Reddit mentions: The best towing hitch receivers

So the hitch that I found sits comfortably behind the number and actually affects the exit angle very little if at all. I'll also be getting a 1 1/4 to 2 inch adapter that is technically only meant for class II hitches, but for only holding a spare tire, it will be fine. It's also fine for holding a bike rack or something. I'll edit this comment when I'm at my computer and show you what I'm getting

EDIT:

1. This is the hitch that I will be using. If you look at the pictures, it seems very discrete without much taken away from exit angle.
   
   
2. This is the best one that I can find for your car. There aren't any pictures form reviews, but it sounds like in the comments that it is also discrete, although there's no guarantee. If that one doesn't work, something custom is probably your only option.
   
   
3. This is the adapter that you can use. Just remember that as a general rule of thumb, your towing capacity is cut in half if you use one of these, just as a safety precaution. Towing with an adapter also depends on how strong the pin is that you're using to hold it into the base hitch.
   
   
4. This is the tire holder that I am probably going to get. It seems a little short, but I measured on my car and it should be alright. If it is way too short, you can get a hitch riser like this
   
   
5. THIS is the tire carrier that I want, because it is very very strong and the cheaper one folds to the side, which is really nice. I don't know if I'll be able to afford it, though, so I'll see
   If all this metal that's bolted to your car is rattling around way too much because of the couple millimeters of play in the hitches, pick yourself up a couple of these and it's problem solved.
   
   Hope this helps! If you want to know anything else, let me know
   
   
   Edit 2: formatting

I'm going to assume this will be a generic mall crawler and not leave the pavement very often. If you plan to take it wheeling, reply back and I will add a few more suggestions.

Things to think about

1. The hardtop takes up a lot of room. Either plan on putting in some sort of hoist to store it up high or giving up a lot of garage space.
   
   
2. Until you have the previously mentioned hoist in place, the hardtop is a pain in the ass to put on and take off without help. Not because its heavy, but because its awkward. It also means that you can't just drop the top if the day is nicer than expected. On my old jeep, I eventually sold the hardtop and went soft top only. On my new Jeep, I skipped the hard top entirely.
   
   If you plan on storing instruments in the vehicle and need the secure storage, great. If not, then the soft top is the way to go in my opinion.
   
   
3. For long haul trips, the back seats suck. The angle of the backrest on the rear seats is a bit steep and becomes uncomfortable after awhile. Also, there is no support under the center of the back seat. If the person in the middle is heavy, the seat could sag and become even more uncomfortable. There are a few aftermarket products to address both seat sagging and the recline issue but I've never tested them.
   
   
   Options to consider:
   
   
4. 3.73 gears will cost you ~$600 or so. If you ever plan on putting on bigger tires or towing, you want the 3.73 gears. The 3.21 gears will give you an extra mile or so per gallon but at the expense of quite a bit of power.
   
   
5. Don't buy either of the tow packages. The basic tow package costs around $350 and is just a hitch and wiring harness. You can buy the same receiver hitch on its own for $75. The wiring harness just clips in and its a quick and easy 4 bolt install.
   
   The Max tow package is almost as bad a deal. That's $900 and gives you the $3.73 gears ($600 above) and the hitch in one package. Still better to buy the gears on their own and use your own hitch.
   
   
   
6. Spiderweb Shade This is a must have if you plan on going topless very often. The best part is that once its installed, you never have to remove it. It fits right under the factory tops.
   
   
7. Unless you plan on putting in an aftermarket sound system, spend the money for the alpine upgrade. Without it you can't hear the music over the sound of the wind if you have the top down.
   
   
8. Hood latches - There are several options, both with and without keys. If you live in a zero crime area, great...but for the rest of us, a set of keyed hood latches will help keep your battery from getting stolen. Also, the hood flutters at high speed with the stock latches. That makes me nervous.
   
   
9. Door hinge locks are also a good idea. Jeep doors are easy to take off, expensive to replace, and are stolen more often than you would think. While not foolproof, they are better than nothing...especially if you don't keep the key to them in the jeep itself.
   
   
   
   

Also, the 2 door has several advantages, like a very tight turning circle - helpful on anything from trails to mall parking lots.

I assume the Sport S comes with the 32" tires? That and the 3.73 ratio and pretty much the only things I'd consider essential. (Well, AC too, if you're not going topless all the time, but maybe I'm just a wimp.) But I don't think you can get locking rear diffs on it from the factory...I thought they only came with lockers on Rubicons, and there was just the option for limited slip? Personally, I didn't bother with limited slip. The BLD system is pretty good, so I don't know if I'll ever put lockers in.

I'd suggest going to a dealership and taking a look. The rear seat folds up in a weird way. There's probably enough room, but I'd want to check to see if there's enough room for your gear.

For other stuff that's less sensitive to the elements, you can bolt on a hitch pretty easily and get a cargo carrier. That's the one I've got...notably, the lip is low enough for rear door to open without taking off the cargo carrier.

A Saris Bones is an OK trunk rack. That's as good as a trunk rack gets. It can rub on your paint, and I don't like the way it holds the bikes by the top tube.

In general, trunk racks are garbage though. If you're going to use it regularly, do yourself a favor and invest in a towing receiver and proper hitch mounted rack. You can get a Curt hitch with free shipping from Amazon for around $130. I installed it myself with one friend and a socket wrench. It's super no-brainer 100% easy. Then get a wheels-on hitch rack like a Kuat Transfer or something similar. They contact the bike only on the tires/wheels and don't touch the frame at all. The bikes don't sway, the wheels don't turn. The rack doesn't contact your paint at all, and can be tipped out of the way so that the hatch can open even with 2 bikes loaded.

​

But if you're rarely going to move bikes around, the Saris Bones is fine. Roof racks are a pain in the ass.

>In the Prius Prime manual, the instructions indicate no towing

It's a legal liability thing.

Subcompact cars are light weight and short wheel bases. They really have no towing capacity regardless. But as long as you are not zooming around at 80mph while having a crapload of stuff hanging off the back then they are fine.

That is why you can only find things like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Curt-Manufacturing-114733-Class-Trailer/dp/B06Y5K3GTT/

That's a little Curtis Class 1 hitch for a Prius.

Class 1 hitches are the weakest possible hitch you can find...

https://www.drawtite-hitches.com/learning_center/general-towing-classes

>Class I hitches are weight carrying (WC) hitches rated up to 2000 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) of 200 lbs.

That's really nothing. Joke really.

Gross trailer weight includes the weight of the trailer and everything on it. So a 300 pound trailer would leave you just 1700 pounds capacity, but really I wouldn't trust a small car with anything more then 500-700 pounds or so. Which is plenty if you think about it.

​

200 pounds tongue weight means the pressure on the actual hitch. When towing you need to have the weight a bit forward on trailer so it presses down on the rear tires of the tow vehicle. *

But for a bicycle rack? As long as you don't exceed the 200 pound tongue limit (and that includes the rack itself) then it's going to be perfectly safe. That is not any worse than having a big guy sitting in your back seat.

If you are looking to haul more than 2 ebikes then that can become a problem, depending on how heavy they are.

​

Something like this would be fine on a subcompact car. I wouldn't go any bigger.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200612543_200612543

​

That's very tiny.

Bolt a piece of exterior-grade plywood to it, screw in some 2x4s spaced just enough for the bicycle tires to slot into and attach the bike upright with a pair of cargo straps. You could haul 4 bicycles around pretty easily and safely that way. Or a kayaks, canoe, small John boat, lawn mower, etc.

A good alternative to roof rack, but that's really just it.

​

*(If you have the weight towards the back of the trailer then that can cause the trailer to pull UP on the hitch on bumps... which can reduce traction to the rear wheels and cause issues like these. Notice how most of these accidents the campers/trailers have a bunch of extra crap hanging off the back. That's just asking for trouble.)

u/codyski1

With those cars, I'd do a small hitch and trailer setup in all honesty.

Sure you can get roof racks for them, not sure why you'd say they don't have the capability. So let's take this problem and solve it. :)

They make roof racks for almost anything. It really was an easy thing to google, here's a couple YT videos from those searches:

• 2015 Malibu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fpRV-WvumY
  
• 2016 Rogue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEaaN3s1OGU
  
  But depending on the size and weight of your kayaks this could still be a bad option.
  
  Frankly, I'd put hitches on both, get or build a kayak trailer, and go that route.
  
  
• Trailer Hitch Malibu: https://www.uhaul.com/Trailer-Hitches/2015/Chevrolet/Malibu/Front-Wheel-Drive/
  
• Trailer Hitch Rogue: https://www.amazon.com/CURT-13204-Class-Trailer-Hitch/dp/B00RD4D9AO
  
  Here's some quick kayak trailer links:
  
  
• https://www.austinkayak.com/subcategory/213004/Trailers-Trailer-Accessories
  
• https://www.google.com/search?q=kayak trailer
  
  Then if you end up getting bigger or heavier kayaks, you already have the equipment with either or both vehicles to use a trailer and get safely down the road, lower load height, room for gear, etc. Honestly with smaller cars and small SUV-styled cars, I'd suggest this over roof racks anyways.

I got a drawtite hitch from etrailer and highly recommend(https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch/Mazda/CX-5/2018/76138.html).

I actually bought a curt hitch and didn't like how you had to basically leave a plug zip-tied somewhere(https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071S18BY2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Also don't recommend buying a hitch from Amazon because of shady packaging. The packaging was exposing the hitch. I had to use my etrailer packaging to return the hitch because UPS wouldn't accept the packaging that Amazon shipped it in.

I'm a pretty dedicated biker, so having something easy to put the bike in and out was well worth the investment for me.
https://www.amazon.com/Kuat-Racks-Bike-Rack-Metallic/dp/B01G7PTMQ4/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1537223600&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=kuat+bike+rack&psc=1&smid=AY1YC2BWA3QO7
Highly recommended the Kuat racks.

I just installed the curt hitch on my 2017. I chose the exposed one because I preferred expanding a hole in the frame rail and trimming 10 dollars worth of heat shielding to cutting a hunk out of the rear bumper plastic, but the hidden one mounts the same way as the OEM one with a higher tongue weight. There's a good instructional video for the install here

Edit:

Here is the one we went with and the install video if anyone is interested. I honestly thought the exposed one was the better-looking option.

I installed a hitch on my Equinox last year. If you or your husband are even the least bit handy, you can do it too and save yourself $200-$300. The Equinox is hitch ready as the holes are pre-drilled with nutserts and pre-wired for lights.

Just buy a hitch online (Amazon, eTrailer, etc) and 6 bolts later you are ready for a bike rack. The car does not need to be lifted for installation, although it makes it easier.

This is the bike rack that I have and it works well.

Saris Bones has a good amount of clearance.

Yakima King Joe 2 Also has good clearance.

What I am planning on doing with my car with a spoiler is putting on a tow hitch (something like this one) and just getting a larger capacity bike rack.

The benefits of the tow hitch are many, as you can use it for lots of different attachments. Most vehicles you can just bolt it on, there are lots of guides to follow on the internet.

I have a Mazda 3 as well! it is a different generation than yours though. i just remembered the key to what makes my system work. I have a hitch on the back for a bike rack. so I would also use a canoe loader bar like this one. It worked for me because i already had the canoe loader bar thing from using it with a previous truck, and the hitch was there for the bike rack. so that wasn't an up front cost to me. but really, i suggest it. the hitch is useful to have and easy to install yourself. and this bar is cheap. Look at the pictures of cars using it on the amazon link.

I would definetly tow. Your toyota should easy tow a small trailer and your bike.
Putting a hitch on would be pretty easy. I believe this one just bolts up: http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Series-51171-Insta-Hitch-Square-Receiver/dp/B0049MVDB0.
You could probably find a trailer on craigslist for pretty cheap or buy one from harbor freight for a few hundred and modify it to hold your bike.

The tow package is really just finding a tow hitch assembly like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Land-Rover-Receiver-LR040248/dp/B01417UHEQ (you can find them used on facebook, ebay, craigslist, etc.

And then getting the towing wiring harness from Atlantic British.

A lot of the "unreliable" perception Land Rovers currently have is still residual from back when they were fairly unreliable. Now, all the electronics and a lot of the parts are outsourced to companies like Bosch, Timken, etc., who make parts for lots of brands. So at this point, a Land Rover is just a "car."

That, the "unreliable" part comes from people who buy a clapped out high-mileage Land Rover that wasn't properly maintained an expect it to be problem free, and not have the maintenance schedule commensurate with a $70k luxury vehicle. If you are not handy with a wrench, a good independent mechanic is great, too. The lower control arm swap would have been about $1,700 at my dealer, but I got it done at my indy for about $700 (it's not impossible to do that job at home, but, for that price, I was happy to have a mechanic do it.)

Another thing to consider is to make sure to match the coupler with the hitch ball but NOT BY USING A HITCH ADAPTER!!! Most hitch adapter drops the maximum safe tongue weight significantly, usually by half. Your hitch is probably a class I or II receiver hitch. The ball mount size will be limited for those two and will probably be a 1 7/8" ball. Your trailer, given the size, probably has a coupler for 2" or 2 5/16" ball. What I'm saying is, do not use an adapter like [this] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008CE09N4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to use a larger shank and ball. Instead, swap out the coupler to fit the smaller ball.

I use the above adapter for my CT200h but only to attach a cargo basket and I'm extra mindful of the reduced weight capacity.

I had a trunk mounted strap-on rack for my previous car - Chevy Malibu.
For the CX-5 I wanted something that didn’t contact with paintwork and could be removed when not in use.

I bought the hitch and the rack from Amazon...

Draw-Tite 76138 Class III... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073XQJG3Z?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Allen Sports Deluxe Locking Quick... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078YN9MXJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Fitted the hitch with a friend in less than an hour with no issues.
The rack has a key lock to prevent removal which works well.

I’ve been really happy with the solution, particularly for the price point.

I agree with U/linuxgator, i wouldn't tow anything with the focus because the owners manual does not recommend it and does not even give a tow capacity.

That said, i do have a hitch on mine which i installed solely for carrying my bike rack. I've got this one. It was super easy to install, took about 30-45 min. The only modification needed was slightly grinding off the shoulders of 2 of the bolts to allow them to pass through the access hole in the frame rail.

I did not like using the sleeve so I bought a 2-1/2" drop shank. The Curt shank was cheaper than the Equal-i-zer shank and works great. There is a longer version as well if your truck sits really tall. I thought that I would need the taller shank with the taller truck and our low riding Airstream so I bought the 10". That was too tall, bottoming out on driveway apron. I use the bottom set of holes on the linked shank and everything lines up perfectly.


We have a lot of tongue weight and the bigger shank bumped us up from 1,000 lb max tongue rating to 1,500 lb max tongue rating. So, there is a little added peace of mind.

Does your vehicle have a reese hitch? I use a rotating t post reese canoe loader to load a 16' OT Penobscot canoe on my Honda Element. It's super slick and easy. You just pick up one end of the upside down boat and put it on the t post. Bungee it in place and then walk to the back of the boat and pick it up while swiveling the whole thing around the vehicle to secure the front end to the front tow hooks under the front bumper. Add a belly band and some rear tie downs, (wlready attached to the boat and go.

Wow, that looks like a very well taken-care-of Bronco. How many miles are on it the the rear diff needed to be rebuilt (essentially)?

I think the best way to carry a spare, if there is something wrong with the swing out carrier (this is my opinion), would be to have the faulty spare tire carrier removed entirely, and have your local welding shop fabricate you a spare tire carrier that slides into your hitch receiver. Don't buy one off of Amazon, you'll get cheap Chinese crap.

If you want to be able to tow and not have said hitch receiver tire carrier be in the way, then you just put this Gen-Y Hitch Receiver Adapter in your 2" hitch receiver, put your ball hitch in the bottom receiver, and put that tire carrier in the top one.

I have one and they are worth every penny. Made in the USA and rated for 10,000lbs. No Bronco was ever rated for more than about 7000 as far as I know.

no. the Golf/GTI is limited to a class 1 hitch.

BUT they make 1.25 > 2" adapters. super common.

https://www.amazon.com/MaxxHaul-70032-inches-Hitch-Adaptor/dp/B008CE09N4/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1IKIE59PW6YY1&keywords=hitch+adapter+1+1%2F4+to+2+inch&qid=1574189278&s=automotive&sprefix=hitch+adapter+1%2Cautomotive%2C223&sr=1-5

you WOULD NOT want to do this if you were actually towing. you dont want to exceed the class I hitch ratings. but since this is just for a bike rack you'r well safe of that fact. just know, if you ever actually tow something, use the class I 1.25" hitch

I installed the CURT 11412 hitch on my MK7 and MK7.5. It was pretty easy to install, only about 30 minutes and a few bolts.

Class 1 Trailer Hitch with Ball Mount, 1-1/4-Inch Receiver Black 1-1/4" for for Select Volkswagen Golf, GTI https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0133WU3K8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VwEWCb4BGXSG0

Hitches are the way to go! Im currently using the Curt 11412 hitch on my '19 gti. I had a curt hitch on my veloster and it served me well. Amazon will state this will not fit on the '19 gti's but i confirmed on curt's site that i will in fact fit. Installed without any issues!

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0133WU3K8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thank you!

Here is a list of all the items I purchased to do this:
Front Reciever
Drop Hitch
Plow

Just make sure that anything you order is for your year & model, as those links (the receiver specifically) is for my year.

It does stick out, obviously you don’t have to keep it if you don’t need it.

RHINO USA Shackle Hitch Receiver, Best Towing Accessories for Trucks & Jeeps, Connect Your Rhino Tow Strap for Vehicle Recovery to This 31,418 lbs Capacity Reciever, Mounts to 2” Receivers! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WLMF23C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ohT3Cb8RX8XF8

Also have this for the back.

RHINO USA Shackle Hitch Receiver, Best Towing Accessories for Trucks & Jeeps, Connect Your Rhino Tow Strap for Vehicle Recovery to This 31,418 lbs Capacity Reciever, Mounts to 2” Receivers! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WLMF23C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NMaCCbZT4J9PZ

This might be your best option.

Reese Towpower 7020500 1-1/4" to 2" Receiver Adapter - 6" Long https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001IH8Q0A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ZaLSBbV3T16H9

I went with 2" since it's easier to go down than it is to go up.

Got this for my 2017 cx5, not certain it fits the newer ones

Curt 13315 Black 2" Class 3 Trailer Hitch Receiver for 2013-2018 Mazda CX-5 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071S18BY2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_lHZBCbCFCV8R5

I installed my own ... it took about 1 hour and really wasn't all that tough.

I installed this hitch receiver https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071S18BY2

And this wiring harness https://www.etrailer.com/Custom-Fit-Vehicle-Wiring/Tekonsha/118563.html

You do have to disconnect the exhaust from its hangers (which is easy) and support the exhaust during the install. I did this with a ratcheting tie down.

You might be better off just doing this yourself.

Hijacking the top comment to post this:

NO HE DID NOT WELD THAT

https://www.amazon.com/MaxxHaul-70355-class-Hitch-Adapter/dp/B00ISLA1WA/ref=sr_1_5?gclid=CjwKCAiAqqTuBRBAEiwA7B66hb-zkBGwN2wxk1GauHSg0UFzgHUcNEZnpfOe2HNRXiKyRnyFWARjYRoCLhQQAvD_BwE&hvadid=323586739560&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9024248&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=b&hvrand=5833784479784469206&hvtargid=kwd-781164020063&hydadcr=18942_10719460&keywords=trailer+hitch+adapter+2+inch+to+1+1%2F4&qid=1573497460&sr=8-5

2 of those ^

https://www.amazon.com/CURT-45110-Class-Ball-Mount/dp/B0007M308A/ref=sr_1_28?keywords=trailer+hitch+drop&qid=1573497493&sr=8-28

1 of those ^

He bolted a bunch of premanufactured adapters together to make this monstrosity

I just bought this the other day and installed it last night. Takes about an hour and is straight forward. You will be all set on the Jeep side of towing.

This is the hitch I have installed on my 2018 GTI https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0133WU3K8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Two orders of these: http://amzn.com/B004ND86EM

One order of this: http://amzn.com/B004B61B34

One order of these: http://amzn.com/B0013935FY

Kuat NV Base 2.0:

https://www.kuatracks.com/products/hitch/nv-base-2-0/

It's a 2" which works as-is on my wife's SUV. On the little car I have it attached to this 1 1/2" adapter:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ISLA1WA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And to reduce the wobble, this stabilizer:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AM7XVS8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

When using it with the 2" receiver, it has a built in stabilizer and needs nothiing extra.

Or you could buy one that isnt a riser like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008CE09N4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00