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Product Specs:
Trailer Hitch
Custom Fit Hitch
Class III
Concealed Cross Tube
2 Inch Hitch
525 lbs TW
3500 lbs GTW
Draw-Tite
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.
Video of Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"
Average Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (144 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.The hitch is ill fitting but it did go on. The measurements on instructions are not correct. I had to cut almost an extra inch on my bumper to make it fit. Hitch is not made correctly it was made to narrow and pushed in my spare tub and the big round clearance holes only one lined up the other was offset again hitch was made to narrow. Passenger side is fine but drivers side is bad. It did go on but very disappointed.
I needed a hitch for my wife's brand new 2018 Subaru Forester to haul our Yakima bike rack. I also did not want the hitch cross-bar to hang down below the back bumper as the Forester already sits fairly low. I went with the Draw-Tite 76182 over slightly cheaper brands/styles for this reason. The hitch is way more heavy duty than needed but all of my draw bars and bike rack are 2" so I did not want go with a different size.
I ordered the Hitch from etrailer.com on Wednesday and it shipped the same day and arrived Friday. It was very well packaged with internal supports inside the box. Packaged perfectly and arrived in great condition.
The install was fairly straight forward. The fit was perfect and all the bolts lined up perfectly. The threaded feed wires for feeding the bolts through the frame worked AWESOME and took about 10 minutes to install all 6 bolts (3 per side) in the frame. The biggest trouble I had was trimming the rear bumper on the underside. I had to remove the hitch and re-trim the bumper cover 3 times before I had a perfect fit as I did not want to trim too much. I used a Dremel with a cutting wheel on medium speed. I also used painters tape to mark my cut rather than a marker and this worked well.
Rather than completely removing the rear bumper cover assembly, I bent the 2 support tabs as suggested by the install video. I was hesitant to do this on a brand new car but it was quite easy to bend with my hands and bend them back. This was a smaller risk than removing and reinstalling the bumper cover and risking scratching it or dropping it. Also since it was still no the vehicle, this made it easy to trim and I did not need another person to hold it still.
On the rubber muffler supports, use a little WD-40 on your finger and they will slide right off/on the welded studs.
George from etrailer.com was great and even followed up with an email to confirm my hitch was delivered and to check that it arrived ok. I usually shop Amazon for nearly everything, but the great reviews of personalized service and support prompted me to go with etrailer.com. I highly recommend them and they have the best price to go with that great service and support.
The hitch turned out great and looks like a factory install. Thanks etrailer.com!
Jeff
8/23/2019
1 Year Update: I am still happy with this hitch and would purchase it again. Install Tip: make sure you follow the trim outline on the backside of the Subaru bumper cover. I did not trim the horizontal portion high enough as I wanted it to be hidden as much as possible. The problem was, the horizontal cut was too low and the plastic rested on the top of the receiver tube. This allowed water and salt to sit in this spot and start to rust. I ped the hitch and trimmed the horizontal cut 12 higher so that it does not touch the receiver tube. Cleaned up the hitch and touched up with satin black and it looks brand new again. This was my rookie mistake, not the fault of the hitch. I would purchase this same hitch again. The quality, fit, and finish is perfect.
Delivery was fast and complete with all items. This is one hefty hitch. I read a lot of reviews and watched numerous videos before installing.
I'm a 69 year old, 150 pound weakling. I did the installation myself in about 4 hours. The key for me was connecting the hitch to my floor jack with a piece of wood to do the heavy lifting. Once it was close to being lined up, I used my Forester's scissor jack on one of the wings to raise the hitch and level it.
The engineering on this hitch is impressively precise. The fit has clear 1/8 margins with no rubbing. With heat shield modifications the fit is perfect. It required building a little jig on my jack to lift it up into place because I was doing the install on my own, and I needed a helper to pull the bumper plastics away while I used the floor jack.
Order error on my part was handled and fixed by etrailer personnel quickly and very efficiently. Thank you very much for your handling and understanding.
I purchased this hitch for my wife’s 2015 Subaru Forester and highly recommend it. The hitch arrived in fine shape, with the packaging intact. I noticed that the “loop” for attaching the safety chains is slightly lower on one side of the receiver than the other, but this does not appear to affect its functionality and the hitch is otherwise well made. A few notes about the installation may be useful to others. Instead of using tin snips to carve up the heat shield, I made a paper template to locate the points at which the mounting bolts for the hitch passed through the shield and drilled 3/4-inch holes in the shield to accommodate the bolts; this is much neater looking. Rather than lower the muffler and use a safety strap to support the exhaust, I found it easier to remove the muffler entirely, giving me more room to work and an unobstructed view; the exhaust pipe is supported by an additional hanger “upstream” of the muffler, so no strap is needed if the muffler is removed. I also removed the rear bumper cover (fascia) to give me more room for the install and avoid the need to bend the two sheet metal tabs on either side of the receiver; having the fascia off the car also makes it easier to do the necessary trimming. Because I was doing the install without a helper (and being old and weak), I used a pair of floor jacks at either end of the hitch to lift it into position. To provide sufficient clearance for the hitch receiver and ease reinstallation of the fascia, I made my “hitch cut” about 10 mm wider on either side than recommended in the instructions. (Subaru has kindly marked a square on the inside of the fascia that makes it easy to find the center-point for your cut. Outline your cut with painter's tape to ensure it's square and straight.) I also found it necessary to do some additional trimming of the fascia to provide clearance at the two mounting tabs mentioned above. (See photos.) I still ended up bending the tabs slightly toward the rear of the car to allow reinstallation of the two plastic clips that secure the fascia at those point. All in all, the installation took me about 4 hours, but I’m sure it can be done more quickly. Unlike a factory Subaru hitch I installed on another Forester years ago, this one does not contact the muffler hanger and is blessedly free of annoying rattles. I think the hitch looks great and I’m looking forward to getting a lot of use out of it for carrying a bike rack and towing a utility trailer.
Great product, perfect fit. Etrailer is a fine company that is fast and supportive.
Product fit exactly. Installation video made DIY a snap
First off I got this hidden hitch because it does not decrease ground clearance unlike other hitches, and due to the fact I will not be using this hitch much, I do not want the possibly of scraping on high inclines becoming a frequent occurrence despite the Forester's great ground clearance. Quality of this product was excellent for my 2016 Subaru Forester 2.5i. The trimming of the bumper took a while! I will get to that shortly. My father-in-law and I did this in about 3 hours. We took our time of course. We did not remove the bumper. Just measure and cut measure and cut. We repeated this several times before we got it right. Now, I wanted to retain the silver bumper underguard, so I had to make two separate cuts (both the bumper and underguard are plastic pieces). People were saying any hitch is not compatible with this extra piece, but I successfully trimmed and mounted it back on to its original location. No extra drilling. The only issue we had was having to make sure the cut on the silver portion was similar to the original fascia trimming. This took more time. As you can see in the head-on picture I had to trim a smaller amount on the right side to account for clearing one part of the hitch. Really not a huge eye sore. In a perfect world everything would be perfectly centered, but as shown in the picture you have to improvise a little with cuts. Pardon some of the scratches on the hitch during our install (if you can see them!). I plan on providing some high quality gloss paint to prevent rusting. All in all, the amount of work was straight forward but did take a while to complete. Still, considering how high this hitch mounts, it was still worth it. Thanks again to e-trailer for great customer service!
I have a 2018 Subaru Forester. I chose etrailer.com for my trailer hitch receiver. Personnel from etrailer were very professional and helped me make the right choices for my hitch & electrical wireing. The estimated time of delivery was excellent. Level of difficulty is rated 10 out of 10, and is recommended to be installed by 2 people. I did it by myself. I raised the unit by blocking up the mounting brackets while using a floorjack to raise the receiver end with the ball hitch installed.
Instead of trimming the heat shield, it was premarked for drilling, so I drilled two 1/2” holes and they matched up perfectly. For the bumper facia that had to be trimmed, I measured for center point, then used a scribe to put small holes in the facia. Then I put masking tape along my lineup holes, and cut the facia for a perfect fit.
The finished installation looks like it came from Subaru, and the only part you can see is hitch mount. I watched the installation video 3 times and followed the instructions that came Draw Tight. Only problem was the instructions said to remove two screws that are under the tail lights to remove the facia. That did not work, so I did the job with facia in place, but with the six plastic plugs removed. I held the facia out as I raised the hitch into position, as it showed in the video.
I am extremely satisfied with the installation!!
We plan to use this trailer hitch on our 2018 Forester with a bike rack to carry e-bikes, maybe tow a trailer some day. Installed on a Saturday morning, less than 3 hrs from start to finish, including time to stop and watch the etrailer video. There are a few installation tips to help the next person do it even easier and faster. See below.
Extremely happy with the final result - it is virtually invisible after installation. Very happy with the quality of the product - very rugged 1/4" thick steel, Happy with the installation video and there ate a lot of great tips there. Wire chasers are AWESOME!
Some tips to help:
- we are told to throw away the rubber plugs after chasing the bolts. I put the larger plugs back in.
- the video instructs to keep the fascia in place, whereas the written instructions tell you to take off the fascia. I followed the video and kept it on. I like the idea of not messing with cosmetic parts. worked ok for me, but need to be comfortable bending the metal tabs out of place and re-bending them back.
- I used a hydraulic car jack to hold the hitch and position it in place. worked out well for someone working solo on the ground.
- the tire well is a bit to large, so i needed to dent it in to allow the hitch to fit. see photo.
- the muffler hanger post interferes with the hitch, so i needed a pry bar to help it "sneak by" during installation. see photo
- the suggested size for the cutout in the fascia is 3.25" wide x 2.5" deep. I needed to make it more like 3.5 deep to avoid bending and distorting the fascia. see photo
- the sides of the hitch interfere with the plastic mounting tabs on the fascia. i needed to cut away notches. see photo
have fun!
This Draw-Tite trailer hitch receiver works well on my 2018 Subaru Forester. I use it to tow a 5ft x 8ft utility trailer. As received, the paint was chipped off at several areas on the hitch receiver. I repainted the hitch before installing. The installation videos by Draw-Tite and etrailer were very helpful.
2018 Forester XT Touring. This model has two exhaust cans and a bunch wires, sensors and extra brackets in the rear facia. This complicates the install beyond what is shown in the video but don’t let that dissuade you from getting this hitch. On my install I did not remove the facia but I highly suggest removing both exhaust cans. Very easy to remove and reinstall the cans.. Extra wire/sensor brackets in the facia need to be bent out of the way so the hitch can be installed. I drilled two holes in the heat shield at the two dimples and that worked perfectly. No need to cut shield. The original shield screws can also be reinstalled. Additionally, the frame plug closest to the front of the car can be reinstalled too. This hitch is heavy. I installed a Honda CR-V hitch immediate after this install and the CR-V hitch seems like it weighed 1/2 as much. I had my XT on a car rack and feel this is definitely a two person job. Once complete it looks fantastic.
Everything but the instructions regarding the heat shield and facia cuts is great. The “templates” for the heat shield cut is an inaccurate line drawing with no dimensions, and the “template“ for the facia cut might be a photo, but I can’t tell since it’s so dark, with overlaid dimensions which where both wrong. The mount itself and the hardware are outstanding and not difficult at all to put in, disregarding the facia cut. The cut for my 2015 Forester, with absolutely no damage to the rear end, turned out to be 3 3/4” wide and 3 1/2” from the lower edge.
Jenny N.
1/6/2022
I recommend viewing our video on a 2018 Subaru Forester to see how we handled cutting the fascia and heat shield.
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Trailer hitch was easy to install and was exactly the same as depicted in the installation video. The hitch is low profile and barely hangs below the bumper and extends slightly beyond the bumper.
First ordering, shipping, and available instructions are absolutely 5 stars. But this hitch stuck out a touch more than I thought it would. Perhaps an unrealistic expectation but it thought end of hitch would be around the end of bumper however it sticks out just a couple inches. Not sure if it’s becasue of the model year but I installed this on a 2018 Forester Premium.
Notes about install. I removed the heat shield and drilled holes as mentioned in prior review which worked great. I also had some difficulty removing the fascia so decided to instal hitch without removing it and just pull the fascia down after all plugs were removed which worked okay but produced some cursing. I had previously cut the fascia 2.5x3.25” per instructions but found this was not enough in either dimension. I then looked up a video specific to removing the fascia and found that there is a tab underneath taillight that will pop out but requires a little more pressure. Once fascia was removed on the inside there were lines that seemed to be a cut guide. I used a coping saw and followed the rounded corners. Reinstalled and it fit perfect.
In summary I think the model car (18 Forester Premium) I have may be slightly different then previous installers because the hitch projects further back than I expected. I would recommend removing the fascia and following the cut guide if you have this model car. I think the Curt hitch may also project rearward but, since I bought and installed this hitch, I don’t really know.
Overall happy with the product.
We’ll made and Fairly easy to install using the included installation paperwork. We also reviewed a few YouTube videos to learn a little more.
I just installed the Drawtite hitch this morning. Installation was mostly easy. I put the back of my 2017 Subaru Forester on ramps. I ran into a little trouble when on of the heat shield bolts snapped off. The tip to spray lube on the muffler hangers made it so much easier. I picked this hitch because it is hidden behind the fascia and the heat shield was trimmed and replaced rather than being discarded as in some other hitch installations. The tip to not remove the bumper fascia was great. I can’t wait to start using it for a small utility trailer and bike rack.
Fits great & looks even better on my 2018 Forester!
Very satisfied!
Great product installation photos, gives a first hand look what it looks like on your vehicle.
2nd etrailer purchase! I always recommend etrailer.com to friends, who have also been very happy with the products they have purchased!
I can now take my boat or trailer in tow with confidence!
I also purchased the 118467 T One Vehicle no splice quick connect wiring harness.
Thanks Again etrailer.com!
When the hitch arrived on my porch in less than 2 days I was shocked! The turn around from shipping to arrival was phenomenal.
The box was appropriately sized and packaged so that none of the parts broke through (despite the shipping companies best attempts).
We have a 2018 Subaru Forester XT with all the features, so the install wasn't as straight forward as the instructions specify.
The instructions did specify that with a dual exhaust (which we have) you would have to do more work to cut both heat shields.
But then this is where the instructions are incorrect, you can install all 4 screws into the heat shield once the hitch is installed!
There are holes etc that allow for it.
The next part that was tough was that my bumper has the backup sensors in it.
When putting up the hitch, it bumped into one of the connectors, I originally pushed up on it to bend it out of the way, but that did not work as the hitch goes really deep into the bumper.
So I advise that you pull that connector arm down towards the ground and into the bumper.
I did a walk around review of it!
The bolts lined up perfect. My dad was enamored of the wire and spring method of getting the bolts in. The cutting of the heat shield and the bumper was not too bad and the only issue we had was all the dirt we had falling in our faces as we removed all the parts.
Emily
3/27/2023
Going on a year now and it is still working great and no issues with installation or the product itself.
I received the trailer with all the parts and installed it on my 2014 Subaru forester to pull a light trl with my 4-wheeler. Hitch is wonderful. It tows smoothly for the up to 30 miles I use it to tow my trler to the trl heads I access. Thank you etrailer for providing me with a quality hitch and me receiving it promptly with ALL the parts for proper installation.
-PK
the product is well made and not hard to instal.
Fast, efficient service. Thank you.
Installed very easily in about 15 minutes (snapped into existing connector on my 2015 Forester), and works just fine. Seems to be of high quality materials to last a long time.
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Product Specs:
Trailer Hitch
Custom Fit Hitch
Class III
Visible Cross Tube
525 lbs WD TW
2 Inch Hitch
525 lbs TW
3500 lbs GTW
4000 lbs WD GTW
Draw-Tite
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 A-coat base and a powder coat finish provides excellent rust protection.
Video of Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (749 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 A-coat base and a powder coat finish provides excellent rust protection.Arrived fast. Box was blown out by the edge of the hitch like the other reviewers but the wiring I ordered at the same time didn't fall out so all was OK. There were chipped spots on the paint like the other reviewers which I touched up with many coats of grill paint. Price was great and nothing was missing to slow down the install. I drilled the heat shield enough to clear the dimples instead of cutting since the hitch will clamp to the dimples on the frame. Errata from the video: no J-Pin hole on my hitch.
No issues after 1st year. Only used with a hitch carrier so can't comment on towing. Install was a breeze with the provided instructions.
Easy installation on Subaru Forester, installed two similar to this on an Outback and Ascent.
Instructions were great!
Nice fit. Fast efficient shipping
I chose etrailer.com for my Hitch because of the good background information they provide for the hitch's installation (the good price was also a major consideration). This is my second installation of a etrailer.com hitch on two different cars. The hitch arrived in good condition even though the box it was shipped in was lost in transit. I reviewed etrailers.com installation video and the written installation instructions that came with the hitch from Draw-Tite. etrailer.com video made the installing fairly easy. It really helps when you can watch how it is done. However I did not like slicing the heat shield as detailed in the video's instructions and followed Draw-Tite's instructions for the heat shield modification. etrailer.com's heat shield modification would have been much faster but I wanted more metal to help keep the heatshield from vibrating. Over all it took about two hours to do the installation. Only problem encountered was forgetting to put the rubber drain plugs back in the car's frame. It is really difficult to install the rubber plug back in once the muffler/hitch is in place. The hitch works perfectly and best of all I don't have to install a strap to steady the bike rack. Have just done a 1000 mile trip with no problems.
James M.
11/8/2021
Hitch is working fine. No problems have been encountered
I installed Drawtite hitch # 75876 on my 2015 Subaru Forester. It arrived in good condition and there were no parts missing. The installation went without a hitch (pun intended) and it fits perfectly. I think the key to my successful installation was the instructional video on etrailer's website. It was very clear and concise. There is however one thing I would like to add for an even better installation. Instead of trimming the heat shield to allow for bolt access and have it dangle, I drilled two holes in the shield, threaded the bolts through it and clamped it between the car's frame and the hitch. If you're concerned that the heat shield will somehow interfere with secure bolting, it won't. Subaru intentionally marked the heat shield with two small dimples for drilling position. I drilled holes 1/16" larger than the bolts and the hole position was perfect. I should mention the dimples are very small, so wipe the heat shield to help find them. There's an R and an M on the shield and the dimples are within those letters. (See photo.) Lastly, this hitch is rated for heavier towing than a Forester can handle so choose wisely. I'm using it only for my bike rack and cargo carrier, so I will never exceed 2500 lbs. of towing weight. Thank you etrailer for the excellent video!
Perry D.
10/18/2018
Its working out very well, thank you. Whats important is that I noticed other installers used my review to locate the two dimples on the heat shield for a more secure installation. It helped me and Im thankful it helped others. On another note, I did just notice a typo in my review that you might want to correct if you can. In the next-to-last sentence I state 250 lbs. of towing weight which should read 2500 lbs.
This is the 2nd trailer hitch I have purchased from Etrailer. I spent $7 for the upgraded shipping at the hitch arrived 4 days after I ordered it. I installed this hitch on my 2015 Subaru Forester XT. The installation video was dead on, I followed step by step and it took about 45 minutes using a cordless impact, a few deep well sockets and a couple wrenches.
-I used my floor jack to raise the hitch and align the bolts. A must if you don't have a second set of hands.
-Using the hole saw saved a lot of time to trim the heat shields. I used the dimples as suggested and it was close enough to re install the shield. I bought the hole saw at Home Depot for under $10.
-I used a lot of penetrating oil on the muffler hangers, made it a lot easier to remove and reinstall. Reinstalling the mufflers was the most time consuming step, but was well worth it to have the access to get the bolts.
-The hitch is tucked under the bumper, my thule bike rack fits perfect and is much more rigid than when I had it installed on a 1 1/4 receiver on my old car.
-There is no visual obstructions in the rear when the bike rack is installed.
-I saved about $300 using this setup over the factory hitch.
I would highly recommend Etrailer. The customer support is excellent and this hitch was a perfect match for my bike rack.
Thanks Etrailer!
Bm
3/8/2016
From April to October, I had the bike rack installed on the trailer hitch and used it almost on a daily basis. I took several extended road trips with my mountain bike, and the hitch performed excellent. I remove the bike rack during ski season, but once the trails are snow free again, I will be using the bike rack and hitch on a daily basis. I am still super happy with the hitch I purchased from ETrailer and will definitely be buying towing products from this outstanding company.
I installed this hitch on my 2014 Subaru Forester. The instructions (especially the videos) were extremely helpful and well put together. With the help of my father, we installed in hitch in about 1.5 hours. I'm not quite sure why other customers are using the holes that can be accessed from within the rear of the interior, the fishing of the bolts as mentioned in the instructions went very smoothly. So far I have only attached my hitch-mounted bike rack, but I'm loving the hitch! Thank you etrailer, I will be back!
Tim D.
6/6/2018
Hitch has been wonderful over the last year. There is a little bit of rust starting, but that is expected in Minnesota. Thanks for the great product and service!
I bought this product for a 2014 Subaru Forester XT Touring model. I am very pleased with it. I choose this particular hitch for several reasons (the Draw-Tite and the Hidden Hitch for this vehicle are the same hitch with different product stickers).
While I have no intention of towing the weight this hitch is rated for as that would exceed the recommendations for my vehicle, I wanted the 2" receiver for my platform style bike rack. Also, while I realize it is unlikely, I didn't want to be close on the tongue weight if I loaded several bikes onto a 1 1/2" receiver. For a few extra dollars I don't have that concern.
There were two other things that sold me on this hitch. One was that the competitors hitch recommended an additional strap from the bike platform back to the car or their warranty is voided. Draw-Tite does not require this for their product. I called them to confirm that this was not needed. I guess it might make a difference if you travel rocky / off road. Platform bike racks are typically not recommended for that type of travel.
The other selling point was that Draw-Tite provided instructions on how to trim the muffler heat shields so that they could be kept in place. The competitors instructions called for those shields to be removed. Might be another "peace-of-mind" issue, but my feeling was that those shields were installed for a reason. I just felt better keeping them there. I am sure someone more mechanically inclined could figure that out with the other products (by even just using the instructions for this product) but I was having mine installed by a mechanic that deals with Subaru vehicles and I thought it better to have those instructions to provide them.
Very pleased with the product, the instillation and how it looks on the car. I would recommend this hitch receiver.
Glenn
7/20/2014
Thanks for the review and pictures. Reading the instructions it looks to me that you dont have to drill or widen any frame holes unlike other hitches. Is this what you found as well?
Rachael H.
7/21/2014
Hitch was delivered fairly quickly but as others had experienced I had damaged packaging and needed to spray a little Rustoleum on it in a few places. I was able to follow the instructions that came with the product and did not have to enlarge any hole in the frame to fish the spacers and bolts as in the video. The video was very helpful though and I recommend watching it. I did remove the muffler and that made it much easier. I had the help of a friend with better tools than mine and it took us about an hour. This was installed on my 2017 Forester Premium. Would have given five stars if not for having to touch it up. I also installed the Curt C56040 wiring harness on my own and it went smoothly and exactly as in the video.
Ken B.
4/19/2022
Hitch has been working great. I use it to pull a utility trailer as well as for a basket carrier and bike rack
etrailer is an excellent company. Their website was easy and friendly and guided me to purchase the correct bike hitch product for my 2016 Subaru Forester. Their email follow up and status updates as to delivery were super and the delivery of my product was actually much faster than I expected even though I had only asked for standard delivery. I had my hitch installed at an Autoplex Dealer in my area ( yet another great company). Pictures are attached. Thanks!
Harv B.
10/2/2018
Product is still great. Service was exceptional!
I want to thank etrailer for the prompt order delivery. Thanks to them, I was able to put my hitch on my 2016 Subaru Forester in time for my vacation. Also, the installation video was invaluable. It gave me the confidence to attempt the install in the first place. The hitch looks great. I'd recommend etrailer and draw-tight hitch to everyone.
Mark V.
7/8/2017
A year later my hitch is working perfectly. It is still tight as the day I put it on, no rust has formed on it, and Ive used it several times. I would still recommend this product to everyone.
Great Price. Works well on my 2017 Subaru Forester. I’ve hauled a lot of things with it now! Ex: Trailer with mower, motorcycle, beds, couches etc. Even pulled a 14ft trailer. I have had zero issues. Definitely recommend!
Installed in just about 1 hour, I needed to step drill the center hole for clearance for plates and carriage bolts. The fish wires worked great and easy install. My Subaru Forester is ready to go camping and fishing. Thank you etrailer.
David
8/11/2019
It’s been working great , I’m going to need to purchase a new bike rack from you, haha
Simple to install took less than an hour no drilling (will need to cut heat guard, can be done with tin snips) looks great. I highly recommend it. Dealer wanted $850 for their hitch. I paid less than a quarter of that.
If you put a basket on your hitch I recommend getting your exhaust directed downward. I found a mechanic that did it for $30 it keeps items from melting from the exhaust heat.
Jkl
11/27/2017
great
A great price for a quality product. Draw-Tite is considered one of the best, it came complete with all mounting hardware and was easy to install, no modifications needed. A very solid mount. Any assistance we needed was met by a qualifed person, friendly and professional. It was a great experience and would recommend etrailer for all your towing needs
Great delivery thanks. First bought this hitch a week ago from Amazon, never again. Amazon sent the wrong hitch with an incomplete parts package, packed in a mangled box that gave pause to both me and the UPS guy. Nice to enjoy an on-time delivery and complete order.
I installed this Draw-Tite 2” hitch (#75876) on my new 2016 Subaru Forester. Here are a few hints.
Two years ago I installed a similar hitch on my 2014 Outback. Reader suggestions mentioned that access to the hitch holes under the car could be done from above, in the trunk area. This turned out to be true for the Forester as well and made threading the wires, plates and bolts into the holes super easy!
To start I jacked up the car and put it on stands just to provide a little more clearance. I recommend completely removing the muffler. It was a lot easier than trying to drop and suspend the pipe and muffler together. Besides it gave better access to the hitch location. Liberally apply WD-40 to the rubber shock mounts to shimmy the muffler off. After that remove the heat shield. Then remove the rubber plugs that cover the six hitch mounting holes.
This next part you can actually do standing up!
Remove the panel and foam inserts from the trunk area.
Remove the black circular sticker from the hole near the rear of the car on each side (see photo). This exposes an oval hole just above the middle hitch hole underneath.
I used a step-drill to enlarge this hole just enough to allow the plate and bold head to slide through. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove the chips (or a magnet works too!)
Threading the wires (with the plates and bolts) into each hitch hole was extremely easy and you don’t have to crawl under the car to do this.
I vice-gripped the hitch to my hydraulic jack which made it easy to position. After the bolts were lined up I jacked the hitch up into place and threaded on the washers and nuts. Don’t forget to torque the nuts to 50 ft. lbs. as indicated in the instructions. I used the same circular black stickers to cover the two access holes when I was finished.
I reinstalled the heat shield after cutting away a rectangular section that fit just around the hitch plate. That left three mounting screws instead of four...but the shield is still quite secure. After that, reinstall the muffler.
Now, since everything in the trunk was taken out, it was easy to install the trailer wiring harness behind the panel on the driver’s side. The eTrailer video shows all the necessary steps.
All worked out perfectly and, as before, I am a really satisfied eTrailer customer. Hope these hints help your installation too.
I installed the hitch on a 2016 Subaru Forester. We went with a class III hitch for the increased tongue weight so a cargo carrier or bike carrier would be no issue. The install was easier than what the video showed. I'm not sure if Subaru increased the access holes, but I did not need a pry bar or a step drill bit to increase the hole for the bolts. The nifty wires included were really trick and worked great. I did remove the muffler so I would have easier access and I did not to have the exhaust system being held by a strap. The most difficult part of the install was holding the hitch up, but a floor jack and jack stands helped to make a one person job. The install took around 90 minutes, but that included researching the torque specs for the exhaust system. Follow the video install, but check to see if the access holes will accommodate the bolts because you might save some time and energy.
This hitch was installed on my 2015 Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited. The website is fantastic and makes finding the correct products for your vehicle very easy. The hitch arrived in only a few days and came complete with all the necessary installation accessories. The hitch comes with fish wire for the frame bolts so you don't need to fuss with buying fish wire. Some reviews stated that you can go in from the inside of the vehicle but this is totally unnecessary and more work. Just follow the instructions, with exception of the muffler heat shield. You can drill 1/2" holes through the heat shield in the dimpled areas corresponding to where the instructions tell you to cut out the heat shield (see some of the other reviews for more detail on this).
These holes allow you to securely fasten the heat shield over the hitch using the hitch bolts.
Make sure you have a torque wrench and an 11/16" deep socket to tighten the frame bolts.
I would also recommend removing the muffler which is very simple. Lube the muffler mounts with WD-40 to facilitate the removal of the muffler.
You will save at least $300 installing this yourself.
The trailer hitch and wiring assembly for my 2015 Subaru Forester went in just as shown in the videos. The videos were absolutely invaluable in detailing the job, and in convincing me that I could do it to save a considerable expense on labor. The most difficult part, as expected, was awkwardly lifting the heavy hitch into place, while aligning the 3 bolts simultaneously on each side. But with the help of a board, two small car jacks, and an assistant to balance everything, it went into place and fit perfectly. A day later my hitch mounted bicycle rack arrived and now my wife and I can easily transport our bikes to ride our favorite trails. My daughter and husband are coincidentally looking for a trailer hitch, so I sent them my order receipt of parts. They expect to order from etrailer soon.
Draw-Tite 75876 installed on my 2017 Forester Premium. Followed etrailer's online instructions and was done in a little over an hour. I took off the muffler, cut the heatshield, pulled the bolts through, lifted the hitch into place and torqued to 50ft/lbs. Project was performed with car on the ground. I chose etrailer because they do the test fit and provide the detailed video instructions. Shipping was 2 days. This hitch is used mainly for my bike rack and doesn't require the cross supports like other hitches.
I installed this hitch on a 2015 Subaru Forester at much less cost than dealer added. The installation was flawless. Instructions provided were clear and comprehensive, and the video provided by E-Trailer was excellent. I installed in without a helper to hold the hitch. To assist me I haywired the hitch to my floor jack and carefully raised it in place. See the photo. The hitch looks good and it's out of the way. I would note that the shipping container was damaged when received it, apparently loosing the wiring harness and adapter included with the order. Customer response was immediate and great. I had the replacement items in a few days. Excellent customer service. I was kept informed of the shipment progress by email and phone. This was a perfect 10 project.
In case anyone is curious, this hitch fits the 2014+ Forester XT that has the dual exhaust. I attached a few pictures that show the clearance between the hitch and exhaust.
Install: the hitch was fairly easy to install. I installed the hitch successfully by myself with the assistance of 2 jack stands. No widening of the holes was necessary either.
Overall, I'm happy with the hitch. I've only used it with my platform bike rack thus far (Swagman Chinook...see the product page for my review. Fitment was perfect on the Forester) and the hitch has been completely stable.
Perfect fit! Fairly easy install with help of one other person. It's been a very useful addition. Glad I bought it. This is my second hitch I've bought from etralier. They are very helpful and a pleasure to do business with.
Randall
5/20/2023
Still great! Love it!
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Ask the Experts about this Draw-Tite Trailer Hitch
Do you have a question about this Trailer Hitch?
Jenny N.
5/17/2023
It looks like the side brackets are flexed inward. This can happen as when the hitches are shipped to us they are shipped together in large pallets. What we do recommend is flexing the side brackets back out to align back with the holes. Please see the FAQ below to see the different ways that this can be done,
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