I just looked at the etrailer after reading your post. I may have to get one too. Beats the soggy wooden shims.

I'm not sure what part you're in, but a quick search revealed this list. I Googled hitch welding. You don't want a UHaul. You want a welder/fabricator. Call and describe what you are trying to accomplish and see what they say. They may not want to drill into it because it's a smaller hitch. They may just use a smaller bolt than I used.

Also, the link in the post a couple above this may work, too, and be cheaper. All I know, my solution worked extremely well for my 2" hitch. Good luck.

I can't figure out what needs to be drilled.

The receiver tube should already have holes in it, to accept a hitch pin.

The hitch tube from the rack, that goes into the receiver, should also have corresponding holes to accept a hitch pin (or bolt of some type).

If there's no nut inside the hitch tube, all that needs to be done is weld a nut inside the tube.
If a nut is already welded inside the hitch mount, then the side you tighten the bolt from is going to affect how solidly you connect the hitch into the receiver, too.

And we're all assuming OP is using a matching size rack for his receiver, not a 1.25" hitch mount in a 2" receiver.

There's already a "nut" (the hole through the rack connection itself is threaded).

One bolt means that the rack is still free to move up and down. It would need (but doesn't have) 2 bolts to keep it completely steady and eliminate all the play. This small amount of play is magified by the time it gets to the end of the rack, which is out much further.

Yes, it's a 1.25" hitch in a 1.25" receiver.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll give that a try.

Then it sounds like the rack manufacturer used some square tubing that's a bit smaller than "standard" (if there really is such a thing) square stock for a 1.25" receiver.
I have a generic, cheapo Hollywood hitch rack that is 1.25", and has a plastic spacer to allow it to convert up to a 2" receiver. I chose this model because I have different sized receivers on two of my cars, and this allows the rack to transfer to either car.

That said, whether it's installed in the 1.25" or the 2" receiver with the plastic spacer, once the bolt is tightened down, it's dead nuts solid. And, it only has one bolt connecting the rack.
(page 3 of the instruction sheet for my rack even illustrates that the amount of tubing from the rack inside the hitch receiver isn't that long: http://www.hollywoodracks.com/instru...tructionsF.pdf)

Maybe look to see which side the bolt is pulling on the nut. I would think the most solid connection would have the nut inside the hitch on the same side of the square tubing that the nut is installed on - a more direct mashing of the hitch mount against the inside of the receiver.

anyone got pics?

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/2907/img3822wx.jpg
By nachomanh at 2011-01-02