Most Popular 17000 lbs GTW for 2005 Ford F-150

I just opened up my new Class 5 Curt XD hitch and have not yet installed it so my comments are based on first impressions only. It is very heavy duty - and heavy at 40 lbs. - made of extremely thick metal and outfitted with quality Grade 8 bolts with square necks so they won’t turn when torquing on the nuts to attach the main tube to the side mounting plates. My bolts are plated yellow (which I like) rather than silver as you may have seen in some online photographs. It is substantially beefier than my existing Grade 4 hitch and superior in every way. It’s an impressive piece of hardware. I cannot imagine anyone being disappointed with it on specifications, quality, strength, and general appearance. It’s a beast. What I AM disappointed in is Curt’s packaging and the condition in which the hitch arrived. (This is NOT a reflection on etrailer.com as the hitch arrived in Curt’s original packaging.) The unassembled main tube and the two side mounting plates come bundled together with nothing separating them but shrink wrap. No cardboard, plastic, even paper coming between the metal surfaces - just shrinkwrap probably not even a couple of mils thick. With basically metal-to-metal contact in an oversized-box with the bundle jostling around, it would be a miracle if there were no scratches, gouges, or some type of damage to at least one piece, which is exactly what happened to my hitch. The main hitch tube, on the exterior facing plane, on the driver side where I’ll see it every day, has some gouges on it that go through the powder-coating to bare metal. I can - and will - paint them to prevent rust (and, therefore, have to paint the whole hitch to match). But the gouges will still be noticeable as they go through the thicker, pebbly, powder-coat finish and will undoubtedly still appear as depressions in the surface even once painted. I fully realize this kind of surface damage will almost certainly happen with regular usage of the hitch anyway and that it’s certifiable to demand absolute perfection in anything. But if you are someone who cares about the aesthetics of your equipment and keeping it looking new for as long as possible, it is very disappointing to receive such an expensive and prominent piece of hardware damaged right out of the box and requiring immediate repainting. The plastic parts bag had also ripped open in transit, with nuts, bolts, shims, etc. rattling around in the box. I am dumbfounded that Curt packages such a high-quality piece of equipment so shoddily where such damage is virtually unavoidable. I bought from Curt solely due to their being an American manufacturer and to support American workers so this is doubly discouraging. It’s a trivial complaint in the big scheme of things and not worth demanding a replacement over. Just be aware that unless Curt changes their packaging practices it is very possible you will have the wind taken out of your towing project sails just as I have. Again, this in no way reflects on etrailer. My experience to date with etrailer (website, educational resources, staff reviews, ordering, tracking, email contact, etc.) has been beyond exemplary in every way. They rank as a Top Five online retailer in my opinion, maybe even the best.

First of all, the products you find at etrailer are not your garden variety, home depot kind of fair. Much higher quality and grade/weight ratings. So to be able to get hard to find items and then by orderring at least 100$ worth of stuff also get it delivered free in 4 days, is awesome. The prices are incredible too.

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