Which hitch mount for a 2016 Subaru Outback
Hi BPN Outback owners -
I'd like to have a hitch mount installed onto my 2016 Subaru Outback so I can put on a bike carrier, not to tow. My research seems to indicate two options. The first is to go to the dealer, who will remove the back bumper and lights in order to install the mount by bolting it onto the frame. The cost is $1100-1200. I watched a Youtube video of this process and it looks like a lot of work for someone like me. The positive is that no drilling into the frame is involved. The other option is that several non-dealers who sell bike racks will also install the hitch mount for about half the cost. But they will expand two existing holes and drill two additional holes into the frame. Of course they tell me this doesn't impact my warranty or compromise safety.
Has anyone had a hitch mount installed onto a fairly late model Subaru Outback and can you share your experience? thanks, Want to Ride Far Away
Parent Replies
I went to UHaul for my RAV4 hitch and it was quick and cheap. I didn't get the tow package (bigger water pump and wiring), just the hitch because I was only planning on using it for bikes. If you think that you might want to tow, uhaul can install a tow package also. They were maybe 1/3 of the cost of the dealer and really nice.
I have a 2011 Outback and had a class II hitch installed on it to tow an 1100 pound teardrop trailer and bikes. My hitch was installed by Barstad & Donicht in San Leandro which has recently closed but it cost about $500 and didn't involve removing the bumper. Try U-Haul or the local RV/trailer places. If you're going to buy a hitch buy one that will see you through all your adventures!
I don't know about Subarus specifically but I bought a hitch off Amazon for like $160 and installed it myself but my local service station (Piedmont Shell) would have done it for like $65.
Hitch buying configurator on Amazon should tell you what to buy if you put in the year and model.