Under bumper Hitch options

[fourfourto]

After some thought im getting a hitch.
I had some local guy give me a price of $300.00 to notch my bumper and put it were factory one goes but decided to go under bumper for 1/2 the price(installing myself)
I dont want to cut into bumper and have him remove it and risk a bad install and damage to rear camera.

I found a curtis hitch cheap on e-bay and I will hinge(like my lic plate) the plug so it dont hang up or get damaged.
I figured the hitch itself could take the abuse and Ill put a hitch cover skidplate in the receiver.

Im running steps so it shouldnt change my wheeling .

Are there any better hiches I could get ,ill be ordering it in the next week or so?.



Curtis hitch,I like the skid type chain holes



Drawtight one ,I think the chain loops would hang up or get damaged easy?





Hitch skid plate




Any other options or thoughts ?

[waynesoffroad]

I have the drawtite hitch. One thing I noticed with it was that my shackles would bottom out on it and limit my suspension travel when I was offroad. Then I got a Rancho lift and it was worst because the springs were longer and would bottom out all the time. Then I found some boomerang YJ shackles from Currie and I have not bottomed out since. http://www.currieenterprises.com/CES...t.aspx?id=1100

I'm not sure how the curt fits but if it extends behind the shackles it might bottom out as well.

[fourfourto]

Thanks I didnt think of that,hopefully its not that bad,Im running steps so I havent maxed out the suspension.

I need a hitch for a camper I want to get.I have put it off to long.

I should have got a hitch 2 years ago ,but had a problem finding a adventure in gray with a hitch.(8/05)

[CCMDoc]

Originally Posted by fourfourto

Thanks I didnt think of that,hopefully its not that bad,Im running steps so I havent maxed out the suspension.

I need a hitch for a camper I want to get.I have put it off to long.

I should have got a hitch 2 years ago ,but had a problem finding a adventure in gray with a hitch.(8/05)

I had the Drawtite hitch on my '07 H3 Adventure Pkg. It didn't need any change to the bumper and I never had a problem with it hitting or binding to anything - no damage to it nor did it hang up when I went off roading in the Catskills.

[fourfourto]

Upon furture reserch i find that the curtis and hidden hitch both look like the drawtight one (2nd pic) with the loops ?(the all show different set up on there listings simular to my first pic )


In a couple days Ill order the curtis one(with loops) if other style is not available on the H3 ?(maybe install issues?)

Does anyone have a hitch without those hooks that stick out from the side ?

Ill try searching pics again also.

[fourfourto]

I just ordered the curtis hitch,I bought it from JC whitney it came with a free 2" drop receiver.
I also ordered a 2 " ball ,hitch pin lock, curtis hitch skid plate and a wire plug kit.
It all came to $183.93 total including shipping using a $50 off coupon I recieved in a email the other day.

[fourfourto]

Hitch and wire plug installed ( I mounted the plug upside down behind the bumper I thought it might get damaged hanging near the hitch)

I will pick up the electric trailer brake this week.
The trailering brake looks like easy install theres a Dk blue, Lt blue,+ and - wire under dash.

The problem is were are the wires I need for the back?.
I thought the rear cluster had all 7 wires,there are ony 4 ?

I need the blue electric brake wire
I need the reverse wire
I need a power lead ( I assume this is a full time positive)

Were do I find these,I thought the blue one went to the back ?


any help would be great.

[tower]

Originally Posted by fourfourto

The problem is were are the wires I need for the back?.
I thought the rear cluster had all 7 wires,there are ony 4 ?

I need the blue electric brake wire
I need the reverse wire
I need a power lead ( I assume this is a full time positive)

Were do I find these,I thought the blue one went to the back ?


any help would be great.

Well, since the first 2 go to yor tail lights, that might be a good place from where to begin tracing them. There is probably a dummy plug in your power distribution lock (under the hood) which, when replaced with an actual fuse, will supply +12v through the existing wiring. If not, run your own. Just be sure to fuse it.

[fourfourto]

Thanks

Does that blue wire from the front go to the taillight brake light


I thought there might be wires back there caped off that I could use.

[tower]

Originally Posted by fourfourto

Hitch and wire plug installed ( I mounted the plug upside down behind the bumper I thought it might get damaged hanging near the hitch)

Very clever!

Originally Posted by fourfourto

Thanks

Does that blue wire from the front go to the taillight brake light

Yes and if you pull the tail light, all will become clear. Also, use a test light to make certain that you have the correct wire.

Originally Posted by fourfourto

I thought there might be wires back there caped off that I could use.

There may be. I have never torn into an H3. If you pull the tail light, you can trace your way to it. Again, use a test light to make certain that you have the correct wire. Questions are always welcome. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[mikejr]

Originally Posted by fourfourto

Hitch and wire plug installed ( I mounted the plug upside down behind the bumper I thought it might get damaged hanging near the hitch)

I will pick up the electric trailer brake this week.
The trailering brake looks like easy install theres a Dk blue, Lt blue,+ and - wire under dash.

The problem is were are the wires I need for the back?.
I thought the rear cluster had all 7 wires,there are ony 4 ?

I need the blue electric brake wire
I need the reverse wire
I need a power lead ( I assume this is a full time positive)

Were do I find these,I thought the blue one went to the back ?


any help would be great.





Attachment 44858

Attachment 44859

Attachment 44860

Neat place to put the plug. I can recall in my avalanches and silverados nearly ripping them off since they hung down so low. You would think that hummer would have placed the plug in a similar place on the H3 as they did the H2

[topak]

does it have something to do with trailer hitch lock?

[fourfourto]

topak Ill take some of what your smokin by the way I do have a hitch lock,I was looking for hitch options and wiring info 8 months agoWelcome newbee

And thanks tower I never thanked you on your help on this old thread.Camper pulls like a dream no problems.

[BigPoppa1411]

Nice camper!

[wpage]

Originally Posted by BigPoppa1411

Nice camper!

I agree! How is that working out for you 442?

You certainly have that camper leveled out correctly!!

[fourfourto]

I just got back from KOA Mystic Ct tows great Im getting around 13 MPG with some Idling.(not bad)
Running around 3,800/3,900lbs heavy(fully equiped with H2O)
Im hoping for 14MPG on my Va trip in 10 days

[jersey]

Originally Posted by fourfourto

Im hoping for 14MPG on my Va trip...

I use a fuel additive that has increased my mpg to nearly 25, granted, I'm not towing anything, but I'd be curious to know if you can do better than 14mpg with this additive. To that end, if you're passing through NJ stop and I'll donate enough additive to treat a full tank of gas and you can report back the findings online when you have time. Should be a great test. Only catch is that once added you'll need to top off the tank in order to mix in the product properly(it can not be added to a full tank) and for conducting the test I'll throw in a crisp $20 bill to assist in the top off.

PS, if you dont mind me asking, what does a camper like that cost?

[Desert Dan]

jersey

What kind of magic additive are you using?

[jersey]

Originally Posted by Desert Dan

jersey

What kind of magic additive are you using?

I'm using CA40G

My trip to work one way is 74 miles exact door to door.

In my minivans ('05 Nissan Quest, '03 Grand Caravan) I was getting 17mpg and 19mpg highway respectively when I heard about and decided to try the stuff. They both immediately improved to 27-29mpg highway. When my lease was up on the Quest and my two boys having grown up and gotten their own cars we really had no need for two minivans, so it was time for me to get a toy. Enter my H3. A used '06 H3. My first tank of gas without additive I watched disappear before my very eyes. Maybe 16mpg. I had no choice, the product needs to be mixed really well with gas in order to work properly and the dealership gave it to me with a full tank. So by the time I made it home from work I was at 1/4 of a tank. I had driven about 270 miles. This included the trip home from the dealer, 56mi., the roundtrip to and from work 148mi., to and from grocery store/mall/movie theatre/best buys/grandma's all told about 66mi., out of a 23 gallon gas tank thats a little more than 17 gallons of fuel netting me just under 16mpg. Then I added the stuff and filled my tank with regular gas at the Hess station. I left and went directly to work and came directly back the next morning to the same gas station to fill up again. With the gas station just 5 blocks from home i'm still calling the round trip 148 miles. My fill up was just 6 gallons. Therefore I used 3 each way. The highway entrance is exactly 2mi. from my home, the highway exit is 1mi. from my job, so 6 total miles were off the highway. You can do the math as to the exact figures but I'm saying thats nearly 25 mpg highway. In short, the stuff works.
EDIT:
And works great as long as we're talking highway miles. City mileage, stop and go kinda stuff, I can't say, because I haven't monitored it yet, and frankly don't plan to because I never go the same way twice during the summer at the Jersey Shore.

[fourfourto]

Your results seem unreal im sure you will get snapped on by someone
Keep us updated of your results and start a thread on it .

The camper new is around 17/18 grand
Its a 07 used last year twice and I got it for 11,000 from Indiana(Ive been out about 5 times this spring summer) shipping was about 1,000 total and tax/reg was about another 1,000
Funny thing... the insurance co didnt want to know what i paid or book value they wanted the new price that was 17,800 and they added 5,000 for personal stuff inside. all for$93.00 for 6 months.
I think Allstate gives full new replacment value for 3 years.(truck also
)