Hitch Questions

[tonyn1]

I know this has been gone over before and I have searched for info on the best hitch, but I still have some questions. Which is the best hitch for an 09 AWD? I see that the Curt 12228 is one that is supposed to fit, but I see that some people had problems with it and from what I can gather, it was supposedly redesigned. Is that correct and if so, how do I make sure that I get the newer one when I order as the part number hasn't changed? One site that has it for sale, http://www.etrailer.com/hitch-...e.htm has this Tech Tip: Heat shield may have to be trimmed for installation. If it has been redesigned, why is trimming needed or are they maybe selling the older version? I also see two other options in the Hidden Hitch #60898 and the U-Haul #24880. I understand that some people have problems with clearances around the muffler which causes rattles etc. Do either of these have problems with clearances? I see also that the Curt has two mounting holes vs. three for the Hidden Hitch. I don't know how many the U-Haul one has. I think three would be better. And lastly, do any of these include wiring harnesses or are those separate?

[joatmon]

I don't know about hitches for the 09. While the hidden hitch non-intuitively looks like it would be more visible than the one Curt hitch, if it were me I'd go for the one that didn't require trimming of heatshield. The draw tite one is cheaper, but doesn't include the $20 drawbar, so drawtite +drawbar costs the same as hidden. I don't see the Uhaul model in the link you posted. The curt hitches are listed at 2500 punds, 250 pound tongue weight, the other two are 2000/200. I think you're more limited by the car limits than the hitch, so I don't see either of those factors mattering.The etrailer link you posted shows hitches with a link that says "use 118460 for wiring. " so I'd assume that is a separately costed item (wiring not included in hitch)a long time ago, Quote, originally posted by NSimkins »Also, mention promotional code "Genvibe" when checking out and you may still be able to receive a discount on your purchase from etrailer.com.I don't know if there is still ap place in the checkout to enter a promotional code, but if there is and you do it, let us know if the promo code still works at etrailer

[vibolista]

I bought and installed a Hidden Hitch on my 08 Vibe... actually ordered a Curt... but the supplier was temporarilly out of the Curt so I got a Hidden Hitch instead. My son got a Curt. Glad I got the Hidden instead of Curt. You can hardly see mine... and the Curt is very noticeable by comparison. I haven't seen anyone with a hitch on an 09/10 yet... but there are differences between the brands. I wish I had taken a picture of both together a couple of weeks agon when he was here, so you could see how big the difference really is.

[beemerphile1]

I put the Curt on my '09 FWD (not AWD) about a month ago. I didn't need to trim anything. The Uhaul hitch appears to hang down a lot further because it also fits the GT which I think has different exhaust.The Curt has a higher rating, that is one reason why I chose it over the others. The other reason is that it tucks up tight and doesn't show very much. When driving behind my Vibe you can see the cross bar but it is not very noticeable. It does not stick down further than absolutely necessary. Standing behind the car all you see is the receiver sticking out from under the bumper.It was an easy install for the most part. I think I got a slightly defective one because the holes didn't line up perfectly. I had to use a Dremel and elongate one hole a little.No wiring is included, you are only buying a hitch.I think the posts you are reading about fitment problems are old posts from when the redesigned '09 came out. No problems now.You might want to check here;http://www.discountramps.com/trailer-hitch.phpEnter the discount code "holiday2009" in the coupon code box for an additional 10% off. Good through 1/31/2010