Most Popular 4500 lbs GTW for 2017 Ford Explorer

Due to the sales rep not ordering my wife's 2017 ford explorer with the tow package (always inspect what you expect) I was forced to search for a hitch. Initially etrailer offered it at $160 which was more than I was willing to pay. After waiting a couple months the price dropped to a comfortable level. The package arrived in good shape (my e-150 hitch had chipped paint due to the shipper's carelessness). The hitch bolted up quite seemlessly, though being a mortal, it took me 2:24 (more than the :45 suggested). The bolt leader for feeding the hardware was an awesome addition to the installation and the wiring harness I also ordered was a breeze especially with the instructional video. I would place the wiring harness between the frame and the hitch. I didn't and you can see the missed opportunity in my pic. Also, the carriage bolt shoulder IS too small and needs to be standard length. In hind sight, I'd buy a standard carriage bolt like suggested in another review, but made it work with a crowbar. Having ordered the 4-way harness, I realize that it doesn't include a reverse wire, so be aware of that. Also, you will want a deep well socket for the new bushing carriage bolts. Not knowing this hitch came with a mounting bracket I also bought the 4-way plug bracket. The 4-way plug bracket was also an awesome addition. Buy some vinyl tube for the outside carriage bolt on this bracket (for sound dampening) and you'll be a happy camper.

First off let me give the hitch a solid 5 star. It is solid and fits with no modifications involved. I used a little dish soap on the hangers and they slid right off my brand new 2017 Explorer. It looks good but does hang lower then the hidden OEM hitch but doesn't stick out as a sore thumb, so I consider this hitch to be well worth the money and would buy again and recommend it to others just read on for my complaint. I also used the CURT Manufacturing 56306 Custom Wiring Harness which was painless install except don't use the enclosed diagram of the plug connections as they don't match the plug color code they have on the plug, the color code works fine just follow the wire color and wire location. I added a 4 wire flat connector to the plug also and used wire ring lugs just in case the wires might vibrate loose. I also used the CURT 58000 Easy-Mount Electrical Bracket to mount the plug assembly which was also painless. I did the install alone and didn't have any problems installing it except for the below. It may help if you have a helping hand to lift and hold the hitch when the time comes to raise it but I had no problems by myself. Now the reason for the 2 stars I gave it. The bolt package is mostly good but the carriage bolts for the muffler brackets are a joke. The nuts are a locking type so they don't work off from vibration. That is well and good but the carriage bolts have a short shoulder, at least on the one's I got so when you try to tighten the nut it doesn't grab the square hole enough to let you tighten it. Hence the carriage bolt turns, I tried everything short of welding the bolt in place and gave up as I didn't have a welder. By this time the truck was torn apart and I had to find a store to get new bolts. Closest store to me, I live in a rural area, was about 1 hour away. Of course try to find a 7/16 carriage bolt, HD doesn't carry them. Next stop Farm Store, no luck there either. So instead of wasting any more time I just bought two 7/16 bolts. They did work in my case as there was clearance between the frame and mounting bracket and I could get a wrench on both sides to tighten to where it needed to be with the supplied nuts, if you go this route take the nuts with you to make sure you get the correct size bolt and the carriage bolt for length. So after a couple hours looking for bolts it took me quite awhile to install because of this. If the carriage bolts supplied would have worked I could have installed it in about 1/2 hour as I had the tools and place to install it. I WOULD ADVISE BEFORE YOU START ESPICALLY IF THIS IS YOU ONLY VEHICLE TO BUY THE BOLTS BEFORE YOU START. YOU WILL NOT KNOW IF THE CARRAGE BOLTS WILL WORK UNTIL YOU TRY TO INSTALL THE RUBBER MUFFLER ISOLATORS/HANGERS. Your vehicle is apart at this stage If the supplied bolts had worked and I didn't have to spend so much time looking for replacement bolts this job could have been done in less time that was stated for installation which is 45 minutes. Like I said a solid 5 stars for the hitch and 1 star for the hardware.

Excellent product. and great service from etrailer . Shipping was very quick and price was right.

This is a nice, heavy duty hitch. Probably heavier duty than the 2011 Rav4 I put it on, but I like the 2" size reciever for the flexibility. You can always adapt down, but going up can be tricky. It was about a 20 minute install with about 40 minuets of up and down looking for a tool. Mine dod not have the bolt on muffler hanger the instructions referenced, but that was just a couple of bolts I didn't have to worry about. One trick I have learned with installing hitches on the ground by yourself is to use a jack to hold it up and in place while you start the bolts. The other is to run the bolts into the holes before you get the hitch into position. If the hole wasn't use, it ca be full of grit and road grime and it is a lot easier to deal with it before you have an 80 pound hitch hovering over you head. As always, eTrailer was a great source. I think this is the seventh hitch I have bought and installed from them over the years. I still the they need to include an "I got hitched at eTrailer" bumper sticker with every purchase, but I suppose solid service and affordable pricing is good enough.

I bought the Draw-Tite for a 2018 Ford Edge Sport. I saw lots of discussion about throwing out the heat shield, which left the rear bumper flimsy. I was able to trim the heat shield, reinstall it, which firmed up the rear bumper cover. Attached are some pics showing how this was done. Basically, trim off the ends and center piece, anything that would extend back towards the hitch. I used a Dremel cut off wheel and Tin snips, worked great. Then, cut a 3 inch square next to the centerpiece opening. Do not cut the heat shield material. This allows the receiver part of the hitch to fit in the opening. Then, trim the ends by following the heat shield material. Slide the heat shield back in place starting from one end and pushing it across and back into place. Reattach all bumper cover bolts, that will firm up the bumper cover. Pull wires worked great. I used jack stands to hold the hitch in place and installed it myself. Just watch the video a couple of times, it was not that hard. I bought the Curt wiring harness as I wanted to keep the pigtail inside when not using, which will be about 95% of the time. Good product, easy install.

The install went easier than expected. 3 Hours start to finish by myself. There were a few bare edges where paint was removed during shipping, which will be the first to rust. I might try to touch it up but in past experience this doesn't help much. Adding some padding on the edges of the frame might prevent damage during shipment. To the install. I am a moderately skilled shade-tree mechanic, and anyone who can do minor car repairs should be able to tackle this install. Removing the trim was easy. Using a strap to lower the muffler was not too bad (even detaching the hangers wasn't too bad). I would definitely go this route instead of removing the bumper cover as some others have mentioned... much easier. The hardest part was getting the hitch frame in place without a helper. I ended up using some landscaping bricks and an old empty car battery to lay one end of the frame on while I attached the other. Having someone to hold one side while you attach the other would make this part MUCH easier. Still, I was able to tackle it without too much trouble. Note the frame IS heavy, so you won't be able to just hold it up while you get the bolts attached. After that, I tightened the bolts, re-hung the muffler, and put the trim back on and it looks and works great! Now I can go fishing again with my new Edge. Also of note, the backup camera and the automatic rear hatch sensor still work fine. You do have to "kick" to just one side of the hitch or the other... but it works no differently than before. Very satisfied with the product, as long as it lasts the life of the car without rusting to pieces... which time will tell on that front.