Having Trouble Getting Curt Trailer hitch to Sit Flush on the Frame of a 2015 Toyota Highlander

Question:

have an interference on the passenger side when installing the receiver. body flange extends too far down to allow the receiver flange to get tight to the body rail. Even ground the body flange down but cant remove enough material. Curt says washers can be used as spacers between the flange and body rail to get me the clearance. Have you seen this before?

asked by: Andy D

Expert Reply:

It is not uncommon for some hitch installations to require spacer blocks of some kind to get the hitch to install properly. If they are required in your situation then it is permissible to use them. A spacer block such as # RP3022 could be used unless Curt recommended to you a specific spacer.

You will want to make sure the hitch is level by using spacer blocks equally on the left and right side as needed.

Since this is on a very new vehicle, the material that is causing the fit issue could be undercoated. Many times, for a hitch to sit flush against the frame, this material does have to be cleared away. As you have found it can be easier said than done. It is important though not to scrape away any metal off of the frame. So while using a power tool of some kind would make it easier, there is also a greater potential for scraping away metal.

expert reply by: Michael H