Hitches, Receivers & Ball Mounts
The Best Trailer Hitch Setup for a Subaru Outback
One measurement at the back of the car decides which half of the accessory catalog you are even shopping in. Most owners never take it.
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How we assessed these: Receivers are vehicle-specific and this site publishes no fitment data - use the manufacturer's own fit guide for your exact year, trim and drivetrain, and read your own door-jamb placard for the ratings. What is assessed below is the hardware that goes into the receiver once it is fitted, from each maker's published specifications.
Short answer
Measure the square opening on your receiver before buying anything - crossover receivers come in both 1-1/4 in and 2 in, and almost no accessory crosses between them. Then buy a fixed loaded ball mount in the drop you measure, a plug-in wiring harness rather than a splice, and a ball matching the stamp on your coupler. Payload, not the tow rating, is what limits what you can pull.
The Outback is one of the most commonly hitched vehicles that is not a truck, and most of those hitches never see a trailer - they carry bike racks, cargo trays and ski boxes. That is worth saying out loud, because it changes what good advice looks like. A buyer who wants a rack has a different set of constraints from one who wants to pull a utility trailer, and the single specification that serves both is the one almost nobody checks.
Start with the receiver opening, not the class
Take a tape measure to the back of the car and measure the square hole. On wagons and crossovers you will find either 1-1/4 in or 2 in, and the difference is not cosmetic: ball mounts, bike racks, cargo carriers, locks and pins are all made for one or the other, and the pin hole diameter usually differs too. Ordering a 2 in mount for a 1-1/4 in receiver is the single most common returned purchase in this category.
- Measure the opening, inside face to inside face. Do not infer it from the hitch's class or from a part number on a forum.
- Measure the pin hole while you are there. 1-1/4 in receivers commonly take a 1/2 in pin and 2 in receivers a 5/8 in pin, so buy the pin to match rather than assuming.
- Read the rating label riveted to the receiver itself. It carries a gross trailer weight and a tongue weight figure, and those are the hardware ceiling regardless of what the car is rated to tow.
- Check for a reducer sleeve. Some vehicles are sold with a 2 in receiver and a 1-1/4 in adapter, or the reverse. If a sleeve is involved, read what an adapter costs you in rating and leverage before relying on it.
If the number surprises you, the receiver size chart sets out what each opening is normally rated for and the hitch classes explainer covers how opening and class relate - they are connected but not the same thing.
Payload is the limit that actually binds
Nobody overloads an Outback receiver. The hardware that fits any receiver is rated far beyond what a wagon is permitted to pull, so the receiver is rarely the constraint. What runs out is payload: the combined weight of people, cargo and tongue weight the vehicle is certified to carry, printed on the placard inside the driver's door frame as a single number the occupants and cargo must never exceed.
Tongue weight counts against that number. So does the ball mount, the roof box, the dog and the cooler. Load the car for a trip and a meaningful share of the allowance is already spent before the trailer is hitched, which is why the arithmetic has to run in this order:
- Read the payload figure on your own placard - not a brochure figure, not a forum figure, yours.
- Subtract the weight of the people and gear you actually carry on the trips where you tow.
- Subtract the hitch hardware itself - a steel mount and ball is not nothing.
- What remains is your tongue weight ceiling.
- Because tongue weight should sit at 10 to 15 percent of the loaded trailer, multiply that ceiling by roughly seven to get the heaviest trailer this car should be behind.
On a unibody wagon that answer usually lands well below the headline tow rating, and it should be the number you shop a trailer against. Payload against tow rating explains why the two diverge, and the tongue weight calculator does the percentage arithmetic once you have the figures.
Getting the drop right on a low vehicle
A wagon receiver sits much lower than a pickup's, which inverts the habit most towing advice teaches. Owners who read truck guidance reach for a 4 or 6 in drop mount, fit it, and end up towing nose-down - which loads the front trailer axle, drags the trailer's nose in dips, and pushes extra weight onto the car's rear axle. Plenty of Outback setups need no drop at all, and some need a rise.
The measurement that chooses your mount
Level the trailer on its jack
On flat ground, wind the tongue jack until a spirit level laid along the trailer frame reads level. A sloped driveway invents an inch or two out of nothing.
Ground to the bottom of the coupler
Measure to the underside of the coupler socket - the face that sits on top of the ball.
Ground to the top of the receiver tube
On the car, unloaded, measure to the top inside surface of the square opening.
Subtract and allow for squat
Coupler height minus receiver height gives the raw drop or rise. Add roughly an inch of drop for the rear settling under tongue weight - a wagon squats more than a truck for the same load.
The full drop sizing guide covers the edge cases, including what to do when two trailers want different answers. The target is a loaded trailer that sits level or a hair nose-down, never nose-up.
Wiring is the step owners discover late
A wagon rarely leaves the factory with a trailer connector, and the wiring is a separate purchase from the hitch. A vehicle-specific T-connector harness plugs into existing connectors behind a trim panel, which is the difference between an afternoon's work and an evening with a wiring diagram and a test light.
- Four-pin flat is the normal answer for a light trailer or a lighted bike rack - running lights, brake lights, two turn signals and a ground.
- A seven-way is only needed if the trailer has electric brakes, which is unusual at the weights this car should be pulling but not impossible with a rented trailer.
- Some vehicles need a converter module because the car uses separate bulbs for brake and turn functions while the trailer combines them. A vehicle-specific harness normally includes whatever conversion is required.
- Lighted racks count. If the rack obscures the car's own lights, it needs its own lighting fed from the same connector, and that is a legal requirement rather than a convenience.
How to install a trailer wiring harness covers the job, and if the lights misbehave afterward, the diagnostic sequence starts where the faults actually are - the ground and the connector, not the bulbs.
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. How these are chosen - and what we do and do not claim to know - is published in full on our research methodology page.
| # | Product | Best for | Our read | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  CURT Loaded Ball Mount with 2 in Ball (2 in drop, 7,500 lb) Best overall | One trailer at a known height | Ball fitted and torqued, modest drop, nothing to adjust | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one |
| 2 |  CURT Custom Vehicle-to-Trailer Wiring Harness (T-connector) Buy this first | Adding trailer wiring without splicing | Plugs into factory connectors instead of splicing | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one |
| 3 |  CURT Adjustable Channel Mount with Dual Ball (2 in shank, 6 in drop) Best if heights vary | Garages with several trailers | Two ball sizes and 6 in of drop on one mount | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one |
| 4 |  CURT Anti-Rattle Hitch Pin and Shim (2 in receiver) Cheapest worthwhile upgrade | Killing receiver rattle | Kills the clunk a quiet wagon makes obvious | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one |
| 5 |  Trimax Keyed Receiver Hitch Lock Best security | Leaving a mount in the receiver | Keyed lock for a mount or rack left in the tube | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one |
The picks in detail
1. Best overall
CURT Loaded Ball Mount with 2 in Ball (2 in drop, 7,500 lb)
CURT · Best for one trailer at a known height
A one-piece mount with the ball already fitted and torqued, rated to 7,500 lb gross and 750 lb tongue with a 2 in drop. Nothing adjusts, which is exactly why nothing rattles or works loose.
Published specifications
What works
- Arrives with the ball fitted, so there is no torque step to get wrong
- One piece means nothing to loosen or rattle
- Light enough to leave in the receiver or throw in a toolbox
What does not
- The 2 in drop is the only drop - measure before you buy
- 7,500 lb ceiling rules out heavier trailers
Skip it if
Useless on a lifted truck, where a 2 in drop will still leave the trailer nose-high and the weight on the rear axle of the trailer.
#ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one
Raw specifications: CURT’s own page. We earn nothing on that link.
2. Buy this first
CURT Custom Vehicle-to-Trailer Wiring Harness (T-connector)
CURT · Best for adding trailer wiring without splicing
A vehicle-specific harness that plugs into existing factory connectors instead of splicing into tail light wiring. Buying the right one for your exact year and model is the whole job; getting that wrong is why people end up cutting wires they did not need to cut.
We have not sourced a full specification table for this model from the manufacturer’s own site at a stable address. Rather than repeat figures we cannot cite, the assessment above is limited to what the design and the maker’s published description genuinely establish.
What works
- Plugs into factory connectors, so nothing is cut and nothing is taped
- Reversible - the vehicle goes back to standard in minutes
- Avoids the voltage problems that come with scotch-lock splices
What does not
- Vehicle-specific, so the part number must match year, model and trim
- Some vehicles need a separate power feed the harness does not supply
Skip it if
Not the part for a trailer needing electric brakes - that is a 7-way install with a brake controller feed, which a lighting harness does not cover.
#ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one
Raw specifications: CURT’s own page. We earn nothing on that link.
3. Best if heights vary
CURT Adjustable Channel Mount with Dual Ball (2 in shank, 6 in drop)
CURT · Best for garages with several trailers
One mount that covers two ball sizes and a range of heights, which is the answer when the garage contains a boat trailer, a utility trailer and a camper that all sit at different heights. Capacity drops to the lower-rated ball you are actually using.
Published specifications
What works
- Two ball sizes and a height range in a single mount
- Flipping it gives rise as well as drop
- Rated to 14,000 lb on the larger ball
What does not
- Heavy, and more joints means more places for rattle to start
- The pins and bolts need checking for torque, unlike a one-piece mount
Skip it if
Pointless if you own one trailer and tow it with one truck - a fixed mount at the right height is lighter, quieter and cheaper.
#ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one
Raw specifications: CURT’s own page. We earn nothing on that link.
4. Cheapest worthwhile upgrade
CURT Anti-Rattle Hitch Pin and Shim (2 in receiver)
CURT · Best for killing receiver rattle
A pin plus a wedge shim that takes the slop out of the gap between a 2 in mount and a 2 in receiver. That gap is a manufacturing tolerance, not a fault, and this is the cheapest thing on the whole site that fixes a real, daily annoyance.
Published specifications
What works
- Removes the clunk over expansion joints for very little money
- Fits in a glovebox and transfers between vehicles
- No modification to the receiver or the mount
What does not
- Does nothing about rattle originating at the coupler or the sway bar
- Listed as superseded, so check the current item number
Skip it if
Not the fix if the noise is coming from a loose ball nut or a worn coupler - find the source first, because a shim will just mask it.
#ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one
Raw specifications: CURT’s own page. We earn nothing on that link.
5. Best security
Trimax Keyed Receiver Hitch Lock
Trimax · Best for leaving a mount in the receiver
A locking pin that replaces the clip pin so the mount cannot be pulled out of the receiver in a parking lot. The weak point of every hitch lock is the same - weather in the lock barrel - so the only maintenance that matters is a cover and the occasional shot of lubricant.
We have not sourced a full specification table for this model from the manufacturer’s own site at a stable address. Rather than repeat figures we cannot cite, the assessment above is limited to what the design and the maker’s published description genuinely establish.
What works
- Stops the most casual theft there is - walking off with a ball mount
- Direct replacement for a standard clip pin
- Keyed, so the same key can cover more than one lock
What does not
- Lock barrels seize when they live in road salt without a cover
- Determined thieves defeat any hitch pin lock given time
Skip it if
Pointless if you take the mount out each time anyway - that is already a better anti-theft measure than any lock.
#ad Affiliate link - we publish no price; Amazon shows the current one
What an Outback should not be asked to do
Two jobs belong to a different vehicle. The first is a tall travel trailer. Frontal area and the sail effect put side loads into a short, light vehicle that no hitch hardware corrects, and the payload arithmetic above usually rules it out before the stability argument does. The second is a heavy trailer on long descents - brakes and drivetrain cooling, not the hitch, are what run out there, and a trailer heavy enough to need its own brakes is a trailer this car is close to the limit of anyway.
What it does well is the rest of the category: a small utility trailer, a pair of kayaks or jet skis, a lightweight teardrop, and the racks and cargo trays that are the real reason most of these receivers exist. Within that, the hardware list above is complete.
If you are cross-shopping tow vehicles rather than hardware, the general SUV hitch setup works the same three limits across a wider range of vehicles, and the RAV4 setup covers the closest comparable crossover.
A sensible order to buy in
- Measure the receiver opening and the pin hole, and read the rating label on the receiver.
- Work the payload arithmetic and settle what the car should actually pull.
- Buy wiring that matches the connector the trailer or rack actually has.
- Buy the mount in the drop you measured, not the drop that looks right.
- Buy the ball from the stamp on your coupler and torque it to the maker's figure.
- Add an anti-rattle pin, then a lock if the mount or rack lives in the tube.
Key takeaways
- Measure the receiver opening first - 1-1/4 in and 2 in share almost no accessories.
- Payload, not the tow rating, decides what the car can pull.
- Tongue weight and a loaded bike rack both count against that payload.
- A low receiver usually needs little or no drop; nose-up towing is the error to avoid.
- Wiring is a separate purchase - a plug-in harness avoids splicing.
- An anti-rattle pin is the upgrade a quiet cabin rewards most.
How we sourced this
Every figure on this page came from one of the following, each fetched while the page was written. Where a manufacturer or regulator does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate it.
- CURT loaded ball mount, 2 in ball, 2 in drop - published specifications (part 45036)
- CURT adjustable channel mount with dual ball - published specifications (part 45900)
- CURT anti-rattle hitch pin and shim - published specifications (part 22321)
- 49 CFR 571.110 (FMVSS 110) - vehicle placard, including the required "combined weight of occupants and cargo" statement
- 49 CFR 567.4 - certification label content, including Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and Gross Axle Weight Rating
Common questions
- What size hitch receiver does a Subaru Outback have?
- It depends on the hitch that was fitted - crossover receivers are sold in both 1-1/4 in and 2 in openings. Measure the square hole rather than assuming, because mounts, racks, pins and locks are not interchangeable between the two sizes.
- Can a Subaru Outback tow a trailer?
- Within its published ratings, yes, and small utility trailers and watercraft trailers are the normal use. Work from your own door-jamb payload figure rather than the headline tow rating, because on a unibody wagon payload is almost always the limit that binds first.
- Do I need a weight distribution hitch on an Outback?
- Almost never. Weight distribution matters when tongue weight is high enough to lift the front axle, and a wagon reaches its payload ceiling long before that point. If a trailer is heavy enough to make you ask, the honest answer is usually a different tow vehicle.
- Does a bike rack need the same hitch as a trailer?
- It needs the same receiver opening and pin, and it draws on the same payload allowance. Racks publish their own tongue weight limits, and a loaded rack on a long arm applies more leverage than its weight suggests, so check the rack's rating against the receiver's.
- How much drop do I need for an Outback?
- Measure it. A wagon receiver sits low, so many setups need no drop at all and some need a rise. Buying a deep drop because it looks right is how a trailer ends up towing nose-down.
More in Hitches, Receivers & Ball Mounts
Class, receiver size, ball diameter, drop. Four numbers decide whether your setup is right, and three of them are stamped on parts you already own.
Read next
Best SUV hitch hardware
Best Hitch Setup for an SUV
What to buy for an SUV receiver - mounts, balls, wiring and security - plus the three ratings that decide what the vehicle can actually pull.
Best RAV4 hitch hardware
Best Hitch Setup for a RAV4
What to fit in a RAV4 receiver, why payload runs out before the tow rating, and the wiring step most owners discover late.
Reference
Receiver Sizes Chart
Tube sizes, pin hole diameters, what fits what, and the derating that comes with a reducer sleeve.
Head to head
Payload vs Towing Capacity
Why the tow rating rarely binds first, how to calculate your real limit from the labels on your vehicle, and what counts against payload.
Found something out of date, or a figure you can source better than we did? Corrections get read first. How we research explains how these pages are put together, and contact is one click away.