What did your hitch cost? saga of a hitch rack...

[Cataboo]

Look at jcwhitney.com - there's a few other companies that sell hitches and have free shipping. I know there was another site, but just google the name of the hitch once you find one on jcwhitney. Check retailmenot.com or fatwallet.com for coupon codes.

It's probably too late for when you need to get it done for something like that.

When I was looking for a hitch for my subaru outback shortly after getting it, I think the hitch was something like $200-250 online with free shipping. I was being cheap, and for whatever reason, I noticed that someone on craigslist was selling an uninstalled subaru trailer hitch on craigslist for $125. So... I went to go pick it up.

I think I was in the first 500 miles of the car, so I had to give it an oil change, so I bought it an oil filter... and went to my Mom's for the weekends so I could use my dad's tools. When dad had built the driveway, he'd put a concrete ramp on one side of it, so you could drive the car up the ramp on the one side and then crawl underneath it... So I did that. It probably took me about 2 hours to install it. If that. I was like lying under the car with my legs holding the hitch up in place while screwing in the bolts. That was 4 years ago and I never had a problem since.

Someone on craigslist was selling a yakima bike rack with the ski/snowboard adapter and with the 1 1/4" hitch size - and I guess because it was the smaller hitch size it stayed up longer and I was able to buy it off her "cheap"


But after putting the hitch on, it was dark, so I hurriedly did the oil change - I used a flash light, drained the oil pan, and removed the oil filter which said "oil filter" on the side...

So the next morning, I'm driving back to school... I put the car in gear and try to drive off the ramp... and absolutely nothing happens.

I'm freaked that I've killed my brand new subaru, but for whatever reason I go check the oil that I drained out of Sooobie and realize that... Oh, that's transmission fluid.

So I borrow my mom's car, go to about 4 local auto parts stores who don't sell the new subaru's transmission fluid filter and don't sell ATF-J transmission fluid.

So finally I drive about 20 miles up the highway to the closest subaru dealer, ask for a new transmission filter, new oil filter, and buy however many bottles of ATF-J. Cost - about $125. The parts guy is just laughing his head off at me for draining the transmission fluid. I pull out the tramission fluid filter, and point out that on the side of it clearly says "oil filter" and he cracks up and says "yeah, it probably shouldn't say that, but they use the same housing for those filters - they used to be different colors, but no longer"

Now, some people do recommend that you change the transmission fluid in a new car, and the car did shift better afterwards.

[Crankin]

We paid $225 for the hitch for my BMW small sedan; ordered it on-line from something like etrailer.com. DH installed it himself.
This was about 4 years ago though.

[uforgot]

I think I paid around $175 for the hitch for the dodge neon. I just ordered it though our local car parts store and my mechanic charged me $25 to put it on. Small town, he does all my work, but I did have to put up with laughter and jokes about putting a hitch on a Neon. (I'm in big truck country). I think what they are charging you is outrageous. They told me that it just had to be attached, holes and everything were already there. Not a big deal.

[pumpkinpony]

I got mine from U-Haul. Ordered and installed for $225, and that did involve drilling holes in the frame. ugh. Apparently they ordered the wrong hitch, but instead of sending it back they decided to make it fit. I'm still not real happy about that.

[divingbiker]

I got mine from U-Haul. Ordered and installed for $225.

Ditto.

[colorisnt]

Thanks for all the replies! Now I feel my turning down their offer was completely legitimate. The funny part was they offered to let me make payments ON A HITCH INSTALL. Haha. I totally would install it if I had a driveway to do so in. However, we live in the city and I park on the street. We have an alley to park on but it is gravel.

I honestly just didn't have time to far around with it. And I Was just expecting to drop it off an pick it up a couple of hours later. Guess I was wrong.

[Irulan]

Are we talking bomber hitches for towing anything, or bolting on a little reciever for a 1-1/8 hitch bike rack?

It has been some years, but it was around $250 to have a 2" hitch put on the frame of our SUV. We haul a 1-ton flat bed trailer a lot, so do it yourself wasn't really an option as we needed wiring for lights, etc.

[Pyannyplayer]

I ordered one for my Prius online for $150. It took us about 20 minutes to install, without a ramp or anything - just under the car on the garage floor. It used the holes already there; the instructions with it were pretty clear and easy to follow. I think they're taking you for a ride, so to speak. That's a lot of money they're trying to charge you.