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Curt hitch installed by U-Haul

4K views 4 replies 2 participants last post by  Crimson 
#1 · (Edited)
Was going to get this hitch and wiring as a DIY job before finding out the wiring was more than plug and play. And there's an underside panel that had to be removed.

Could have saved myself more than $100 but since they estimated almost 2 hours labor and actually took almost twice that time I didn't mind spending the extra money (total < $350).

Hitch itself was only $175, wiring $50.

When I added a hitch to my truck myself it was easy and still took me a couple hours to finish. Somehow the left/right wires got crossed but I was splicing into different connections from its previous trailering (was bought used, work truck).

The hitch is a Curt 29172 (I think Curt company says 11368). After getting it home I cut the extra long U-bolt off so it wouldn't snag anything high off the ground or road debris.

Picture here shows those long U-bolt threads before and after cutting with the grinder. Middle left is where the plastic panel was removed. Thought they were going to remove metal shield above muffler, no need to. Lower part of picture is how it looks standing a dozen feet away... or about 4 meters for the metric people.
 

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#2 ·
Have the same exact hitch myself, I installed it myself as well. There was a plastic under panel on the muffler side above the muffler that I did remove as per the instructions. The install took me about 15 minutes and I couldn't believe it. The threaded holes are on the body, 4 of them. CURT does make a plug and play wiring, piggy backs to the rear tail lights, double sided tape included sticks module to inside of the body, runs through the grommet under the trunk carpet and outside the car. I zipped tied it to the hitch and it was all said and done. Do you have any experience towing with the car? What were your plans for the hitch?
 
#3 ·
What were your plans for the hitch?
Going to be for taking my 18 year old motorcycle to places farther away than I'm willing to ride it. And possibly to bring home any motorcycles I might buy.

Haven't towed anything yet, hitch was put on a couple days ago. It sure looks small compared to my truck, I just hope the little Forte can cope with light loads okay without causing transmission or overheating issues.

Still debating whether or not to buy a trailer or just rent from U-Haul, I would rather tow the lightest trailer I could get and those at U-Haul look heavy.

Considering an $800 folding motorcycle trailer from Northern Tool or their regular fold-up for half that cost, same as a Harbor Freight trailer. Also seen others for sale around here.

About the wiring... I thought it would be like you said yours is. They had to put a "power" wire to the battery and route it all around under the car. The wiring kit had squared white connectors, not the rounded gray connector I thought would plug into the tail lights. Maybe because of the LED lights...? Not sure but the installer said it needed more voltage, hence the power wire.

Something else about that... The pigtail 4-pin connector was left in the trunk. He said to just hang it out and close the trunk lid on the wires. Of course, I expected it to go through someplace like yours to be outside permanently.

I need to find out more about it to see if I can route it another way. I didn't question it much at the time, mainly because it was almost 4 hours of waiting, and it would always be protected inside the trunk when not being used. Installer was supposedly very experienced, telling of all the others he had done, but really makes me wonder now.
:eek2::laugh2:
I've only done this kind of thing myself once before, as I said, and it didn't go perfectly well.
 
#4 ·
I've had problems with other vehicles when it comes to wiring harnesses at uhaul, they have a sort of universal yet specific one that they have to install differently than an exact fit one. That would be my guess. My harness gets the power from the rear taillights and they have piggy back plugs. So there's no cutting or anything. I can verify that the connector does work well. My instructions did say to keep the connector in the trunk though but I don't like the idea of closing my trunk on the wires (might just be me being paranoid). If you take your trunk carpet out you'll see some rubber grommets that lead right to that area that your hitch is installed in, I ran the connector through that. I'm sure the way uhaul did it, will work. I just think maybe there was another option for a plug and play only harness.
 
#5 ·
I gave it a quick look in there and didn't see anything obvious to get the wire outside. I have a spare tire under the floor now, so I thought that might be why they didn't bother to remove it and put the wire someplace under it.

I see you also have the '15 EX. You mentioned a plastic panel on the muffler side, mine only has the metal heat shield there. So maybe you're remembering it wrong and it's that other side like mine?

Checked how that would fit back on and I think I can cut a notch out and get it around the hitch easily enough. All the fasteners should fit again so it won't come loose. As it looks right now it's a big open space under there without it.

Reminded them of that panel and fasteners before I left because I had read the instructions saying to give those back to a customer if your installing for someone, they either forgot or weren't going to. Something anyone reading here to be aware of if they have another person install the hitch.
 
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