Available Trailer Hitch Class for 2017 Toyota Corolla

Question:

Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class I - 1-1/4 Item # C11265, does this come in 2inch receiver?

asked by: Cliff M

Expert Reply:

Hitch manufacturers produce hitches of the size, class and weight capacity that more or less match the vehicle's own limits. For example, it would not do any good to bolt a 500-lb-rated hitch onto a vehicle whose capacity is only 200-lbs because much of the hitch's capacity would be wasted. In a multi-part system the lowest-rated part determines overall capacity, like the weakest-link-in-the-chain idea.

Only light-duty 1-1/4-inch Class I hitches like Curt # C11265 are made for your 2017 Toyota Corolla since the vehicle itself cannot handle more weight. No 2-inch hitches are made for your car.

Although there are hitch adapters that allow using a 2-inch accessory (say a bike rack) in a smaller 1-1/4-inch hitch, the down side of using an adapter is that it causes you to lose HALF of the hitch's rated capacity. For example, hitch adapter # HT5R fits your Class I hitch and provides a 2-inch receiver opening. But it also causes you to lose half of the hitch's rated capacity, meaning the hitch instantly has only a 100-lb tongue weight limit.

So long as the total combined load of the rack and bikes were under 100-lbs you could go this route, but a better option is to use a 2-bike Class I bike carrier that fits the hitch without use of an adapter. All such racks are linked for you.

expert reply by: Adam R