Installation Guide for the etrailer Trailer Hitch Receiver on a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek

Click for more info and reviews of this etrailer 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 Crosstrek parts and accessories: https://www.etrailer.com/vehicle/2018... https://www.etrailer.com Don’t forget to subscribe!    / etrailertv   Full transcript: https://www.etrailer.com/tv-install-e... Hey everybody, Ryan here at etrailer. Today, on our 2018 Subaru Crosstrek, we're gonna be showing you how to install the etrailer.com trailer hitch receiver. But before we get into that, why don't just take a minute and check this out and make sure it's gonna work for you. So, you see these Subarus out on the road doing a lot of different things, whether, you know, you see them pulling trailers around, or using accessories like a bike rack or a cargo carrier. And because of that, if it we're me and I was looking for a hitch, I'd want something that could, you know, handle all those types of tasks. And this is gonna allow you to do just that. And not to mention, I'd want something that looks good too, you know, which isn't too tough to do on a Subaru as far as accessories go, it seems like just about anything you put on them look decent. But, this one I'm particularly fond of. I think it looks a little more factory, you know. For the most part it's gonna be completely hidden. And, because of that matte black finish, I think it blends in a little bit better. With this being a Class 3 hitch, it's gonna have a two inch by two inch opening. And, this is a very common size, it'll work with a ton of different things. It is gonna use that standard 5/8 pin and clip. Keep in mind though, one doesn't come with the hitch. If you need one, not a big deal, you can grab it here at etrailer. Or else, something to think about too, if you end up buying a new accessory, a lot of times they're gonna come with a pin and clip, so just keep that in the back of your head. The safety chain openings are going to be a loop style, and big enough to allow us to use just about any size hook that our trailer might have on it. As far as the hitch's weight capacities go, it's gonna have some pretty high numbers. Maximum gross tongue weight rating's gonna be 525 pounds. That's gonna be the amount of weight pushing down on the hitch. That's good for just about any size bike rack or cargo carrier, just to give you an example. As far as the maximum gross trailer weight rating goes, that's gonna be 3,500 pounds. That's gonna be the amount of weight pulling on the hitch, so the weight of your trailer plus anything that you might have on it. I do always like to suggest so, it's never a bad idea, just to grab your Subaru's owner's manual. That way you can check in there and make sure your vehicle can handle that much weight safely. And we can grab a couple of measurements, and these will help us figure out what type of accessories work best. If you go from the ground to the top inside edge of the receiver tube opening, that's gonna be about 15 inches. So if you plan on pulling a trailer, chances are pretty good you can use a ball mount that has a straight shank, or maybe one that has a very slight rise in it. That should work for most people. Center of the hitch pin hole to the edge of the rear bumper, that's gonna be about three inches. And you can use that measurement to help figure out if any of those folding accessories you might have can be stored upright, without hitting the back of your Crosstrek. Right that side, that's a really good measurement, and chances are really good you won't run into any issues there. Other than that though, at the end of the day, if I was looking for a hitch, this would probably be the one I'd go with. Can't really ask for too much more, you know. It looks good, and it's gonna be able to handle all those different types of tasks. So, what more could you ask, right As far as the installation goes, this one one really isn't too bad. You will have to enlarge a couple of holes in the frame just a little bit, to get your hardware up there. If you got a power tool that can do that, you know, really speed things up. If not, you can do it the old-fashion way and use a file. Either way, it's something you're only gonna have to do once, right So, as long as you take the time to stay focused, you shouldn't run into too many issues. But, why don't we go ahead and get started on that. We'll pull into the garage and install it now. So to begin our installation, we're gonna be underneath the back of our Subaru, and we're gonna be working on each one of our frame rails here. So here's our frame rail, and right off the bat I wanna point out ours might look just a little bit different than yours, and that's because we had an existing smaller inch and a quarter hitch that was install