etrailer | Installation: EcoHitch Hidden Trailer Hitch Receiver on a 2022 Subaru Forester

Click for more info and reviews of this EcoHitch Trailer Hitch: https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitc... Check out some similar Trailer Hitch options: https://www.etrailer.com/fitguide.htm Search for other popular Subaru Forester parts and accessories: https://www.etrailer.com/vehicle/2022... https://www.etrailer.com Don’t forget to subscribe!    / etrailertv   Full transcript: https://www.etrailer.com/tv-install-e... Hello, neighbors. It's Brad here at etrailer. And today, we're taking a look and installing the EcoHitch trailer hitch receiver on a 2022 Subaru Forester. Now, this is what our hitch is gonna look like when it's installed. And one of the first things you may notice or may not notice is gonna be the fact that this is a hidden crosstube. So the only thing that's gonna be visible is the actual receiver and the safety chain loops, giving it a really nice, clean look but still getting that usability of the hitch. This is also a two-inch-by-two-inch receiver tube opening, and that's gonna be a huge, great option for a lot of different accessories. This is the most common one. So finding a bike rack, cargo carrier, or even a ball mount for your hitch is gonna be nice and easy because this is pretty common. You're also gonna have a 5/8 hitch pin hole, and that's so you can actually keep your accessories in place. Now, the hitch doesn't come with the pin and clip, but at times your accessories will have them with them. But if you do need to pick one up or you wanna pick up a locking one to keep your accessories locked in place, we have plenty of options available here at etrailer. You're also gonna have a plate-style safety chain loop here, and they're quite large to be able to fit your standard-sized hooks or even a larger clevis style is gonna be no problem for when hooking up to your trailer. Now, speaking of trailer, you're probably wondering what this is capable of towing, and it's a decent amount at 3,500 pounds for your gross trailer weight rating. And that's gonna be the weight of the accessories plus the trailer loaded up. And that's going to be a decent amount to pull a reasonably sized trailer. You also have a tongue weight rating of 525 pounds, and that's gonna be the downward pressure that's put on the receiver tube opening. So some of your suspended accessories, that's kinda what you're looking at as far as that weight capacity goes. Now, this cannot be used with weight distribution, so you're limited to those numbers. And I do recommend before towing a trailer, checking your vehicle's owner's manual to see what the vehicle is capable of towing before actually hooking up. You're gonna wanna compare that with the numbers of the hitch and take the lower of the two just to stay safe. And you can see it's pretty well-flushed, giving it a nice, clean look. But when picking accessories that fold up, you're gonna want to see from the center of the hitch pin hole to the furthest point of the rear fascia. And on this vehicle, it's about 3 1/2. So that's important to note because as you put some of those in and you fold up, you wanna make sure it doesn't make contact with the rear fascia, scuffing it up, or just making sure you have clearance. And I think with this, you shouldn't have too many problems with most accessories. Now, as far as your ground clearance goes, from the top of the receiver tube opening to the ground, we're looking at about 15 1/2 inches. So pretty good ground clearance. I don't worry about the hitch making contact, but some of your suspended accessories like your cargo carriers or bike racks, they actually extend past the vehicle. So when you go up an incline, those will tilt closer to the ground. But again, this is pretty good ground clearance. I don't worry too much, but it is something to keep in mind when you are going up inclines or maybe on some rough terrain. Now, as far as the installation goes, this is a little bit more in depth than some of the other standard hitches that may be available for this. And it does require pulling off the rear fascia. And although that may seem pretty scary or daunting, it's pretty straightforward. It's pretty easy to do. But I do recommend having someone handy that can help you not only get the hitch in place but also take off your fascia. So I'm gonna walk you through every single one of those steps and that way, you can get your hitch installed. So let's take a look at that now. For this installation, we are actually gonna be taking off the rear fascia of the vehicle to get the hitch in place. And that's kinda the nature of a lot of the EcoHitches, and it's not gonna be too terrible as long as we move step by step. And our first step is going to be opening up our hatch, and we're gonna reveal two plastic pins that we're gonna need to remove. Now, these have a Phillips head screw i