I put one of
these on over the summer for a 6700 mile road trip. I used one of the hitch mounted racks and it pretty much doubled my cargo space.
Pretty much all the Class I hitches are rated for a tongue weight of 200lbs and towing weight of 2000lbs like this one. Installation was simple: there are 4 predrilled holes in the frame of the Rio. Just have to get the back of the car up a little higher off the ground, unhook the muffler, and it bolts right on. I did have to remove the middle clip of the plastic bumper because the way the hitch fits in with the support won't let you re-secure the screw in the middle support. The instructions called for that though, so it wasn't unexpected and it doesn't compromise the structural integrity at all. Then hook the bumper back on, and you're ready to roll. Etrailer has the instructions available on that page on the right hand side if you want to see the whole process.
I recommend this hitch because it was pretty inexpensive, made well, and gave me no issues on the whole trip (even after a curb scrape coming out of a gas station). I am leaving it mounted permanently, just so that if I need to carry something with the rack in a hurry or tow something small out of a hole, it is ready to go.
Also, I was told by the sales rep I talked to that Hidden Hitch and DrawTite are the same company now, so if you look at the pictures on etrailer, they are all the same just different prices. They're the same piece
Trailer Hitch?
). Smaller vehicles (2,500 lb towing or less) typically don't use or need WD hitch attachments.
Linear Mode
