Trailer hitch?

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JimmyFitz

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I am considering having a trailer hitch installed on my bird. It is not to pull a trailer with but instead for a bike rack. The best thing about this kind of bike rack is that other than the hitch mount, nothing touches the car during its use. I would like to find the least intrusive type of receiver hitch available. All I really need is a place that the ball mounts through to hold the rack. Can anyone make a recommendation?

Jimmy Fitzpatrick
Austin, Texas
Blue premium hard top full accent #9429
Love it every day
 

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So far the only option I found is the Draw-Tite CLASS 1 Sportframe.
Part number 24705 and drawbar part # 3593
You must call the local dealers or on the web hitchcorner.com has an 800# or go to Draw Tite home page for a list of local dealers.
No prices on the web.
 
I checked on a HitchKing hitch and the people said that they could install it but be prepared for a shock when it comes to the lighting harness, it is almost as much as the hitch, something about it being low side switching.
 
I posed this same question to my Ford dealer, and their response was that the T-bird frame would not accomodate a hitch.

i'm also interested in a hitch for a bike rack, so if any of you hear of a solution, i would like to hear from you.
 
JimmyFitz and kayorocks I just called hitchcorner.com in Colorado and they sell the draw-tite hitch for $116. YOU DO NOT NEED wiring harness for bike racks. This hitch is drawbar so all custom bike racks will fit.
The hitch will tow 2000 lbs and the harness wiring installed is $115.
Bike racks are $80-300.
Hope this helps.
 
I checked on the Draw-tite site and found the hitch model that fits. One thing bugs me about it: they say that fascia trimming is required. Does anyone know how extensive that will be?
 
I'll have an answer for everyone today-I have a local company getting an install sheet faxed to them this am-will scan and send to jodrod for placement on his group site.

The trimming referred to is for receiver tube clearance.
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On the trailer hitch, from Draw-Tite, the fascia trim is a 3" x 1 1/2 inch notch, located at the forward edge of the lower fascia. The way it looks leads me to believe that it will not be greatly noticeable. I sent RTBRD a diagram showing the installation, and where the notch is cut.

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Thanks Birdman93.

RTBRD_aka_jodrod: will that get posted where we all can see it?

I appreciate all the help.
Jimmy Fitzpatrick
Austin, Texas
Blue #9429
 
I have posted the detail of the hitch mount at:

Mounting Detail

Tony, I did a little editing, the text was hard to read and I also highlighted the area of interest for the fascia cut.

I agree, I don't beileve that the cut will be at all visible and it is a very small notch.

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RTBRD-

That's fine-I mainly wanted the picture, so everyone could see how it was mounted-and where the cut would be made.

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Thanks again for the help you guys: fdnmbird, RTBRD_aka_jodrod, & Birdman93. It looks like it will be as I hoped, minimally intrusive. I will probably go ahead with having this put on. Give me a week or so and I will report on the outcome.

Sunshine & 48 degrees in central Texas on this first full day of spring. My top is down.
#9429
 
Birdman93,

From the picture, it looks like 1-1/4" receiver.

Is that correct? or do we have a choice?

Bike racks aren't very heavy but there is certainly more selection in 2" receivers.

Thanks for the details.
 
OK, all this talk about the hitch got me fired up to do something about it. Very early on in BON life, I had asked about putting a hitch on the Bird. When I was in Wixom, I looked at my car during assembly and tried to figure out how it could happen. Fortunately, the topic re-surfaced, and today I got busy. I called the local Discount Hitch, asked if they had the Draw-Tite #24705, they did, and the rest is history. It cost me $129 installed. If you look behind the black plastic liner at the rear trunk wall, there is a wire socket there. The hitch place did not have the corresponding plug, and I didn't want them to splice into the wiring harness of the car. I went to the Ford dealer, got a part number, but the computer shows that it hasn't been produced yet. I may try the Lincoln dealership, on the chance that the LS may have the same wiring harness. At any rate, my trailer is not ready yet, so I have some time. The piece of the facia that had to be trimmed is 3" x 1.25". They did have to drill 4 holes into the aluminum frame, but the hitch seems sturdy. Thanks to all those that posted the part numbers, and for keeping this post going. Let's find something to pull!!
Hugh in Houston
Blue 02 #6160

Hitch.jpg


Hitch_and_ball.jpg


I took this picture before I had the hitch installed. I don't like the color combination, but I like the concept. I am going to have the trailer painted Colonial White to match my 56, which is what I usually pull it with.

MVC_015S.JPG




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I bought the trailer at a recent swap meet, after having looked for one for several years. There are many vendors for Mullins trailers on the Internet. I believe this one was made by a company in Shreveport, LA. www.championluggagetrailers.com I talked to him at Cruisin the Coast in Gulfport, MS 2 years ago.
Good luck.
 
56,

Thanx for the photo's. I want to put a hitch on mine and get a trailer similar to what you have so that when we do take extended trips there will be some more room (we enjoy camping on occasions) but wifey has been agin it. She is afraid that it will not look good but your pics will disprove that. It will still be an uphill battle but at least I now have some ammo.

BTW, is that the Draw-Tite that Tony sent the installation drawing of?

I checked with my hitch dealer and they mentioned that the TBird has a low side switching (I believe that is what they said) arrangement, which I gathered was not that common. The harness was about as much as the installed hitch. Maybe that is why your dealer did not have one in stock.




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RTBRD-

That is the Draw-Tite hitch-looks really good.

bluetbird-

1 1/4 is the only size that they have-drawtite also has several bike and cargo carriers that can be mounted in that unit, including one that has a ball mounted on the other side, so you can hang your bikes and pull a trailer.

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