First the background and the TMI... We recently traded in a 2014 Wrangler Polar Edition for a 2016 Wrangler Sahara and a 2016 TrailHawk. The TrailHawk was on the lot, the Sahara is on order and should arrive in mid-June. The TrailHawk will be my daily driver (once the Sahara arrives and I can wrestle the keys away from my wife). The TH will also be an occasional toy hauler... or at least that was the plan... until I got it home and realized it didn't have a tow hitch. Of course, that's nobody's fault but mine. It honestly never occurred to me that it wouldn't. I just assumed all Jeeps had a tow hitch. Caveat Emptor. So... I started looking at after-market hitches. First option: Factory install or DIY? - this was tough because I am not at all mechanically inclined, but I'm also not made of money. My cheapness won out over my inability to turn a wrench. We'll see how much I regret that later on. Second option: Flush/bumper mount, or under-the-bumper? - here I'm going with under-the-bumper because A.) cheapness, and 2.) Departure angles aren't a huge concern. The TH won't be doing a lot of rock crawling. The hitch will mostly be used for a bike rack or a cargo basket. Third option: Which hitch? - of the under-the-bumper choices (many of which seem to be rebrandings of the same manufacturer), I decided to go with Draw-Tite from etrailer.com, again, mostly because of cost. The specific hitch I've ordered is here: http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch/Jeep/Renegade/2016/75970.html?vehicleid=201633132 If I read everything correctly (and if you've read this far you know there's a good chance I haven't) the hitch should simply bolt on to the TrailHawk using existing hardware. Once the hitch arrives, I'll update with more info and some photos to catalog the process... and leave a record for insurance purposes in the event of my death... More to come.
So, here's the before... as if you've never seen the ass end of a Renegade... And, yes, if you're curious, the vehicle is registered in Blursylvania.
Still waiting on the UPS folks to deliver the hitch, so I thought I'd take a look at the bolts that I'll be removing. Here's a pro tip: If you're going to install an after market hitch, do it before you get the rust protection applied. I don't know what this undercoating stuff is, but it has a consistency somewhere between molasses and road tar. The bolts are listed as M14 and they look like they'll require a 21mm wrench. Given the space available, it looks like a box wrench (for the upper bolt) and a socket with an extender (for the lower bolt) will help with clearance issues.
Success... eventually. The bolts are pretty tight. Of course, it didn't help that I was doing this with the Renegade on the deck. If you have the option to lift it or even put it on jack stands, I would recommend it. Finding leverage was tricky in the confined space, but I finally managed to get them off. These helped a bit. With the bolts removed, my wife was nice enough to give me a hand maneuvering the rack into place. This is definite a two-person job. Without her, I would still be in the garage trying to rig some contraption for lifting the other side of the hitch and rotating it into place. Pay attention to the directions that tell you to remove any caulk and anything else that might be an obstruction. I didn't do it the first time I tried to reinstall the bolts and learned the hard way. If you don't get a clean surface on the bottom, the hitch won't be able to draw up tight enough to line up the bolt holes on the side. My next lesson was to move the plastic masking inside the wheel well to get better access. I didn't want to, but there's no good way to get the bolts and the wrenches back in place along the side without it. So... far too many hours later... It obviously does sit below the bumper. I measured just a little over 9" from the underside of the hitch to the deck. I like the way it tucks under the bumper. Less of a chance of biting shins. From etrailer.com, the hitch was $110 shipped to my door. It isn't as sexy as the built-in hitches, but it should do fine for what I need. If you're one of those "directions are for losers" types who prefers to use The Force or the advice of their spirit animal, be prepared for some frustration. Otherwise, follow the provided directions and be patient. It's not necessarily easy, but it is straight-forward. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Did you get a quote from the dealership to install a factory hitch? I did the same thing, just assuming I had one and realized I didn't when I got it home. I do some offroading, so I wouldn't want to lower my ground clearance.
Glad to hear I'm not the only one who made that assumption. I didn't get a dealer estimate but if clearance is important you might be better off going that route. I know others have successfully done the factory style hitch as an after market DIY, but that's more than I would be comfortable doing. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Looks great! I can't justify spending 3 times the money for the retrofit kit. I admit that while it does look cleaner, the undermount variant will suit my needs. Thanks for the info.
I went the same route, purchased through Renegade Ready for a few more dollars but wanted to support their site, plus, their wiring harness was super easy. The hitch, well, that was another story. One of the passenger side bolts wasn't drilled well at the factory so, a week later and a new tap set and the hitch was on. Works great. In my brief exploration of the dealer option it would have been huge money by the time you get all the Mopar parts, and, not exactly sure but I think they order a precut bumper and don't try to cut the stock one so hence the big dollars but don't quote me on that. Renegade Ready has a nice kit for the factory install look but straight lines and I don't always get along so chickened out of cutting my bumper. Sent from my HTC6525LVW using ToasterJeep mobile app
I'm contemplating a bolt on hitch as well. Did you also install a wiring harness? If so, how difficult was it? Sent from my Moto G (4) using ToasterJeep mobile app
Draw-Tite #36587 Class II - 1-1/4" Receiver Never had a problem with my Hidden Hitch on an '06 HHR - This one should give me an additional 3/4" clearance and a steeper departure angle. I'm thinking I'm good to go. I just couldn't justify the Renegade Ready & all the work involved. Also, my bike carrier and drawbar will need no extra adapters of any kind. Although etrailer was unable to supply this hitch for me, I did get the Tekonsha wiring kit ordered from them - love their installation videos. Thanks for the information and photos provided on this thread. P.S. No intention of hijacking your thread Opus- just thought I'd add to it a bit. I figure that the more information we can share with one another, all the better for all. Maybe tomorrow...
