Old_Prospector
Junior Ranger
Re: does anyone own a 2013 subaru impreza sport?
I did a search on etrailer.com and found that an aftermarket product by Curt only offers a Class I hitch for the 2013 Subaru Impreza. As you pointed out, a Class I hitch only accepts an 1-1/4" receiver.
The manner required for a structural fit-up to your vehicle frame doesn't provide a great deal of mechanical stability, which is probably the limiting factor. You can browse the etrailer.com site to see how the attachment points to the Subaru frame have two rather long cantilever steel members back to the cross beam that holds the receiver. I shape is basically 3 sides of a square. All the sway action of pulling a trailer would be absorbed by the welds on the corners of the hitch. If there was a way to add additional bracing steel to form small triangles between the members bolted to the car frame and the back cross beam, then the hitch would be stronger and allow a Class upgrade. Remember that when you are braking to turn a corner the trailer is puts sideways force on the hitch, called sway. There are other driving factors result in sway forces too. Also, I don't know how much extra strength is available in the car frame where the bolts attach the hitch.
Sorry for all the technical jargon, but long story short, I don't know that rigging the Subaru Impreza with a Class III hitch is advisable, even if you could get someone to shop build a hitch.
I did a search on etrailer.com and found that an aftermarket product by Curt only offers a Class I hitch for the 2013 Subaru Impreza. As you pointed out, a Class I hitch only accepts an 1-1/4" receiver.
The manner required for a structural fit-up to your vehicle frame doesn't provide a great deal of mechanical stability, which is probably the limiting factor. You can browse the etrailer.com site to see how the attachment points to the Subaru frame have two rather long cantilever steel members back to the cross beam that holds the receiver. I shape is basically 3 sides of a square. All the sway action of pulling a trailer would be absorbed by the welds on the corners of the hitch. If there was a way to add additional bracing steel to form small triangles between the members bolted to the car frame and the back cross beam, then the hitch would be stronger and allow a Class upgrade. Remember that when you are braking to turn a corner the trailer is puts sideways force on the hitch, called sway. There are other driving factors result in sway forces too. Also, I don't know how much extra strength is available in the car frame where the bolts attach the hitch.
Sorry for all the technical jargon, but long story short, I don't know that rigging the Subaru Impreza with a Class III hitch is advisable, even if you could get someone to shop build a hitch.