2001 Ford F-150 Trailer Hitch Needed with a 700 lbs Tongue Weight and Fits with Spare Tire

Published 03/14/2018

Products Featured in This Question

Mounting Bracket 4-Pole Flat

(6190)

$10.86

Tekonsha Plug-In Wiring Adapter for Electric Brake Controllers - Ford, Lincoln, Mercury

(1798)

$19.78

Curt T-Connector Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector

(44)

$38.93

Universal Installation Kit for Trailer Brake Controller - 7-Way RV and 4-Way Flat - 10 Gauge Wires

(3448)

$119.73

Question:

Thanks for the info. The hitch you recommended looks good. I plan to use the trailer for towing a motorcycle trailer. I do not expect to be pulling more than 4000 lb. but it would be nice to have the extra capacity for future use. The important thing is to be able to have the full size spare. Drilling some holes for installation is ok too.

asked by: David M

Helpful Expert Reply:

The Draw-Tite Trailer Hitch Receiver # 37130 is a Class IV trailer hitch with a 2" receiver opening that is confirmed to fit your 2001 Ford F-150 and will allow you to keep your full spare in it's current location. This has a 7,000 lbs Gross Towing Weight (GTW) rating and a 700 lbs Tongue Weight (TW) rating.

When used in conjunction with a Weight Distribution (WD) system those ratings are bumped up to 12,000 lbs GTW and 1,200 lbs TW. I have attached the installation details for you to check out.

If you let me know what you will be using the trailer hitch for I can make additional recommendations if necessary. Be sure to check the weight ratings of your F-150 as well. If they are lower than what this trailer hitch is rated for then your F-150 will be the limiting factor in your towing setup.

expert reply by: Jon G

David M.

3/14/2018

Jon G.

3/14/2018

For a towing application you also need wiring to activate your trailer lights and possibly brakes, as well as a ball mount and hitch ball. If you have a Flareside or SuperCrew you need the Tekonsha T-One # 118344, but if your F-150 is neither of those you need the Curt T-Connector # C56031 instead. You can use the mounting bracket # 18144 to keep the basic trailer lighting 4-Way from hanging at the year of your truck. To utilize a brake controller, like the Prodigy P2 # 90885, you also need to install the Universal Wiring Kit # ETBC7. This converts your 4-Way to a 7-Way and 4-Way connector, plus it includes everything that you need to fully activate the 7-Way. I have attached an article and a video that you can reference for the installation. There should be a wiring harness near the rear tire on the driver side that you tie the 12V Power and Brake controller connections to, but that is not always the case. If you have the factory connector under your driver side dash you will use the Plug-In Adapter # 3035-P to install the P2, and this would also indicate that you have existing wiring run to the rear of your truck. Since it sounds like you may be using your F-150 for multiple towing applications I recommend using an adjustable ball mount like the Pro Series # 63070 which offers a max drop of 4-3/4", a max rise of 5-11/16", and the 3 standard hitch ball sizes; 1-7/8", 2", and 2-5/16". I have attached a review video for you to reference.