There are two things pickup trucks are most useful for, the bed on its open body and its strength as a small truck. The bed can be utilized pretty easily by using it for transport of large and heavy things, but its strength can be maximized by adding a small upgrade on your truck that makes it a lot more useful. That little upgrade is called a hitch.
Hitches makes your truck capable of towing and they can be used to mount other useful equipment on your truck, like a crane. And this article goes the distance for you in identifying the most useful and the best trailer hitch for Subaru outback.
To cut to the chase, we have identified the best trailer hitch for your Subaru Outback. After reviewing 5 of the best ones, our top choice is below.
Best Trailer Hitch Comparison Table
Product Image | Product Name | Product Rating | Product Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
 | |||
 | |||
 | |||
 |
Top 5 Best Trailer Hitch Review
Our Rating
If you are not yet deep into the towing kits and need something great to start with, Reese Towpower is a great choice. Featuring great specs that should be adequate to get you started on towing kits, the model 21536 Class III towing starter kit is both easy to use and strong.
The model can sustain six thousand pounds of straining pressure, has a nine inch shank that is an inch in diameter, a two inch drop and a three quarters inch of rise. A hitch ball with a pin and a clip are all included. The nine inches of shank allows enough space for turning clearance and should help adjust the trailer level.
For beginners, it is sturdy enough and easy to use. The ball will not easily be removed so that guarantees safety. Plus, the whole thing comes assembled.
As Reese Towpower advertised, this is perfect for beginners - and indeed it is.
- Easy to use
- Adjustable rise and drop
- 9 inches of shank
- Removing or replacing the ball is extremely troublesome
Our Rating
The Rugged Ridge Black Receiver hitch kit is a two in one hitch receiver. If you want to get serious with your Subaru outback adventure, Rugged Ridge has got you covered.
This unit has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity and is built as a one-piece welded assembly. In the box are tow hooks, hitches and other towing kits. It features a three hundred and fifty pound tongue weight and with weight distributing equipment. It has a two inch opening.
This awesome accessory can accept receiver bicycle racks and receiver shackles and receiver tow hooks; it is wonderfully versatile.
The high versatility and accurate fit of this product easily makes it a top of the line receiver hitch kit. A great bonus that comes with it is that it comes with a lot of extra towing materials that are really handy for your next wilderness adventure.
- Versatile
- 3500 lbs. weight capacity
- Perfect fit
- Installation may be a little tricky for inexperienced individuals
Though a little tricky to install for some, it will sure last long enough that it is an install and forget situation.
Our Rating
A single hitch that provides all of your towing needs. The Uriah Aluma Tow adjustable and interchangeable hitch mount is so versatile and useful that it will have almost anything you will need from a hitch.
The unit can endure up to 12, 000 pounds of load. The ball mount is adjustable and fits into a standard 2 inch square receiver. It has 6 inches of allotted drop and 6 ¾ inches of rise, both of which are adjustable in 1 inch increments.
In the box comes three independent steel, chrome-plated hitch balls which can be interchanged (the three balls come in the sizes 1 7/8”, 2” and 2 5/16”, which covers all standard vehicle sizes) and two locking hitch pins.
Overall, the Uriah UT623410 covers pretty much all the basic needs of common towing.
- Highly versatile
- Comes with all common hitch ball sizes
- 12, 000 pound weight capacity
- Only works on 2 inch hitch receivers (might need adapter)
Our Rating
If you want an all in one and install and forget hitch for your Subaru Outback, you should consider the B&W TS10048B is a wonderful option.
This product is equipped with three balls that do not need to be interchanged according to your needs. You only need to rotate them to choose the ball you need, this is truly helpful in eliminating the need for multiple ball mounts. The unit features a five inch drop or rise and fits a 2 inch receiver hitch.
When not in use, the ball mounts can be stowed underneath the hitch so as to protect it from damage. All B&W towing products are tested for strength and endurance, and this particular unit is made to tow 10, 000 lbs.
Efficiency and versatility – those are B&W TS10048B’s greatest qualities.
- 3 ball sizes
- Ball mount rotate, eliminating the need for multiple ball mounts
- 10, 000 lbs. towing capacity
- Only works on 2 inch hitch receivers (might need adapter)
Our Rating
Quick and easy, those are the words that come to mind when it comes to the Andersen Rapid Hitch 3410 towing hitch. It can be easily adjusted to suit your towing needs.
Andersen Rapid Hitch 3410 has a 6 inch drop or rise so you can adjust easily according to your trailer’s specifications. It also has two ball mounts, a 2 inch ball mount which can tow 8, 000 lbs. and a 2-5/16 ball mount which can tow 10, 000 lbs.
To switch the balls and adjust, just remove the securing pin, remove the mount and rotate it and just slide it back in to the desired height before securing it with the pin. It is that easy!
Andersen uses only the toughest aluminum, aircraft-grade aluminum. Not only is this aluminum strong, it can also resist rusting and does not weaken under extreme temperatures. This metal is also low maintenance – no need for an extra finish to maintain.
- 2 ball mounts
- 8, 000 or 10, 000 lbs. towing capacity
- Low-maintenance
- Only fits 2 inch receivers, might need an adapter
How to Choose the Best Trailer Hitch – the Only Guide for YOU!
Buying a hitch for your next adventure, or for even the everyday towing needs, takes some serious decision making. There are a lot of factors to consider before buying. Whether you are a beginner in towing kits or a seasoned veteran, you should know what exactly do you need and which features to look for.
Strength
The very first thing you should consider is strength. How much load can the hitch mount take, or more specifically, how much weight will you be towing.
Strength comes in different forms, not just the hitch’s towing capacity. It can also be the durability of the hitch to withstand the elements like the rain, snow, mud, dust or road salt and its resistance to rusting.
There are five categories of a hitch’s towing strength, and it helps if you know in which category your towing needs will generally be in.
The first class is up to 2, 000 pounds or around 910 kg). The second class is up to 3, 500 pounds or around 1, 600 kg. The next class is up to 5, 000 pounds or roughly 2, 300 kg. The fourth class is up to 10, 000 pounds or around 4, 500 kg. The last class is for construction equipment mostly, 17, 000 pounds or 7, 700 kg.
Most of the time, towing strength needs revolve around the third and fourth class.
Receiver Tube Size
There are three conventional receiver tube sizes, 1-1/4 in, 2 in, and 2-1/2 in.
The 1-1/4 in. tube is mostly for the first two strength classes of towing. The 2 inch tube is for the third and fourth classes of towing strength. And the 2-1/2 inch is for the fifth class of towing strength.
Since the Subaru Outback is in the range of the first two categories of towing strength, you will need the 1-1/4 receiver. There are adapters available in the market, though.
Ball Mount
Ball mounts vary in sizes depending on their towing capacity. The most common ball mount sizes are 2 inches and 2-5/16 inches.
Some products offer more than one ball mount in the box, and that is a good thing for you. There are replaceable ball mounts and there are ball mounts that only need to be rotated to use the ball you need.
Rise and Drop
To make your towing kit as useful as possible, you might want to take into account the hitch’s rise and drop capacity.
Rise and drop is the height of the hitch in relation to the trailer it will be towing. The question of what and how of this is discussed further down the article.
When choosing the hitch’s rise or drop, first you should know how high your vehicle is from the ground. Your hitch’s height should not exceed that.
Another matter you should consider about the rise and drop of your hitch is how adjustable is it. A lot of times, the rise and drop are adjustable by 1 inch increments. This is perhaps the best system of adjusting. Most hitches also incorporate pins to lock the mounts in place in the right height, while that is an efficient way of adjusting the rise or drop of the hitch, you should make sure that the pin or pins are secured in their place, or they might fall and cause you a world of headache.
All Trailer Hitches – Most Frequently Asked Questions
What are other types of trailer hitch ball mounts?
Aside from the standard hitch ball mount there are trailer hitch ball mounts that vary in shank sizes, capacity and degrees of drop and rise.
There is not much versatility when it comes to tools and equipment, most can do only what one thing they were made to do. However, this ball mount is different. This Multi-use ball mount was designed for - guess what – multiple use. It consists of various ball sizes welded to the same shank to accommodate different kinds of trailers.
The last on our list is the adjustable hitch ball mount. If you are an owner of different vehicles, this ball mount might just be perfect for you. It allows for level towing of your vehicle and trailer.
What are things to consider when purchasing a hitch ball mount?
When selecting the perfect hitch ball mount, there are three main things you need to consider.
First is to know how much weight you are going to be towing. Make sure that your ball mount has enough gross trailer weight capacity to fit your trailer.
For trailer weight, being one of the most important aspects of towing, you should be very careful not to exceed the weight capacity of any component of your vehicle, trailer or trailer hitch setup.
Second thing to consider is the size of the receiver tube your trailer hitch has. Receiver tubes vary in sizes. There are some that come in 1¼ inches, 2 inches, 2½ inches and even 3 inches at times. Just look for a ball mount with a shank size that will match with your receiver tube.
And lastly, how much drop and rise your ball mount will be needing. To determine the drop or rise necessary for your trailer, take the distance from the ground to the top of the inside of the opening of your receiver tube that will be your (A). Then, take the distance from the ground to the bottom of the trailer coupler that is your (B). Now subtract A from B. B minus A equals C, the drop or rise.
What is drop and rise in towing?
It is the height difference between your trailer and your tow vehicle. When the difference is positive it is called a rise, when it is negative it is called a drop.
Conclusion: The Best Trailer Hitch for Subaru Outback – Choose Right
A trailer hitch is a wonderful tool. And it is a great addition to an already wonderful car, the Subaru Outback. It is a great item to increase the utility of your car. But if the wrong unit is bought, it can do more damage than good. Depending on your needs, and depending on your budget, you should take your time in weighing down your options and familiarize yourself with the costs and benefits of each.
At the end of the day, you are taking the time of day so the hitch you choose grants you peace of mind because you know that it is the best trailer hitch for Subaru Outback.
What do you think of our list? Are there products that you think should have made our list? Let us know in the comments below!
