Model Y hitch receiver tolerance.

[Jarret]

I got the factory installed tow package on my model Y. I have tried 4 different hitches and all of them are so sloppy lose that they bounce up and down inside the receiver. So when I hit bumps my trailer slams up and down along with the hitch and it is really loud and can't be good for the equipment on the car side or the trailer side. Anyone else notice this?

 

[Midnightsun]

Pretty much normal for any reciever IMHO. No way can it be made tight enough to eliminate rattle and when they do get tight, a little sand or corrosion makes then difficult to insert/remove. Not sure if this fits the Tesla but if it does it may be a good solution for you.

 

[Midnightsun]

This may be more suitable fot the Y. StowAway Cargo Carriers - Versatility in Action.

 

[Jarret]

Pretty much normal for any reciever IMHO. No way can it be made tight enough to eliminate rattle and when they do get tight, a little sand or corrosion makes then difficult to insert/remove. Not sure if this fits the Tesla but if it does it may be a good solution for you.

I've owned/towed with at least a dozen trucks. I have never had this problem before. And the hitch clamp wont fit on the Model Y because the receiver is inside the bumper with no spare room. Just seems like shoddy engineering.

 

[patnshan]

My MDX hitch rattled a lot as well. I put one of those tighteners on and it worked great. The problem with that is they are cumbersome to put on and take off if you don't plan to leave the hitch attached to the receiver all the time (I do not).

 

[Koolio46]

Haven’t used my factory installed hitch yet but the only hitch receiver I had that wasn’t loose was the factory BMW hitch from my 2012 X5. That hitch was great. The factory Audi hitch I had on my 2018 SQ5 had some slop in it, wasn’t terrible but noticeable coming from the X5 hitch.

 

[MattinCO]

I've owned/towed with at least a dozen trucks. I have never had this problem before. And the hitch clamp wont fit on the Model Y because the receiver is inside the bumper with no spare room. Just seems like shoddy engineering.

Based on my experience, I think it's somewhat normal for unibody vehicles to hear that noise in the cabin, doesn't make it any less annoying though. With body on frame trucks, there are rubber isolators between the frame and body that dampen that noise.

 

[Midnightsun]

Based on my experience, I think it's somewhat normal for unibody vehicles to hear that noise in the cabin, doesn't make it any less annoying though. With body on frame trucks, there are rubber isolators between the frame and body that dampen that noise.

Exactly and this is what he mentions in the video. As you can see on his GMC pickup truck the slop is there for sure. Would not be so quick to blame the slop on the receiver as the draw bar/accessory being inserted into the receiver can vary quite a bit. No way can a trailer connection be silent unless the tongue weight is rather large preventing it from moving around.

 

[Jarret]

Exactly and this is what he mentions in the video. As you can see on his GMC pickup truck the slop is there for sure. Would not be so quick to blame the slop on the receiver as the draw bar/accessory being inserted into the receiver can vary quite a bit. No way can a trailer connection be silent unless the tongue weight is rather large preventing it from moving around.

I tried the 3 draw bars that I had for my truck. All of them are tight in the truck. All of them have 3/4" of an inch of wiggle up and down on the Tesla. I also ordered a brand new bar and it is the same story.

 

[Inteltraveler]

@Jarret What is your range impact towing the SxS? I plan on towing mine often once I get the MY and curious what this looks like.

 

[Jarret]

@Jarret What is your range impact towing the SxS? I plan on towing mine often once I get the MY and curious what this looks like.

I am getting about 50% of what I get without the trailer. My trailer weighs 770lbs and the RZR is 1450. I think I lose a lot of range because I have the fold down ramp which acts like a parachute at the end of the trailer. I am considering making it removable.

 

[Jarret]

Haven’t used my factory installed hitch yet but the only hitch receiver I had that wasn’t loose was the factory BMW hitch from my 2012 X5. That hitch was great. The factory Audi hitch I had on my 2018 SQ5 had some slop in it, wasn’t terrible but noticeable coming from the X5 hitch.

On a side note, the safety chains of the trailer bounce up and down on the bumper so they are breaking the bumper. It appears the engineers have never towed or owned a trailer.

 

[Koolio46]

On a side note, the safety chains of the trailer bounce up and down on the bumper so they are breaking the bumper. It appears the engineers have never towed or owned a trailer.

Ugh, that sucks. I’m thinking of wrapping the chains in a microfiber cloth (using zip ties). That should help

 

[Coloradogramps]

Pretty much normal for any reciever IMHO. No way can it be made tight enough to eliminate rattle and when they do get tight, a little sand or corrosion makes then difficult to insert/remove. Not sure if this fits the Tesla but if it does it may be a good solution for you.

I got one of those for my hitch, and it works great, eliminates all the rattle. This type of rattle is common in all hitches, so this simple solution is helpful.

 

[A-pex]

I got one of those for my hitch, and it works great, eliminates all the rattle. This type of rattle is common in all hitches, so this simple solution is helpful.

You fit this in your Model Y?

 

[Mark in NC]

I just wrapped a little tape around hitch and that solved the issue for me. It rattled slightly more than my xTerra before adding the tape (but both rattled).

 

[Jarret]

You fit this in your Model Y?

I purchased both types of hitch tighteners and both DID NOT fit on the model Y. So I welded some bead welds the length of the hitch and then ground it down until it was nice and snug. This lasted about 50 miles of towing. Now it is as bad as ever. It sucks that Tesla doesn't give a crap about quality.

 

[Koolio46]

Ugh, that sucks. I’m thinking of wrapping the chains in a microfiber cloth (using zip ties). That should help

Update, used two microfiber cloths wrapped around each chain and towed about 250 miles. It all worked out well.

As for the receiver size and rattling with the ball mount, honestly, I don't think it's Tesla's fault. I've had 3 hitches on diff cars and only one was perfect, the BMW OEM receiver on my 2012 X5. There was zero rattles from the ball mount. The others (Curt hitch receiver and Audi OEM on a 2018 SQ5) all were slightly larger than the ball mount and rattled.

A friend has this problem with the hitch on his Lexus. He solves it by squeezing zip ties into the gaps.

The Tesla rattles but not any more than my previous ones.

 

[cipo.sun]

I've owned/towed with at least a dozen trucks. I have never had this problem before. And the hitch clamp wont fit on the Model Y because the receiver is inside the bumper with no spare room. Just seems like shoddy engineering.

Hi Jarret, Rotate the clamp 90degrees and you should have space. Basically sideways instead.

 

[NH Steve]

Pretty much normal for any reciever IMHO. No way can it be made tight enough to eliminate rattle and when they do get tight, a little sand or corrosion makes then difficult to insert/remove. Not sure if this fits the Tesla but if it does it may be a good solution for you.

Has anyone used this product yet? I have a ton of sway with my bike rack (almost hits the trunk). I have a Y and this looks impossible to install. Let me know.

Thanks