Arrives before Christmas To see if this custom-fit item will work for you please tell us what vehicle you'll use it with.
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This fully welded trailer hitch receiver bolts onto your Ford Explorer's frame with no welding required. Matte black, powder coated steel is durable and corrosion resistant and creates a rugged look.
Features:
Specs:
The sturdy steel construction is protected with a matte black finish for added durability. This unique powder coating gives etrailer hitches a carbide-like appearance and a rugged look that sets them apart from traditional glossy hitches. In addition to being rust and corrosion resistant, the tough matte coating hides dirt, scuffs, and dings better than a glossy finish.
At etrailer we're committed to the products we sell, and to our customers. Our experienced and knowledgeable staff are available via both phone and email to address your questions and concerns for the lifetime of your hitch. The technicians at etrailer perform hitch installations on a daily basis, making them a valuable resource for do-it-yourselfers. The one-on-one, personal service you'll receive comes straight from an expert in the towing and automotive field. We've installed it, we've wired it and we've towed with it, so whatever your question, we can answer it.
FIT BETTER THAN THE ORGINAL
With standard shipping, my 2012 Ford Explorer Class 3 hitch and trailer wiring harness were at my door in 4 days with standard shipping. The online video plus the included instructions were all that was needed to make this job staightforward. I used a racing jack to hold up the exhaust after taking it off the hangers. This allows you to move the rear mufflers side to side a bit making it easier to get at the mounting bolts up on the frame. Took less than 1 hour. Everything fit perfectly. The inline wiring kit was remarkably easy once you figure out that on the Explorer you need to connect into the black plug not the white one. The kit's plug is color coded to lead you to this but it isn't stated in the directions. Paying a dealership to do something this simple would be a crime no one should commit.
Item as described and fast shipping. Great seller.
This went on a week old 2013 Explorer. The hitch arrived by UPS in only a few days and took me about 60 minutes to install. It was surprisingly easy. The quality of the Hitch seems good. This saved me a lot of $$ versus having a hitch installed.
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%
Excellent product, assembly without problems, the only thing that needs to be worked on is the shipping packaging, the box was very large without any padding, which caused the box to break and it even arrived with holes on some sides, other than that, everything was fine.
Fast shipping, plenty of communication on when my package will arrive, extremely well made, durable, all hardware was highest quality, excellent fit, and easy to find installation videos online even though detailed instructions with pictures were provided with package. Have not used it yet, but can’t wait to test it out on our maiden voyage, towing our pop-up. Thank you etrailer!
The trailer hitch had everything that was needed to install on my 2017 Ford Explorer Utility (former police explorer). I was able to complete the install in 1.5 hours using the auto shop on our military base that has a lift.
Looks great, easy to install. I am Very happy with the results!
Brooke M.
4/16/2025
Thanks for sending in the photo, Zan! You knocked it out of the park with the install. What will you be using it for now that it's ready to go?
The hitch was well made and the finish was good. The installation was simple and the video instructions were great. It took me a couple of hours to install but that was because I painted the frame where the hitch was mounting. I do not have a lift so I did the install in my driveway and it was still very easy. The only improvement that would be nice would be if there was a tab welded to the hitch to mount a wiring connector bracket.
Overall, this fit nicely and is exactly what we needed. One piece of info though that needs further clarification. There's a carriage bolt and special spacer plate that need a little extra instruction. The square hole on the spacer plate is not "in the center". The instruction needs to point out whether the longer end of that spacer is "forward" or "aft" of the hole in the chassis. It's important because it affects the spacing of the carriage bolt with respect to the other two mounting holes. The exploded view in the instructions show it one way, the online video shows it the other way, neither give any mention to the importance.
Orientation of carriage bolt spacer being fished up into the frame needs to be the longer end towards the back of the vehicle as shown in the video at ~3:26. The printed instructions show it both ways. It took a while to remove both pieces and reverse it when I originally installed it the other way.
Bonus tip... If you have the 4WD (AWD) model (mine's a 2017) and you're planning on replacing the rear differential's fluid (80W-90), you can get to the fill plug much easier with the exhaust slightly out of the way (i.e. when you're installing this receiver). Also, there's no drain plug, but you should be able to extract about 90% of the fluid from the fill plug port. Cheers!
Easy install, great product. No issues what so ever, until this past week when my vehicle was stolen along with the hitch. I'm all but certain it continues to to serve someone well. Lol I'll be back to purchase one again soon!
I wasn’t able to use the hitch, because we sold the vehicle before I could install it. It’s currently sitting unused in my garage, and I have no need for it. I tried to return it and purchase another from etrailer for the Jeep we purchased, but no one would help me.
The installation video was super helpful, making installation of my new hitch straightforward and easy overall. Excited to use this hitch!
WORKS GOOD HAD TO SHIM HITCH SO IT WONT RATTLE
Perfect fit, and exactly what I needed to haul my boat with my explorer. I only buy hitch products from etrailer.com
We had installed by a guy who had a lift and it was trouble free.
We used it pulling a small 6x8 trailer, enclosed, full to the brim, from Arizona to Iowa. Everything worked great! Definitely recommend.
Nice trailer receiver. It was easy to i nstall.
Fits neatly under back bumper and doesn't stand out like older types of bolt on hitch receivers. Installation was easy enough. I see a small spot of rust already after the first week which is disappointing.
Justin E.
8/18/2023
Update a year later, no further rust, still looks the same. Still very solid
Mike L.
9/13/2023
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 product super easy to install highly recommend product. Directions were spot on. One tip I have is to use a floor jack to support the exhaust system rather than a tie off quicker to drop and raise the exhaust.
Cjd X.
3/25/2023
Awesome! bike rack, extension for storage , pulling jetski, log splitter.
Everything about this trailer hitch receiver was excellent from the customer service, purchase, on-time delivery, installation instructions and the installation process. Did have to make one run to Home Depot to purchase the right size socket, but that is on me, not etrailer. The fit up to my 2017 Ford Explorer is factory perfect as shown in the photo. Thank you etrailer.
Great company. Customer service is unma tched
Trailer hitch arrived quickly and install video was excellent. The hardest part was lowering the exhaust from the hangers I chose the eTrailer hitch because of the powder black coating instead of the glossy black. You can see that the hitch is barely noticeable and fits tightly under the bumper! My lab Riley also digs it!
Thanks!
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Victoria H.
2/20/2025
I'm happy this worked out so perfectly for you, Musa! Mini bikes are so much fun! Do you have a favorite place you like to ride?