/22/2015

Didnt see it in the review but if I missed I apologize...what make model / year was the car you installed this on? I have a 2015 and am hoping I can drill the feeder holes from the trunk as well. Thanks in advance.

Chris B.

7/24/2015

Hey Brain F,Mine was a 2013 Outback wagon 2.5. Dont know if the interior is the same as a 2015. My sister-in-law has a 2015

I've bought two of these hitches: one for a 2014 Subaru Forester, and now a 2018 Subaru Outback. A local automotive dealer had no problem installing either hitch as etrailer provided an excellent online video of the installation. I tow a 12' kayak on a small trailer (note photos) and never had a problem. etrailer ships promptly with no hassle and have always got it right.z438085

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Douglas D.

10/1/2018

The hitch is ideal for the 2018 Subaru and the kayak trailer I tow with it. Never had a problem.

This is a well made product, but it could use better packaging. (A few nylon ties holding things in place would be nice). I was a little worried when it arrived at my office in a very beat up box with a huge hole. The receiver had suffered some scratches, but a little glossy black touch up paint and undercoating spray covered any exposed steel. I removed the muffler and used the "inside trunk method", enlarging the pilot holes in the rear deck with a 1-3/8" step drill bit. After removing the carpeted cargo area covers, expose the pilot holes by using an upholstery tool to carefully remove the plastic plugs holding the Styrofoam trunk material in place. The pilot holes in my 2013 2.5i Limited Outback were covered by round black stickers. Use a little cutting lubricant when using the step drill, and a Dremel tool for smoothing out rough edges. The blocks and bolts were easily placed in the frame, being pulled almost straight down into position with the pull wires from below. With a little help from my wife, this hitch receiver was bolted to our car's frame and it was a perfect fit. I kind of wish I drilled a hole in the heat shield instead of trimming it, but no one is going to notice that when its hidden above the muffler. After a little cleaning, the trunk holes can be covered with Gorilla tape or plugged, if you can find blanking plugs with flat tops. Re-install the trunk foam, plastic plugs and cargo area covers. Mounting a bike rack will be a piece of cake with this receiver.75311

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This my etrailer hitch installed on my 2017 Subaru Outback.

A little concerned on the distance the hitch is under the car not allowing enough clearance to bumper when the ball and receiver is in place.474451

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Heather A.

2/10/2018

Ronald,Thank you for your review. If you are worried about the ball mount clearing your bumper I would recommend getting a longer ball mount. I am not sure what rise or you will need to be level with your trailer. An example of a longer ball mount is part #40330. This ball mount offers 8 inches of length with a 1 inch rise, a 2 inch and up to 16K of towing capacity. The ball hole diameter is 1-14 so you would want to make sure the shank of your ball will fit.

Had a local tire shop install the hitch, much easier with a lift. No problem, just about 1.25 hours including the wiring, so very reasonable. Looks great, and everything fit well. Added caulk at the gasket to help seal the trunk. This is a Class II hitch, so adequate for my small utility trailer. Ordered the Hitch and the Wiring Harness, plus the bracket, then found I needed a "Universal Adapter" to mount it, but it was shipped fast and the shipping refunded, so I am quite happy with the customer service and instructions.656763

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I purchased based on prior hitch ease of installation and video instructions for this hitch. Perfectly engineered and all the parts (just need to purchase hole drill - recommend). Video shows 2 person install on a lift. With the road clearance of the Subaru Outback I was able to install without jacking. Didn’t have anyone to help, used a paint can to prop while I began fastening. Everything went as described, about a 2 hour job. Definitely recommend!549794

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The search for the correct hitch for my car was very easy using the etrailer.com website. My order was processed quickly and the three day shipping was much faster than I had expected. I intend to use this hitch only for a bike rack on my Suburu Legacy so the inconspicuous size is important to me.281766

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by: Garry12/06/2018

Toyota Tacoma

This hitch has worked well for me. We use to for transporting our bicycles. We moved across the country from Washington, DC to Tacoma, Washington. The hitch fits well. I added some reflective tape for added visibility. 588821

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I ordered this hitch for my bike rack. I had it installed at the Subaru dealer. It fit perfectly, looks good on my car (barley visible), and it works great. It serves the purpose I bought it for wonderfully.714606

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The Product identification on the website was easy and clear for my car. The order process was super easy. We received the order very quickly, and it was delivered complete and in great shape.
My Dad helped me install it, and we were both impressed at how good the customer service is with the access to fantastic video instructions for installation. The little bolt threading aids were brilliant! We used the floor Jack to lift the hitch in to place so that we didn't have to struggle with the weight while lining up the bolts. Lucky for us we had the hole saw in our shop. Had we not, it would have been a 30 mile trip to town and back......We had fun, and now I can haul and carry Stuff. Thanks etrailer!275948

Kate S.

1/6/2018

Its been great.about to buy another one for my other daughters new car. And recommended one for another friends subaru recently too.

The hitch arrived in a timely manner. The instructions along with the online video were excellant. The entire install time was @ 3hrs. Mostly because I did this with car ramps, not a car lift.293686

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by: Solomon08/08/2023

It fit perfect even tho i wanted the hiden hitch but that means cutting a hole in the bumper which I don’t think the wife would be to fond of.1641484

I'll start with the wiring. SUPER easy took literally 7 minutes. The exhaust hangers were a little tough to pull off the rest was cake. I opted to punch a hole in heat shield rather than cut it.
Everything lined up perfectly. Good products should and do go together smoothly. 380319

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Installation took longer than expected and I only had one trip to the hardware store for a socket I held the hitch in place using a strap

I pushed one of the bolts almost inside the frame but was able to grab it with a magnet tool

It’s on and we are ready for summer 499995

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Very easy installation with very clear instruction. With proper tools, took all of maybe 30 mins to install. With quick shipping.312894

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The install was easy and took about an hour myself. The video was very helpful. 64202

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by: Ross12/11/2017

2016 Subaru Legacy

I was a little skeptical about putting a trailer hitch on my new 2016 Subaru Legacy. Not quite the car you would expect to install one on. But, I am so glad I did. My nieces husband actually did the installing, but said it was fairly easy. Only a slight modification to the vehicle was necessary. I ended up pulling a 4'x8' trailer from Indiana to Florida with it. Worked like a charm. I've used it numerous other times since then hauling furniture, outdoor equipment, etc and have never had a problem. Highly recommend etrailer for all your hitch needs. George J has bent over backwards to make sure I'm satisfied and answered any questions. I don't have any photos to submit, but their videos are great.459195

Ross

12/31/2018

The trailer hitch has been an awesome asset. Its amazing how often you need a trailer friends once you have access to one. HaHa Its holding up great. Have had zero issues.

Hitch is of good quality, very sturdy. Install was more than time listed on site. Drilling 1.125 holes in the frame requires a very good hole saw. Drilling two holes took two hours. Will have to get some foam to seal the holes to keep water out. The instructions that came with it were in Spanish, no English instructions included. I had to download them from the site, no big deal but an inconvenience nonetheless. Instructions were very vague as to where to trim the exhaust shield, pretty much a trial and error kind of thing. Overall it was OK. I will be using this class 2 hitch for a bike rack and to pull a 4' x 8' Harbor Freight utility trailer so I only needed the small hitch, plus, I already had the 1 7/8" and 2" receiver sets so I didn't want to buy more. Also the price for the Class 2 hitch couldn't be beat.457234

John S.

12/5/2018

After a year product is in good shape, no rust is forming on the outside yet. I live in NJ where they salt the roads so that is good.

by: John04/14/2018

2014 SubaruOutback Wagon

Installed hitch on my recently acquired 2014 Outback and towed my surplus furniture out to California from Indiana for my daughter's wedding. Problem-free trip. I also use the hitch to mount a bike rack. Installation was straightforward once I fabricated a cradle out of scrap lumber and used this + car jack to raise the hitch into place underneath the car and then tighten up the bolts.

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John

4/15/2019

Indiana to California and back with a trailer and a hitch - without a hitch.

Etrailer was great to work with. Again, the hitch and wiring harness arrived in good shape and on time. The installation instructions were adequate but it was the videos which simplified the whole process. At the suggestion of other reviewers I accessed the frame bolting from the top. It was really no big deal and I liked the idea of not compromising the integrity of the frame. Thanks Etrailer.151700

Robin

9/21/2015

The hitch has been working great for a year now. It is a quality product much better than the option from Subaru.

This is my second etrailer hitch for bike racks.
Installation took me longer than advertised, but that was just my issues. Moving the muffler connections is difficult but doable. Again my issue as I am working upside down and on my back. The installation video is very useful and covers ever possible detail.
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Ron

11/10/2018

All is good w/my hitch. I make a lot of recommendations for your products but so many of my friends are not handy so they spend a lot more on their auto manufactured equipment. Ill keep recommending, and you keep up the great work.

The trailer hitch installed pretty good thanks to the "install video". I had to take down the hitch because the holes for the heat shield was not in line with the holes in hitch. I just removed the heat shield bolts and reinstalled hitch. The holes in the hitch were off on both sides for the heat shields with the holes on the Subaru. Otherwise it installed as instructed. The service was excellent from Etrailer. Ordered the hitch and was shipped the next day.292148

Ken C.

9/7/2017

It works fine except it drags when you backup. It hangs down and cuts the ground clearance, Im thinking about changing it out with one that doesnt hang down.