Will Rear-Mounted Spare Tire on 2009 Toyota RAV4 Affect Trailer Hitch

Question:

About to purchase from etrailer.com a hitch, Curt class III Round Tube Receiver Hitch for my 2009 Toyota Rav 4 that has a tire on the rear door...Will this tire affect in any way the ability to use the hitch? Thanks,

asked by: Tony S

Expert Reply:

The rear mounted spare tire on your 2009 Toyota RAV4 will only affect the clearance needed for hitch accessories, such as bike racks, to clear the rearmost point of your spare tire. This will not affect your ability to tow a trailer and it will not prevent you from using hitch-mounted accessories.

When we had the opportunity to install the Curt Class III Round Tube Receiver Hitch # C13149 on a 2010 Toyota RAV4, we found the spare tire clearance to be 7-1/2 inches. When we installed this hitch on a 2007 RAV4, the spare tire clearance was 6 inches. These are fairly typical clearance measurements, even for vehicles without rear mounted spare tires. I've attached a help article on measuring your clearance for you once you have your # C13149 hitch installed. I've also attached the installation video of this hitch on a 2010 RAV4.

If you are interested in carrying bikes on your trailer hitch, a great option and our most popular rack is the Thule Hitching Post Pro # TH934XTR. This is a 4-bike hanging-style rack with great features like anti-sway cages to help keep your bikes from swaying and contacting each other during travel and an anti-rattle bolt to reduce movement, vibration, and noise of the rack inside the hitch receiver. This rack offers 13-1/2 inches of clearance from the center of the hitch pin hole to the back of the upright bar, which should easily clear your RAV4's spare tire.

expert reply by: Victoria B