Comparing Curt and Draw-Tite Class III Trailer Hitches for 2013 Toyota Sienna with Hitch Bike Rack

Question:

Curt has a ton of great reviews. Draw tite has 4. The curt and draw tite look and mount the same. The curt looks more hidden. How come the draw tite has a heavier tounge load? Im not really looking to tow, I think. I would be purchasing it for the Thule apex 4 bike swing away or the 5 bike tilt away. I dont want to overload the hitch? What do you think? Thank you!

asked by: Alfred B

Expert Reply:

A trailer hitch's towing capacity and tongue weight capacity are determined by the testing done by the manufacturer. The Draw-Tite # 75237 is designed to be able to tow a greater amount of weight than the Curt # C13105 hitch. Either hitch will work well for your 2013 Toyota Sienna, as I found the maximum towing capacity for the vehicle, with the towing package, to be 3,500 pounds. I found this information on page 211 of the owner's manual.

The crosstube of the Curt hitch does sit a little bit further under the vehicle than the Draw-Tite hitch. Both hitches will require the exhaust to be lowered for installation and some underbody panels will need to be trimmed.

If I were choosing a hitch for my 2013 Sienna, I like the Curt # C13105 trailer hitch better because is has a more hidden appearance when installed on the Sienna, as you noted.

Either hitch will work well for you with the Thule Apex 4 bike Swing # TH9027XT or the Apex 5-Bike Rack # TH9026XT .When we had the chance to install the Curt # C13105 hitch on a 2013 Sienna we found the distance from the center of the hitch pin hole to the rearmost edge of the vehicle bumper measured 6 inches. The Swing offers 7 inches of clearance and the 5-Bike offers 7-1/4 inches to the pivot assembly and 12 inches to the upright bar, so both will clear your rear bumper. I've attached review videos of both of these racks for you.

If you do not need to carry 5 bikes, I recommend going with the Swing # TH9027XT. The convenience of being able to move the rack out of the way of the rear cargo area, even with the bikes loaded is hard to top. If you plan on carrying any alternative frame bikes without a traditional upper frame bar, I recommend using a bike adapter bar, # UB01, to help better secure your bikes and allow them to be carried level. I've attached a review video of the # UB01 adapter for you.