Best hitch receiver and 2-bike rack combo

ChukarBob · Apr 16, 2022

Thinking about installing a hitch receiver on my new '22 Hybrid SE, which has a power tailgate. I already have a Thule Helium Aero 2-bike rack, bought when I still ran a Tacoma 4-WD, but this might not work on the RAV. I would like to be able to access the cargo area without having to remove the bikes or bike rack. I had been able to drop the tailgate of my Tacoma after dropping the bikes and rack from the upright running position.

I expect I'll have the hitch receiver and wiring harness installed by someone else, as my old body is not up to such tasks.

I'm looking for recommendations for both the receiver and a compatible 2-bike rack if my Thule Helium won't work.

jegonzo3 · Apr 17, 2022

I've been looking at getting one also. I'm looking at the Toyota one, as well as one made by Curt. The Curt installs under the fascia, so no cutting of the fascia, the Toyota one, you have to cut a hole.

Do some searching on the forum, that's how I found information on both. I don't have links at this time.

EpicEvo25 · Apr 17, 2022

i have a rav4 coming end of may, i’ll be installing the factory toyota hitch as the aftermarket versions hang below the bumper and the toyota one is recessed a little higher into the bumper. I have a 1up bike rack and can’t recommend it enough. my riding friend has a kuat 2.0 that he also likes but i didn’t like how close the the arm to fasten the bike came to rubbing on the fork.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

FKHeath · Apr 17, 2022

jegonzo3 said:
I've been looking at getting one also. I'm looking at the Toyota one, as well as one made by Curt. The Curt installs under the fascia, so no cutting of the fascia, the Toyota one, you have to cut a hole.

Do some searching on the forum, that's how I found information on both. I don't have links at this time.

I had the Curt on my 2013 RAV4 and it was always dragging on driveway dips. Better to get the Eco hitch which installs higher and is easier to install than the Toyota hitch receiver. The Eco hitch does require some minor bumper cover trimming, but some don't bother to do that.

kroh74 · Apr 17, 2022

Don't go with the Eco hitch!

Packaging of the hitch was so bad, box was ripped, missing parts, scratches all over and requested a new one. The replacement wasn't much better, I ended up painting the scratches myself, only to find rust on the inside of the hitch within 2 weeks. I guess I'll be painting that as well.

FKHeath · Apr 17, 2022

kroh74 said:
Don't go with the Eco hitch! View attachment 180688
View attachment 180686
View attachment 180687
View attachment 180685
View attachment 180684
Packaging of the hitch was so bad, box was ripped, missing parts, scratches all over and requested a new one. The replacement wasn't much better, I ended up painting the scratches myself, only to find rust on the inside of the hitch within 2 weeks. I guess I'll be painting that as well.

Mine was not like that at all. Where did you buy yours? (The box looks like an etrailer box). Appears that etrailer sent you a used or returned damaged/missing parts item in their own packaging. That is the fault of etrailer, not ecohitch. I bought mine directly from ecohitch.

kroh74 · Apr 17, 2022

FKHeath said:
Mine was not like that at all. Where did you buy yours? (The box looks like an etrailer box). Appears that etrailer sent you a used or returned damaged/missing parts item in their own packaging. That is the fault of etrailer, not ecohitch. I bought mine directly from ecohitch.

I did purchase it from etrailer. You would think, paying almost $400, they'll package it better. Lesson learned!

audiocat86 · Apr 18, 2022

I currently have a Curt hitch and a Yakima Hangover 4 and a Allen Premium AR200 2-bike tray.

If I was to do it again, I would definitely go with the OEM hitch and a Kuat NV 2.0 and 2-bike extension. You may be asking why? Well, the Hangover 4 puts the front wheels of the bike over the roofline and on most long distance trips so far, it absolutely destroys my fuel efficiency because the wheels start acting as sails.

As for the hitch, almost every one that I've seen sits at about the same height as the exhaust tips or a bit lower, which has caused me to scrape my racks in certain situations (heading out to Gooseberry Mesa with a loaded Rav and 4 bikes, for instance). The extra couple of inches of ground clearance would make a huge difference.

ChukarBob · Apr 18, 2022

audiocat86 said:
I currently have a Curt hitch and a Yakima Hangover 4 and a Allen Premium AR200 2-bike tray.

If I was to do it again, I would definitely go with the OEM hitch and a Kuat NV 2.0 and 2-bike extension. You may be asking why? Well, the Hangover 4 puts the front wheels of the bike over the roofline and on most long distance trips so far, it absolutely destroys my fuel efficiency because the wheels start acting as sails.

As for the hitch, almost every one that I've seen sits at about the same height as the exhaust tips or a bit lower, which has caused me to scrape my racks in certain situations (heading out to Gooseberry Mesa with a loaded Rav and 4 bikes, for instance). The extra couple of inches of ground clearance would make a huge difference.

That the OEM and Ecohitch hitches ride higher than the Curt is an important factor for me, as I do some lightweight offroading when bird hunting, getting to fishing locales, etc. The Eco is quite a bit more expensive. Is there anything that justifies that extra expense (ease of installation; less modification of the bumper fascia?)?

I like my Thule Helium Aero 2-bike rack, which worked well on a 2015 Outback and 2017 Tacoma 4WD. Very solid with a couple of nice security features and ease of loading / unloading while allowing me to operate the gates on both vehicles by dropping the rack and bike(s) down from the upright running position. Is anyone running a Thule Helium Aero 2-bike rack with their 4.5 Gen RAV?

crazyhorse · Apr 18, 2022

Eco Hitch plus Kuat Sherpa 2.0. And my Eco hitch arrived in perfect condition.

FKHeath · Apr 18, 2022

ChukarBob said:
The Eco is quite a bit more expensive. Is there anything that justifies that extra expense (ease of installation; less modification of the bumper fascia?)?

The OEM hitch requires the removal of the rear bumper cover and cross bar, and a large cut in the bumper cover. The ECO hitch requires none of that, only a small cut in the bumper cover (some people don't even do that, just bending up the lip of the bumper cover a bit). The instructions for the ECO hitch have you disconnect the exhaust pipe hanger, but I didn't even need to do that.

ChukarBob · Apr 19, 2022

FKHeath said:
The OEM hitch requires the removal of the rear bumper cover and cross bar, and a large cut in the bumper cover. The ECO hitch requires none of that, only a small cut in the bumper cover (some people don't even do that, just bending up the lip of the bumper cover a bit). The instructions for the ECO hitch have you disconnect the exhaust pipe hanger, but I didn't even need to do that.

How long did it take you? Did you have access to a floor jack or lift, or just grovel around under the back of your car? Did you make the cut in the bumper cover or not?

What about the wiring harness for a trailer, etc.? Is that difficult?

FKHeath · Apr 20, 2022

ChukarBob said:
How long did it take you? Did you have access to a floor jack or lift, or just grovel around under the back of your car? Did you make the cut in the bumper cover or not?

What about the wiring harness for a trailer, etc.? Is that difficult?

I have the ECO hitch. Took about an hour to install. Just jacked up the rear a bit. My son helped me lift it in place. Install the front bolts first, then rotate the hitch up to install the rear bolts. Didn't need to disconnect the muffler hangers as the instructions suggest.

Yes, make the cut in the bumper cover, but it is easy to do with a utility knife.

I used the OEM trailer wiring harness for it is the only one that passes the wiring through a watertight grommet to the outside (uses an existing hole in the body so there is no drilling or cutting). Otherwise the OEM wiring harness installs just like all the others (plug and play). If you have a hybrid, the 12 volt supply to the controller box is much easier for the 12 volt battery is in the back near the spare tire.

FKHeath · Apr 20, 2022

Delete

FKHeath · Apr 20, 2022

FKHeath said:
I have the ECO hitch. Took about an hour to install. Just jacked up the rear a bit. My son helped me lift it in place. Install the front bolts first, then rotate the hitch up to install the rear bolts. Didn't need to disconnect the muffler hangers as the instructions suggest.

Yes, make the cut in the bumper cover, but it is easy to do with a utility knife.

I used the OEM trailer wiring harness for it is the only one that passes the wiring through a watertight grommet to the outside (uses an existing hole in the body so there is no drilling or cutting). Otherwise the OEM wiring harness installs just like all the others (plug and play). If you have a hybrid, the 12 volt supply to the controller box is much easier for the 12 volt battery is in the back near the spare tire.

Here is a photo of the ECO hitch and factory wiring harness. Notice the trailer wire connector is attached to a bracket right next to the hitch receiver:

ChukarBob · Apr 20, 2022

Thanks for the replies. Leaning toward the Ecohitch and OEM wiring harness. I've done so little trailering with my vehicles (of course most were PU's and minimize the need to trailer) that I may forego the wiring harness for now. But need the hitch for a bike rack.

RonnieJ · Apr 20, 2022

EcoHitch purchased directly from them, not Etrailer. I've purchased from Etrailer before, and I can say that their packaging for shipping leaves a lot to be desired. The Ecohitch was well protected in the box they shipped it in. No scratches at all.

I've have a 1UpUSA 2 bike tray with 2 add on trays for longer summer vacations when all four bikes are needed. I tested it on the Rav with Ecohitch with just the 2 trays, not a problem. Been I while since I needed the other two add-on trays, so can't comment on how it feels fully loaded, as that is one heavy rack loaded up.

bighitx · Apr 21, 2022

If not going OEM, Eco is the next best!
Somewhat similar to the Oneup (which I was originally looking for) but ended up going with Inno due to availability at the time and love it! Totally tool less, not heavy and easy locking mechanism for both hitch and bike!

ChukarBob · Apr 21, 2022

bighitx said:
If not going OEM, Eco is the next best!
Somewhat similar to the Oneup (which I was originally looking for) but ended up going with Inno due to availability at the time and love it! Totally tool less, not heavy and easy locking mechanism for both hitch and bike!

View attachment 180896 View attachment 180900

Why do you like the OEM receiver over the Eco? FKHeath above wrote: "The OEM hitch requires the removal of the rear bumper cover and cross bar, and a large cut in the bumper cover. The ECO hitch requires none of that, only a small cut in the bumper cover (some people don't even do that, just bending up the lip of the bumper cover a bit). The instructions for the ECO hitch have you disconnect the exhaust pipe hanger, but I didn't even need to do that. " I know the OEM is cheaper, but what else about it do you like?

With either one, I will probably pay someone else to do the installation. Sounds like the OEM might cost more for the installation, offsetting the cost advantage for the receiver itself.

Thanks for your input.

njbill · Apr 21, 2022

ChukarBob said:
Why do you like the OEM receiver over the Eco? FKHeath above wrote: "The OEM hitch requires the removal of the rear bumper cover and cross bar, and a large cut in the bumper cover. The ECO hitch requires none of that, only a small cut in the bumper cover (some people don't even do that, just bending up the lip of the bumper cover a bit). The instructions for the ECO hitch have you disconnect the exhaust pipe hanger, but I didn't even need to do that. " I know the OEM is cheaper, but what else about it do you like?

With either one, I will probably pay someone else to do the installation. Sounds like the OEM might cost more for the installation, offsetting the cost advantage for the receiver itself.

Thanks for your input.

I've installed aftermarket hitches on four different vehicles. After watching install videos for the RAV4, I'm here to say this is an easy DIY job.

Best hitch receiver and 2-bike rack combo

ChukarBob

jegonzo3

EpicEvo25

FKHeath

kroh74

FKHeath

kroh74

audiocat86

ChukarBob

crazyhorse

FKHeath

ChukarBob

FKHeath

FKHeath

FKHeath

ChukarBob

RonnieJ

bighitx

ChukarBob

njbill

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