Coastaletech Hitch - design issues

[attachmentid=11767][attachmentid=11768][attachmentid=11769]Bought a 2" hitch from Coastaletech, got the unit fairly quickly. However, upon installation three things became obviously problematic:

1. the instruction is misleading - it says to slide the driver side bracket to the left as far as it would go. In fact, it should be slid as far right as it should go (more on this below).

2. the cross member is not long enough to connect with the driver side bracket, even when the bracket is slid as far right as it can go - bad design as the hitch is subject to torsional loads (I used extra washers to fill the gap). Coastaletech says there is supposed to be a 3/8" gap between the crossmember and the bracket - why?

3. the hitch assembly "powder coating" is poorly done - flakes of paint have come off sections of the hitch assembly. Powder coating is a lot more durable than this.

Anybody else have the same issues?

 

Thanks JL, and yikes, I should have looked here first before I got the Coastaletech hitch... I think I'll keep it though, and use it until it breaks - how soon I don't know, I'm just going to have a bike rack on it. Once the 2" hitch is gone, I'll definitely consider the Curt.

Thanks for the welcome, tell me, does owning a Prius also entail becoming obsessed with
- doodads for it
- waxing and pimping it
- long gazes at it
- working out the maximum fuel efficient driving technique
- reading all the Prius websites and newsgroups

because it's as if I'm possessed! Help!