I was asked to install a new Reese Trailer hitch on my neigbor's 2002 Ford Windstar,and ive installed installed several hitch's on truck's,and car's over the year's but this one was the one I will never forget!!!!My 1st scarey moment was when I opened the box of hardware.Holy crap their was alot!Well they give you 2 piece's of tie wire with spring's twisted on the end so you can thread a7/16 bolt in the pring part,and then the straight end you have to insert in a axcess hole in the frame,and fish 6 bolt's threw the frame,and then once you have them in the frame their carrige bolt's so you also have to fish theis square peice's of steel with the square hole in them for the carrige bolt's,and then you have to get the bolt's threw the frame.This took me several hour's to do,and ive been playing with tool's,and car's for 18yr.'s,and worked in several shop's,im not no master but this was a pain in the ***!!!!After a 7hr day the neigbor was ready to tow.The easy part was routing the trailer light's.A couple of plug's,and one hot wire to the battery,and we had light's.2002 Ford Windstar to put a trailer hitch on.The sad part is my welder sat behind me screaming like a little deval on my shoulder saying weld me,and be done in minute's,but the angle on the other shoulder made me bolt it on.+ when he trade's the van in in a year I get the hitch,and it was a class 3 I belive.It Take's the 2x2 receaver.But it fit's "several" application's including mine.I will NEVER just say oh yea i'l throw that on for you.No More unless it's a 1973-9 Ford.Just thought id share this joyfull exsperiance,and to see if anyone ele's has had this fun.

 

I used to work For UHAUL and installed hitches for 3 years so I feel for ya .Some of those are a pain in the Rear

 

Yor not joking either.I reaaly like the hidden hitch's by Reese.I own all 1/2 ton to 1 ton "STEEL" frame's so a hitch is very simple.Boy how time's have changed!

 

Thats what happens when ya got a subfrrame or a boxed frame .You have to be a Magician to install some of those Hitches I dont miss that job at all

 

I know for fact I WILL NEVER EVER say oh yea i;l just thow that on for yea!!!!! But this one was for my land owner,and I have several F-series laying around in a hidden spot in the wood's,and he know's that their there,and doesn't say nothing about them,plus I plow the driveway at no cost to him,couse i have to plow past his house to get to mine.I also have a 5ton old Mighty Moe(Moline)backhoe,and yea never know when you might need it when you have 4 mobile home's,and 2 house's on the property.So basicaly I treat him good,and he treat's me good.I would go crazy if I had to part with my 77-79 Ford truck's.It's hard to find a place that will let you have a extra couple 5 unregistered part's truck's in my area but I hooked up with the right guy!Might I mention I got him to get rid of his Chevy 1500,and get a Ford F-150 4x4 8yr.'s ago,and he's still driving it today,with no problem's other then basic maintance.I love my home/land! Anyone eles $50.00 a hour to install one of those headach's.

 

I just pur a reese class lll on my wifes chev... silverado. You are right, WOW what a lot of parts! It took me 6 hours to install that thing and I installed hitches in a welding shop years ago. I installed both weld-on and bolt-on and they never took more than 2 hours at a time.

 

Well im glad im not the only one thinking theis hitch's are a pain in the butt to install.My other question is if I used the carriage bolt's with the square plate's to stop the bolt's from turning inside the frame when It was time to tighting the nut's,how much fun will it be to get them back off??For someone who wanted to take it off one aplication,and put it on another they would be out of luck,unless like me willtorch the bolt's holding it to the frame,and weld the seem's where you adjust the width,and then drill my frame if necasary to bolt it up,or fit what bolt's where I can if any,and weld it on!I will be useing the one from a Windstar(and several other aplication's) that I just installed in a year when the lease is up,and putting it on a 80's Bronco.My overall apinion is they are heavy duty but with some welding like where I said at the seem's to adjust width it will be alot stronger.And they are a Super pain in the butt when installing in a light duty,newer vehicle!!!!!For $50.00 a hr.( LOL)I will still install them.And vehicle must be newer,clean,and not all rusty!I hate picking rust that made it by the saftey glass's out of my eye's!(LOL)