Ford Escape Hitch Lessons Learned

[Frugal Floater]

If you plan on towing a boat with a V6 Escape AWD, then you will be very pleased...If you bought an Escape without the factory tow package, then plan on bloody knuckles when installing an aftermarket hitch.

Do yourself a favor...take your hitch to a U-haul shop or other hitch place and have them install it. Otherwise, you will have to drill holes in your frame and go through incredible agony trying to fish backing plates into the frame tube. I spent 4 solid 6 hour nights trying to get my hitch installed and lost 4 of the backing plates inside the frame. I finally gave up and paid 80 bucks to have the last bolt installed by u-haul. Better yet, buy an Escape with the tow package...trust me on this.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Ford Escape Hitch Lessons Learned

i have a 2005 mercury mariner, which is the same car. installed the Hidden Hitches escape hitch on the car in 45 minutes, you have to use the little wires, put the bolt thru the back plate, side the pull wire on the bolt and just work it thru. did it by myself.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Ford Escape Hitch Lessons Learned

[colour=blue]The nuts SHOULD (famous last words!) already be supplied with wires attached, if not, weld on coathanger wire and feed it in as tashasdaddy said.

The hayman reece kit definetly has them.

 

[apodemia]

Re: Ford Escape Hitch Lessons Learned

I've installed several hitches using the fish wires that thread onto the bolts to get the backing plates in place, it's always worked quite well for me.

 

[Frugal Floater]

Re: Ford Escape Hitch Lessons Learned

I had the wire but my biggest challenge was that my Escape was the XLT model and the entrance to the frame rail tunnel was nearly blocked on one side by the bumper trim. Also, I was working by myself and had to hold the hitch up (aligning hitch hole with drilled frame hole while I fished the carriage bolt through...Not to mention my backing plate was spinning inside one of the rails.

Since others seem to have done this without a problem, then I must assume I probably needed more patience.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Ford Escape Hitch Lessons Learned

i tool the bolt out of the exhaust hanger, which get more access.