Hitch Adapters and Cargo Carriers for 2017 Subaru Outback Wagon

Question:

I have a 2017 Subaru outback. I had them factory install the hitch and they put on the 1 1/4 inch hitch post. Now I want to attach a hitch cargo platform behind the car. I like the larger one you sell that can hold 500 lbs. Maybe its 60 inches? the one that holds 300 lbs is for the 1 1/4 inch hitch post. it is smaller. Maybe sometimes I need a larger area and more weight. Can I safely use a hitch post adapter? are these safe to use? Can I convert some way my 1 1/4 to a 2 inch hitch with out having the entire hitch removed from my car and a new one put on?

asked by: Christine F

Expert Reply:

Hitch adapters like # HTAD do offer convenience, in that they allow you to install an accessory of one size into a hitch of another size. The trouble is that using any hitch adapter changes the overall geometry of the system, and this results in loss of 50-percent of the hitch's rated capacity. The capacity is lost because the accessory item will now be further away from the hitch (due to the adapter) and this causes extra stresses on the hitch tube that lower its rated capacity.

So, if your hitch's safety sticker says it is rated for 300-lbs of tongue weight (downward force) then with a hitch adapter installed that hitch's capacity is now instantly 150-lbs. Once you deduct the weight of the cargo carrier itself, say 35-lbs for an example, you are then left with a net cargo carrying capacity of 115-lbs (150 - 35 = 115).

You will actually be better off using one of the 1-1/4-inch cargo carriers without an adapter. Curt cargo carrier # C18145 can hold 300-lbs of cargo (in a 1-1/4-inch hitch) but itself weighs only 29-lbs. This means you could carry up to 271-lbs of cargo in this basket if it were installed in a Class II hitch rated for 300-lbs.

A cargo net # C18200 is a handy accessory for use with your carrier to help keep your items secure.

The higher-capacity 2-inch hitches we offer for your 2017 Subaru Outback Wagon are shown on the linked page. Your OEM hitch will have to be removed in order to install one of these.