Most Popular 5000 lbs WD 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.

Got it for a bike rack for my mini bike came with everything I needed and instructions way better than I expected and a great price would buy again 10000%

Came with everything I needed. Great installation video on product page. Game with paper instructions as well. Had a hard time fishing a bolt through the frame, but ended up getting it after about 20 minutes. Product looks great and fit great. Looking forward to using it.

Awesome low profile hitch. It looks great on my Ford Explorer! The installation was super easy. I got it installed in about 30 minutes. The only issue I ran into was removing the exhaust brackets from the factory. They were pretty tough to remove. Had to use a cheater bar to get them off. Other than that, the install was super easy. Everything fit perfectly! The install video was dead on. Watched it a couple of times and knew exactly what to do. Again, awesome hitch!

Really like the way the Curt trailer hitch receiver looks on my 2017 Explorer. Class III receiver should be adequate for my 19’ center console boat. Thanks.

Nice hitch. Unfortunately it broke through the box during shipping. UPS is tough on bulky heavy products but having zero packing material to keep it from sliding around in the box is more of the root cause problem in my opinion. This hitch has very little clearance at the receiver tube and bumper facier. I wasn’t able to use the anti rattle clamp that I also purchased.

Great hitch. Installed myself. Fairly straightforward. Recommend having something to hold the hitch in the up position while under the car to assist while installing. Only complaint, no torque rating for the bolts that hold the hangers. That would be helpful.