Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"

This review is a little about the hitch, but more about the installation process in hopes of helping others and saving them some additional money.

First of all, we bought two hitches: 1) 2004 Toyota Sienna = Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2" - Item # 75237 and 2) 2007 Toyota Rav4 = Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2" Item # 75235.

Both frames arrived in excellent condition despite one of the boxes being damaged in shipping. They are obviously well built and meant to fit the specified vehicles. etrailer.com understands how to match vehicles and hitches. Both hitches fit perfectly and no alterations were needed for the hitches. We just finished installing them yesterday and look forward to using them with our new bike rack.

Installation hints:

1) Make sure you have everything (tools, lubricant, brush, etc) ready and organized before you try to install your hitch. In my case, I was missing some tools I thought were in the garage and had to make other arrangements. The installation time in the etrailer videos (extremely helpful) is only accurate if you have everything prepped and you don't have any problems with the weldnuts (see #2 below). The actual installation is surprisingly straightforward and could be completed in close to the estimated time.

One item you will need, that you might not have, is a torque wrench. Here's the first money saving tip, check with your local auto parts store, to see if they participate in a tool loaner program. Basically, you pick up the tool from their store and pay a deposit (which is the price of the tool), use it, return it, and get your deposit back. While many guys are looking for excuses to buy more tools, I opted to borrow a torque wrench as I don't see myself needing one in the future. If I do, I know where to borrow one :)

2) If your vehicles are a bit older, or if your vehicles operate in wet or snowy areas, there's a very good chance the vehicle weldnuts (threaded inserts - this is where the bolts will thread into) will have dirt, grime, and rust built up in the inserts. I strongly recommend taking the time to make sure your bolts will go into the weldnuts before you mess with the hitch installation.

The weldnuts on our 2007 Rav4 were in great shape and only required me to spray in some lubricant (Sea Foam Deep Creep) and clean out with a wire tube brush (Nylon Tube Brush - 1/2" Item # 814092 etrailer.com). If I hadn't done this simple step, I wouldn't have been able to get the bolts to thread. Once I did this, the install was simple. I didn't spent much time doing this.

Our 2004 Sienna was a different story. Besides being 3 years older, it also came from an area with more snow and they likely salted/treated the roads which contributed to the problem. Using the lubricant and brushing out several times was not sufficient to get the weldnuts clean enough. The good folks at the local auto parts store listened to the description of the issue I was facing in this installation project. The gentleman helping me said something like, "It sounds like you need to chase the threads to clean them out. We have a thread restorer kit in our tool loaner program." (see two screen shots from their website). I knew what a tap was, but hadn't heard of a thread chaser. I was able to use the thread chaser to clean out all of the junk built up in the weldnuts. In my case, this was a major project as they were in bad shape. I was also being cautious as I didn't want to mess up the threads. Some of the weldnuts required me to go part way in with the thread chaser, bring it out and clean it, relubricate the weldnut and chaser and go again several times. Some of the weldnuts were less problematic. In short, if you run into this issue, see if you can borrow this kit. The thread chaser is designed to be used with a socket and socket wrench. Always start the thread chaser by hand to ensure it isn't cross threaded. Once you're certain it's in the correct way, start slowly with the socket wrench or a drill with socket adapter. The instructions that come with your hitch will provide the specs on the bolts. In our case it the bolts were M12 x 1.25 (I think M12 has to do with the diameter of the bolt and 1.25 refers to the thread pitch (or spacing).

3) Torquing the bolts to spec. The bolts are in an awkward place to work with and torquing them to specification can be a challenge. The Rav4 process went well and I was able to complete this step on my own. Perhaps I was worn out while working on the Sienna or having trouble with the torque wrench, but I finally gave up to seek help. I didn't want to break the bolts! I ended up stopping by the shop which services our vehicles and they torqued to bolts to spec. Because we take our vehicles there on a regular basis, they didn't charge me to take care of the 6 bolts.

In conclusion, if you prepare for the install by getting everything ready and your weldnuts are in good shape, this is not a difficult installation project. One of our hitches had 6 bolts and one had 5 bolts. Not rocket science. If your weldnuts are full of junk, try the steps I've mentioned above. Good luck.518860

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I purchased this hitch for my wife's 2016 Toyota Sienna. I chose this particular model because the reviews said that it had the most clearance. Once installed, it is even with most of the mechanicals on the bottom of the vehicle. While it doesn't reduce your ground clearance, it could easily have been designed to sit an inch or so higher. However, because it isn't flush against the vehicle, I was able to get the plastic trim piece back on the van with very little trimming. I suspect that there must be fairly significant differences on the rear pan as some of the reviews indicate they couldn't reuse the trim piece and the instructions show cutting away most of the plastic. Either the rear pan for the cargo area was slightly smaller on previous year's models or the one I received had been dropped and the mounting flanges bent towards each other. Though there was no visible damage. The mounting flanges were about 1/4" to 1/2" to narrow for the 2016. Because of this, what should have been a 1 hour job turned in to a 4 hour job. Having to convince the mounting flanges in to place caused more than significant issues. I marked the product down for this reason. I've never had an issue like this with items from etrailer so I'm guessing the Toyota engineers must have made small, but troublesome size changes on the 2016.267650

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Fit my 2009 Sienna Limited perfectly. Only had to disconnect one exhaust hanger closest to the tailpipe. Had to borrow a thread restorer kit from the auto parts store to clean a bunch of dirt and corrosion from the vehicle frame bolt holes. Once what was done the install was simple simple simple. Thanks!2456586

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by: Andrew 02/08/2024

Top notch product. Straightforward installation. And etrailer provides the best customer service I've seen.1723437

by: Kevin05/04/2021

It's very solid, and supports our bike rack just fine. It was installed on a 2007 Toyota Sienna and I had to take it to our local auto shop because I didn't have a tap and die set to bore out the rusty pre-drilled holes. It does sit a little low, so be careful when backing up near curbs. You'll definitely scrape! Otherwise, very happy with it so far. Oh, and the shop had to adjust our exhaust a little bit because it hit the hitch receiver when we hit bumps.1029153

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Kevin

5/5/2022

Still very solid, starting to show minor signs of rust on outer edges and inside the hitch receiver which is understandable.

by: Daniel07/17/2022

When it was received there where two large sections of missing black paint on each end of the mounting plates. Lucky I had some black enamel spray paint and time to prep cure it before needing to install it. Installation went well. Recommend taking the time to cut the rear under tray to accommodate the hitch vs. running without the under tray installed. All is holding up well now a year later1331247

Daniel

7/18/2023

I’ve used it a handful of times now over the course of a year to pull a small trailer. No issues. Holding up well.

by: Michael01/27/2024

The holes didn’t line up well at all. Ended up partially stripping out a hole and had to rethread it. Also it sits too low to the ground. Go over any bump or slight downgrade in a driveway and it scrapes. Why even sell this unit? Had to get a lift to stop hearing ot drag.1715751

by: Alan 07/24/2023

2016 ToyotaSienna

Absolutely recommended -- we've had zero trouble with this on our 2016 Toyota Sienna SE -- also appreciated the mounting bracket tab for the trailer wiring plug. It *can* be installed solo, if you're handy and patient, but it always helps to have another set of hands to hold things in place while you get some of the bolts threaded.

I don't hesitate to recommend this to anyone looking for a good receiver for their minivan! (make sure you get a hitch/ball mount at the right height for your trailer/vehicle set up -- I had to figure out how to add about 4 inches to the height to get the trailer hitch to the correct height, from my mini-van).1630992

Couple of things. 1) The shipping box was full of holes by the time it showed up at my house. A few minor scratches here and there but no big deal... except I wondered what I would do if I had to return the hitch for some reason. Luckily, I didn't have to return it. 2) I installed it on a 2014 Toyota Sienna. One word of caution, the under carriage appearance panel that you have to remove in order to install the hitch has been modified by Toyota for 2014. The under panel has an inch wide convex hump that runs across the entire length right above where the cross bar of the hitch goes. Therefore, if you choose to re-install the under panel along with the hitch, as I did, the under panel will press down against the hitch and you will have to made some adjustments as you tighten the screws of the hitch as well as the under panel. I am attaching a couple of picks that show how the under panel is now pushed in.141578

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by: James03/03/2019

Ram 2500

One year in and this is a fantastic hitch! The only reservation I have is that it definitely sits low and frequently we scrape it. However, there is no other hitch that solves that problem.

Manufacture - solid and durable
Install - very straightforward, we had to do a limited amount of cutting to the plastic undercarriage protector, easy to do with snips or a box knife.

We used a 4 bike carrier in it for a 2500 mile trip with zero problems. 610032

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have ordered from etrailer.com twice now. Both orders were perfect fits for both vehicles. The wiring harnesses that they sell are perfect fit as well. I would suggest purchasing from etrailer.com any day. One piece of advise I suggest for people installing on a slightly used vehicle: when installing tow hitch, use a tap to clear out the threads on the bolt holes before attempting to install, doing this will result in a much easier and pain free installation. I installed mine on a 2010 Toyota sienna LE van AWD. There was no trimming required on anything, even though etrailer said there would be. Overall a simple installation.342105

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The paint is peeling off right out of the box. I ordered for a 2009 Toyota Sienna and the paperwork says 2011 and newer. That may explain why the 12x1.25x40 bolts didn't fit. The frame mounted nuts are 7/16 fine thread. Thank's for asking.1612999

Brooke M.

7/12/2023

This hitch is a confirmed fit so I reached out to the manufacturer. They said it sounds like all you need to do is brush out the weld nuts on your vehicle. If that doesnt solve the problem, please reach back out and we can go from there.

8”from the ground, strong frame and very nice shape I’m very happy Toyota Sienna 20201319139

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Pretty easy to install, bolt holes aligned perfectly with my 2012 Sienna's factory frame welded bolts for mounting a hitch. No need to jack up the van. Some trouble lifting into place to start the first bolt. Tongue load rating is very good to carry my heavier 450 lb motorcycle on a motorcycle rack, instead of trailering to avoid 55mph limit on freeways.1266461

Raymond

2/26/2023

No problem after 1 year of occasional use for bicycle and a 450 lb motorcycle rack uses.

Shipping was super quick and I was extremely happy with the high quality of the hitch. The videos are great information to assist in installing your hitch. I did not even jack up the van nor use a lift. A lift would make the installation even easier. I am not by any means a mechanic, and I was able to complete the installation within about 45 minutes. An extra pair of hands is a must to help get the bolts lined up and started. This hitch should hall quite a load, and I am guessing that the tongue of the trailer would break before this hitch would if properly torqued in to place. Since my van sets lower than most trucks and the hitch is low, I chose an adjustable height receiver for the finishing touches. Thank you etrailer.com654270

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This was my first purchase thru etrailer.com . And what else can I say other than it doesn't get any better than this !!!!..
1st off - Great "low" prices for what looks to me , as well made products ..., that look it will last the lifetime of the vehicle no problem !
2nd - - My order came in when they said it would .., with no issues !
3rd - It fits perfectly , with no alterations needing to be made to it !
4th - With all the information and " honest " ..., product evaluation videos they provide on this site ..,, it was easy to make an informed decision on what was what , without being able to put my hands on them in person ... This is " HUGE "in my book !
Excellent job etrailer !
I will be back for more
Johnny B .....
This is a picture mid installation ... The things we do when working alone .428720

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Extremely happy with my order it arrived 5 days early and in great shape.
I start my camping and towing parts search with Etrailer because I can depend on the great quality and service.1695423

Hitch shipped quickly. Took 75 minutes from start to finish to install on my wife's 2011 Sienna. The decorative cover Toyota felt needed to be installed on the underside of the storage area took longer to remove (safely), cut to fit around the hitch and replace than installing the hitch itself. 268006

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The hitch is as advertised. I installed it on a 2018 Toyota Sienna. Had to do a little prying to get all the holes to line up but that worked. The only thing I am disappointed about is I can't reinstall the plastic panel under the vehicle as there is a ridge in the panel that would end up right on top of the cross tube of the hitch. If the hitch was made to fit just a few inches further back, the panel would fit. Had I known this before I ordered, I would have gotten the model of hitch that fits above the plastic panel. On either hitch you have to remove the bottom panel to access the bolt holes on the left rear side as you stand at the back of the van looking forward. On the hidden crossbar model you just have to notch the bottom panel for the part of the hitch tube that sticks down. The plastic cuts easily.939445

Jim

1/19/2022

Hitch is working very well. Im very satisfied with the product.

GREAT company to work with!!!! Will continue to buy from etrailer. The hitch is exactly as advertised. Solo installation took only 75 minutes. Used a small scissors jack as a “helper”. Fit perfectly and bolted right on.

Again, great doing business with you!!!529976

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Definitely try top have someone help you install, it makes the job much easier. I did it myself and it was tedious but Do-able. Videos make it very helpful and trimming the skid plate is also a pain. Be careful when removing the plastic trim tabs because they can be brittle due to there location. Overall I am very happy with the installation and it looks and functions well. 800594

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by: Trinh T 06/22/2017

2014 Honda Odyssey

Best price and value for item. I did have a second person to help mount on the 2014 Honda Odyssey. We also cut a piece of the bottom shroud on driver side to install the original screw or plastic tab. I also got 2 caps and silicone them to plug up the two ends.397469

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Although this hitch fits my 2006 Toyota Sienna, it was a long hard struggle with 2 people forcing it on with prybars. The spacing between the hitch ends should be at least 1/2 to 3/4 inch farther apart. The hitch ends had to be pryed apart to fit over the seat dropped cargo area underneath. Getting the 6 bolts started was difficult because the bolt slot ends were not far enough apart. Also this hitch could have been designed to better fit my 2006 Toyota Sienna as there is also more than a 1 inch gap between the receiver and the rear bumper.1586570

by: Don 08/30/2023

Has Been a great hitch. It does ride a little low so when I load the van it scrapes sometimes.1658043

by: Ryan03/03/2022

Ordered this, but did not take it out of box to put on right away. Unfortunately when I took it out, it was bent with what appeared to be spray paint over bent area as paint was cracked. I ended up contacting customer service. It was too long since I bought it. I ended up having local mechanic bend it back and install. It ended up working out. I expected better quality up front. I have previously had good experiences. Would still consider doing business. In the market for a grille guard.1268422

Jenny N.

3/14/2022

It sounds like that the side brackets were knocked out of alignment which can happen while in transit to our facility or to you. We do have a FAQ that can assist with moving the side brackets of the hitch back into alignment to allow for installation.

Helpful Links

faq-my-trailer-hitch-doesnt-fit.aspx