How are Uhall hitches?

[answer3]

Hi
I was planning to have installed by a mechanic a trailer hitch and wiring from etrailer.com on my 2007 rav4 but then I saw that uhall was doing some trailer hitches and wiring as well. Do you know what uhall is worth for this? Is the hitch reliable and the install and wiring good? I read some bad reviews online but I don't know if it is real or only isolated unhappy guys.
How did you guys had your hitch and wiring installed?

 

[bobberboy]

I had a UHaul hitch installed in 2006 and it's fine. The wiring however wasn't. The installer routed the wiring through some body moldings - at the rocker panel and fender flares and it came undone after a couple of years. I took it to my mechanic and it's been fine ever since.

 

[ggoldy]

Uhaul installed mine. I had to wait 2 days for the hitch to come in. I was out the door within an hour after that. Wiring was pre installed on my truck. Haven't had any problems with the hitch.

 

[Keystone]

Like Bobberboy I had UHaul install a hitch back in 1996. Hitch was just like any on the market at the time. Also like BB they did a really bad job with the wiring.

Now a days you can buy plug and play wiring harness that simply plugs into you existing harness in the rear of the vehicle. Most (not all) hitches simple mount to the frame using holes that are already there. So wiring and instillation are fast.

Any shop in your area can put a hitch on for you. There isn't allot of difference between the major brands.

 

[kstrayhorn]

Mechanic here. Nothing wrong with UHaul. The hardware is just other brands with uhaul stickers. Can't remember if it's Lund or Valley brand or something else. Probably depends on the vehicle. I get parts from dealers so it's cheaper for me to do it that way than buy from UHaul. I have used their wiring before. Nothing wrong with it either. Most vehicles that don't have a towing package won't be plug and play. Just did one on a 2010 Ford Edge. Had to trim some rock shields and drill 2 bolt holes, but the other 4 were already in the unibody. I can't comment on their labor, though. Wiring should be done to factory specs by tapping taillight wires. A hot wire should be run under the interior trim panels and through the firewall to the battery. Really a diy deal if you're even moderately handy depending on the vehicle

 

[earl60446]

I have a 2010 rav4. Hitch installed in existing holes, no drilling needed and very easy to do. Wiring is much more time consuming. You have to remove some trim in back and tap into wiring for tailights, etc. Plus a converter is needed which requires 12 volt power, instructions suggest running wiring all the way to the battery with a inline fuse. Which is what I did. I had a 12 volt power outlet in back I could have connected to but I don't believe it was rated high enough for the converter.
Tim

 

[huntinfool]

I install hitches for a living. But not for Uhaul.
That being said, I repair a hitch or wiring at least once a week installed by them. Latest one came in yesterday. Hitch plates are supposed to be pulled from inside the frame with a carriage bolt.
Uhaul put the bolt heads in the frame holes and the hitch plates as a spacer between the hitch and unibody frame. The customers frame was damaged by the bolts pulling out of the frame. We fixed it and all is good.
Not bashing Uhaul, but not all of their techs know what they are doing. As for wiring, they usually call us when they can't figure it out.

 

[huntinfool]

I have a 2010 rav4. Hitch installed in existing holes, no drilling needed and very easy to do. Wiring is much more time consuming. You have to remove some trim in back and tap into wiring for tailights, etc. Plus a converter is needed which requires 12 volt power, instructions suggest running wiring all the way to the battery with a inline fuse. Which is what I did. I had a 12 volt power outlet in back I could have connected to but I don't believe it was rated high enough for the converter.
Tim

Your rear power outlet is plenty enough to run your converter, that's how we do all of ours. Converter only nerds a 10a fuse. Power outlet gets 25-30a.

 

[Clifford_Akov]

I have had several uHaul hitches over the years with no problems. I believe they come with a life-time warranty.

 

[kstrayhorn]

Warranty for parts, labor, or both? As mentioned above, those who aren't qualified WILL do it wrong and/or take dangerous shortcuts. I found that story pretty funny. Sounds like the guy was in way over his head. Probably didn't even know what a carriage bolt was.

 

[Johnny]

I bought a 1996 Jeep Cherokee a few months ago - it had a U-Haul hitch.
The seller said his trailer lights flickered but the hitch itself was good and solid.

after pulling out the plastic moldings, I saw that the U-Haul people used a Plug-In type
of lights pig tail and it had a bad ground wire.
I pulled out all of that mess and clipped in my own pig tail for the trailer lights.
This is my only experience with U-Haul. "good hitch - bad wiring"

If you use them, be sure to ask how many times you can come back if you have problems
with the hitch or wires.