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Vegarg, I haven't been on for some time and apologize for the delay in my response.
I can confirm that I used the sandwich method on my vehicle with the stock bolts. The hitch goes on first, then the metal bumper. Had I run into an issue where the bolts weren't long enough to fit both the hitch and bumper, only then would I have set aside the bumper. I'm not too concerned about the additional weight, particularly as it's added behind the rear axle where it actually improves the car's balance.
One of the reasons I picked Invisihitch was the lack of body trimming. The plastic bumper cover looks just the same now as it did before the hitch was installed. The only way you can tell that the car has a hitch is if you get on your knees and peer under the bumper, where the two steel loops that take the safety chains are visible.
Also, in the past couple years I have found that those loops make a great rear jacking point. I simply cushion the steel with a piece of wood and lift the whole rear of the car there. Once lifted, I set the car down on jackstands using the two reinforced jacking points just forward of the rear wheels.
If you're around, I'd like to hear whether your project went off without a hitch. (so to speak)
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