Most Popular 1000 lbs Vert Load for 2018 Ford Explorer

Plastic trim that direction stated to be trimmed were not even close. Had to majorly trim plastic in bumper center section. Other than that it was straight forward

Just what I wanted. Been wanting to get this and install. Pretty straight forward for my boy and I. Took about 2 1/2 hours. Hardest part was the cutting of the plastic and marking everything but we got through it. Only thing wrong the license plat bracket was welded crooked, I don’t need it was going to run so it’s hidden. Could not ocd got me.

Review for truck front hitch receiver I finally Installed the front receiver hitch today, I pulled it out of its package and found all parts wrapped to the receiver hitch good call as there was a hole in the box. The license plate holder received some damage it was bent some. Installation. I reviews the video prior and read the instructions. Had to purchase a 4 inch hole saw and a torque wrench that added to the cost of the hitch. Installation was for the most part straight forward, when the video cuts from shot to shot I now know all the cussing and swearing are done during that time as it’s very difficulty to get the hitch in over/under the exiting hardware, solo installer took me 3.45 hrs to install, tight fit under the truck to maneuver under the truck. Bolts back into original tow hooks was a total Pain in the A$$ trying to hold up the hitch and the hooks while trying to maneuver the hold back in. (Had to take it out as I inserted on the wrong side) I will say that installation is doable by novice front yard mechanic but with a difficulty of 7 out of 10, trying to get the bolts torqued to specs is difficult due to clearance and angle of the bolts. Make sure you have deep well sockets because the new bolts for the hitch and long and a standard size socket will not be able to grip the nut as you tighten it down to specs. Put the bike rack on the hitch receiver and found that the hole that we drilled out to put the hitch in is not big enough. The bolt for the hitch goes in from the right and there was barely enough room to get it in the hole, used a wrench to tighten it but it was slow going, the other issue was that on the left side there is a hitch lock I struggled to get it on, but then could not reach in to remove the key. So final outcome was I had to drill out another 4 inch section of the bumper to get to the key. If your hitch has a bolt on bike rack like the swagman e-bike rack you want it to be secure so the bolt is a must this option may not be the best option. The bikes block the headlights so no night driving with the bikes on the rack. The handlebars need to be folded down otherwise the bikes will ride too high on the front and obstruct your vision. If I had to do it again I would have gotten the hitch that is lower and would not have to drill out my bumper, and it would have given me more visual clearance. I did take a shot drive with the bikes in front it will take a bit to get used to them being in the front as well as making wide turns while towing the RV that I don’t take out the car in front of me.

It was delivered on time in 2 days. The installer mentioned that it was packed very well in a nice box. It is strong enough for various uses. The magnetic Lic. plate holder covers the hitch when not in use, you would never know what's hidden behind it. I used it for a bike rack this weekend and will be using it for a cargo platform next.

This is the second front hitch receiver I have installed from Etrailer, and I am just as impressed with this purchase, as I was with the previous one. One thing to note: the product states is not compatible with the brush guards, and that is not accurate. It was very troublesome to lineup both the brush guard supports, and the receiver supports with the frame. But it is doable with patience, an extra set of hands, and colorful use of the adult language. (installation w/o a brush guard was a cake walk) I had my previous front hitch on an F150 for 5 years, and have had this one on my current F250 for a little over a year. They hold up very well, provide versatility to haul loads on the front of the truck, so you can fully utilize the bed, or tow a full trailer. This is now the first modification I suggest to new truck owners.

Let me start by saying this is not the first front receiver I've purchased from etrailer all my trucks get front receivers for winches. This time though the box shows up on time but the corner is blown open and the receiver is hanging out. Also the bag of bolts has been ripped open and half the bolts are loose in the open box but to my surprise after counting everything, they were all there.spray foam packing would have mitigated all that. Moving on. Went to install the receiver and the end mounting plates are 1/4 inch too tight. Won't fit the frame rails. Had to spread each side 1/8 out with a Hydraulic bottle jack. Apparently using a jig during the manufacturing process is optional these days. After all that I finally got it to fit good. It looks good and the welds seem adequate. I think it could have been installed in an hour by myself if not for having to "adjust" it but was still done in under 2 hours.