Question:

Thanks all for your responses! I just ordered a round tube hitch and plan to install it myself next weekend. Thanks again for your help! Paul

Response:

I got the round tube hitch for my 99 sport.  love it.  tried to find the web site i got it from but,  it no longer exists!  but I never had any troubles and it was only like $100.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I’m about ready to add a trailer hitch to my 98 Explorer and like the looks > of the round tubing Hidden Hitch. I would like to know any installation > difficulties that you may have encountered and possibly what online or chain > stores where the hitch was purchased. Thanks for you help! > Paul

Response:

    I have one too in the round version and it is fine……installed it myself, with the aid of a floor jack, had to drill to 1/2 " holes but that was the last year for that [94] ……Dog – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I got the round tube hitch for my 99 sport.  love it.  tried to find the web > site i got it from but,  it no longer exists!  but I never had any troubles > and it was only like $100.

Response:

I had one put on my ‘98 4-door explorer.  No drilling, just bolted on.  Had it powder coated to match the truck. Looks good, and seems to work fine, too.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I got the round tube hitch for my 99 sport.  love it.  tried to find the web > site i got it from but,  it no longer exists!  but I never had any troubles > and it was only like $100. > I’m about ready to add a trailer hitch to my 98 Explorer and like the > looks > of the round tubing Hidden Hitch. I would like to know any installation > difficulties that you may have encountered and possibly what online or > chain > stores where the hitch was purchased. Thanks for you help! > Paul

Response:

I checked out the Hidden Hitch for my 2001 ExSport, but it protruded beyond the bumper and would have been a real shin buster. The hitches offered by U-Haul also protruded, but not quite as much. I ended up getting a Reese hitch (round tubes) which does not protrude beyond the bumper at all. Jean

| I’m about ready to add a trailer hitch to my 98 Explorer and like the looks | of the round tubing Hidden Hitch. I would like to know any installation | difficulties that you may have encountered and possibly what online or chain | stores where the hitch was purchased. Thanks for you help! | | Paul | |

Response:

I just installed the Reese square tube hitch on my 99 EXP tonight.  It does not extend past the bumper but mounts a little lower than I would like.  Now if I could only find a decent wiring hook up, I’d be set. Lance

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I’m about ready to add a trailer hitch to my 98 Explorer and like the looks > of the round tubing Hidden Hitch. I would like to know any installation > difficulties that you may have encountered and possibly what online or chain > stores where the hitch was purchased. Thanks for you help! > Paul

Response:

I’m about ready to add a trailer hitch to my 98 Explorer and like the looks of the round tubing Hidden Hitch. I would like to know any installation difficulties that you may have encountered and possibly what online or chain stores where the hitch was purchased. Thanks for you help! Paul

Response:

I got the "Class III Hidden Hitch" for our 1996 Explorer, back in 1996.  It was from "Performance Products", 800-752-6111.  I ordered by phone, but their website is www.performprod.com. The one I have is part #175011, and cost $134.50 at the time.  Probably a bit more now.  Ours does not have the rounded tube construction as you describe, so the one you’re considering is a later design, for the 1998 model. We’ve been happy with it.  Relatively easy to install, built like a brick shithouse. And not really obtrusive, so yes to some degree it is a "hitch" that is somewhat "hidden".   One thing of note though – it came with 1/2 bolts to bolt it all together.  When I torqued them up to spec, it seemed to me they would not take the torque so I played it safe and went out and got 5/8" bolts (which seemed to fit just fine, with a little bit of filing and drillwork of the existing holes in both the truck and the hitch assembly). If you decide to swap up to a larger diameter bolt, MAKE SURE you get the same bolt strength rating or better.  Bring in the bolts that came with it to a hardware store, and they can match the strength markings at the top of the bolt with equivalent strength but in 5/8". Now all this may be moot if they’ve redesigned the hitch since then with different bolts.  Anyway, that’s my experience. Mike

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I’m about ready to add a trailer hitch to my 98 Explorer and like the looks > of the round tubing Hidden Hitch. I would like to know any installation > difficulties that you may have encountered and possibly what online or chain > stores where the hitch was purchased. Thanks for you help! > Paul

Response: