# Need a hitch for Subaru Outback



## strohman (Apr 7, 2006)

I got a new Outback in February and now I want to add a hitch and bike rack. I'm a bit surprised by the price of a hitch and installation. Are there any deals out there for hitches? 

U-Haul is supposed to be one of the biggest hitch installers in the country, but their prices aren't anything to brag about. Are there any U-Haul coupons available?


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## spdntrxi (Jul 25, 2013)

what are they charging.?. I always thought besides DIY.. uhaul was the cheapest. My hitch was 250 and install was quoted 150 (no drill) from body shop...rear bumper needs to be removed on my forester.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

Trailer hitch, hitches and bike rack (800)298-8924

etrailer has free shipping offer.

Then DIY.

etrailer has videos for installs also.

option 2 is the OEM one.
Subaru Outback - Subaru Outback Forums - View Single Post - Factory or aftermarket trailer hitch for 2011 outback 3.6r

it's a 1.25" receiever (not sure if Class I or II). And... you need to disassemble more.


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## coupster (Dec 22, 2012)

Just checked with etrailer and the installation notes for an Outback state:

Drilling required for installation
Access holes may need to be enlarged by drilling, filing, or rotary tool
Exhaust must be temporarily lowered for installation
Heat shield must be modified or trimmed for hitch installation

Too bad. I installed a hitch on my Matrix. Otherthan chasing the bolt holes with a tap, it bolted right up without issues.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

coupster said:


> Just checked with etrailer and the installation notes for an Outback state:
> 
> Drilling required for installation
> Access holes may need to be enlarged by drilling, filing, or rotary tool
> ...


aftermarket hitches vary from vehicle to vehicle.

My Passat, I had to drill 4 holes and the worst part was the fishing wire was not long enough.

The Tiguan Class III hitch is super easy to install.


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## Mr645 (Jun 14, 2013)

CURT Manufacturing - CURT Trailer Hitch #12290 

Detailed install instructions will be there as well.

Some are harder then others. My 2009 Volvo C70 took me 20 minutes on my back and nothing more than a socket for the hitch, although wiring took a trained installer several hours since the entire trunk had to be removed and reinstalled. 

2013 MB C250 required drilling two holes into what the professional installed called "The hardest steel he has ever seen" He used 3 drill bits to drill the two required holes.


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

My Outback's a generation or two older than yours, but U Haul charged me about $150 and IIRC, that included the receiver. Remember, if all you're doing is putting bikes on it, it doesn't need wiring.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

+1 on buying a hitch and installing it yourself. +1 on Etrailer. Curt hitches has installation instructions and videos on their website so is a good place to get an idea of what's involved. The easy/complexity of instillation can vary a fair amount depending on the vehicle, but it most cases it's a pretty simple bolt-on process.


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## Skyhawke (Feb 20, 2014)

We just got a new Outback as well. In the negotiation phase, I had the dealer throw in a factory mounted hitch so we wound up with the 1.25" receiver. Since I will only be carting around 2, maybe 3 bikes at at time locally, this works for me.

Our old 5 Bike Hitch mounted Saris isn't going to work anymore so I splurged and bought a single 1UpUSA hitch mount and boy am I glad I did. I will be order a single add on here next week or so when they come back in stock (they are out right now).


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## McLazerson (Apr 20, 2014)

Let me say, for a few months a few years back I worked on hitch/rack installations. Subaru's are ones that require some serious drilling to the car frame.

I have a subie, and I will be taking it to the shop for a hitch if that day ever comes. Its dirty down there, and the hot sparks suck. Labor shouldn't cost you more than 120.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

Seeing the etrailer video... I would get some touch-up primer

Clean the cut areas with a spray of brake cleaner... let dry (takes a minute).

then using the touch-up primer, apply to metal, so later it should prevent some rust.


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## Steve66 (Aug 4, 2013)

strohman said:


> I got a new Outback in February and now I want to add a hitch and bike rack.


I have a 2013 Outback and was in exactly the same situation. After much research, I bought and installed the Torklift Central Ecohitch for $250:
Torklift Central Stealth 2" Subaru Outback Trailer Hitch No Drill | Torklift Central

I selected this one because it is a 2" hitch (I wanted that for more rack options) and it's as close to hidden as you can get. It's also tucked under the bumper far enough that you won't bang your shins on it. Here's an article from an Outback owner about the installation with some pics: https://digitalnigel.com/wordpress/?p=1179 My installation looks just as good as in this article - it's really a fantastic hitch.

You do not have have to drill any holes in the frame of your Outback...just widen a some existing holes in the sheet metal near your spare tire area so you can insert the bolts, and cut a 4" x 6" horizontal piece of bumper out for the hitch to poke through (not as scary as it sounds). I did the install myself in about 2 hours. I'm happy to provide more info if you want.


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## Steve66 (Aug 4, 2013)

Skyhawke said:


> We just got a new Outback as well. In the negotiation phase, I had the dealer throw in a factory mounted hitch so we wound up with the 1.25" receiver. Since I will only be carting around 2, maybe 3 bikes at at time locally, this works for me.


Just be careful - most racks that hold more than 2 bikes require a 2" hitch. The dealer-installed 1.25" hitch is nice in that it's small and they mount it through the bumper, but that size hitch can be limiting in terms of what it will support.


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## Brad6260 (Feb 1, 2013)

strohman said:


> I got a new Outback in February and now I want to add a hitch and bike rack. I'm a bit surprised by the price of a hitch and installation. Are there any deals out there for hitches?
> 
> U-Haul is supposed to be one of the biggest hitch installers in the country, but their prices aren't anything to brag about. Are there any U-Haul coupons available?


An option to consider! I too bought a new Outback and frankly given the demographics and activity uses of a large number of buyers I am amazed how few exterior type options there are for these vehicles. I would love to tweak out my Outback a bit and add a front brush type guard and a rear hitch but found almost no guards out there and hitch and bike mounts very costly and a pain. After a lot of research my roof rack bike carrier came from a company called Rage. It is very close to the Thule/Yakima type rack and came from a promo at Ramps inc. delivered for an amazing $50.00. Like the reviews I had read said the quality looks top notch and it fits the factory 2013 Subaru cross bars and installed in ten minutes rock solid.
It ended up being a very economical way around the whole bike carrying issue.


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## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

I have a Thule Revolver. Works fine. Not sure it would be my choice if doing it again.


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## HyperCycle (Sep 5, 2012)

After reading some of these posts... I was fortunate to not have to pay much to get a Curt hitch installed on my Dodge Nitro. The hitch was $125 from ************ and installation at the local auto/tire shop was $65. No drilling.


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