After a year of owning our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek 2.0 Premium (6-speed), we decided to bolt up a hitch for a multitude of reasons. It turns out installing a trailer hitch on a 2022 Subaru Crosstrek is easy and can be a very versatile accessory, and not just for towing.
Why Are We Installing A Trailer Hitch On A 2022 Subaru Crosstrek?
Our 2022 Subaru Crosstrek 2.0 Premium (6-speed manual) has a 1,500 lb. towing capacity. But that’s enough to pull our little trailer with a rooftop tent. We can turn our Cross Country Crosstrek into a great compact camper. That’s a pretty nice reason to bolt a hitch on. However, a hitch will also give us the ability to run accessories, such as a bike rack or cargo basket. More importantly for us, it’ll let us use the 2″ class III receiver as a recovery point for items like our Factor 55 HitchLink 2.0. This gives us a legitimate, safe place to be recovered should we end up in a ditch, or should we need to tug someone else out.
How We Chose The Hitch For Our Subaru Crosstrek
While we were visiting the 2023 Overland Expo – PNW show, we ran across a booth from EcoHitch. This is a company based in Washington offering hitches for a variety of vehicles. EcoHitch products are made from 100% recycled or recyclable materials. But what really got our attention was the fact you can unbolt the 2″ receiver from the hitch and have a nice, clean look that won’t hamper departure angles off-road or just be a big, ugly thing hanging down from the car when you don’t need it. It was also compatible with our Nameless Executive Axleback exhaust system.
We put together this video about installing a trailer hitch on a 2022 Subaru Crosstrek. Keep in mind this will be the same for 2018–2023 models. Hopefully, you find this useful!
(PS: Sorry for the YouTube Face thumbnail.)
Andy Lilienthal is an award-winning writer and has written professionally since 1999. He has over 13 years in the automotive aftermarket working at companies including Warn Industries, Bushwacker, and Lund International. Editorial works include writing and photography for off-road print magazines, to new-car reviews online. He’s a photographer with images in multiple magazines, blog sites, and the New York Times.
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