What is the Best Extender for a Draw-Tite Hitch Installed on a 2017 Ford Fiesta ST?

Question:

I am planning on purchasing a draw-tite trailer hitch for my 2017 Ford Fiesta ST. I believe that will fit fine. Problem is my Yakima bike rack fits a 2inch receiver. Can you recommend an extender that will go out far enough to clear the fascia at the back. From your photos, it looks like the 1 1/4inch hitch fits flush up against the fascia ... therefore it will need to extend out a bit to clear. Hope this makes sense.

asked by: Keith S

Expert Reply:

The Brophy Hitch Adapter, part # HTAD, is 7-1/4" long and adapts a 2" attachment to fit into a 1-1/4" reciever that will give a bit of extra length to your bike rack and additionally get you further away from the fascia when you install your bike rack.

When you use any hitch adapter, your tongue weight (TW), or the downward force that your reciever can support, is cut by 50%.

For example, Curt Class I Trailer Hitch, part # C11067, has a tongue weight of 150lbs. With an adapter, it drops to 75 lbs. Make sure to check the weight of your rack and bikes together that it does not exceed this weight in total. Additionally, a Class I Hitch can only ever carry two bikes.

I recommend a lighter bike rack for this vehicle, such as the Kuat Beta, part # B202-114 to free up weight capacity so you can carry the bikes you need. I've included a video of this rack so you can get an idea of what it looks like on a 2015 model.

You can further increase the stability of your rig through a support strap like the Curt Trailer Hitch Support Strap, part # 18050