Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver with Standard Drawbar - Custom Fit - Class I - 1-1/4"

Video Transcript for Trailer Hitch Installation - 2012 Ford Fusion - Curt

Today on our 2012 Ford Fusion we're going to review and install the CURT class one 1-1/4" receiver tube hitch, part number C11390. Here's what our hitch is going to look like once it's installed. As you can see, this is a super nice and well hidden hitch, as the main body of our hitch is hidden behind the rear bumper fascia. We have a steel fully welded constructed hitch with a nice black powder-coated finish so it blends in with the underbody. The only thing truly exposed is our 1-1/4" by 1-1/4" receiver tube, the 1/2" pinhole the goes all the way through the receiver tube, never chain hold down on each side. This hitch is capable of up to 200 pounds of tongue weight and 2,000 pound tow capacity. Next we'll give you a couple measurements to assist you with selecting accessories for your new hitch.

From the center of the hitch pinhole to the outermost edge of the bumper is 5". From the top of the receiver tube opening to the ground is 11-1/4". This will assist you with selecting accessories such as a bike rack or a cargo carrier. We'll now go ahead and review some of the minimum tools required for installing the hitch. We're going to use a safety strap, which is nothing more than just a hold down strap, file, 3/4" socket, ratchet, and torque wrench.

Now we'll go ahead and show you how to install the hitch. Now to begin our install we first need to lower the exhaust. Before I remove the rubber isolators from the exhaust, to lower it I'm going to put a safety strap underneath of it to help control the weight of the exhaust as we let it down. Now with our safety strap in place we've got a total of tool rubber isolators connected to metal hangers that need to be removed, one above the muffler and one just forward of the rear axle. Now to remove the rubber isolator from the metal hanger we'll use a spray lubricant on each to help make it easier to slide them off the metal hanger. Then, using a pry bar or pliers, we can slide the rubber isolator off of the hanger.

Now if you have access to a hanger removal tool, it can make it easier, but it's not required. Now with both rubber isolators removed, we can let our exhaust down. Quick tech tip: if you had a dual exhaust system, you'd have three rubber isolators to remove. We'll just let our safety strap and safely lower our exhaust. Now we have both frame rails exposed. Next we'll go ahead and point out our attachment points.

As we point out our attachment points, keep in mind that both frame rails are the same and our attachment points are the same on each side, so each process we do here on the driver side will get repeated identically on the passenger side. Here we have a pre-drilled round hole in the frame as our forward attachment point for our hitch. Towards the rear of the frame or at the end of the frame where it meets the bumper these an oval hole, and that's going to be our rear attachment point. We'll need to enlarge the rear attachment point so that we can get our carriage bolt and block into the frame. As you can see, our block will fit but the carriage bolt is going to need a little room. Using a file we're just going to remove some of the metal around the oblong hole. Note, I'm just going to use a round file on a drill. Now once we have it filed out large enough that we can get our carriage bolt in place, we're ready to start installing the hardware. for each of our four attachment points we're going to use a 1/2" carriage bolt and block in the frame, coming down through the pre-drilled holes. Then once our hitch in place we'll use the 1/2" flange nut to secure it. Now to get our hardware into the frame we'll use the 1/2" bolt leaders that are supplied with the install kit. Let's go ahead and start going to our hardware in the frame by taking the bolt leader, feeding it through the forward attachment point, and out the access hole. Then we can slide on our block and thread on the carriage bolt. We'll feed the block and bolt into the frame separately and then pull them into position. Once we have the carriage bolt in place I'll go ahead and remove the pull wire. Now for our rear attachment point we're going to use a reverse pull method, putting the block onto the pull wire and go ahead and thread it on the carriage bolt now. Then, feeding the bolt into the frame first followed by the block. Once we have them both in the frame, we'll pull the bolt back down through our access hole to create our attachment point. Now I'm going to go ahead and leave my pull wire onto the rear attachment point as it will help with getting our hitch up in position without pushing the hardware back into the frame. Now with the driver side ready we'll repeat the same process on the passenger side. Now with all our hardware in place we're ready to install the hitch. If you don't have an extra set of hands to help you, go ahead and take the hitch and feed it up on top of the exhaust. Then we'll move to the driver side, take our pull wire, feed it through the rear attachment point on the hitch, and bring it up to the frame. Make sure you're careful not to push your fastener back up into the frame for your forward attachment point. Then once we have the becoming coming down through the hitch we'll go ahead and install our flange nut. Now we'll just install our fasteners finger tight until we have them all in place. Now with the forward attachment point holding our hitch on the driver side, I'll move over to the passenger side and repeat the same process. Now that we have our forward attachment hardware in place we'll go ahead and bring the hitch up to the frame nice and tight, remove our pull wire, and then install our flange nut. Now once we have all our hardware installed we'll go ahead and tighten it down. Then once we have it tightened down, we can go ahead and torque to specification as indicated in the instructions. Now with our hitch in place, tightened down and torqued to specifications, we can go ahead and reinstall the exhaust. Once we have the exhaust back on, we'll go ahead and remove our safety straps. Just like that, our hitch is installed and we're ready to hit the road. That will complete the review and install of the CURT class one 1-1/4" receiver tube hitch, part number C11390, on our 2012 Ford Fusion. .