Today we are going to do an install on a 2006 Honda Fit using part number 11058 Class 1 receiver hitch. The hitch will mount up to the car pretty easily, It uses this tie down loop right here. This skid plate also come off. The hitch actually covers those very same areas right back up. Then this stays off and you install the hitch on the cross member right here. First step is to take off the skid plate right here. Next we will install our hitch on this toe loop right here with this U bolt. Then tighten all of the bolts snug before giving them the final torquing. This concludes our install of part number 11058 Class 1 receiver hitch from Curt Manufacturing on a 2006 Honda Fit. ... more
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Posted: Thu, 8 May 2008
Today we are going to do an install for part number 60815 from Hidden Hitch. On a 2007 Chevy HHR. This also applies too part number 24756. To install the hitch we need to some bolts inside here. Then also this hole needs to be drilled out to accommodate these fasteners. It will be the same for the other side but I believe on an HHR you are going to have to drill on the driver side. Go ahead and lower the exhaust to get it out of the way. There are 3 rubber hangers. One is in front and another on the opposite side and one near the back almost hidden. All 3 of them come out so that you can lower the exhaust giving you more space. The rear most hole is the one you have to drill out kind of like an oval instead of round. We are going to pull our bolts into the frame and out the bolt hole. Whats going to happen is this bolt leader is going to get threaded into the original hole and install our hardware on the leader and pull it back through. It goes in the left side and comes out the right.... more
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Posted: Thu, 8 May 2008
Today we are going to install part number 90073 on our 2005 Nissan Murano. The first thing we are going to do is loosen the exhaust. What we need to do is the lower the exhaust in front of the muffler. Bring it down an inch or so. You can also put a strap around it to hold it in place and maybe lower a little further if you need to. We will start by taking down this bracket here. Next we move on to the exhaust hangers this is where it is good to invest in a ratchet wrench. It makes things a lot easier. Now this bracket must come off and stay off by taking out the 2 bolts up in front and 2 on the backside. Then these rubber hangers have to come off so we can lower everything down. How we do that is spray them down with some WD40 which will make it a little easier to pry them off.... more
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Posted: Thu, 8 May 2008
Today we are going to install part number 75082 which is Draw-Tite Class III Max-Frame Trailer Hitch. We will be installing it on a 2007 Ford Ranger XLT. After lowering the spare tire underneath the vehicle here, on the driver side and passenger side we want to remove the rear most bolt on both sides. After removing both rear most bolts we need to remove the retaining clip that holds the threads out of the frame rail here. You actually pry this piece away from the frame rail. Because it is actually clipped around it. To give a little more clearance we are going to loosen this bolt on both sides. That should give you enough room here to pop the clip out of the frame. Now that the clip is removed from the frame we will go ahead and tighten these bolts back up. Now we will the hardware down from the top of the frame down into the holes in the frame.... more
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Posted: Thu, 8 May 2008
Today we are going to do an install on part number 36116 which is a Class II Frame Trailer Hitch. We will be installing it on a 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis LS. This also applies to Hidden Hitch part number 90139. The hitch gets installed along this frame right here no existing holes to use so basically we will clamp the hitch up there and spray paint our holes. We will then the hitch and drill our holes then reinstall our hitch with the necessary fasteners. First up we are going to lift the hitch up there and clamp it. You need to use of an extra pair of hands because you do not want it falling on you.... more
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Posted: Tue, 6 May 2008
Today we are going to be installing part number v82112 which is a Valley Class III Trailer Hitch. We will be installing it on a 2007 Acura RDX turbo model. This hitch installs in 2 points. One is the threading right here. The other point is this hole right here. This hole uses a handle nut which looks like this and goes inside here. Thats what installs the bolt in place and holds it on the inside.... more
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Posted: Tue, 6 May 2008
Today we are going to be installing part number 75563. Which is a Draw-Tite Class III Trailer Hitch. We will be installing it on a 2007 Acura RDX. This also applies to Hidden Hitch Class 87449. Our hitch install is in 2 different points. This very fitting at the end of the frame and this hole here on this part of the frame. What happens is the bolt gets threaded in here obviously. In this hole here we have a handle nut that fits inside this frame and sits just like that. We are going to thread our bolt in and our hitch is good to go. This is the same on both sides of the vehicle.... more
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Posted: Tue, 6 May 2008
Today we are installing hitch number V81590 on a 1998 Toyota Tacoma pickup. Step one is to remove the bolts that are holding the arm on the frame here. This will allow us easier access up into the frame. For the hitch installation we will have to remove the bumper brackets from the vehicle. That will require us to remove these 2 bolts here. Then there are 2 more that are attaching the bumper brackets. In the instructions they say to remove these 2 bolts and loosen the other two that are attaching the bumper. We are going to just go ahead and remove those bolts it makes it just a little easier to get the hitch brackets into place. When removing the bumper make sure you disconnect the license plate lights otherwise you will rip the wires out.... more
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Posted: Tue, 6 May 2008
Today we are installing part number 60830 which is a Hidden Hitch Class I Trailer Hitch. We are installing it on a 2004 Cadillac CTS. This also applies for Draw Tites part number 24767. First up you have to open up the back trunk to find where you way to get to the floor. This has to come out and this carpet has to come out also. Then this plastic panel should come out next. Then what we do is drag the rubber hangers off the exhaust so we can lower it and have some more room to work. We got our exhaust lowered and pulled out of the way. We had to pull it sideways so that we had to tie down and pull them to the sides. Now we hold our hitch up into place then mark the hitch with white paint so can drill our holes. This would be a very good time for a second pair of hands to help you hold up the hitch while the other marks the holes.... more
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Posted: Tue, 6 May 2008
Today we are installing hitch number 70626 on a 1998 GMC Jimmy. This hitch will also work with a Chevy Blazer also. The attaching points for this hitch are going to be on the side of the frame here. We are going to remove both of these bolts then we are going to use this existing hole also. To gain easier access to both of these bolts we are going to take down this bolt. Which that bolt is your fender support that will allow us more room to get inside there. We are going to do this for both sides. We are going to remove the bolt here on the side of the frame. You can see as of right now with the stabilizer bar in place we can not access these bolts very well. Since we removed this bolt here we can actually bend the bar up and out of the way. So we can gain access to the bolts.... more
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Posted: Tue, 6 May 2008
Today we are going to show you an install on part number 65050. This is a front mount hitch and we are installing it on 07 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD. To begin our install we have to remove our licenses plate holder which is the square object in the center there. That has to come off and whats next is we have to cut a hole in the bumper so that the receiver can poke through. The plate is riveted on so we will have to drill out these rivets and just pop them off. What seems to work is grab the backside of the rivet with a pair of pliers and drill out the front and it comes right apart. Our next step is to start measuring so we can knock out our hole in the bumper. We are going to start with a common measurement. Basically we are going to start from this bolt right here.... more
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Posted: Tue, 6 May 2008
Most trailer hitch accessories, such as a ballmount, bike rack, or cargo carrier fit either a 2 inch or 1-1/4 inch hitch opening. These are by far the most common trailer hitch opening sizes, but they are not the only ones. This article explains how to determine which type of hitch you have so that selecting the correct size accessories will be easy... more
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Posted: Mon, 21 Apr 2008
When you start looking into trailer hitches and try to decide which one is going to work best for your vehicle, almost immediately you will be confronted with the term "hitch class". These often abused classifications are applied, and misapplied to all trailer hitches to give an indication of their towing capacity and hitch opening size, among other things. This article will attempt to shed a bit of light on what exactly is meant by "hitch class".... more
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Posted: Mon, 21 Apr 2008
Here is a video of a Draw Tite custom hitch installation on a 2007 Dodge Charger. You can have a cool car and be able to tow toys. For road trips you can use a cargo carrier allowing more room inside to spread out and be comfortable. For trips to the beach you can pile on coolers and chairs. Bike enthusiasts can drive to the trails in comfort while the bikes are safely secured to a hitch mounted bike rack. There are really so many things a receiver hitch will allow!... more
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Posted: Fri, 18 Apr 2008
Jeeps are the original outdoor enthusiasts vehicle of choice. Now we have many SUVs but those Jeeps are still just fun to drive! A receiver hitch on your Jeep will allow you to tow a trailer, think boats or jet skis, use a cargo carrier for extra cargo room or use a hitch mounted bike rack. However you like to spend your down time a hitch will help make it more enjoyable. This video shows us installing a custom fit receiver on a Cherokee. The hitch was designed to make the process as easy as possible so no drilling is required. Take a minute to watch it, we are sure afterwards you will be calling to place your order!... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Apr 2008
The Saturn Outlook has a lot of room but if you need more storage space for a trip or want to tow your boat you will love how easy they made it to install a receiver hitch. The custom trailer hitches can be installed without any drilling and bolt up in minutes. The exhaust will need to be temporarily lowered but our video will show you exactly what to do. Once the hitch has been installed and the exhaust placed back into position you will be ready for a cargo carrier, bike rack or to tow a trailer.... more
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Posted: Fri, 11 Apr 2008
If you have been considering installing a hitch on your MDX for a trailer, bike rack or cargo carrier we will show you how easy it is. Some may back off when they see the instructions call for lowering the exhaust and removing the heat shield. You can do this! The video will show you how and you will save so much money doing this on your own.... more
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Posted: Thu, 10 Apr 2008
If you have reviewed the installation instructions for this hitch do not let them overwhelm you! Installation is really easier than it may sound. In this video Joe installs the Hidden Hitch Class I custom fit receiver on a 2005 Mazda 3. Watch the video and you will see that the drilling required is only enlarging some existing holes and how to efficiently thread the bolts into position using fish wires. If you have any questions after watching this please give us a call!... more
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Posted: Thu, 10 Apr 2008
See an actual installation of this Draw-Tite Class I hitch. The fishwire process may seem difficult but after you see how it is done you will be ready to tackle this project. Once installed you will be ready to tow your jet ski or small trailer where ever and when ever you want.... more
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Posted: Sat, 22 Mar 2008
Before we begin our install, you'll need to remove the spare tire for a little more working room. The installation is going to involve these three bolts on the side of the frame. We'll need to remove the two rearmost ones while the third stays in place as we're going to use it. Step one is to remove all the nuts from the three bolts. As you can see we removed the two nuts on the rearmost bolts and left the nut on the third, just finger tight it so the bolt can't come through. Now we can remove the two rearmost bolts, which you want to do on both sides. Once we've removed the bolts from the frame we want to replace them with the bolts provided with the hitch kit. You want to put a washer onto the bolt and feed it through the existing holes in the frame. ... more
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Posted: Tue, 11 Mar 2008
The first step is to lower the spare tire to make for more work room. We're using this hole here and that hole as well in the frame as well as two holes in the bumper. We're going to take out these two bolts, one here and one on the other side. After we've removed the existing bolts in the frame, we want to take our carriage bolt and block and set them in the frame. We're going to use the second most hole here towards the rear bumper, put one on both sides. Once we've positioned the blocks and bolts into the frame we'll go ahead and put our hitch up into position. We're going to re-use the bolts we've take out previously in the rearmost mounted location. Once we've loosely installed the bolts on each side, we now want to attach the bolts into the bumper. It's just under the license plate, you'll see two threaded holes in the frame. ... more
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Posted: Tue, 11 Mar 2008
The first thing we need to do is remove the rubber hangers holding up the exhaust. There's one here in the center of the vehicle and there's a secondary hanger on the outside of the frame and you need to remove that one as well. This will allow the exhaust to come down so you can access this hole here. The next step is to install the bolts into the frame through the existing hole. You want to use the bolt leader that's provided, wrapping the the threads around the bolt. You slide the block onto it as well and feed it up into the hole, and pull the bolt back down through. That locks it into position. Now we'll repeat that and do the same thing on the other side. After we get the bolts into the frame we'll mount the hitch into position. After we get the two mounting frame bolts into place we want to install the mounting bolt into the tow hook. ... more
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Posted: Fri, 7 Mar 2008
This also applies to part # 41537. This covers the Suzuki Grand Vitara, Vitara, XL7, Chevy Tracker 2 door, and 4 door. The first thing we need to do is take this factory tie down bracket. This will be taken off and left off, so we'll take this off and go to the other side. Then we'll go to the other side where there are to threaded holes which we'll have to clean out first since they have road grime and stuff inside of them. With our threads clean and dried out we can install our hitch. We lift it up into position and use a couple of bolts to hold it up there. Although it's hard to see, the hitch has probably been tweaked in this way for whatever reason. We're missing the hole by about an 1/8 of an inch at most. We really just need to push this over a bit. You can take a regular pry bar and put it against the edge of the hitch and push it as you need it. Yes we are near the gas tank, but we're not using much pressure. That should give us our clearance to get to the bolt hole. At this point we can tighten our bolts down and then give them their final torque. Now we can torque down our bolts. That covers it for our install of the 2004 Suzuki XL7 using part # 87005. ... more
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Posted: Wed, 5 Mar 2008
This install will also cover a 2001-2004 Ford Escape and 2001-2004 Mazda Tribute. First we're going to show you where the hitch installs, as you can see here we already have the bolts pulled through the frame. There's three and we did that is there's a hole at the end of the frame towards the bumper and we used a pull wire to pull the bolts through with a bolt leader. One other difference, if you want to take a look at some of the older models had a big heat shield here, you will have to take tin snips and cut it out, the instructions will show you where to cut. We'll start by installing the hitch and resting the passenger side on the exhaust and we'll put of first fasteners on the drivers side and go back to the passengers side. We used a couple of nuts to hold everything in place, then we'll install all the lock washers and regular washers and nuts. ... more
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Posted: Fri, 22 Feb 2008
This part number will also fit 2005-2008 Ford Escape including the hybrid, the 2005-2008 Mazda Tribute and the 2005-2008 Mercury Mariner including the hybrid. We'll begin our install by taking down our spare tire to create more working room, now we'll show you where the bolts are going to be. There's no drilling on this frame so we're going to use this hole here, this oval one and this hole back here. We're going to fish wire bolts from the inside out. Next I'll show you the location where we pull the bolts through. To begin our fish wiring, basically it comes with a fish wire tool. We stick it in our first hole here, and push it all the way out to the end of the frame. What you want to do is slide your plate on first and get that started inside the frame. Once it falls through like so, it's good to go. Now we thread on our bolt and pull that on through also. ... more
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Posted: Fri, 22 Feb 2008
On most models of this pickup you're probably going to have the factory hitch in place. We've already taken that off and are starting with the bare frame. The hitch is going to attach at this weld nut here at the end of the frame with these two attachment holes towards the front of the vehicle. Once we are down to the bare frame, the next step is to install the hitch. We use the bolts on the end of the frame to hold the hitch up and then we'll put the other bolts into place then we'll come back to the bolts at the end of the frame and put their washers on. For now we're going to use the two bolts to hold everything in place for us. It's a fairly heavy hitch so you probably want an extra set of hands to help out. At this point we can start installing our bolts. ... more
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Posted: Fri, 8 Feb 2008
To begin our install we have to take out a couple of bolts from the frame first. There are two small ones in the back here, we need to take out the ones closest to the bumper. You need to use a 14mm six sided socket because these are really tight in the frame when you take these off. It's also really good to use this so you don't mess up the bolt head. We need to take those off first, then we'll add some bolts to the end of the frame here and we'll be doing this on both sides. Before we add our bolts to the frame, we have to install this reinforcement bracket and it will lay up inside the frame like that. As you can see we'll take out this bolt and re-use it when we put the bracket in place. At this point we can drop our carriage bolts into place and we'll do that for both sides. ... more
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Posted: Fri, 8 Feb 2008
Traditionally a class III receiver hitch is good for trailers up to 5000 pounds and 500 pounds tongue weight. There are a few different variances from that, we'll show you that here in a second. Again we're going to start with the stickers and show you the differences, as you can see here the max gross trailer weight is 5000 pounds as we discussed. The tongue weight looks to be 500 pounds, again about 10percent of your trailer weight. On the other side of the class III you'll see a sticker for weight distribution. That's a specification when you use a device that goes in between the truck and the trailer that takes up the tongue weight. What it does is distributes the weight between the truck and the trailer and allows you to carry a heavier weight. As far as a class III hitch is concerned, that increases the rating the hitch can handle.... more
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Posted: Thu, 24 Jan 2008
Now we'll move on to a class II receiver hitch. We'll cover the weights on the sticker and cover a couple of differences on the receiver tube itself. You see here it says "weight carrying ballmount" that means the ballmount going into the receiver and the ball, that's what that means. You see here where it says "weight distribution" that's a separate device that allows you to carry heavier weights, that doesn't really apply to class II receiver hitches. Again by itself on the hitch it's rated for 3500 pounds, that's the total weight. The tongue weight is listed at 300 pounds. On the details of the Class II hitch, there's not too many details on it compared to a class one. Basically all class II hitches have this ring that goes around the end of the tube. This is so at a quick glance you're working with a class II. ... more
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Posted: Thu, 24 Jan 2008
We're going to start off with this example here which is a class I hitch. Class I means this hitch is good for trailers up to 2000 pounds. What we're going to show you over here is the sticker which shows the different weights and capacities involved. We'll show you what those mean. As you can see by the sticker here, we're going to show you some notes on it, these stickers will apply to any class hitch that you come across. Once you figure out what this means, you're home free. Starting here at max gross trailer weight which shows 2000 pounds. So that means the total weight you can pull with your trailer, for example if your load on your trailer is 500 pounds, you have 1500 pounds of weight to put on it so it remains at a safe capacity for this hitch. Moving on to this next number which is max gross tongue weight, it shows 200 pounds there. ... more
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Posted: Thu, 24 Jan 2008
Today we're going to cover a common question, what does class I, II, and III mean and what does it mean to my vehicle. We're going to go through them all and show you what the differences are, some are subtle and some are rather apparent. Basically, we'll make it easier for you. We're going to start off with this example here which is a class I hitch. Class I means this hitch is good for trailers up to 2000 pounds. What we're going to show you over here is the sticker which shows the different weights and capacities involved. We'll show you what those mean. As you can see by the sticker here, we're going to show you some notes on it, these stickers will apply to any class hitch that you come across. Once you figure out what this means, you're home free. Starting here at max gross trailer weight which shows 2000 pounds. ... more
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Posted: Thu, 24 Jan 2008
The first step involved is opening the tailgate and lowering the spare tire. There are two factory bolts on each side that have to be removed this one comes out, and this one comes out. Leave this one in its place. You don't have to touch that one. The other attachment point will be this hole here. This is identical on both sides. The truck's prepared, now we can install our hitch up on the frame. Temporarily install it by a couple of bolts to hold it in place, then we can work our other bolts in. Just so you know we used two bolts which we'll come back to later to install the spacers that go behind the hitch and the frame. With your temporary bolts in position you can put the hitch up where it's supposed to go and we still have plenty of movement to go around. Going back to the first bolt we put in, we take that out and there's a washer that goes between the hitch and the frame.... more
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Posted: Wed, 23 Jan 2008
This install will also cover Draw-Tite part # 24757. The first step involved is gaining access to your vehicle, the second step is we can hang the hitch on the tie down loop in the center of the vehicle. This will hold the hitch up while we get the other bolts in. Go ahead and snug up the bolts, but make sure the hitch can still move about. The reason why I left the hitch loose is so we can move this hitch around so we can get to our mounting hole, which is right here. That we way we can move it around and get our hitch in the right spot and put our bolt in. Again we follow the same principles on the other side, you leave it loose so we can move it around, get a good idea of where it's supposed to go and thread your bolt in. Snug the bolts down as tight as you can with your fingers then snug it up with a wrench.... more
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Posted: Wed, 23 Jan 2008
This will also apply to Reese part # 44537 and Hidden Hitch part # 70761. The first step that needs to be taken is to pull the exhaust out of the way in this case we tied it off and pulled it to the side. You can also pull off the rubber exhaust hanger and get the same effect. This van has threaded holes already in the frame and we'll use three of them on each side. While you're here you might want to take a few minutes to clean out the threads to just to make sure everything will thread in okay. At this point we can start installing the hitch. What we're going to do on the passenger side is slide the hitch over the exhaust to hold up that side while we put up the drivers side to keep things steady. We pulled our exhaust back out of the way and now we'll start our first bolt on the passengers side.... more
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Posted: Wed, 23 Jan 2008
To start off the install we have take off three bolts, first we're going to take off these two here, and save them because we'll be using them later. In fact, the hitch uses all the original hardware on the vehicle. Also in a later step this bolt here will be coming off also. The next step is to install the hitch up into the frame. We'll have to work it around the relief springs, we'll have to bring it up at an angle, and bring it up over the relief springs. After that we'll use the stock bolts on the attachment points towards the front of the vehicle, then we'll start the attachments for the rear of the vehicle. Also for this step you want to get an extra set of hands to help out. Now we have the hitch hung by the two forward bolts, we didn't bother with the blocks right now, we'll re-install those later when we get the rear bolts mounted up.... more
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Posted: Wed, 23 Jan 2008
Before we start the installation you want to be sure to lower the spare tire which allows more clearance when you put the hitch on. The attaching points are going to be located on the outside of the frame, the rearmost is going to be this hole here. There are also two forward attaching points here and here. We're going to go ahead and mount the hitch in place. Using the bolt leader provided we're going to feed it through the hole and out the larger hole forward on the frame. You put the block on first, then thread the bolt onto the bolt leader and pull it through the frame. We're going to do the same for the other hole as well. Once you've completed the drivers side, do the same on the passengers side. Once we have all the bolts in place we can torque them down to 75 foot pounds. Once we've finished torquing on one side, repeat on the other. This concludes the installation of part # 87195 on a 2004 Ford F150.... more
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Posted: Wed, 23 Jan 2008
The first thing we need to do is lower the spare tire so we have a little extra working room. What we need to do next is install the bolts in the frame. The hitch uses this hole here and this hole that's taped up. Sometimes both holes are taped up, it's no big deal, it's just a matter of slicing a hole in them and installing the bolts. Make sure this wire gets pushed out of the way because there's a plate on the hitch that will cover up most of the area and you don't want to pinch this. We'll do the same thing for the other side. Next we need to install the bolts which means threading the wire lead onto the bolt, and then the plate and putting the hole assembly through the hole, and pulling it back through. ... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
First step involves getting access to the bumper, which involves removing the spare tire, which gives you more working room. Next we take off these rivets here and here which are on each side. Take those down and pull the bumper cover back a little bit so we'll have working room for our hitch. The next two rows we take out will give us access to the back side of the bumper even more. So we take out this one and there will be one on the corresponding side. The next step will be to mount the hitch up to the bumper which doubles as a hitch too. We mount it through these holes here and what will happen is the hitch will wrap around and we'll run our bolts through, pretty much that will be the most of it right there. The kit does come with extra washers that you can fit behind here if you have excessive play. We seem to be doing okay so we'll just leave it alone. Now that we have the bolts snugged down we'll go ahead and torque them down to there specified torque in the instructions.... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
The Hitch mounts to the side of the bumper brackets and will have a cross member that bolts on between the two brackets. They will mount on the side here and then a bracket will go across. First we'll install the brackets and then worry about the cross member. Starting with the passenger side we'll take out this bolt and this bolt here and we'll install our first side bracket. This bracket will end up being mounted right here. We kind of just finger tight it up here now, so we need to solve this flexibility when we put in the cross member and do any minor adjustments. Just do a hand tight as far as you can go. Now we'll go to the drivers side and we'll take off this bolt here and this bolt here and do the same thing. To get the other bracket on, since the passenger bracket is loose and the whole assembly is loose it's good to have a third hand to help hold the bumper while you put the bracket on. Sometimes it helps to wiggle it to get it started and then you should be okay.... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
This model has preexisting fasteners in the frame here which are corroded out, so we'll have to clean them out first with a bolt and some WD-40 to run through so we can fasten the hitch on. We've already sprayed down the bolts, now we run them just a little bit and back them up and squirt more WD-40 and do it again. Just keep going at until the bolts spin freely. Repeat this on all four bolts if necessary. Once you have the bolt half way in and it backs out pretty easy, chances are you're done. Next is to put the hitch up. Now we torque the rest down to 65 pounds.... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
A few of the parts that have to come out to make way for the hitch on the passengers side are the tie down bracket here and the cannister here. With the cannister, these bolts and this bolt and one in the back will have to come out to lower this. So we can get to that bolt, so we can take it out. This will all go back up when we're done. Next will do this center support. The bracket won't go back up there, but we will reinstall the screw for safe keeping if the hitch ever comes off. Next we'll take off the exhaust hanger right here. After that, we take off the tie down bracket and the exhaust bracket. Next we put the hitch on the vehicle when we have everything out of the way. We also use a strap to pull the exhaust out of the way just to have more working room. We'll untether our muffler here, because next we have to put this bracket up behind the hitch and bolt up inside.... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
To begin with it may be easier to lower the exhaust to provide clearance to remove the heat shield bolt. The next step is to remove the tow down hooks on the drivers and passengers side of the vehicle to expose the existing holes in the frame. This particular model doesn't have tow hooks existing, but you can see the two bolt holes that you would use for the mounting of the hitch. Then we remove the rearmost heatshield mounting bolt under the frame, that the hitch will use for attachment. The next step is to put the hitch up into place and mount it with the holes that go down where the tiedown brackets were removed. Once you have the hitch up into place using the two rearmost fasteners you want to drill out to forward most fasteners on the driver side with a 7/16 inch bit.... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
We are installing part number V82770 on a 2005 on up Chrysler Town and Country with Stow and Go seating. We need to take off this bolt, and all three of these bolts here, this is where the hitch bolts up. We will do that on both sides. One side and now the other. We are going to tighten this back bolt up different from the other side. We can use this to pull the hitch up a little bit closer. These bolts get torqued down to 75 foot-pounds and the ones up front gets torqued down to 43 foot-pounds. And now the other side.... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
This is an install the 2006 HHR we will be using part number 24756. The first step to do is to lower the exhaust and we do that by taking off the rubber hangers on the front and back, and there's one hidden in the back. We just spray them down with WD-40 slide them off and we lower the exhaust. That gives us a little bit more working room right there. On this hitch we have to enlarge this hole to a half-inch and there is one on the opposite side we have to do the same thing with. Now we have to get the bolts inside of the frame. What we will do is we use the fish wire here. Put it through this hole, put it out the big hole, and then pull our hardware from the outside in and then back out this way. It kind of helps to slide it up on the wire first, and this threads in. And it comes out just like that. This hitch uses this hole too. What we'll do is slide your plate on, then your bolt, pop it through the hole, put the plate in, and pull it back on through. Then do it on the other side too.... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
Drop bolts through easy access points on the frame. Next is a simple matter of holding the hitch up and putting the nuts on. Before tightening the bolts up, be sure to center the hitch up with the frame using the edge of a weld. After centering go ahead and tighten the bolts, and the van is ready to go.... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
Okay we are going to do an install on a Honda element using part number 24720. We will take out all the spare tire and the plastic so we can actually do the install. Okay we will go ahead and clean out the trunk area and then get down to the spare tire and take that apart. What we'll do next is tighten this down just enough to snug it to hold it in place, and then we'll see where to drill or holes out using the hitch as a template. We will use the hitch as a template to drill or holes, so we'll just use a drill and let the hitch do the work for us, we will punch right through this thin metal with a half-inch bit. Now we are back inside the vehicle here, we will go ahead and apply sealant to the holes to keep exhaust fumes from coming into the cabin. We will put a simple circle around it then put the bolts through and then go back underneath and start tightening them down.... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
The first task to be done is to pull the bolts through one hole to another on both sides. We'll use the hitch as a template to drill the last two holes. If it is dirty underneath, make sure you take time to shake the bolt to make sure the plate sits flat on the steel inside. Next we hang our hitch from the two bolts installed, then we'll line up the hitch, snug it down and drill the next two holes. When aligning the hitch there is an existing hole in the frame, an oval slot and we even it up with the slot on the hitch. Next we drill the holes on each side using the hitch as a template. Once the holes are drilled, drag the bolts through as done the first time. If you run into the problem of the bolt not coming through, loosen up the hitch a little bit to give you some wiggle room. Sometime the hitch and the frame are not in alignment when you drill the second hole. ... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
First step is to lower the exhaust, some models have dual exhaust this particular model has a single. There's actually four hangars we're going to have to lower to get the exhaust down. Two here, one in the front and one in the rear. Then there are two forward most ones. There is one screw holding each hangar in the rear here, so we can just take out those bolts to lower it. Before you lower the forward most exhaust mounts make sure you support the exhaust. When you remove these the exhaust will fall down. We're using a strap here to hold it tight. Pull the forward most ones off the hangars.... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
One of the first steps involved is we have to remove some parts to have the ability to install the hitch. The pieces that have to be temporarily removed is this support bar right here and this hangar bar gets temporarily removed as well. Next we'll install the hitch with the four bolts we took out and temporarily install it, then we get ready for drilling. Once you get your hitch temporarily up there, tighten it up just enough so we can move the hitch around so it can be centered on the frame. One point to note on the 2006 model there's the existing weld nut that was for the thinner support on the passenger's side gets re-used on this hitch. Run your bolt in there too to make sure you're centered on the frame. Now that you have your hitch centered on the frame, tighten up the bolts the way you want them, because that will help keep the hitch in place while we drill out our holes. ... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
What we'll do next is tighten this down just enough to snug it to hold it in place, and then we'll see where to drill or holes out using the hitch as a template. We will use the hitch as a template to drill or holes, so we'll just use a drill and let the hitch do the work for us, we will punch right through this thin metal with a half-inch bit. Now we are back inside the vehicle here, we will go ahead and apply sealant to the holes to keep exhaust fumes from coming into the cabin. We will put a simple circle around it then put the bolts through and then go back underneath and start tightening them down. All right, now we will go tighten them back up.... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
The first step to do is to lower the exhaust and we do that by taking off the rubber hangers on the front and back, and there's one hidden in the back. We just spray them down with WD-40 slide them off and we lower the exhaust. That gives us a little bit more working room right there. Okay, and then don't forget you have to put the muffler back up. So we will spray down the hangers a little bit and then slide them right on. Check the clearance and make sure it doesn't bounce. We have about, maybe three quarters of an inch, so that should do fine.... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
Now we have to get the bolts inside of the frame. What we will do is we use the fish wire here. Put it through this hole, put it out the big hole, and then pull our hardware from the outside in and then back out this way. It kind of helps to slide it up on the wire first, and this threads in. And it comes out just like that. This hitch uses this hole too. What we'll do is slide your plate on, then your bolt, pop it through the hole, put the plate in, and pull it back on through. Then do it on the other side too.... more
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Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2008
Once we're inside the trunk area, we need to get to the spare tire which has to come out so we don't poke a hole through it when we drill. What we'll do next is hang the hitch from the tow loop right here, then we'll put the hitch in position and that will mark our holes to drill out. What we do next is tighten this bolt down so when we push it up it will stay in position to mark our holes out. With our hitch in position we'll drill out our holes, it's really thin metal and it won't be any trouble at all. As you can see we have our holes drilled out, what we're going to next is put a little ring of silicone around them, to seal the holes so no exhaust fumes get up inside the cabin. The next step is to drop the bolts into place. Now we'll go back underneath the vehicle to make sure they fed through and we'll start tightening them down. What we'll do now since one of our bolts has come through the hitch already, we'll put our nut and washer on loosely. Then we'll go back here and loosen this up so we have room to work with this. Now that we have them started, we'll tighten these down, snug them up and then do our final torquing. Now that we have everything snugged up and looking good, we'll torque everything down. The hitch is installed, the last thing to do is put the spare tire back in and reassemble the trunk and we're good to go. That's all it takes that was part # 24688 for an 2003 Volvo S40 Sedan.
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Posted: Fri, 4 Jan 2008
The Ford E350 full size is a solid work van, and like any good worker, good tools improve performance. Any good work van is incomplete without a trailer hitch, so today we will show you just how easy it is to install a Curt trailer hitch on the Ford E350. This video will show a custom fit hitch that uses existing holes in the frame to quickly bolt on.
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Posted: Wed, 19 Dec 2007
Open up a new world of possibilities for your Dodge Caravan with the installation of a trailer hitch. A hitch will allow you to pull a trailer, use a cargo carrier, or add a bike rack. This means that moving your gear just got much simpler, and riding in the van got more comfortable for your passengers. This video will show the steps needed to correctly install the trailer hitch. It includes some useful tips, such as what order to install the bolts, that will make the installation as easy as possible.
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Posted: Wed, 19 Dec 2007
Occasionally the installation of a trailer hitch requires that an existing hole in the vehicle frame be enlarged. The vehicle manufacturer may have provided a 3/8" or 1/4" hole, but to take advantage of the full towing capacity of the trailer hitch you need a 1/2" bolt. To remedy this you can simply enlarge the hole using a standard drill. Now, don't be scared off by this, because it is really pretty straightforward. This video will demonstrate enlarging a frame hole to 1/2".
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Posted: Mon, 17 Dec 2007
The Toyota Highlander is a great SUV for active individuals or families. It is big enough the get you, a few others, and some gear around town comfortably. But it is not so big that you feel like the captain of the SS Highlander while you are driving. By installing a trailer hitch you can make your Toyota Highlander act like a big truck, but only when you want it to. A trailer hitch allows you to add a bike rack, cargo carrier, or tow a trailer if you have some serious gear to move. This video will make your life much easier, by walking through the steps needed to get your trailer hitch installation on the Toyota Highlander completed quickly and easily.
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Posted: Mon, 17 Dec 2007
If you are not going to tow safely it is best that you do not tow at all. But how are you supposed to know how to tow safely if you have never done it, or if it has been a while. This article will cover the basics of how to tow a trailer. It offers explanations of common towing terms, how to properly load a trailer, and what to do and not do while you are towing.
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Posted: Mon, 17 Dec 2007
The Honda Odyssey is the family friendly workhorse, and it can be much more comfortable than if the family actually rode a horse. Now, with the addition of a trailer hitch it can also haul more gear. You can easily add a bike rack, cargo carrier, or even tow a trailer, which means no one and now, no things have to be left behind. This video demonstrates how to install a custom fit trailer hitch on the Honda Odyssey and gives some helpful tips to make the installation go smooth.
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Posted: Fri, 14 Dec 2007
Ballmounts, ballmounts everywhere. How do you know which one to choose? You could load our ballmounts page and throw a dart at your computer, or you could read our helpful step by step guide on choosing the correct ballmount. This article will explain the different types of ballmounts and how to take measurements of your trailer and vehicle so that the correct ballmount can be yours. Now you can rest easy, knowing that your trailer will tow level.
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Posted: Wed, 12 Dec 2007
The Jeep Liberty is a versatile vehicle, and what your Liberty really wants is more versatility. Go ahead and give your Jeep what it wants by adding a trailer hitch. With a trailer hitch you will be able to carry a bike rack, cargo carrier, tow a trailer, or use some of the other hitch mounted accessories that are available. This video covers some great tips on how to make your trailer hitch installation go smoothly. It will explain how to clean out the bolt holes, make sure the hitch is aligned properly, and how to get a stubborn hole to line up.
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Posted: Wed, 12 Dec 2007
You have a Dodge Ram 1500 full size van, of course you have more cargo space than you will ever need, right? Wrong. You need to pull a trailer to get the really big supplies, like lumber and generators, to the job site. Luckily we offer a custom fit hitch that will install easily, so getting it on and ready to use won't feel like a side job. This video lays out the steps needed to get the hitch installed and offers some helpful pointers to ensure everything will fit the way it is supposed to.
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Posted: Tue, 11 Dec 2007
The Subaru Forester is a very popular vehicle with the outdoors, going places, and got stuff to do crowds. If you own a Forester and fit into any of these crowds, adding a trailer hitch is a great way to get some extra versatility out of an already quite versatile vehicle. It will allow you to tow, carry bikes, add a cargo carrier, tailgate table, or flaunt your team's superiority with a tube cover. This video will take you through the steps needed to bolt up the hitch. It is a fairly straight forward installation but there are some tips you will want to be aware of, such as the order to install parts, that will make your installation go smoothly.
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Posted: Mon, 10 Dec 2007
Lowering the exhaust on my vehicle? Yikes! that sounds hard to do. Well, it is simple. So simple that it can usually be done in less than a minute, even if you have never done it before. To install a trailer hitch, sometimes you need a bit more working room to get a hand or wrench to the bolts. Removing the exhaust from the hanger bracket so it can be lowered or moved will sometimes be just the trick needed to get the room you need and make getting everything into position a breeze.
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Posted: Fri, 7 Dec 2007
The Chevy Aveo is a small efficient car, but that doesn't mean you have to go without a trailer hitch. We offer a couple of options that are custom fit to the Aveo and will let you carry a Class I bike rack, tow a small trailer, or use a tow strap to pull a Ford F350 Super Duty out of the mud. Well, maybe you shouldn't pull anybody out of the mud with an Aveo, but it will work great for the bike rack or trailer.
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Posted: Fri, 7 Dec 2007
The Mazda CX-9, recently named the SUV of the year, just got even better. Now etrailer.com has a custom fit trailer hitch, for way less than what the dealer will charge, and it bolts up in just a few minutes. This video shows the Hidden Hitch Class III being installed. It has a 4,000 pound towing capacity and a 2 inch receiver opening, so it will work for towing a utility trailer, with a wide range of bike racks, a cargo carrier, or any of hundreds of other hitch mounted accessories that we offer.
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Posted: Fri, 7 Dec 2007
The Ford Escape Hybrid has been an extremely popular vehicle because it combines the functionality of an SUV with the economy and environmentally friendly nature of a hybrid. Just because you have a hybrid, that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice the functionality and convenience that a trailer hitch offers. This video shows just how simple it is to add a hitch to your hybrid suv so that you can continue to tow trailers, use a bike rack, cargo carrier, or any of the other hundreds of hitch mounted accessories available today.
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Posted: Thu, 6 Dec 2007
Most trailer hitches that we sell at etrailer.com are custom fit to bolt directly to the frame of your vehicle, using existing holes. This video is a good example of just how easy it can be to install your own custom fit hitch. To install the hitch on a Chevy Express full size van, we drop in the bolts, torque them down, and we are finished. It can be that easy to add the convenience of all the accessories a trailer hitch allows, along with the ability to tow a trailer.
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Posted: Wed, 5 Dec 2007
There is a lot of confusion about what parts are needed to be able to safely and legally tow a trailer. The basic parts are a trailer hitch, ballmount, pin and clip, trailer hitch ball, and a wiring harness. With today's tips article we describe these parts and offer additional information about towing. You may also want to check out our article explaining hitch sizes.
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Posted: Thurs, 29 Nov 2007
With today's custom fit trailer hitches, doing your own installation can be quick and easy. Most hitches can be designed to fit perfectly to the frame of your vehicle, and will quickly bolt on. This article offers some tips and tricks to help your trailer hitch installation go as smooth as possible.
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Posted: Thurs, 29 Nov 2007
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Help Section
How to install a trailer hitchTowing system componentsExplanation of hitch classesTrailer Hitch Classes and Weight CapacitiesChoosing the correct ballmountHow to determine your hitch sizeTips on how to tow a trailerClass I Trailer Hitch Review and Weight CapacitiesClass II Trailer Hitch Review and Weight CapacitiesClass III Trailer Hitch Review and Weight CapacitiesMaking a bolt leader with stove wireLowering exhaust pipe - 2008 Toyota HighlanderLowering the exhaust pipeUsing fish wireMinor drilling for hitch installEnlarge an existing frame holeQuestions and AnswersHitch Installations
Acura
Valley Trailer Hitch Installation - 2008 Acura RDX - v82112Trailer Hitch Installation - 2008 Acura RDX - 75563Trailer Hitch Installation on a 2007 Acura MDX - V82111Buick
Installation on a 2004 Buick Rendezvous - V82571Cadillac
Trailer Hitch Installation - 2004 Cadillac CTS - 60830Chevy
Trailer Hitch Installation - 2007 Chevy HHR - 60815Front Trailer Hitch Installation on 2007 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD - 65050Trailer Hitch Installation on a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado - V82123Draw-Tite Ultra Frame Trailer Hitch Installation - Chevy Silverado - 41934Installation - 1997 Chevy Express VanInstallation - 2006 Chevy HHRInstallation - 2007 Chevy AveoInstallation - 2006 Chevy UplanderChrysler
Installation - 2008 Chrysler 300 Touring EditionInstallation - 2005 Chrysler Town and Country with Stow and GoDodge
Trailer Hitch Installation on a 2007 Dodge Charger - 36325Trailer Hitch Installation on a 1999 Dodge Neon - 24678Trailer Hitch Installation on a 2006 Dodge Durango - 75292Trailer Hitch Installation - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan - 75305Installation - 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 vanInstallation - 2004 Dodge CaravanFord
Trailer Hitch Installation - 2007 Ford RangerTrailer Hitch Installation - 2004 Ford F150 - 87195Installation - 2006 Ford E350Installation - 2005-2007 Ford Escape HybridInstallation - 2000 Ford WindstarGMC
Trailer Hitch Installation - 1998 GMC JimmyInstallation - 2002 GMC Savana VanHonda
Trailer Hitch Installation - 2006 Honda Fit - 11058Trailer Hitch Installation on a 2005 Honda Accord - 60953Installation - 2006 Honda OdysseyInstallation - Honda ElementHyundai
Trailer Hitch Installation - 2007 Hyundai Sonata - 60816Trailer Hitch Installation - 2006 Hyundai Entourage - 75421Isuzu
Installation - 1997 Isuzu RodeoJeep
Trailer Hitch Installation on a 1997 Jeep Cherokee - 87591Installation - 2005 Jeep LibertyInstallation - 2007 Jeep Lorado 4X4Mazda
Trailer Hitch Installation on a 2005 Mazda 3 - 60999Trailer Hitch Installation on a 2003 Mazda Tribute - V82200Installation - 2008 Mazda CX-9Mercury
Trailer Hitch Installation - 2006 Mercury Grand Marguis LS - 36116Trailer Hitch Installation on a 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid - V82211Nissan
Trailer Hitch Installation - 2005 Nissan Murano - 90073Trailer Hitch Installation - 2007 Nissan Xterra - 75291Pontiac
Installation - 2004-2005 Pontiac VibeSaturn
Trailer Hitch Installation on a 2008 Saturn Outlook - 87435Subaru
Installation - 2007 Subaru ForesterInstallation - 2004 Subaru ForesterSuzuki
Hitch Installation on a 2004 Suzuki XL7 - 87005Toyota
Trailer Hitch Installation - 1998 Toyota Tacoma - V81590Trailer Hitch Installation - 2000 Toyota Tacoma - 87579Installation - 2008 Toyota HighlanderInstallation - 1998 Toyota CamryVolvo
Installation - 2003 Volvo S40