2010 Subaru Forester Owner's Manual - Page 266

8-16 Driving tips traffic safety hazard. . Use only the ball mount supplied with this hitch. Use the hitch only as a weight carrying hitch. Do not use with any type of weight distributing hitch. . The standard bumper beam must be installed after you remove the trailer hitch. Consult a SUBARU dealer for purchase of a standard bumper beam if you do not have the original. . Safety performance is decreased and there is increased risk of injury to passengers in the case of an accident if the trailer hitch or a standard bumper beam is not installed. One of them must always be installed on the vehicle. . If a trailer hitch is installed, it is not possible to install the rear towing hook. When you tow a trailer, refer to "Trailer towing" F8-17. does not come off the hitch receiver. 2. Insert the hitch pin into the hole on the hitch receiver tube so that the pin passes through the ball mount. 1) 2) Hitch ball installation point Hooks for safety chains & Connecting a trailer 1. Remove the receiver cover from the hitch receiver tube. Then insert the ball mount into the hitch receiver tube. 3. Insert the safety pin securely into the hitch pin. 4. Pull the ball mount to make sure it 5. Use only a hitch ball that is appropriate for the ball mount and your trailer. The hitch ball must be securely installed on the ball mount. 6. Connect your trailer to the hitch ball. 7. Connect the trailer and the hitch with safety chains that will hold the trailer's maximum gross weight. The chains should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent the tongue from dropping onto the ground in case it should disconnect from the hitch ball. Allow sufficient slack in the chains taking tight-turn situations into account; however, be careful not to let them drag on the ground.