Torklift Central

Wife needs a bike rack on her 2012 Prius v. Truck has Yakima swing daddy that works well but needs a 2″ hitch. Search around and seems torklift is the only place that makes such a thing for a Prius v.
$ 250 is steep for a hitch but we order one anyway with option to pick up in Kent, wa (where they are made.) web page suggests its a 7 – 10 day wait for hitch to be ready. Next day I receive email that hitch is available so I swing by to pick up (25 minute drive from Seattle.) very helpful person explains that email was a mistake, hitch is only «almost done», she rustles some folks to finish it and she hands it over in less than 20minutes.
Hitch is very well made, powder coated and welded from thick steel plate. Includes all hardware zinc coated and good choices of washers (double flat washer and lock washer, nylock where appropriate).
Wife and I installed the hitch this afternoon. Instructions were very clear and it took just under an hour. Everything fit perfectly. No need to raise the car. Have a good work light. Was difficult to remove exhaust from hanger (big flathead screwdriver). Used 17 mm socket to remove existing bolts. You need twin 19 mm sockets to install and one must be deep. Also 12 mm wrenches. I lubed everything withi locktite blue. Hitch has 350 pound tongue weight because it hangs from secondary «straps». Very solid!
Seriously nice hitch with factory perfect install fit. I’m still not happy about the price but do feel good buying from a local fabricator. Customer service wasn’t needed because the product is great.

*REVIEW UPDATE*
Someone from Torklift did try to contact me about this experience. They sent me an email apologizing for not meeting/​exceeding my expectations. I do appreciate the gesture. I work in an environment similar to their shop and I train a lot of people in service. In my opinion, the issues I ran into are much more than surface deep. I would urge consumers to try them out. Their product is very good. I also held them in high regard so I wasn’t ever concerned with price, one of those you get what you pay for sort of deal. Personally, they lost my trust and that is why I choose not to go back.
I’ve used this place on three separate occasions over the last 11 years. First I had them install a weight distribution hitch, and trailer brake on our then new 04 jeep. In 2010 I had them install a hitch and trailer brake on our then new 10 Frontier. Both experiences were 5 star. In fact, when I think of anything related to towing, Torklift Central comes to mind. I know little to nothing when it comes to equipment related to towing, so I really rely on them for their recommendations and service. It is this last visit that has me disappointed with them.
I call them and explain that I need a new hitch for my weight distribution system because I lost the original. They tell me to come down and they can look at it. I arrive and wait about 15 – 20 minutes for someone to help me. The wait was no big deal, they were busy and I totally understand that. When the guy looks at my truck, he says that I should have brought the existing bars so that they could match them up. Ok, I already admitted that I’m an idiot about this stuff, so back to work I go.
Days later I load up the bars and head back to Torklift. Again, long wait and I notice how people are just standing around looking at the three people behind the counter as if to get instructions on how to proceed. They should at least acknowledge people. By the time the salesman gets to me, he informs me that it’s cheaper to buy a new system than to order separate replacement parts. Fine, I’m OK with that. As I’m leaving he tell me to remind him to give me a new hitch ball.
Saturday, I pick up my new system. My salesman is off and I tell the lady behind the counter about the hitch ball. She assures me it’s in the box and all is good. I load up and go. When we get home we open the box and see two problems. First, I have already said I’m an idiot so it’s no surprise when I look at the instructions and get an instant migraine. problem two, no hitch ball.
I call them on Monday and ask to come in to have everything installed. No problem they say. I get there Tuesday and they tell me that I need to measure everything with my trailer and that all they can do is install the ball on my new hitch. This time I get blank stares from both my salesman and a tech. Now I’m a little pissed and I spend my last $ 20 there before I leave.
My complaint after this ramble is twofold. I live in Bonney Lake and don’t appreciate the wasted time going back and forth. I don’t appreciate their service or the perceived poor attitude from their employees. This company thinks they are the best and act accordingly. I don’t care about cost, but I do care about quality of products and service.
I got all of this off my chest and have two pieces of advice for anyone who cares. I believe they sell high quality parts, so do a lot of places. Don’t waste your time or money here. Spend it with someone who appreciates it. If the people that I dealt with think about it, I never asked for costs beyond the original purchase. I don’t care, I just want it done right. Torklift lost this one, but who really cares as there will still be more customers tomorrow. Sooner or later people will realize the type of place this is and will look at alternatives as I have.

I had issues with these guys 2 years ago when they put a hitch on my van but they were able to fix everything to make it right. I got a new vehicle so I decided to give them another chance. They failed on cost, schedule and quality… Nice people but their process fails on the 3 things that I care about.
I brought my new Durango in to get a quote on a hitch and make an appt. They quoted $ 400 and 1.5 to 2 hours.
I left my car at 8:30 the next Friday and they revised their quote to 2.5 to 3 hours. I’m not sure why they missed the estimate the first time.
After about 2.5 hours they called and said it was harder than they thought and it would cost another $ 90 but they would be done in an hour. I’m not sure why they didn’t catch that when I brought it in for an estimate the week before and explained I had a 5 pin hitch connector.
I show up after 90 minutes and they aren’t done. It is now after noon so it pretty much screwed my whole day. I caused a fuss and they were able to finish it up in about 15 minutes.
Unfortunately, I get in the car and the keyless entry doesn’t work. The door is supposed to auto unlock when you grab the handle and you have the key on you. I get error messages when I finally get in saying that I needed to have my keyless entry serviced.
I went back in and they had the mechanic come out and talk to me. I asked him to fix it and he had no idea what to do. He didn’t want to look at it again and suggested I take it to the dealer. ARRRGHHH I don’t have all day!!! The mechanic shook my hand and said thanks. huh? He knew I was upset but he was lost.
I went to the dealer and they didn’t have time to look at it. They said that this wouldn’t be covered by my new car warranty because it was probably something Torklift had done. I had to get off early the next Monday for an appointment at the Dodge dealer. I had just wasted my Friday off waiting for Torklift.
On Monday, the dealer used its error code crunching computer to find that Torklift had unplugged the antenna which is why it couldn’t see my key. They were able to fix it and because the dealer had recommended Torklift they decided to waive the $ 75 fee for fixing it. I don’t think Torklift is going to get many more recommendations from the Dodge Dealer. You won’t get one from me either.
Fail on cost, schedule and quality

Torklift is the best place around! They did a great job with my tow hitch this year. The customer service is everything it should be. It’s clear that they value their customers. Thank You Torklift!

I was shopping for a hitch for my Hyundai Santa Fe and stopped in to talk to these folks. The price they offered me was a little bit higher than U-​Haul was quoting so I wanted to take some time to think about it. During that time, I came across the proverbial «offer I couldn’t refuse» and bought a hitch for less than half what anyone was charging but I had to install it myself. Not a problem really, it’s just 4 bolts and I have a well-​equipped garage.
When the hitch arrived, the shipper had been less than kind with the box and when I opened it, one of the spacer washers needed for the installation was missing. On a whim, I stopped by Torklift with one of the washers and asked if they had any of them. The woman at the counter took the washer and went out in the shop to ask. A minute later she was back with the twin of my washer and said «no-​charge».
While I might not have used them to purchase my hitch, you can bet I’ll give them first whack when I ever need any hitch/​trailer/​bike rack purchases in the future. Local businesses with great customer service deserve to be rewarded. Thanks Torklift!

I went toTorklift to get a quote on a trailer hitch. After I received my quote the guy at the counter tried to convience me to use them by bad mouthing all of the competition. He was very unprofessional and pushy and he didn’t want to spend anytime telling me how the process went and I felt like I was talking to a used car salesman.

I cannot rate these guys high enough. I had a trailer that had been to so many shops and the install of hydraulic brakes was always incorrect. These guys custom fabricated a mount, rewired the entire rig and mounted everything better than factory. Mike was the name of the guy who did my job and is probably the most talented in his profession. The bill was only a couple hundred bucks I could not believe it for the amount of attention to detail I got. These guys are the best and I am a life long customer going forward!

We purchased a motorhome and needed to set it up with a tow package. We went in to talk about the package and cost. Dan was very professional and explained the various options and made sure we understood. He also discussed with us about the requirements in various states for a «brake buddy». He wanted to know what our plans were and what kind of car we were towing. He set us up with an appointment for two days; one for the motor home and one for the car and motorhome. Dan then spent time with us showing us and walking us through how to hook up and why each element of the tow package was in place. He explained the safety features and made sure we understood before we left. He also made sure we know how to access the video on u-​tube that was the same process of hook-​up (there were some small differences). He also told us about how to prevent theft of the package from the motorhome and from the car. Again he was wonderful and patient. Jonny how is the shop foreman is wonderful also – he demands excellence and gets it from his staff.
When all was said and done, we couldn’t tell any work had been done, the motorhome was clean, they cleaned up any debris from drilling, wires etc.
Two weeks after we had the package installed, Dan called to tell us he had some safety locks in that we should consider for the tow package. We returned the following day and he greeted us by name and had the locks and the invoice ready.
I strongly recommend them for anyone who needs to consider a tow package or to haul anything.
They are professionals, do some manufacturing on site, and they are BUSY, but never make anyone feel rushed and you feel like you are the only customer they have.
We never had to wait but a few minutes.
The customer service is excellent, the product is excellent and to the specifications needed, and while maybe a little more pricey than other places, I would have still done the package with Torklift. They are wonderful!

The professionals at Torklift Central are fantastic. They took the time to make sure the placement of my brake controller was what I expected even though it took the technician away from another job. I called in the morning, got a quote, scheduled the work, ate lunch, paid and left happy as usual.

Was recommended this place from a friend of a friend after hearing about what a great job they did on his hitch for a bike rack. Was about $ 230 to get my hitch installed on an Acura RSX, but they did an excellent job and it’s super solid. I have an expensive mtn bike, and didn’t want to trust one of the cheaper install options. TL Central actually welded the hitch to my chassis, and repainted it black afterwards to make it less conspicuous.
Even though this place was super busy, they were very friendly, even suggested local places to get some food while I waited. Highly recommended.