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Full transcript: https://www.etrailer.com/tv-install-draw-tite-trailer-hitch-2023-subaru-forester-76271.aspx
Hey everyone, Ryan here at Etrailer. Today on our 2023 Subaru Forester, we’re gonna be showing you how to install the Draw-Tite trailer hitch receiver. Before we do that though, let’s take a minute, check it out and make sure it’s gonna be right for ya. So puttin’ a hitch on a vehicle like the Forester makes complete sense. You know, people get out and use these Subarus to do a lotta different things and so, by havin’ this trailer hitch back here, it’s gonna let you hook up to your trailer or use different types of accessories, like a bike rack or a cargo carrier. There are several hitches available for the Forester and I think there’s gonna be one main difference.

That is how it’s gonna look. So with this one as well, as some of the others, the cross tube is gonna be visible and, you know, in my opinion, I don’t think it looks out of place by any means on the Subaru. You know, these just accept accessories really well. But if you’re lookin’ for somethin’ that’s a little more concealed, there’s a couple hitches that’ll actually sit behind the fascia and really the only thing you’ll be able to see is the receiver tube opening. This is gonna be a class three hitch, which means it has the two inch by two inch receiver tube opening, which is an extremely common size.

So a lotta different things are gonna work with it. It’s going to use that standard five/eighths pin. Keep in mind though, pin and clip does not come included. If you need one, you can always grab it here at etrailer. A lotta times too, if you end up buyin’ a new accessory, it’ll come with one.

So somethin’ to look out for. The safety chain openings are really large and should allow you to use just about any size hook that your trailer might have on it. As far as the weight capacities, you know, what the hitch is gonna be able to handle It’s gonna have a 525 pound maximum gross tongue weight rating and that’s gonna be the amount of weight pushing down on the hitch. So pretty high number and you should be able to use just about any size bike rack or cargo carrier, to give you an example there. As far as the maximum gross trailer weight rating goes, that’s gonna be 3,500 pounds or the amount of weight pulling on the hitch.

That is the weight of your trailer, plus anything you might have in or on it and, with this hitch, you can actually use a weight distribution system, which is a separate component. What happens when you use it, it’s gonna keep your Subaru and your trailer level whenever you’re towin’ it down the road. Pretty popular on campers and enclosed trailers, things of that nature. So, if that’s what you’re doin’, it might be worth lookin’ into. However, even if you do use that, the capacities are gonna remain the same at 5,250 and 3,500. And, with all that in mind, I do always like to recommend: Never a bad idea, just grab your Forester’s owner’s manual, that way it can check in there and make sure that your vehicle can handle that much weight safely. We’ll grab a couple measurements now and these will help us figure out what type of accessories will work best. From the ground to the top inside edge of the receiver tube opening, that’s gonna be about 14 inches. So for those of you pullin’ a trailer, you can probably use a ball mount that has a small rise in the shank, probably that two inch range would work for most people. And, from the center of the hitch pin hole to the edge of the rear bumper, that’s gonna be about six inches and, if need be, you can use that to help figure out if any of those folding-style accessories you might have can be stored in that upright position without hitting the back of your Forester. At the end of the day, a good all around hitch. You know it’s gonna look decent and should work out well in just about any scenario. As far as the installation goes, this one’s really not too bad. Essentially you will have to let your exhaust come down a little bit. It’s not a big deal. It’s pretty easy. Pop a panel off over here. Put the hardware in the frame and bolt the hitch up. So you shouldn’t run into too many issues or take up a bunch of your time. But if you plan on doin’ this yourself, feel free to hang around. We’ll go ahead, pull into the garage and get goin’ on it now. To begin our installation, we’re gonna be underneath the back of our Forester and we’re gonna start by removing this underbody panel here on the driver’s side. So along the edge we’re gonna have three push pin style fasteners. With these you can just take a flathead screwdriver, pry down on the head, and then you’re able to pull the whole base out. So we’ll get those and