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Trailer Hitch for Carrying 350lb Dirt Bike in Hitch Mounted Carrier on 1999 Ford Explorer  

Question:

I have a 1999 Ford explorer 4-door Eddie Bauer with the full-size spare tire that needs to remain on the vehicle. I want to purchase a hitch that will be used to mount a motorcycle carrier and have dirt bikes that weigh up to 350lbs on the carrier. Will this hitch work for my needs or do I need to purchase a 500lb tongue weight hitch? Thank you

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Expert Reply:

The Curt Class III hitch you referenced, part # 13540 will indeed allow you to retain the full-sized spare in place under the rear of the vehicle. If the 350 lb figure you mentioned is just the weight of the bike, not including the carrier you'll be overloading the hitch. In that case, I'd recommend the Draw-Tite Class III, part # 75096 which has a 500 TW capacity and would also allow the spare tire to remain in place.

Even if that 350 lb figure included the weight of the carrier, I'd still highly recommend you go with the higher capacity hitch. When it comes to hitches and weight capacities, overkill is a good thing.

If you'll also be using the hitch for towing purposes, keep in mind that you'll need to abide by any towing or tongue weight capacities mentioned by Ford in the owner's manual, which will supersede the capacity of the hitch. You might also need the following to complete your towing set-up:

Trailer wiring harness # 118345 to provide a 4 pole trailer connector
Ball mount # C45010
1-7/8 inch trailer ball, part # 19260
2 inch trailer ball, part # 63845
Locking hitch pin, part # e98882

If you don't already have a motorcycle carrier, the Ultra-Fab # UF48-979033 would be a good choice. The carrier has a 500 lb capacity and can handle tire widths up to 5 inches.

expert reply by:
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Mike L
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