Best 2012 Dodge Ram Pickup Front Receiver Hitches

Got this on my 2006 2500 Ram. I did avoid drilling the holes over 1 inch (suggested in the directions) by loosening the bumper bolts and prying out some brackets in the frame ends temporarily (just to get the bolts fished thru). I pushed the brackets back in after getting the bolts in place (and believe the bumper bolts will squeeze them to hold them), but I did bend some tabs that I can't get back to original. My bumper bolts on the driver side wouldn't go in far enough (hitting a cooler) to be totally flush for a completely vertical lift into place, so I had to swing it up there first, then do the passenger side. The first pair of bolt fishing went good, but then I had trouble getting the wires off the bolts (they were tight enough that the more I tried to twist them off, the tighter they gripped it). So instead of them coming off like twisting a nut off, I ended up peeling them off (with the bolts staying stationary and my peeling the wire around them). That slightly bent the wires so they were slightly bigger than the threads and while fishing the second set, the wire didn't stay in the threads and jammed the bolt in the hole a bit (but I still got them in place). So watch how you treat the fishing wires until done. I already have a winch mounted on a hitch bracket, but may use this for more things besides that.

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The instructions were good but could be printed larger for those of us with old eyes. The YouTube video was excellent and gave me the confidence to perform the installation myself. This front hitch is just what I needed to use for a canoe carrier over the front of my truck. Thank you.

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Great product. Installed on 2012 ram 2500 megacab 6.7. Installed this in tandem with Ranch Hand Legend grille guard. Works perfect. When installing I used a breaker bar on the inner tow hook nuts. This allows you a straight shot to the nuts. Used impact on outer bolts. I also used a chain fall mounted to ceiling in garage to hold hitch in place while bolting up. Install time Was 45 minutes . If I had help it would be a 20 minute job.

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This review is only for the quality of the product which seems to be very good and the ease of installation. I had just installed a grill removal kit on my Dodge Ram available for around $25 from another vendor, and took the grill out for easier access to the top bolts. This made the installation a lot easier. Used a magnet to place the washer on the high inside bolts and to hold the nut while I got it started by turning the bolt. The two outside bolts were easy to get to from the back side. The Lower inside bolts were probably the most difficult, started them by hand. I have a Craftsmen "open" socket wrench, where the bolts can run through the socket it is completely open on both ends and the socket plugs into/through the wrench. This seemed easier to do the holding of the nut while I turned the bolt from the outside to tighten it. There was no easy way to tighten the nuts from the inside, easily, especially the inside nuts. Very content with the product. Bolts and nuts provided seemed fine and torqued to 53lbs without issue. Would have liked to have used a bigger diameter bolt, but I was only able to fit one 12 MM (same diameter but longer) per sidelike the ones that originally held the toe hook but I could only fit one 12MM bolt per side.

My front mount receiver hitch for my 97 Dodge Ram came in perfect shape and in a timely manner, the installation went very smooth and instructions were very easy. Only thing I recommend is a little longer sway bar bolts would be nice, just a little hard to get started. Other than that perfect easy company to work with and shipping was great I will be using etrailer for future purchases thank you!!

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Perfect fit... I use the front hitch quite often on my dodge service truck... As a portable sawmill service the choice between backing the sawmill up the narrow winding driveway that goes up and over the ridge the log deck or hitching it up to the front and driving it into place is no question... Another use has been positioning the travel trailer... No clearance with the service box for tight turns... Full range of turn off the front...

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Perfect fit for my truck and no install problems. I made another great decision on etrailer.com , thanks.

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Priced below MSRP with free shipping. Quality construction, fit well with minor enlarging of frame holes. Corner braces to front bumper would not fit over the hitch, braces were cut and welded 3/4" shorter and all was well. Install took the better part of 3 hours laying on my back in the carport. I bought this to sometimes mount a Warn winch, and move trailers around the yard.

Easy ordering, quick delivery, relatively simple installation. Took a couple of hours from start to finish and worked perfectly to back my camper/trailer into a tight space.

Received the item a day before it was scheduled for delivery. Package well and was a good price! Thanks, Jared

The hitch is very well made and arrive in 2 days! Instructions were clear and easy to follow. Very satisfied with my purchase.

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Quality product that is low profile and fits the truck nicely. On my '03 Dodge Ram 2500, I was able to retain my Banks Ram Air intake that mounts below it!

Fast delivery. Fits like a glove on my 2012 Ram 2500 4x4. Installed by myself, took about an hour and half using two jack stands. Hardest part was getting the hole centered in the air dam. Only concern was whether I could get the bumper back to factory location as mine dropped appox 1/4". Couldn't get it back but took measurements and it was still level. Looks great!!

This hitch was for a 2012 Ram 2500 fit and finish was perfect and the low profile design helps it hide well under the truck behind the valence

Easy to install and durable. I used this to hold a 80 qt. cooler in an aluminum surf fishing rack, full of ice and fish. It was rock solid. You do have to get used to it being there when pulling into a parking space with a concrete curb in front of you. Even then the curb usually loses.

Was easy to install and fit like a glove on my 2019 classic body Ram 1500 truck 4x4. E-trailer shipped it fast to. Got it in less than five business days.

Customer service is top notch! I erred and ordered the wrong hitch and they made it right quick.

Seamless install in my ram 3500. Came well packaged and secured. The truck bolts were a little bit harder to get to but the instructions were very helpful and thorough, which is a truck issue not a product issue. Looking forward to using for a generator rack for our truck camper.

My truck (a 2014 ram 3500) was buried in mud, sitting on the frame. I used this hitch as a lift point to jack the truck up and get rocks under the tires. The hitch held up great to the weight in the truck and I was able to get the truck out with minimal effort. I have a 2012 stuck in the mud as well and so I will see how well it holds up to a winch. Definitely using this beyond its design limits but it’s proving worth the money.

Just what I was looking for. Thank you.

I ordered these two, front and rear for a 1990 GEO Tracker 4 wheel drive that I am rebuilding. I believed they would fit, I finally got around to mounting them and they don't fit, to large. I think I have had them to long to return them.

First the good news; it does fit the truck (2018 RAM 3500) without any drilling, just some trimming of the plastic air dam below the bumper is necessary, but that's easy enough. So I give it 4 stars, and would have given 5 but for the bad news. The bad news is that etrailer doesn't pack these hitches very well to protect them from getting knocked around in transit. The hitch is heavy steel and it's just basically wrapped in a regular cardboard box with no protective bracing at all. This is the second hitch I've bought from eTrailer which had this problem, the other being a front hitch for a Toyota Tundra. What happens is they get dropped in the shipping process and the "wings" get bent so the distance between those wings become to small to fit over the frame rails in the vehicle. The first time it happened I didn't understand why the hitch wouldn't fit, so I called tech support at etrailer and they explained what they thought had happened and suggested I "spread" the wings back out by using a jack and a piece of wood. I did that and the hitch then fitted just fine. Now I get this one, and it had the exact same problem. Since this was not new territory this time I knew how to fix it, but it's still a pain to have to hunt around for just the right bits of wood etc and spend time on this extra step. Judging by how quickly the tech support diagnosed the problem the first time around, I'm thinking this is something which happens often enough for them to be familiar with it. So it's a little surprising to me that etrailer hasn't come up with a fix. A simple piece of wood (a 2 x 4, say) cut to exactly the right distance between the (unbent) wings, and held in place with tape or something would prevent the wings from getting bent inwards if (when is more like) it's dropped on one end in the warehouse or in transit. I've done a fair bit of business over the years with etrailer, and they're a really great company to trade with. In fact this very issue of bent end wings on trailer hitches is the only fitment problem I've ever had with anything from them. Once can be a fluke. But twice is a pattern, folks. You should really fix this.

Great product. Fits perfectly on 2018 Ram 3500 dually. Read instructions throughly. Didn’t notice the start on passenger side at first which cost extra time installing. Works great with cargo tray for bicycles when towing 5th wheel camper.

I bought this receiver to add front mounted 'accessories' on my 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara. I plan on using this to add an extra bicycle rack, a cargo basket, a receiver mounted winch or other 'accessories' needed for my Jeep when I take my family camping. It will also be useful for "front launching" a boat or parking a trailer in tight spots. It took me about an hour to install, although I had already previously removed the lower wind deflector cowling, so did not have to spend time removing it or cutting it for a finished look. Detaching and moving the top trim panel between the grill and the bumper is a must to facilitate the installation. The receiver fits pretty close, although you do have to manipulate it to get the holes to line up with the frame. Follow the instructions and do not tighten any of the bolts until you get it lined up and all the bolts in loosely, then torque it down. As noted in the instruction sheet, the driver's side of the receiver does not sit flush against the frame, there is about a 1/4" to 5/8" gap. The instructions say to use the extra split washers (in the kit) as filler, but they would just rattle around loose in there and provide any benefit, so I omitted them. Once tightened down, the receiver tube was not parallel to the ground, it is slightly higher in the front, sloping towards the rear. It is not off enough to affect my intended use, but may be bothersome to those with type 'A' attention to detail. Overall a good product that will add a lot of flexibility to my Jeep~

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Relatively easy install. Just have to be mechanically inclined. We use the hitch to carry a fish rack/cooler on a 2011 Jeep Wrangler. So far so good.

I chose Draw-tite because they are built very well and this one is no different. The welds are done well and I have no fear that this product will serve me well. The install wasnt to bad for a DIY type like me and the fit was excellent, only took a few hours. Knowing that I can now be pulled out of a bad situation or pull someone else out is comforting with the help of a hitch mounted winch. The Price was right and etrailer shipped it out fast although packing could use a smaller box . Oh yeah, UPS sure tested the toughness of this receiver ! . Great product and great service from etrailer

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im very satisfied with my front receiver. ive used it as a recovery point,to move trailers, and as a mount for bike rack and cargo holder. if i had a winch platethat would be very handy too. etrailerhad a fair price, quick shipping, and overall great customer service. i would use them again andrecommend to a friend as well.

Great products, great prices, fast shipping and a great company to do business with. Easy install, and it took longer to trim the air dam than installing the hitch.

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Terrible, they sent the wrong hitch and now want me to pay shipping for the return

Product was received in very good condition and quick. It took me about an hour from the time I put it on the ramps till I backed off with the factory tow hooks removed and the new hitch installed. Fit was as good as anyone could want.

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etrailer is a great company. Smooth fast shipping. The hitch mounted perfectly.

Needed a front hitch for a 2006 Ridgeline Honda truck. I found it on etrailer.com and a better price for same hitch on another online store. As I talked with the customer service agent, I was also offered a discount which was quite a surprise. Shipping was very fast. Had it installed on my truck so I could attach a mounting hitch and snow blade. I am extremely happy with this hitch and etrailer.com.

We live just south of Buffalo and Put this on our '11 Honda Ridgeline with a snowsport plow and a week later it snowed, and snowed and snowed... 5 feet in 24 hours and it's still snowing.... It's not good.... It's AWESOME! Not one driveway or even our street is clear... Except ours. It was easy to put together , easy to install and works exactly like it's advertised! It's November and it paid for itself already. Communication with etrailer was exceptional. We could not be happier with the whole setup.

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I ordered this unit after sending one back from a different supplier ,the previous one said it fit my Ranger, well after getting it and checking installation video`s it needed to be cut up and fafbricated, no thanks. The Draw tight from E-trailer fit great,delivery was prompt even with a major snowstorm ,the only hic-cup was I didn`t take off my front bumper,due to a brush guard we welded on years ago but even without taking off the bumper I was able to get it on , heck I didn`t even jack up the truck. A little trim on the bumper trim and some help from my motorcycle jack easy to do , took about an hour and a half looks good , fit great, now its time to attach the snow plow and get my driveway clear.I am also ordering the air bag spring helpers for my little truck and will see how that goes too, thanks to the staff at E-trailer, I`ll be ordering from you again.

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This is a great addition to my old square body Explorer Sport, the closest thing I can afford to a square body Bronco. Great for moving trailers around the yard or put a hitch mounted bike rack up front and tow your boat or camper behind. Best part was no drilling direct fit and in stock at etrailer!

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After a year of having this on my truck I can say that I wish I did it sooner! The installation is easy as can be. The hitch is super handy as both a tow point and also as a kind of skid plate/bumper. I have contacted multiple ecology blocks and other objects in my truck, the hitch is the first thing to touch so nothing on the truck gets damaged! This is a super strong, affordable, and versatile addition to any vehicle!

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VERY Easy install - not quite centered but that's no biggie - Used it already to fine tune the travel trailer into it's tight parking space. Also will be used for carhauler/utility trailer parking and canoe hauling and bike hauling and winch mount - Multi use deal! ; )

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I installed this myself with no help and I'm rapidly approaching 70. All the parts were included. Yes, it took me a bit longer, and, yes, it wasn't fun laying on the ground or getting up and down from such positions. The hitch works as it should. Some of the bolts were a bit inaccessible for my torque wrench with the various extensions I own but I'm sure they're very tight. It works great with my snow plow. Sorry, but I have not taken any photos.

Overall everything went well. The box arrived with a few holes in it, but the hitch and all bolts were there and just a couple of minor scratches. Installation was pretty much straight forward, a little more difficult on the ground as opposed to doing it from a lift but that is generally accepted by do it yourselfers. Tool list is more extensive if you torque the bolts properly, for instance you will need a crows foot that fits your torque wrench as you can’t get a socket on a couple of the bolts. I’m a tool crazy person so that is no problem for me! I preferred the Draw-tire brand as I could put the rock and gravel Shield back on my 2010 Toyota Tacoma. Looks good fits great and etrailer.com did a great job of delivering the product at a good price. Thanks etailer.com!

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