Hidden Hitch Trailer Hitch for the 1985 Van by Ford

Video Transcript for Trailer Hitch Installation - 2012 Ford Van - Hidden Hitch

Speaker 1: Today on our 2012 Ford Van, well install our Hidden Hitch, part number 87599. This is what our hitch will look like once its installed. Next well go ahead and give you a couple of measurements to assist you selecting accessories for your new hitch. From the center of the hitch pin hole to the outermost edge of the bumper is five and a half inches. From the top of the inside of the receiver tube opening to the ground is 20 and a quarter inches. This will assist you in selecting accessories such as a ball mount, a bike rack or a cargo carrier.

Now lets go ahead with the installation. First note, weve already gone ahead and lowered and removed the spare tire for the ease ans installation of the hitch. However, it is not a requirement for the install. Now well go ahead and point out the attachment points. There are a total of six attachment points, three on each side.

These will be pre-drilled holes into the bottom of the frame rail by the manufacturer. Some applications there will be a ground wire attached to the bottom of the frame. In some cases this ground wire will get in the way of installing the hitch, so well go ahead and remove the fastening bolt, set it aside for reinstallation later. Next go ahead and line up our hardware for each attachment point. Starting with the forward attachment point, well be using a carriage bolt and block thatll go down through the frame through a spacer block then through the hitch and gets secured with a conical tooth washer and nut.

Our center attachment point, well be using the half inch bolt and spacer block going through the frame, through a second larger spacer block, then through the hitch and secured with a conical tooth washer and half inch nut. For our rear attachment point, well be using the half inch bolt, half inch flat washer, then through the frame going a large spacer washer down through the hitch and once again getting secured with a half inch conical tooth washer and nut. To start the install of our hitch, well first take the half inch bolt and flat washer and drop them through the rear attachment points. Then its a good idea to get an extra set of hands to help you hold the hitch while you install it onto the bolt. Sliding the large flat washer in between the hitch and the frame and then well secure it loosely with the conical tooth washer and nut.

Now well go ahead and install the center hardware. Once again, the half inch bolt and smaller spacer block going down through the frame, though the larger spacer block and secure it with a half inch conical tooth washer and nut. Note, each process we do here on the drive side will get repeated identically on the passenger side. For our forward attachment point, once again the half inch carriage bolt and block through the spacer block and then secure it with the conical tooth washer and nut. Now that we have all of our hardware installed finger tight we can go ahead and tighten them down. Next well go ahead and torque to specifications as indicated in the instructions. All right, now with our hitch torqued and secured to specifications, we can go ahead and reinstall our ground wire. Thatll complete the install of the Hidden Hitch, part number 87599 on our 2012 Ford Van. .