Hitch for GTI

[MrMojoRisin1287]

I'm looking to put a hitch on my GTI for my bike rack and I've seen a lot of owners go with the Curt hitch. However on the Curt site, it suggests a 1.25 hitch over the 2.0. I'm guessing this is because it's illadvised to tow heavy stuff like a boat, etc with these cars. But my current bike rack is for a 2.0 hitch. Without reaching out to Curt, does the 2.0 work on the GTI?

Any owners have a 2.0 hitch on their GTI?

 

[MrMojoRisin1287]

Also, any ground clearance issues with the hitch and attachments?

 

[gdfraser]

I have a 1.25" Ecohitch from Torklift and love it. Very nicely built and offers the best ground clearance of any hitch available for this car. I have mine paired with a 1UpUSA rack and am extremely pleased.

They also offer a 2" version if you'd prefer that instead of switching racks.


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[joeblonewjersey]

I have a Thule 9032 EasyFold Carrier for my 2 e-Bikes
The rack is 48 lbs., each bike is 50 lbs.
So, would the Torklift deal with 150 lbs.??

 

[slipperywhenwet]

You can always pick up a 2" to 1.25" adaptor, if you're looking for a cheap option.

I have the Curt hitch, and it works great, but, I will say that the Ecohitch unit looks really good. A pain in the ass to install vs. the Curt unit, but definitely looks good.

 

[ATR]

I have a 1.25" Ecohitch from Torklift and love it. Very nicely built and offers the best ground clearance of any hitch available for this car. I have mine paired with a 1UpUSA rack and am extremely pleased.

They also offer a 2" version if you'd prefer that instead of switching racks.


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Don't forget the link
http://torkliftcentral.com/rving-and-towing/ecohitch/volkswagen/2015-2017-volkswagen-golf-ecohitch

I have a Thule 9032 EasyFold Carrier for my 2 e-Bikes
The rack is 48 lbs., each bike is 50 lbs.
So, would the Torklift deal with 150 lbs.??

Looks like it's rated for 200lbs max tongue weight.

 

[Festivus1]

I am extremely interested in the Ecohitch, thanks for posting this info. I have had Torklift products installed on my Dodge truck for many years with great success, they are high quality and have held up well so that makes me optimistic this GTI hitch would be a good investment also.

 

[MrMojoRisin1287]

The Ecohitch does look nice, but damn that install looks like a PITA. Not sure if it warrants choosing it over the Curt hitch.

 

[gdfraser]

The Ecohitch does look nice, but damn that install looks like a PITA. Not sure if it warrants choosing it over the Curt hitch.

The install is not bad at all... took me about 3hrs to do myself. Well worth it to get that ugly crossbar up and out of the way IMO.


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[Ripley GTI]

I got the 2 Ecohitch inch and it works great. Even with a two bike rack, I can go down my fairly steep drive way and roll onto the street with no issues.

Take a look here for a good write up:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...on-mk7-GTI-tips-and-photos&highlight=ecohitch

 

[RoboKrause]

I got a 2017 GTI SE and it doesn’t seem like any hitches are available our model. None are listed on anybody’s website except Ecohitch. This leads me to believe that since Ecohitch has the same model number since 2015, the GTI design hasn’t changed enough so that last year’s hitch from Curt, Reese or Ecohitch will work on the 2017?

Can anyone verify a 2016 hitch will work on the 2017?

 

[MrMojoRisin1287]

I got a 2017 GTI SE and it doesn’t seem like any hitches are available our model. None are listed on anybody’s website except Ecohitch. This leads me to believe that since Ecohitch has the same model number since 2015, the GTI design hasn’t changed enough so that last year’s hitch from Curt, Reese or Ecohitch will work on the 2017?

Can anyone verify a 2016 hitch will work on the 2017?

I'm unaware of any changes from 2016 to 2017. I feel pretty confident that the other sites aren't showing a 2017, because they just came out last month and they haven't updated their websites yet.

 

[MrMojoRisin1287]

The install is not bad at all... took me about 3hrs to do myself. Well worth it to get that ugly crossbar up and out of the way IMO.


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Any issues getting the rear fender off? Not sure how I feel about disassembling the rear of my new car. I did this to my Ducati and could never get the fender flush again when I tried putting it back on.

 

[Rumrunner]

You can always pick up a 2" to 1.25" adaptor, if you're looking for a cheap option.

I have the Curt hitch, and it works great, but, I will say that the Ecohitch unit looks really good. A pain in the ass to install vs. the Curt unit, but definitely looks good.

I agree with this. The Curt was very easy to install and you get used to how it looks under the car. I use an older Swagman rack which is 1.25" that can hold 3 bikes and while it works great I can't open the hatch with the rack on. Not a big deal because I don't leave it on if I'm not there.

 

[gdfraser]

Any issues getting the rear fender off? Not sure how I feel about disassembling the rear of my new car. I did this to my Ducati and could never get the fender flush again when I tried putting it back on.

The bumper comes off rather easily; a handful of Torx screws and the retaining tabs can be released carefully with a small common screwdriver. The wiring harness for the license plate lights needs to be disconnected and is accessible from the RH side of the car behind the bumper.

I was a little nervous tearing apart a brand new car as well; but it's really nothing to shy away from. Take your time and you'll be fine!


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