kmm

Revisiting this previous thread to see if anyone stateside has mounted a hitch for a bike rack on their 2015 F Sport yet.

I currently use the family Prius with a hitch mounted bike rack when it is time to go riding.

Not interested in taking the wheels off the bike and putting it into the trunk of the GS.

Thanks in advance.

russocd

Just order the 2013 hitch and install it. I was able to put the 2013 hitch on my 2014 and it works great. The only issue that I have encountered is that the rear suspension can sag under the weight of people in the back seat while carrying a bike rack or a trailer. You can get airbags to help with that. Air Lift 1000 60776 kit will roll up and go inside the coil springs to fix the problem. There is no difference in ride height or characteristics unless you pump the air bags up.

kmm

Thanks for the reply. Are you using the U Haul hitch? That is what the Prius has and it works and fits great.

How much trimming did you do?

russocd

I have the Hidden Hitch class 2. There was very little trimming. There is also a completely concealed hitch at www.execuhitch.com. With Execuhitch, all of their hitches can be used for towing even if they say it's just for a bike rack. The only difference is that a light kit is not included for a bike rack hitch but they will sell you a light kit if you ask for it.

kmm

I sent an e mail to Execuhitch requesting installation instructions and the name of a local installer in the San Diego area.

My Lexus dealer will not install any accessory that is not for sale by the dealer.

...thinking of using their recommended body shop for the install...

Curious as to how much ground clearance the vehicle has when the hidden hitch receiver is installed. Don't want to hear a clunk from the rear if there isn't enough clearance.

Filled my car up with fuel the other day and it was noticeably lower...

When biking, it is just me going so not too concerned about excess droop in the rear with the rack and bike mounted.

Thanks for all the info.

russocd

Same height as any other sedan hitch.

peteharvey

Does anyone have Lexus' official dealer/factory fitted tow hitch?

And did they do a small square cut out in the rear face of the lower black/grey diffuser for the 2" [50 mm] square female hitch receiver to poke out, with a square closing cap when the curved hitch is not in use?

Is this a photo of Lexus' official dealer/factory fitted hitch below, or is this an aftermarket hitch like www.execuhitch.com?
Some tow hitches like the execuhitch seems to attach to the underside of the rear diffuser, and this makes the hitch at least 2" closer to the ground.

russocd

Execuhitch gives you a standard ball height of 18 inches with options for plus or minus 2 inches. I don't know how low the lowest point on the ball mount would be. I could measure my ground clearance on the hidden hitch but I have only slightly scraped once on a very extreme angle. It is not a problem for 99.9% of the time.

I was unable to find a Lexus hitch in the US. I do know that execuhitch does not cut through the diffuser like in the picture--instead it is more like the hidden hitch. The only reason I went with hidden hitch is because the whole setup cost much less. If money were no object and I didn't want anyone to know I had a hitch, then I would have gotten the execuhitch for 575 for the hitch plus @50 for the light kit plus @70 for the bike rack connector.

kmm

A pic of the factory GS hitch from the European brochure:

kmm

In post#3 of the thread the OP confirms the hitch is OEM.

peteharvey

Thanks all for your replies.

I'm really glad the new 4GS' tow hitch doesn't have both the horizontal beam, and the 2" [50 mm] female square hitch receiver hanging under the base of the car, taking up a good 2" of available rear overhang ground clearance like my old 3GS:

slickhoosi

Ah yes, Deutschland...they'll put a hitch on anything! The TUV is super stringent on everything except towing a 3,000 lb trailer with an A-class car. I'm not judging you...just stating my observations!

KDTdaltex

I found this hitch for a customers 2015 GS350. We are installing on his new car. Here is the letter from the manufacturer and a few picks:
-----------------------------------------
Our hitch is completely invisible while not in use. When you get ready to use the hitch, there is an attachment that locks into place. The aesthetic beauty of the vehicle is maintained while adding lifestyle functionality. Visible bars and bumper cutouts are not required, nor is ground clearance sacrificed. We connect in the same locations as the Lexus hitch, yet we do not have a visible cutout or visible hitch components.

We offer detachable connectors (2" and 1 1/4") that convert our hitch into a square tube receiver that accepts current versions of bike racks, ski racks, cargo platforms and other miscellaneous square tube accessories. See attached "detachable bike rack connector" photo.

Also attached are:
- Hitch receiver installation instructions
- Operating instructions
- Photos for the vehicle with the hitch installed and with a bike rack connector inserted.

You may need to scroll to see all of the attachments. Any questions or if you want to place you order over the phone, please give me a call.

Thanks,

Steve Nance
Invisihitch
4250 Brogdon Exchange
Suite A
Suwanee, GA 30024
P: 678-400-0121
snance@invisihitch.com
www.invisihitch.com

kmm

Excellent info, thank you very much.

Any guesstimate as to how much ground clearance was lost to the hitch install?

KDTdaltex

Absolutely. When the receiver is off there is no clearance difference, it's all hidden. from what I can tell when the receiver is in, it drops clearance at the edge of bumper by less than 2 inches. It is several inches above the rear axel low point.