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I never thought I'd use my Jetta for towing.  However, a friend 750-miles away told me he'd GIVE me his 125-gallon aquarium if I could figure out a way to transport it.  After checking into shipping or renting a truck to transport the 200-lbs tank, I determined the least expensive way to transport the tank was to have a hitch installed, rent a trailer, and move it myself.  The entire load was about 700-lbs.  It was like towing a parachute (I didn't think to cover the load for better aerodynamics), but I still got 29-mpg.  The 1¼" receiver easily clears the rear valance.

This is how the receiver is mounted.  The receiver was made and installed by U-Haul and cost about $165 installed.  It's held in place by six bolts: four on the trunk floor (shown), and two on the rear wall of the trunk (see photo below).  It has a towing capacity of 2000-lbs with a 200-lbs tongue.  I've carried 170-lbs in the cargo hauler pictured on the previous page with no problems.  These days the receiver is used for hauling bicycles and items too bulky to fit in the trunk.  But it's always available should I need to tow a light load.  Eventually, I found a 4x6' utility trailer to be very useful.  CLICK HERE to see some of the loads I've hauled.

This is the installation shown from the inside.  Everything is easy to get to and the undercoating helps seal out moisture.  The only disappointment I've had with this hitch is that it was delivered to the dealer unpackaged.  Therefore, it had scratches and some surface rust.  Within a few months, it was necessary to remove the hitch and repaint it.  I haven't had any problems since then.  Should you decide to buy a hitch from U-Haul, do yourself a favor and paint it prior to installation.

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