First time installing a hitch receiver... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jplinville · #1 10-18-2016, 08:08 PM

Well, today was a first for me and my son. The Jeep didn't come with the tow package, which wasn't a biggie to me, because I won't tow anything with it. However, after making that decision and taking deliver of the Jeep, I quickly changed my mind...not about towing with it, but the receiver. You see, when we travel or road trip, we like to use the cargo basket I bought for the Tahoe. So, I needed a Class III receiver with 2X2 hole.

Curt makes a nice receiver, that fell in line with my needs...easy install, bolt on, 2X2, and about 400# tongue capacity. We found the one I needed on Amazon for $89, delivered. It came in yesterday, in perfect shape.

I dug up a video from Etrailer that had the exact vehicle I have, and the exact receiver I bought. My son and I watched it 3 times before we began the job. Very simple install...measure where the trim lines needed to be, and trim out a small piece of the fascia. Fron there, suspend a strap between the rear wheels to allow the exhaust to be disconnected from the rear hangars without causing undo stress on the fore mounting points, remove the heat shield, insert receiver and bolts, tighten to prescribed torque, then put the heat shield and exhaust back in place.

It took my son about 75 minutes, counting trips to the basement for forgotten tools, and a cursing fit when the ratchet slipped from his hands and landed on his forehead.

No holes to be drilled at all...simple plug and play, so to speak. I wish I had known that these were so easy to do...I would have done it to past vehicles.

I tried it out with the cargo shelf, and it did very well. Bring on the road trip!!!

ramonajim · #2 10-18-2016, 09:22 PM

Having a hitch on my daily driver has been fantastic.... now I pull stuff behind my Miata instead of having to do this

or this....

t walgamuth · #3 10-18-2016, 10:20 PM

Miatas are tough little boogers aren't they?

jplinville · #4 10-19-2016, 01:18 PM

If I didn't have a couple pick up trucks at my disposal, I'd get a small trailer, one of those Harbor Freight cheapo models that fold up and out of the way when not in use. Heck, I may still get one eventually, for the occasional trip to Lowe's or Home Depot. I'd have to add wiring for lights, first.

If all I ever use it for is the cargo rack, it was well worth the money spent. We've used that cargo rack for every trip to Ohio and back since we bought in it 2011. After the light hit we took on it last year from a car not paying attention, I think I need to add lights to it. I have it well covered in reflectors, but I'm beginning to think that adding small trailer lights to the corners might not be a bad idea.

JB3 · #5 10-19-2016, 02:57 PM

hitch is great for bikes too. Lots of use can be had short of actually pulling something with it. I actually have front and rear receiver hitches on my work vehicle. I can mount one of those baskets on both ends

Original reason was to be able to move trailers around easily on a very awkward hilly surface using the front of the vehicle, and pull my other work vehicle out of the snow from whatever direction I happen to be parked

E150GT · #6 10-20-2016, 02:38 PM

I need to get a hitch for my '95 f150. My dad used the bumper for years to tow whatever he needed, but I dont trust it. Not that I need to tow much if anything. It would be nice to have just in case. I'm already wired for lights.