Installation of Curt Trailer Hitch on a 2005/2006 Mercedes-Benz E-320

Question:

I read this answer on the curt receiver. We are considering this receiver. C11701 1 - I read the installation instructions and looked at the car. Drilling holes through the bumper mount tubes I understand. The part I do not understand is why I have to clear the trunk and what are fascia tabs inside the trunk you want me to remove from the body? Step 2 What is it I need to remove exactly? Do I need to loosen the bumper cover? Does Curt have a photo of what they are talking about? Im VERY familiar with this car, as I have restored several of them and know the inside of that trunk behind all the cover panels well. 2 - Our intended usage is for a bike rack. You are recommending using stabilizing strap 18050 else it voids the Curt warranty. Keep in mind that the trunk lid on these cars is ALUMINUM, so putting the strap on the edge of that trunk lid is risky business. One big bump and it could ruin a pricey trunk lid. Please advise,

asked by: Scott M

Expert Reply:

You will need to remove the covering inside the trunk of your 2005/2006 Mercedes-Benz E-320 so that you can get at some of the nuts that are holding on the bumper, which you need to remove for the installation of the Curt Trailer Hitch # C11701. It's a little difficult to explain through text so I've attached an installation video of this exact trailer hitch being installed on a 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class that you can use as a reference point.

While the Curt Support Strap # 18050 is what is recommended by Curt, I reached out to them and my contact confirmed that it can be any strap that just helps keep the stable. I did check and verified that the Yakima Glass Hatch Hook Adapter # Y02612 matches with buckle on the Curt Support Strap so you could potentially combine these 2 together so that your aluminum trunk doesn't become damaged.

If you don't already have a bike rack I highly recommend the Kuat Beta # B202-114 because it weighs a mere 12.6 lbs, comes with a lifetime warranty, and arrives fully assembled so you can get right on the road. This has a weight capacity of 80 lbs (40 per bike), and the arm centers are 8" apart which reduces the need for an adapter bar like part # UB01 for any bikes that don't have a horizontal top tube.