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What's the over/under on being able to get A Solterra delivered with a trailer hitch or installed at the dealer? Neighbors picked up a Forester Wilderness a month or so ago, and trailer hitch is delayed...
Trailer hitch availability
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I guess we'll see. I want one too. In Canada we find out a few things in April and I will ask then about a hitch.
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One of the YouTube reviews stated the Solterra is not recommended for towing. You planning on light towing or just for bikes and accessories?
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Well its supposed to be good up to a 1500lb trailer, so I dunno 'bout youtube. I will use it for water, I have a 200L tank I get water with. Its superb water. from about 500' deep and is very old, so not plastic. My landlord has a surface well, that's not terrible, but nothing like the stuff I get.
As well a little trailer could be very useful for stuff I would not want to put in the car. Could haul a generator and go camping, for one thing I have planned.
As well a little trailer could be very useful for stuff I would not want to put in the car. Could haul a generator and go camping, for one thing I have planned.
Aftermarket hitches always seem to be better and cheaper. Hopefully drawtite or ecohitch comes out with something soon after release. If I can't put a 2" receiver on it I doubt I'll follow through with buying a solterra. I don't tow but I prefer the security of a 2" receiver.
2019 Ascent Touring (me) 2020 Forester Limited (Spouse)
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240 Posts
That's not necessarily true for Subarus...at least for the "better" part. More recent Subaru platforms provide for much stronger integration with the vehicle with the OEM hitch receiver. The third party products are ok for very light duty things like hauling bikes, but are "less good", sometimes by a wire margin, for actual towing.
Hopefully, in a month or two we'll have real, actual specifications for the Solterra's capabilities and available accessories.
Edited to read as me being less of a dick.
The oem hitch for the crosstrek and forester is class 1 1-1/4". Aftermarket options such as curt/drawtite/ecohitch are class 2, 2" receivers so much better for towing. Ascent oem hitch is class 3 but tongue weight is 500lb vs aftermarket options of 750lb. So in all cases the aftermarket offerings have better tow capability than oem.
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My needs are nothing too crazy. Hitch mount bike rack + several bikes. Nice bikes, so I like stronger integration
2019 Ascent Touring (me) 2020 Forester Limited (Spouse)
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240 Posts
Bam, I agree with the 2" receiver being the most useful. The reason that those smaller vehicles get the Class 1 OEM hitch receiver is because they only have very low towing capacities. Subaru did find a way to up things to 2" with the Outback Gen 6 which has made folks happy...I bet the towing capacity of the XT helped with that as it puts it actually into the lower end of the Class III range.
BTW, the aftermarket hitches for the Ascent that state they have a 750 lb capacity for tongue weight are still absolutely 500 lbs on the Ascent. A hitch receiver manufacturer cannot change the vehicle's capacity. That they market things that way is pretty inconsiderate...and dangerous. And then there are the tiny mounting bolts. Scary.
And no way did I think you were being one of "those things"...
BTW, the aftermarket hitches for the Ascent that state they have a 750 lb capacity for tongue weight are still absolutely 500 lbs on the Ascent. A hitch receiver manufacturer cannot change the vehicle's capacity. That they market things that way is pretty inconsiderate...and dangerous. And then there are the tiny mounting bolts. Scary.
And no way did I think you were being one of "those things"...
Im confused is your argument that aftermarket hitches are worse than oem because they are rated higher than oem rating and manufacturer specs? Having a larger safety factor built in to a product is not inconsiderate and dangerous. They obviously built it to allow a tongue weight of 10-15% of the tow capacity. If subaru wasn’t smart enough to do this that discredits subaru more than the aftermarket brands.Bam, I agree with the 2" receiver being the most useful. The reason that those smaller vehicles get the Class 1 OEM hitch receiver is because they only have very low towing capacities. Subaru did find a way to up things to 2" with the Outback Gen 6 which has made folks happy...I bet the towing capacity of the XT helped with that as it puts it actually into the lower end of the Class III range.
BTW, the aftermarket hitches for the Ascent that state they have a 750 lb capacity for tongue weight are still absolutely 500 lbs on the Ascent. A hitch receiver manufacturer cannot change the vehicle's capacity. That they market things that way is pretty inconsiderate...and dangerous. And then there are the tiny mounting bolts. Scary.
And no way did I think you were being one of "those things"...
Im not seeing anything here supporting oem hitches being tougher than quality aftermarket hitches.
2019 Ascent Touring (me) 2020 Forester Limited (Spouse)
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240 Posts
How they integrate to the vehicle is more in question. Specifically to the Ascent, for example, the OEM hitch fully integrates into the vehicle subframe and uses substantial bolts to do so. It's not depending on the bumper and not putting strain on parts not designed to carry the load. The OEM hitch also is fully supportive of safety testing by Subaru. Here's a post that has some written and visual information about the differences between OEM and aftermarket hitch receivers for the Ascent just for reference including a comparison of the actual bolts in size and number:
www.ascentforums.com
Now as to your question about capacities....towing capacity is relative to the vehicle itself, not the hitch receiver attached to it. It doesn't matter who's hitch receiver is installed. Again, using the Ascent as an example because it's the one Subaru that's well equipped for towing as a midsize SUV, the limit is 500 lbs of tongue weight and 5000 lbs of trailer. (whichever comes first) That doesn't change if you use a third party product that says it can support more. The "part" might be able to handle more weight, but the "vehicle" is not designed to handle more than its specification, both functionally and legally. I didn't say that having a part that is capable of supporting more was inconsiderate and dangerous; rather, I said that the third party companies' marketing the parts in a way that makes buyers think that their vehicle will handle more weight than is in the OEM specification is inconsiderate and dangerous...because it is, especially the latter. Many people believe what they read when someone is selling them something. It should also be no surprise that I also support the "best practice" of not shooting for the maximum when it comes to towing, anyway. A 15-20% margin of safety is always a good thing. If you've ever had the pleasure of being in a towing situation with too much tongue weight where the front end get's light and suddenly steering and braking don't work like they should (and I have because of my own stupidity) you'll appreciate why I get concerned with overloading because of marketing claims.
But back to the Solterra. We don't really know yet what Subaru is going to bless and support relative to towing. I personally hope that it will be acceptable for folks to tow a small utility trailer or something like that for convenience. And if they do support that, I also hope they have an OEM solution for a hitch receiver that integrates well with the vehicle. If that comes to pass, I seriously suspect it will be Class 1 at best. White there are multiple reasons for that, one that is included is that tongue weight comes out of people/cargo capacity which is already constrained on these smaller cars. I doubt there will be a 2" receiver blessed because that can have ramifications of people doing things they shouldn't.
Hitch comparability?
I am looking at a hitch for our new 2022 Ascent Onyx and keep seeing ones that show compatibility from 2019 to 2021, but not 2022. Did the hitch mounting change for the 2022 model or if it a hitch fits earlier models will it also fit the 2022? I'm looking at a Draw-Tite that fits under the bumper.
www.ascentforums.com
Now as to your question about capacities....towing capacity is relative to the vehicle itself, not the hitch receiver attached to it. It doesn't matter who's hitch receiver is installed. Again, using the Ascent as an example because it's the one Subaru that's well equipped for towing as a midsize SUV, the limit is 500 lbs of tongue weight and 5000 lbs of trailer. (whichever comes first) That doesn't change if you use a third party product that says it can support more. The "part" might be able to handle more weight, but the "vehicle" is not designed to handle more than its specification, both functionally and legally. I didn't say that having a part that is capable of supporting more was inconsiderate and dangerous; rather, I said that the third party companies' marketing the parts in a way that makes buyers think that their vehicle will handle more weight than is in the OEM specification is inconsiderate and dangerous...because it is, especially the latter. Many people believe what they read when someone is selling them something. It should also be no surprise that I also support the "best practice" of not shooting for the maximum when it comes to towing, anyway. A 15-20% margin of safety is always a good thing. If you've ever had the pleasure of being in a towing situation with too much tongue weight where the front end get's light and suddenly steering and braking don't work like they should (and I have because of my own stupidity) you'll appreciate why I get concerned with overloading because of marketing claims.
But back to the Solterra. We don't really know yet what Subaru is going to bless and support relative to towing. I personally hope that it will be acceptable for folks to tow a small utility trailer or something like that for convenience. And if they do support that, I also hope they have an OEM solution for a hitch receiver that integrates well with the vehicle. If that comes to pass, I seriously suspect it will be Class 1 at best. White there are multiple reasons for that, one that is included is that tongue weight comes out of people/cargo capacity which is already constrained on these smaller cars. I doubt there will be a 2" receiver blessed because that can have ramifications of people doing things they shouldn't.
That explains why the ride is so good. It's a proficiency for me.
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29 Posts
Why on earth would anyone want to strain the power coming from the batteries to tow something!!! EVs is all about going green!!!!
Dude - your first two posts are criticizing legitimate concerns about a $40k+ vehicle? And both end with "going green"? I'm calling spammer here, or just ignorant.
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92 Posts
There are a few vids with shots under the back out there, and the last one I looked at clearly showed places to mount a standard Subaru hitch.
2019 Ascent Touring (me) 2020 Forester Limited (Spouse)
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240 Posts
Lately OEM hitches integrate with the rear bumper and do not fasten down below. Now if Subaru's spec says don't tow, I'll not worry about it as I have my Ascent for that anyway.
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92 Posts
Go look at Subaru hitches. They have a few for their cars.
If there is a will there is a way. Soon enough some nutty upstart will bring to market battery-powered trailers strong enough to pull their own weight. (And whoever you are... when you do, I want royalties!)
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