http://www.etrailer.com/products.asp?category=hitch&year=1997&make=Subaru&model=Legacy&t1=&h=e&style=Outback+Wagon&ob=

 

Any comments from experienced board members who have towed re: which of these two hitches shown via the link (Draw-Tite vs. Hidden Hitch) is better, and why? Any difference at all? They are very similar in price and design just looking at the small photos, but the Draw-Tite looks a bit beefier, it's hard to tell.

 

If I can't find a good deal on a used hitch for my OB (I posted in the classifieds here, plus Nasioc, plus SLC craigslist) then I think I'll just get a new one from the place linked above.

 

Thanks for any info or feedback you might have regarding these hitches or the vendor.

 

Steve

 

edit: I called etrailer re: the yellow stars next to the name of the mfg on their website search results, that's just the popularity of the product. So apparently they've sold more of the Draw-Tite.

I have a Draw-Tite on my car and it looks very beefy and very solidly bolted to the under carriage. It might depend on the model, but mine exceeds by a ration of 3 the towing capacity of the car. The car's owner manual says 1,000 pounds max towing weight (without trailer brakes) and the hitch can take 3,000 ; the car's owner manual says a limit of a 100 pounds tongue weight and the hitch can take 300.

My 97OB has a Draw Tite hitch. The original owner put it on. I've never used myself except for a bike carrier a couple of times. Seems pretty sturdy, just from looking at it.

 

Commuter

Called the local Uhaul and they have hitches (which they can order in) for $130, so again about the same price... but no shipping fee. Plus, the wiring is a little cheaper too... $17 as opposed to $35 or so.

 

I don't want to go cheap on a part that could be dangerous if it fails, but I would think the Uhaul product would be decent, maybe even made by one of the other manufacturers already listed. I asked which company makes the hitches for them... the kid at the store said Uhaul does, in Arizona. That seems unlikely, but maybe they do make their own.

 

Steve

I've got a U-haul one on my impreza OBS looks exactly like the draw tite for the same car so I would bet they are made by Draw tite. The guy at the u-haul place told me but i can't remember what he said. Anyway I had a good experience with it, cost me around $200 for the hitch, drawbar, ball, and wiring harnes and the whole thing has a lifetime warenty. I think it would have worked out to about $20 less to get it from e-trailer and install it my self but I figured it was worth the $20 for the time saved and the lifetime warenty.