Trailer hitch advice

[jmg]

We are finally going to get a different vehicle within the next month or so-probably a Subaru Outback or Forester. It will be the vehicle I will pull my 16 ft. fishing boat with so I will need to get a hitch and wiring installed, unless I stumble upon a vehicle with all this included. My questions are:1) where is a good place to have this done at a reasonable price in the metro area, preferably in the southwest metro area and 2) should I get a Class 2 hitch or go for a Class 3?

My boat, motor, trailer and all my other stuff probably top out at about 1,000 lbs, but I may wish to upgrade to something a bit newer and wider in the next couple/few yrs. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated, as usual. Can't wait to get out on the water again.

[leech~~]

Bigger is always better. I put a Class 3 on my Saturn Vue and the Blazer before that!

[bwa]

Burnsville Trailer Hitch has been a good place, off hwy 13.

Not sure that vehicle could handle a class 3 hitch, folks there could give advice on that.

Can't wait as well!

[g_anoka]

Let's see if I can explain what I learned last year when we got a new Equinox last summer. We had a reciever and wiring installed at the dealer as part of the deal. What a shock it was when the vehicle appeared with an 1 1/4 reciever. Why, I asked, what I learned was that was the size that had to installed to satisfy the warranty. This is based on the towing capacity of the reciever. The vehicle pulls my boat fine, just had had to go out and buy myself some new 1 1/4 ball mounts.

[Esox_Magnum]

We own an Outback and IMO the 4 cyl is not enough to pull a boat, I know a few guys that pull quads with theres but has to be hard on that little motor to haul a trailer...I love our Outback but when it comes to towing anything thats what my GMC is for, still pulls 15mpg or better with a 17' glass boat would guess you wont get that with the Outback even with a smaller boat....

[Stringerless!]

Check out if your new rig is already set up for hitch. My pontiac vibe had predrilled and threaded holes in frame. 4 bolts and I was done. Wiring was a little more difficult but some of my other cars just needed a T type harness available at FF. Got my hitch online 4 under $80 free shipping.

[delcecchi]

They are not rated to tow very much. 2014 forester is 1500 lb, the outback is 2700. I bet your 16 footer with the trailer is pushing 1000 pounds or more.

[jmg]

I know that I can't tow too much with either of the Subaru vehicles. If I get a Forester, it will be a 2013 or 2012 that still has the 4 speed transmission and not the CVT. They had a tow capacity of 2,400 lbs. I realize it's not the best situation, but we need the MPG the rest of the times I'm not using the boat. We also like the all wheel drive aspects of both the Subarus. I only get the boat out 6-10 times/yr. 'cause I go fishing with my brother or other friends the rest of the time. I take it easy with towing and usually don't go over 100 miles round trip when I do use it. Up until now, I used my 2000 Impala and it worked ok till last year when the tranny started whining so we didn't use the boat at all last Summer and drove the Impala all that time. It's got 146,000 mi. on it so I don't think the towing I did with it was real injurious to it, but I also know towing isn't the best for FWD cars. Just trying to get by the easiest way, I guess.