Jump to content

Trailer hitch question


elrey

Recommended Posts

My wife has a 2016 platinum with all the bells and whistles. She wants to get a trailer hitch for a bike rack. Dealer told me I'd have to buy a new cover with the cut out for the hitch. Dealer wants $200+ for the cover, I can get it online for $75. Wondering if it is hard to change myself. Her truck has the foot swipe thing and park assist. Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From the factory you can't get the trailer hitch and still have the hands free liftgate. You might run into a problem there. Maybe the hitch interferes with the sensors that sense your foot.

 

Anyway, maybe look into aftermarket that protrudes under the bumper. Then you won't need new bumper trim.

Edited by Pioneer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can add an aftermarket hitch very easily without interfering with the bumper cover. It will block part of the sensor but not all of it. I put one on a 2014 Titanium and you could still activate it by kicking right next to the exhaust tip.

 

Can't remember if it was a Curt or Hidden Hitch but etrailer.com has all the details.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can add an aftermarket hitch very easily without interfering with the bumper cover. It will block part of the sensor but not all of it. I put one on a 2014 Titanium and you could still activate it by kicking right next to the exhaust tip.

 

Can't remember if it was a Curt or Hidden Hitch but etrailer.com has all the details.

 

How hard was doing the trailer wiring? I have a 2013 and have contemplated putting a hitch on. I won't give up my kick sensor though.

 

BTW, I think it was Job 2 of the 2014 that Ford changed the sensor so you can start getting both the liftgate sensor and hitch. So they've been doing it a few years now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BTW, I think it was Job 2 of the 2014 that Ford changed the sensor so you can start getting both the liftgate sensor and hitch. So they've been doing it a few years now.

Didn't know that. I thought they still weren't compatible. Maybe the wife will get the tow package on her 2017 after all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

How hard was doing the trailer wiring? I have a 2013 and have contemplated putting a hitch on. I won't give up my kick sensor though.

 

BTW, I think it was Job 2 of the 2014 that Ford changed the sensor so you can start getting both the liftgate sensor and hitch. So they've been doing it a few years now.

 

It was only for carrying bicycles so I didn't do the wiring, but I probably will on the MKX to use a utility trailer. Basically you just pull off the rear bumper (2 screws believe it or not) - I did this to install the hitch on the MKX and it was really easy once I found the 2 screws) and maybe remove the taillamps and the wiring plugs in. Doesn't look too hard. Etrailer.com has the instructions if you want to check it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doesn't look too hard. Etrailer.com has the instructions if you want to check it.

 

I've seen the instructions before. Just was hoping to hear from someone with some first hand experience.

 

I still have a 2003 SCrew I'm using for any towing. But thought it might be nice to use the Escape once in awhile.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...
  • 2 months later...

 

I've seen the instructions before. Just was hoping to hear from someone with some first hand experience.

 

I still have a 2003 SCrew I'm using for any towing. But thought it might be nice to use the Escape once in awhile.

 

I just installed a Curt receiver on my 2013 Escape this past weekend. I didn't bother with a wiring harness since it is for a bike rack (I got tired of always taking the front tires off and putting them on the roof). I specifically bought the Curt receiver since you don't see the cross bar at all, just the receiver. This did mean though that there was some additional work as I had to drop the muffler to install it. It wasn't particularly hard, it took me and the wife about an hour and a half to install it, but probably 30min of that was looking around for the right tools.

 

From the best of recollection, it was basically:

1) Lift the Escape to provide additional clearance - though I'm not entirely sure that was necessary looking back at it. 10min

2) 2 bolts on both sides drops the exhaust hanger mount. The instructions tell you to remove the pin from the mount, but I didn't bother, which may have made it a bit harder to navigate the hitch into position. 5min

3) Cut off some of the heat shielding. I spent 10min effing around with trying to get the nut off of the driver side that had basically rusted through before just cutting it all in place. 20min total, but should have been 10min if I just went straight for the cutting.

4) Grind the hole in the frame slightly. I don't have a grinder and wasn't expecting this. I spent awhile trying to figure out what I was going to do before I finally settled on just using my Dremel as an adhoc grinder. With the right tools this shouldn't be more than 5-10min, but for me was probably more like 30min.

5) Fish 3 bolts through on either side. 5 min

6) Get the hitch into place. We struggled with this quite a bit. You have to slide it in from the passenger side on top of the muffler, which is fine until you get to the driver side "frame rail" (for a lack of a better term). The hitch mounts to the bottom and the outside of it, so you have to drop it ~6 inches from where it naturally wants to be. This requires a lot of finagling with the muffler and the hitch in order to get it into place. But otherwise it's pretty simple. It took us probably about 20min to figure out how to get it into place.

7) Secure the 6 bolts for the hitch 5min

8) Reinstall the exhaust hanger with new longer bolts 5min

9) Ensure everything looks good 2min

10) Torque everything 5min

 

The sensor is still working, but really only in one specific spot. I have to kick right AT the sensor on the bumper. But hey - I have a target now!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...