Trailer Hitch?

[gtv237]

Hello, I am considering adding a class one trailer hitch to pull a small 4x8 flatbed trailer for drywall and the occasional peice of furniture. Does anyone one here have a hitch on their vibe? Any tips or advice on installing a hitch or pulling a trailer? I have a manual transmission so I shouldn't need a trans cooler or anything.

[tpar1220]

i put one on my 09 and was super easy. holes in frame are already pre drilled n tapped from factory. you may need to clean the threads before installing but thats it. just hold up into place and bolt on. the wiring is easy as well. just install into left rear tail light and run power wire to battery. took me maybe 1.5 hrs total.

i pull a small 4x8 utility trailer with one dirt bike and works great!

[Zimm]

i was super lazy and went to u-haul for a hitch for my '10. it cost me about $40 for installation. they set all the wiring up to meet my fussyness. no complaints, other than some surface rust on the hitch. fortunately it is warranted for rust, so at some point i will go in and have them install a new one.

[Baltovibe]

i was super lazy and went to u-haul for a hitch for my '10. it cost me about $40 for installation. they set all the wiring up to meet my fussyness.

Be careful of those aftermarket trailer wiring modules.

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=44395

[gtv237]

tpar1220 - Wow, you're not kidding. I watched vehicle specific install videos from eTrailers and Curt mfg, it really is a bolt in. Do you have any pictures of your vibe with the trailer attached?

Baltovibe - Thanks for the heads up. That does look a little spooky. I'll just be extra careful in the install process. I have a hard time believing the fuse didn't blow. They probably wired it directly to the battery. The kind of current it would take to melt plastic like that would burn up wiring and definitely blow a fuse. The module doesn't have any large capacitors or anything that would store that much energy either. Something else was going on there.

Well I decided to go with a Curt 12228. It was the only one I could find that was 'hidden'. It has the added benefit of being a class 2 hitch.




Here is the hidden look of the Curt hitch


And here is an alternative, I believe this one is a Draw Tite


I'll keep you guys updated. Thanks for all the input.

[tpollauf]

OK. So now I too am in the market for a hitch for Juniors 2009 VibeGT so he can pull his jet ski in/out of the marina on his own. Where would be the best place to purchase this online? I too am likely going to get a Curt but the model 1222212 which will include the "euromount" w/2" ball. Will wait on the harness for now. Thanks

[tpollauf]

OK .. So seeing how I actually have the time to research and order stuff today, I went with "Auto Anything" Got the Curt #122212 w/euromount 2" ball for $123.24 Should have it on juniors Vibe GT by next weekend

[gtv237]

OK .. So seeing how I actually have the time to research and order stuff today, I went with "Auto Anything" Got the Curt #122212 w/euromount 2" ball for $123.24 Should have it on juniors Vibe GT by next weekend

Nice. I got mine for $114 from Amazon. I'll still have to get a rise once I take some measurements.

[tpar1220]

tpar1220 - Wow, you're not kidding. I watched vehicle specific install videos from eTrailers and Curt mfg, it really is a bolt in. Do you have any pictures of your vibe with the trailer attached?

i normally pull a ktm300 which weighs a good bit less than my klr. but in this pic i pulled the klr out of state and did great! manual says can safely pull 1,500 lbs. my trailer and klr are less than 1,000 lbs. more like 750-800. i believe i can pull small trailer with 2 dirt bikes with no problem. my 09 has 2.4/auto.

be sure to clean threads out, then torque to spec. you don't want them bolts backing out. i used a bit of antisieze on threads of bolts.

[gtv237]

i normally pull a ktm300 which weighs a good bit less than my klr. but in this pic i pulled the klr out of state and did great! manual says can safely pull 1,500 lbs. my trailer and klr are less than 1,000 lbs. more like 750-800. i believe i can pull small trailer with 2 dirt bikes with no problem. my 09 has 2.4/auto.

be sure to clean threads out, then torque to spec. you don't want them bolts backing out. i used a bit of antisieze on threads of bolts.

That's bad (removed)! My trailer is about the same size as yours. I just got it registered today. I am a little concerned with the threaded holes in the frame. Mine were pretty corroded. I bathed them in some pb blaster. Hopefully I'll be able to get the bolts in. My hitch come tomorrow so wish me luck.

[tpar1220]

i put a lil wire wheel in cordless drill and ran it up and down in holes. cleaned em right up! bolts threaded right in no problem.

[ctgottapee]

Mine came with the curtis tow attached; I removed it and just 2 3/4 bolts on each side into pre-threaded spots. Pretty clean look.

The prior owner also installed a near plug and play trailing lighting module. It had plugs that fit the one used on the factory rear lite socket, but they did have to run a power wire up to the battery

[Bookworm]

Just as an update. The curt 122221 mentioned before has been discontinued. However, they don't bother linking to the new one.

it appears that the Curt hitch is now a 12234 (the extra number just designates if they provide a ball/insert) They no longer offer the euroball as a 'part of the package'. You can order one separately, however.