Class III (2 inch) Hitch Receiver for Seltos

24791 Views 77 Replies 22 Participants Last post by DartmouthDave, 8 mo ago

Collin1573

Discussion Starter · Jul 21, 2020

Has anyone heard/seen any news regarding development or design plans for a Class III (2 inch) hitch receiver for the Seltos? I am an avid mountain biker and would like to get a platform hitch bike rack but I seem to only find Class I (1.25 inch) hitch receivers. I wondered if it was just because of the small size of a Seltos but other vehicles in the same series such as the Subaru Crosstrek have Class III hitch receivers available. The Crosstrek even has a lower towing capacity than the Seltos.

I have researched for awhile now and have not had any luck.

1 - 20 of 78 Posts

K-ville

· #2 · Jul 27, 2020

The manual says you can tow 2000 lbs as long as the tongue weight is less than 200 lbs, so a class one should be more than enough for a bike. Maybe as it becomes more popular, bigger hitches will become available. I plan on getting the Curt class 1 to tow a small utility trailer for home reno lumber and dump runs.

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Bishop4142

· #3 · Jul 28, 2020

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K-ville

· #4 · Jul 28, 2020

Bishop4142 said:
The one you show says it's not a confirmed fit. When I do he same search all I get is the 1 1/4 Class 1

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Collin1573

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 28, 2020

Bishop4142 said:
View attachment 416

Yeah I saw that one, but unfortunately it says it’s not a confirmed fit for the Seltos, I reached out to etrailer but they haven’t gotten back to me.

Bishop4142

· #6 · Jul 29, 2020

Collin1573 said:
Yeah I saw that one, but unfortunately it says it’s not a confirmed fit for the Seltos, I reached out to etrailer but they haven’t gotten back to me.

Check there website again, I recall reading that it bolts up correctly but the valence or the plastic trim along the bottom needs minor trimming

DartmouthDave

· #7 · Sep 26, 2020

K-ville said:
The manual says you can tow 2000 lbs as long as the tongue weight is less than 200 lbs, so a class one should be more than enough for a bike. Maybe as it becomes more popular, bigger hitches will become available. I plan on getting the Curt class 1 to tow a small utility trailer for home reno lumber and dump runs.

Huh, that's odd. Everywhere I look it says it's not recommended for towing. I wish it was! The attached is from the Canadian owners manual.

Am I missing something?

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Chappy

· #8 · Sep 26, 2020

DartmouthDave said:
Huh, that's odd. Everywhere I look it says it's not recommended for towing. I wish it was! The attached is from the Canadian owners manual.

Am I missing something? View attachment 457

Not recommended doesn't mean you can't, I installed a class 1 and wiring no problem. I have a small utility trailer that I use to go to dump & haul a lawn tractor .

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K-ville

· #9 · Sep 26, 2020

Chappy said:
Not recommended doesn't mean you can't, I installed a class 1 and wiring no problem. I have a small utility trailer that I use to go to dump & haul a lawn tractor .

If you google "not recommended for towing" you'll see that it's a North American "restriction" based mostly on law suits, not on mechanical ability. Many small cars in other countries are rated for towing, even as small as the Tercel. I have an aluminum utility trailer that will not be an issue at all.
Also, if you look through the Seltos manual, it has all kinds of instructions for "when towing".

DartmouthDave

· #10 · Sep 26, 2020

Chappy said:
Not recommended doesn't mean you can't, I installed a class 1 and wiring no problem. I have a small utility trailer that I use to go to dump & haul a lawn tractor .

Right, and I definitely want to get a small utility trailer like you're describing, but what does that mean, legally speaking, that the manufacturer doesn't recommend it? Does it affect insurance while towing? Warranty?

Thanks! I'm quite curious about and grateful for others experience and knowledge here.

bicepeak

· #11 · Sep 26, 2020

K-ville said:
If you google "not recommended for towing" you'll see that it's a North American "restriction" based mostly on law suits, not on mechanical ability. Many small cars in other countries are rated for towing, even as small as the Tercel. I have an aluminum utility trailer that will not be an issue at all.
Also, if you look through the Seltos manual, it has all kinds of instructions for "when towing".

Doesn't "when towing" mean when towing the Seltos?

DartmouthDave

· #12 · Sep 27, 2020

bicepeak said:
Doesn't "when towing" mean when towing the Seltos?

There are a variety of references in the manual to towing, both being towed (e.g. correct methods of towing an AWD vehicle) and towing, but the latter seems to be mostly limited to the driver assistance technologies and sections I suspect are standard to Kias and not specific to the Seltos...

K-ville

· #13 · Sep 27, 2020

DartmouthDave said:
There are a variety of references in the manual to towing, both being towed (e.g. correct methods of towing an AWD vehicle) and towing, but the latter seems to be mostly limited to the driver assistance technologies and sections I suspect are standard to Kias and not specific to the Seltos...

Before my Seltos I had a base model Rav 4 for over 10 years and I towed many large U-haul moving trailers across the country with no issues. In fact, that Rav is still going strong. And, the Rav was not recommended for towing. I have zero concerns for the Seltos and my little utility trailer. Look around any large parking lot and you'll see small sedans with hitches. It's not an issue as far as I'm concerned. But. that said, there are people who will try to tow a motor home and wonder why their clutch burned out. That's why the manual says not recommended for towing - for those idiots.

DartmouthDave

· #14 · Sep 27, 2020

I had a look on Soul forums and found that many are towing with them, and as the sister vehicle to the Seltos, I'd assume the same ideas apply here. Basically, don't exceed 1000 lbs and it's safe and quite effective. That's 1/3 of the car's weight, btw 😁.

Question still remains though, what are the legal implications of towing, even a small weight, on a vehicle where the manufacturer indicates they don't recommend it for towing?

Chappy

· #15 · Sep 28, 2020

DartmouthDave said:
I had a look on Soul forums and found that many are towing with them, and as the sister vehicle to the Seltos, I'd assume the same ideas apply here. Basically, don't exceed 1000 lbs and it's safe and quite effective. That's 1/3 of the car's weight, btw 😁.

Question still remains though, what are the legal implications of towing, even a small weight, on a vehicle where the manufacturer indicates they don't recommend it for towing?

I have submitted the question to KIA support & my insurance broker ,I'm not concerned as I would have very limited use of the trailer. Most motorcycle manufactures don't recommend trailer towing but that does not seem to be an issue with Police, DOT, Insurance ,As a previous post mentioned KIA might not like the legal liability in North America. Not a problem in Australia. Kia Seltos Specifications & Features | Kia Australia

DartmouthDave

· #16 · Sep 28, 2020

Chappy said:
I have submitted the question to KIA support & my insurance broker ,I'm not concerned as I would have very limited use of the trailer. Most motorcycle manufactures don't recommend trailer towing but that does not seem to be an issue with Police, DOT, Insurance ,As a previous post mentioned KIA might not like the legal liability in North America. Not a problem in Australia. Kia Seltos Specifications & Features | Kia Australia

Very interested to hear what they tell you! Thanks for keeping us (me) updated.

I checked out kiasoulforums.com and found quite a few discussions on this topic. People there have received a variety of information from Kia US, their dealerships, and mechanics. Kia seems to stick to the recommendation in the manual. According to forum members, at least, dealerships don't seem to have a problem with it, even when it comes to warranty replacement/repair of transmissions that may have been damaged as a result of taking it too far. And mechanics seem to be pretty common sense about it - stick to a reasonable limit, and don't drive like an idiot on the road ('2x the stopping distance with no trailer brakes!'). The main recommendations for the vehicle itself seem to be that if you plan on going into very hilly terrain or very long distances, consider a beefed-up transmission cooler and upgraded front brakes.

I don't have the need right now, but I am planning on getting a small ute trailer for my Seltos to help with small renovations, landscaping, etc. Look forward to trying it out!

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Chappy

· #17 · Sep 28, 2020

Collin1573 said:
Has anyone heard/seen any news regarding development or design plans for a Class III (2 inch) hitch receiver for the Seltos? I am an avid mountain biker and would like to get a platform hitch bike rack but I seem to only find Class I (1.25 inch) hitch receivers. I wondered if it was just because of the small size of a Seltos but other vehicles in the same series such as the Subaru Crosstrek have Class III hitch receivers available. The Crosstrek even has a lower towing capacity than the Seltos.

I have researched for awhile now and have not had any luck.

This is the answer to your original question

Receiver Tube Adapters - Adapters & Extenders - CURT Manufacturing

DartmouthDave

· #18 · Sep 28, 2020

Chappy said:
This is the answer to your original question Receiver Tube Adapters - Adapters & Extenders - CURT Manufacturing

I am definitely no expert on hitches, but my understanding is that an adapter only allows you to make the physical connection between two different sizes, but does not actually increase the capacity of the hitch.

Given the limited towing capacity of the Seltos, this may not be much of a concern here, but if you are interested in, for example, a tongue weight capacity of more than 200 lb, you would need an actual class 2 or 3 hitch.

Chappy

· #19 · Sep 28, 2020

DartmouthDave said:
I am definitely no expert on hitches, but my understanding is that an adapter only allows you to make the physical connection between two different sizes, but does not actually increase the capacity of the hitch.

Given the limited towing capacity of the Seltos, this may not be much of a concern here, but if you are interested in, for example, a tongue weight capacity of more than 200 lb, you would need an actual class 2 or 3 hitch.

That is correct but that is what the original poster required "I am an avid mountain biker and would like to get a platform hitch bike rack "

www.curtmfg.com

Receiver Tube Adapter (1-1/4" to 2" Shank, Not for Towing Use, 6-1/4" Length)

CURT hitch adapters can be used for many different purposes when hitching up a trailer. Whether a ball mount shank is too small or too large to fit into a receiver tube, a CURT adapter can make up the difference. Our adapters are built with exceptional strength and designed to be precisely...

www.curtmfg.com

K-ville

· #20 · Sep 28, 2020

Here's the Curt Class one installed on my Seltos. No cutting or trimming required. Tows my utility trailer like there's nothing there.
When the trailer is connected, I can stand on the hitch - I'm 240lbs - and the Seltos barely flexes.

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