tow hitch question

[white_shadow]

since the towing forum is slow, and im needing an answer fairly quick....

i have a 98 ex, so im guessing i need a hitch to fit a 95-01 ex? or will something from an older/new ex or a ranger work also? im wanting at least a class 3

 

[white_shadow]

ok, so getting an answer is not quick....

 

[rickybobby]

It has to be 95-01, and the curved ones are better IMHO

 

[rabbit91]

Ranger frames are skinner in the rear so the hitch has to be for an X

 

[OSUChE]

FORD OEM 2" Receiver Hitch

Just R&R'd my Ford OEM Class III receiver hitch. This has pulled two 7500lb+ auto-haulers to Alaska from the Pacific NW and has hauled thousands of pounds of building materials in the past ten-years!

I've been doing a bumper-to-bumper on the rig as I'm heading back to AK soon, and thought it was time for an inspection/re-paint.

I cannot tell you how impressed I am to find this unit in PERFECT structural shape. The cross-tube is true and solid. I hit it with the wire brush in the grinder, primed it and coated it with Bedliner-in-a-Spraycan. Hopefully the rocks and sand will not sandblast it as quickly this time around.

I've compared it to others and found it superior in most cases. If you look closely you can see it has a gusset perpendicular to the frame that bolts to the rear cross-member. STOUT! (You can see the 'white' edge of it just under the end of the frame-rail in the second photo). The two vacant bolt holes are for the bumper mount bolts.

Its rated at 5600 w/ez-lift and 3500 w/o. I've never used the load-lever system and as I said, it pulled two 7500lb loads to Anchorage. (I can't "recommend" you do the same...unless it's at your own risk!)

The key is to have the right braking system on the trailer (every axle should have a pair), and a good electronic brake controller that you keep adjusted correctly for road conditions as you go, and; the best tire $ can buy. I can't emphasize this enough; As my friend tells me: "your truck hasn't towed 7500 pounds, it's STOPPED 7500lbs..."

I had to emergency brake HARD when a 'text-er' veered into my lane just outside of Glennallen AK!!! Lucky he looked up with less than a second to spare or it would've been ugly! The trailer braked perfectly...

Hope this helps and be safe!

Happy trails!

 

[Joe Dirt]

Nice haul, Rick! That's a heck of a load...

Great advice on brakes. Too many people worry about how much their Ex can tow, without ever considering how much their Ex can stop.

 

[white_shadow]

Nice haul, Rick! That's a heck of a load...

Great advice on brakes. Too many people worry about how much their Ex can tow, without ever considering how much their Ex can stop.

iirc ford rates mine at 6k lbs. now, would i ever tow that much? nope, i dont own anything that heavy, nor do i think i will have a need for it. im wanting a class 3 hitch because it will take whatever my little 2000 pound trailer will toss at it.

 

[Joe Dirt]

I wasn't accusing you of anything, just making a statement in general in reference to about 1,000 threads about how much an Ex can pull, but rarely ask about braking...

I would not run anything other than a Class 3 on mine either.

 

[OSUChE]

iirc ford rates mine at 6k lbs. now, would i ever tow that much? nope, i dont own anything that heavy, nor do i think i will have a need for it. im wanting a class 3 hitch because it will take whatever my little 2000 pound trailer will toss at it.

Yer-right-minded fer-shur to go class III! I original bought mine for a single-axle flatbed trailer we used to haul loads to the dump and building materials. Never imagined at the time I'd be hauling the daughters Ex to Anchorage with it!

My Ex is rated to pull 6400, so I cheated just a wee bit ...

Happy trails!

 

[01STrunner]

Just R&R'd my Ford OEM Class III receiver hitch. This has pulled two 7500lb+ auto-haulers to Alaska from the Pacific NW and has hauled thousands of pounds of building materials in the past ten-years!

I've been doing a bumper-to-bumper on the rig as I'm heading back to AK soon, and thought it was time for an inspection/re-paint.

I cannot tell you how impressed I am to find this unit in PERFECT structural shape. The cross-tube is true and solid. I hit it with the wire brush in the grinder, primed it and coated it with Bedliner-in-a-Spraycan. Hopefully the rocks and sand will not sandblast it as quickly this time around.

I've compared it to others and found it superior in most cases. If you look closely you can see it has a gusset perpendicular to the frame that bolts to the rear cross-member. STOUT! (You can see the 'white' edge of it just under the end of the frame-rail in the second photo). The two vacant bolt holes are for the bumper mount bolts.

Its rated at 5600 w/ez-lift and 3500 w/o. I've never used the load-lever system and as I said, it pulled two 7500lb loads to Anchorage. (I can't "recommend" you do the same...unless it's at your own risk!)

The key is to have the right braking system on the trailer (every axle should have a pair), and a good electronic brake controller that you keep adjusted correctly for road conditions as you go, and; the best tire $ can buy. I can't emphasize this enough; As my friend tells me: "your truck hasn't towed 7500 pounds, it's STOPPED 7500lbs..."

I had to emergency brake HARD when a 'text-er' veered into my lane just outside of Glennallen AK!!! Lucky he looked up with less than a second to spare or it would've been ugly! The trailer braked perfectly...

Hope this helps and be safe!

Happy trails!

I agree with the braking. Ive towed 6500lbs and that was a boat with surge brakes on the trailer so it was safe. Quick little question for you, did you wire in all the brake wiring and the switch for the brake controller or did it come with a 7 pin from the factory. Basically I have 5 of the 7 pins wired already but would love to get a brake wire and the aux power wired up too. Also I have a class III hitch as well.

 

[OSUChE]

Trailer Brakes

I agree with the braking. Ive towed 6500lbs and that was a boat with surge brakes on the trailer so it was safe. Quick little question for you, did you wire in all the brake wiring and the switch for the brake controller or did it come with a 7 pin from the factory. Basically I have 5 of the 7 pins wired already but would love to get a brake wire and the aux power wired up too. Also I have a class III hitch as well.

My OEM harness was only a four-wire; turn signals, tail and brakes. I added the brake wire and recently an aux and battery for future use.

I had a male/female four-wire to seven wire adapter plug. Only last week while going through the rear bumper/hitch etc. did I decide to integrate all wires into the corrugated harness assembly for extra protection and do away with the 4-4 pin plug...the AlCan is rough and corrosive!

Lo-and-behold the darn thing was a corroded mess and literally came apart at the seams (see pics).

So: I have a "Tekonsha Voyager" trailer brake unit http://www.tekonsha.com/content/products.aspx?lvl=3&parentid=0&catID=1435&part=9030. Don't know much about them, just what the trailer guy suggested. It's been a great unit and easy to adjust 'on the fly.' I have no complaints...

I'll sum and post pictures of the install...

Basically, I connected the power to the hot side of the starter relay, at the time I was in a hurry so didn't get fancy...It's fused with a 30A ATC in-line. From there; through the rubber e-brake firewall grommet and under the dash to the unit.

From the unit, I routed through the harness raceways along the door thresholds and then up and over along the rear fenderwell harness to the jack stg compartment (inside = better than exposed to the elements IMHO).

Then, I head to the exterior through the rubber brake light wiring harness grommet (drill undersize hole, the spray wire with hairspray and she slips right through!).

From there: Home...

Hope that helps and BTW 6500# boat is a load as well! These are amazingly hearty trucks...

Funny: U-Haul won't even let me tow a simple 4x6 with it!!! AND Costco refused to install 6-ply SBR tires on it 'cause "It's not a truck."! So the local chain got the business...

Happy trails!

 

[01STrunner]

We have the voyager in 2 of out vehicles. Not quite as good as an integrated one from the factory but it's still a good unit.

That helps out a lot thanks! Did you not have to run a switch or anything to the brake pedal so that the unit knows when the brakes are being applied?

Also Why did you choose the starter relay for poweer instead of some other source? Any particular reason or is it "just cus"?

I feel you with the Uhaul thing. They wouldn't let me tow with my ST but had no problem with me towing with an Enclave. To me thats ridiculous.

 

[OSUChE]

We have the voyager in 2 of out vehicles. Not quite as good as an integrated one from the factory but it's still a good unit.

That helps out a lot thanks! Did you not have to run a switch or anything to the brake pedal so that the unit knows when the brakes are being applied?

Also Why did you choose the starter relay for poweer instead of some other source? Any particular reason or is it "just cus"?

I feel you with the Uhaul thing. They wouldn't let me tow with my ST but had no problem with me towing with an Enclave. To me thats ridiculous.

At the time I had to install the unit at the mini storage where my tools were. In the PNW rain ...so I just grabbed the closest hot wire I could find without tapping right off the battery. All my electric accessories since are either tapped off the unused factory blanks in the engine compartment power block or dash fuse panel, then I run to a sub-panel if my own if needed. I just buy the OEM mini connectors from CarQuest and they plug right in.

Didn't know the factory installed braking controllers.

Oh, for the brake I hot-tapped the switch at the pedal ....

 

[01STrunner]

Didn't know the factory installed braking controllers.

Oh, for the brake I hot-tapped the switch at the pedal ....

Not for STs. I mean full size trucks.

Tapped into the switch that activates the brake lights? Sorry this is the part I'm most unsure of.

 

[OSUChE]

Brake controller wiring

Not for STs. I mean full size trucks.

Tapped into the switch that activates the brake lights? Sorry this is the part I'm most unsure of.

Hi 01STrunner, sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

Here's a photo of my tap into the brake switch wires at the brake pedal. This is from the original install and I would do a better (more reliable) soldered connection rather than these crimp-taps. But hey, they've made it up to Anchorage twice this way w/no problem.

The diagram shows the brake switch circuit as 'normally open.' Pressing down on the pedal closes the switch and sends the current to the brake lights. You can see in the photo, my red wire tap into the (LG) light green (12v when switch closed) wire. This tells the unit you're braking.

I used the accessory pigtail to attach the 12v feed/brake signal/ground to the dash unit Blue goes to the brake pin in the rear trailer plug, red to the brake switch (LG)...White is 12v from battery (30A fused) and black is ground.

Hope this helps ...

 

[01STrunner]

That is an enormous help! Exactly what I was looking for. I appreciate the help