Hitch Installation

My better half ordered a Subaru Forester and we need to have a hitch installed. Unfortunately, Hitchcrafters is out of business. Has anybody had good service locally? Also, it looks like we're purchasing a Kuat NV; good choice???

 

Personally I'd order one myself and install it myself.

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch/Subaru/Forester/2023/C13409.html?VehicleID=202386693

Some of the local Uhaul locations also do hitch installs.

 

I've used U-haul twice. Sure, I could do it myself, but I don't wanna. They have lifetime warranty on the hitch. It's not expensive.

 

Had my hitch installed at Rack and Road in Costa Mesa. Nice folks and good service. Price seemed reasonable too.
https://racknroad.com/store/costa-mesa/

 

Second on the Costa Mesa Rack Road... They have done excellent job on my 2 outbacks which have kinda a tricky install.. I did all sorts of research (have to make a tiny trim of heat shield etc) they knew all about...

I like hidden hitch if there is any doubt get a 2" inch
Receiver.

If you are in the Kuat price range ... 1 Up USA nothing but stellar feedback ...love mine and saved me huge damage when I got rear-ended on the freeway

SOLID!!!

https://www.1up-usa.com/product-category/bike-racks/

 

Any auto mechanic can install it as well. I bought an etrailer hitch on ebay and I helped my mechanic hang it on my CRV.

 

"If you are in the Kuat price range nothing but stellar feedback ...love mine and saved me huge damage when I got rear-ended on the freeway

SOLID!!!"

Same when I got rear-ended with my V1 Sherpa. I got the V2 right after that. Hitch crafters did a great job making the tiniest most inconspicuous 1.5" hitch on my Mazda 3. Totally worth the price ($265). Not sure where I'd go now.

 

Installation looks much more involved than on earlier Foresters.

https://techinfo.subaru.com/stis/do...lation instructions - Issue 04 - 20220603.pdf

 

read up about the oem hitch vs the aftermarket ones. We have a 22' outback and the non-oem hitches attached to the frame rails differently then the oem ones. That lead to some cracked frame rails where the bumper attaches for some people that had those installed. Even more frustrating, is that the non-oem hitches had the hitch receiver about 2" lower then oem. The oem setup requires that you actually cut part of the bumper facia... totally worth it to get an extra 2" of height so you're not dragging bike rack on the pavement on drive entries. I installed mine myself, it took about 3.5 beers worth of time.

 

You gotta respect a man who measures time in beer.

 

That's about how all garage/car/bike work is measured in my circle.

 

Excellent metric for easy or complex work; of course it's brand-dependent.

 

Thanks everybody; I watched a video of someone installing one and it required removing the rear lights, bumper and other items. Easiest solution for me was to let the factory add the item. The rack will probably be a 1-UP after the good comments about them.

 

Kuat NV sucks. I had one and the ratcheting mechanism came loose all the time. The arm would rub the forks on all my bikes. And they cost the same or more as a 1up. Should be illegal to sell them

 

its funny you go out of state and people notice we measure distance in time. Nobody else does that. But measuring time in beers is a good scale

 

Measuring distance in time while driving is a So cal and Nor cal thing. Some find it amusing but it makes sense unless you don't need to worry about being somewhere on time. Much as I travel I always look at time not distance.
Biking, I do not measure distance in time, it's measured in miles though, not Kilometers.

 

Idk, I spend plenty of time in the southern states and it seems like distance is largely measured by time.
We go from Austin to Long View or Denton and it’s like 3.5 hrs. We go from Atlanta to Athens it’s like 2.5 hrs.
While we are kind of on the subject; it annoys me to no end when people from out of state call PCH “The PCH.”

 

The Online
The Facebook
The You Tube
The Internets
...
The ad Infinitum...

The special part of SoCal time travel for out of towners is 10 miles can be 10 minutes or an Hour just depending on the time of day

 

So true, friends or family from other areas will ask me how far it is to such and such place. I ask,"When you going?"
That makes the answer. Sometimes it's like, "No, don't do that. Just go a few hours earlier and get lunch or shop or something"

 

Maritime provinces out East are the same. We always measured distances in time. 16 hours to Toronto... 8 hours to Boston...

I had no concept of distance mileage wise growing up

 

@fos'l

Well after all that sidetrack what did you do? ... Curious

 

She called the dealer and is having the factory add it. Probably we'll procure a 1-UP rack.

 

I'll echo the rack n road in costa mesa with one caveat. I hate that they put their sticker on the hitch. Depending on install, the crossbar may be visible and you become a driving advert. Bothered me for a week while I got it installed, then a week while I sold the car.

 

I had to add a hitch into the deal on my new used Q8. I didn't want to go aftermarket, so that means different bumper, etc. Gonna be a little pricey, but it will ride appropriately high and won't screw up the appearance of this bitchin rig.