[bradrh]

Has there been any change to the specs on the 'Activity Hitch' ? I'm still holding out hope that they'll realized what a dumb move the 100lb hitch is.

 

[n6nl]

Nope, for the US, see the official 2023 Solterra Accessories Brochure on the subaru.com website:

https://www.subaru.com/content/dam/subaru/downloads/pdf/brochures/2023/solterra/MY23_Solterra_Accessories_Brochure.pdf

 

[Bam]

It won't take overly long for an aftermarket option I'd say

 

[JIm_in_PA]

It won't take overly long for an aftermarket option I'd say

But if Subaru's specifications say no towing and 100 max at that position, that puts risks on the owner(s) that they may not want to commit to.

 

[Bam]

But if Subaru's specifications say no towing and 100 max at that position, that puts risks on the owner(s) that they may not want to commit to.

Most people at least where I live don’t tow with their hitch and prefer a 2” hitch over a flimsy pos to mount their expensive items on. On top of that having to replace your carriers to fit it. Also, as far as I’ve seen there is nothing necessarily suggesting an aftermarket hitch wouldn’t be permitted to carry over 100lb. Just that the flimsy oem pos is rated at 100lb

 

[Ducatista]

Most people at least where I live don’t tow with their hitch and prefer a 2” hitch over a flimsy pos to mount their expensive items on. On top of that having to replace your carriers to fit it. Also, as far as I’ve seen there is nothing necessarily suggesting an aftermarket hitch wouldn’t be permitted to carry over 100lb. Just that the flimsy oem pos is rated at 100lb

Yeah I guess an aftermarket “activity mount” could be designed for more weight. However, I would not consider towing with any of them in North America since Subaru does not give the car a tow rating here. You would almost certainly void warranty if you did.

 

[JIm_in_PA]

Also, as far as I’ve seen there is nothing necessarily suggesting an aftermarket hitch wouldn’t be permitted to carry over 100lb. Just that the flimsy oem pos is rated at 100lb

The 100 lb limit for "tongue weight" is for the vehicle, not the hitch receiver. If you put a receiver on that's rated for 500 lbs, it's still only able to handle 100 lbs on the Solterra because of the manufacturer specification.

And for the record, I do agree that a 2" receiver is preferable, no matter what the application.

 

[JayEM]

I'm not into conspiracy theories but I don't for one minute believe the NA 100 lb/no towing restriction has anything to do with crash safety. I'm pretty sure it's intended to keep NA owners from towing 1,650 lb trailers (allowed on EU vehicles) and killing the usable range (which would then lead to bad PR, especially for EV-skeptical Toyota). I just hope that in a few years they realize this is a non-issue and adopt a more customer-friendly towing limit.

 

[Bam]

The 100 lb limit for "tongue weight" is for the vehicle, not the hitch receiver. If you put a receiver on that's rated for 500 lbs, it's still only able to handle 100 lbs on the Solterra because of the manufacturer specification.

And for the record, I do agree that a 2" receiver is preferable, no matter what the application.

Where have you seen that it’s a vehicle limit? Only reference I’ve seen to 100lb so far is the accessory specs itself.

 

[Bam]

I'm not into conspiracy theories but I don't for one minute believe the NA 100 lb/no towing restriction has anything to do with crash safety. I'm pretty sure it's intended to keep NA owners from towing 1,650 lb trailers (allowed on EU vehicles) and killing the usable range (which would then lead to bad PR, especially for EV-skeptical Toyota). I just hope that in a few years they realize this is a non-issue and adopt a more customer-friendly towing limit.

Exactly, it’s not like they made a different unibody for the north american version where a trailer hitch falls off like the car is made from popsicle sticks.

 

[JIm_in_PA]

Where have you seen that it’s a vehicle limit? Only reference I’ve seen to 100lb so far is the accessory specs itself.

At the present time, it's inference that they do not want you to put more than 100 lbs in that position with the OEM accessory but clearly say no towing. But I have not read any specifications so I'll acknowledge that there may or may not be that number. When you put weight on a hitch receiver you are modifying the weight balance of the vehicle and with a "don't tow" in place, that very well could be something the suspension isn't designed to support, at least under US requirements.

 

[poodlemaster]

This is almost funny. I watched a vid the other day, and a quite imaginative shot from under the car, shows a normal sized guy getting into the back seat. The car did not move at all. His weight did nothing at all to the suspension. I was impressed.

 

[Skibike]

Can we get a EU hitch for this? Has anyone looked into that?