After much research I installed the OEM hitch on my new Forester this morning. With the assistance of my 13 year old son, it took only two hours to finish, working very carefully. Two local dealers had quoted me $300 to $400 to get this job done, and they wanted more for the kit than I could buy it for on my own ($325 delivered through eBay). I would highly recommend this install for all but the least mechanically able. It is very simple, and Subaru has provided excellent directions. The OEM Trailer Hitch is of very high quality and installs in the Forester like it was meant to be there. No drilling or modifications are required.
Hopefully the following hints will help others who are considering this do it yourself install. I am following along with the instructions that you can download from Subaru.com's tech info section.
To remove the push pin fasteners from the right and left side cargo area foam trays just use a wide flat head screw driver. Pry the head of the push pins up and they will just pop out. Be careful that they do not fly to far. The pins do not break easily and can be used to reinstall the foam trays when you are finished.
If you have mud flaps, they will need to be removed. Remove the screw and use a medium flat head screwdriver to pop the center of the three push button fasteners out, and they will just pull right out. When you put the flaps back on, the screw should be torqued to 19 inch pounds. All of the push button fasteners are easy to reuse.
Two screws and eight push button fasteners hold the rear bumper fascia in place. Once these are removed the fascia can be hand pried away from the bumper. It will pop right off of the small notches that hold it in place. It is very light weight when removed and should be placed in a safe area where it will not be scratched.
You will have to remove the four muffler bolts. Wheel ramps really help to get enough room under the vehicle to work. Use Apscott's method of lubing the hangers with WD40 and sliding them off the innermost hanger so they drop out of the way without being totally removed.
A coping saw works great for cutting the notch in the rear bumper fascia. These little saws are very cheap and will enable you to cut the straight and curved sections of the notch out in about two minutes. No special skill is needed, this is very easy to do with the right tool.
The battery does not have to be disconnected when the wiring harness is installed. The provided zip ties are much to small, and it would be helpful to have a couple bigger ones on hand for attaching the external wires and connector.
Hopefully the following hints will help others who are considering this do it yourself install. I am following along with the instructions that you can download from Subaru.com's tech info section.
To remove the push pin fasteners from the right and left side cargo area foam trays just use a wide flat head screw driver. Pry the head of the push pins up and they will just pop out. Be careful that they do not fly to far. The pins do not break easily and can be used to reinstall the foam trays when you are finished.
If you have mud flaps, they will need to be removed. Remove the screw and use a medium flat head screwdriver to pop the center of the three push button fasteners out, and they will just pull right out. When you put the flaps back on, the screw should be torqued to 19 inch pounds. All of the push button fasteners are easy to reuse.
Two screws and eight push button fasteners hold the rear bumper fascia in place. Once these are removed the fascia can be hand pried away from the bumper. It will pop right off of the small notches that hold it in place. It is very light weight when removed and should be placed in a safe area where it will not be scratched.
You will have to remove the four muffler bolts. Wheel ramps really help to get enough room under the vehicle to work. Use Apscott's method of lubing the hangers with WD40 and sliding them off the innermost hanger so they drop out of the way without being totally removed.
A coping saw works great for cutting the notch in the rear bumper fascia. These little saws are very cheap and will enable you to cut the straight and curved sections of the notch out in about two minutes. No special skill is needed, this is very easy to do with the right tool.
The battery does not have to be disconnected when the wiring harness is installed. The provided zip ties are much to small, and it would be helpful to have a couple bigger ones on hand for attaching the external wires and connector.
