Draw-Tite Aftermarket Receiver Package

[ohmman]

Any idea what the height is from the ground to the top of the receiver, I guess with the ride height in standard?

And secondly - now that you've had the Draw-Tite installed for a few years; curious if you saw any evidence of galvanic corrosion or rusting on the hitch? Want to prevent an issue - saw the article above for another brand where a gasket was used; that seems a simple solution to me, but must be unnecessary if Draw-Tite continues to manufacture without it?

13" to the top of the shank when ride height is in "standard."

I have a cheap endoscope that I've used twice to peek inside the fascia at the bumper mounting points. It's not an exact way to look, but it beats going through the whole fascia removal process again. I never saw any evidence of galvanic corrosion.

When you do the install, I'll just say the hardest part, and the part that requires the most caution (and help, if you can get it) is replacing the fascia onto the car, ensuring that the bottom pan inserts above the front section and that it doesn't scratch the sides of your car. I placed bins underneath it to hold it up and slid the whole apparatus forward, which helped, but the slope at the back of the car makes it a little precarious.

One thing to consider when mounting the plug to the pan is the orientation of the door. Ohmsman has his plug door swinging to the left. I played with a few configurations and prefer mine swinging open toward the front of the car.

I have also given this a lot of thought. For me personally, I knew flipping back towards the back of the car didn't work because you had to reach around the door. Flipping forward towards the front of the car also wasn't ideal for me, because I had to reach farther back under the car while plugging and unplugging. My last installation flipped to the right, but I found that I was often closer to the hitch when I was doing it, so decided that flipping away from me was best. The key for me was to be able to visually ensure that the locking tooth is engaged and have the process be as ergonomic as possible.

 

[dmurphy]

13" to the top of the shank when ride height is in "standard."

I have a cheap endoscope that I've used twice to peek inside the fascia at the bumper mounting points. It's not an exact way to look, but it beats going through the whole fascia removal process again. I never saw any evidence of galvanic corrosion.

When you do the install, I'll just say the hardest part, and the part that requires the most caution (and help, if you can get it) is replacing the fascia onto the car, ensuring that the bottom pan inserts above the front section and that it doesn't scratch the sides of your car. I placed bins underneath it to hold it up and slid the whole apparatus forward, which helped, but the slope at the back of the car makes it a little precarious.


I have also given this a lot of thought. For me personally, I knew flipping back towards the back of the car didn't work because you had to reach around the door. Flipping forward towards the front of the car also wasn't ideal for me, because I had to reach farther back under the car while plugging and unplugging. My last installation flipped to the right, but I found that I was often closer to the hitch when I was doing it, so decided that flipping away from me was best. The key for me was to be able to visually ensure that the locking tooth is engaged and have the process be as ergonomic as possible.

Oof - 13" ... ouch. I need a pretty steep rise then; looking at about 19" hitch height on the Surveyor I have on order. No way would the Bosal suffice. Thanks so much for measuring!

And yes - I'll definitely have some help installing & removing the fascia. Seems to make sense to do that slowly and with two or maybe even three people - one on each side, and one underneath guiding the pan. I'm always good to supply pizza and beer for helpers.

 

[Pismo]

Id assume you use some nuts and bolts, that way you can tighten it from the inside?

 

[Big Ike]

A 2” hole saw works perfectly for the wiring harness and 7-pin cassette. I had to use some temporary screws to mount the 7-pin, since the stock ones are metal screws. But I’ll replace later. Done!
View attachment 593189
View attachment 593188

As far as I'm concerned, that's A+ work! And I'm a monster critic.

 

[smorgasbord]

New Model X owner, 2020 LR+. I really didn't do my homework, thinking that any 2" receiver capable of towing 5k pounds with a tongue weight rating of 500 lbs should be able to handle a 40 lbs bike rack and two 60 lbs e-bikes.

Turns out my assumption was wrong. The Model X manual actually says no more than 120 lbs of vertical weight. I do think there's really some torque spec and so the closer I can keep the bicycles to the vehicle the better, but....

So, will the Draw-tite or other after-market hitch "fix" this for me? I have read through this whole thread, but it's all towing based. This is a leased vehicle, so if I don't buy it after 3 years I assume I'll need to put it back to stock - does that mean buying a new cover to modify?

BTW, I should have also realized that with bikes on the back Auto-Pilot thinks the rear corners have constant obstacles. With tow-mode on I could only do cruise, but turning tow mode off let me to auto-steer as well, with changing lanes upon signalling. That's a relief!

 

[mongo]

New Model X owner, 2020 LR+. I really didn't do my homework, thinking that any 2" receiver capable of towing 5k pounds with a tongue weight rating of 500 lbs should be able to handle a 40 lbs bike rack and two 60 lbs e-bikes.

Turns out my assumption was wrong. The Model X manual actually says no more than 120 lbs of vertical weight. I do think there's really some torque spec and so the closer I can keep the bicycles to the vehicle the better, but....

So, will the Draw-tite or other after-market hitch "fix" this for me? I have read through this whole thread, but it's all towing based. This is a leased vehicle, so if I don't buy it after 3 years I assume I'll need to put it back to stock - does that mean buying a new cover to modify?

BTW, I should have also realized that with bikes on the back Auto-Pilot thinks the rear corners have constant obstacles. With tow-mode on I could only do cruise, but turning tow mode off let me to auto-steer as well, with changing lanes upon signalling. That's a relief!

Tucking them closer in doesn't help the torque induced by braking or accelerating. Edit: (or cornering)

 

[smorgasbord]

Tucking them closer in doesn't help the torque induced by braking or accelerating. Edit: (or cornering)

Mechanically speaking, shortening the distance the weight is cantilevered away from the hitch will help reduce torque.

 

[mongo]

Mechanically speaking, shortening the distance the weight is cantilevered away from the hitch will help reduce torque.

Only in the static case (or going over bumps). The horizontal arm is much shorter than the vertical so the loading due to the vertical is more of a concern. While moving the load closer to the pivot does reduce the total distance, it does not change the loading due to lateral acceleration (vertical arm).

 

[smorgasbord]

Only in the static case (or going over bumps). The horizontal arm is much shorter than the vertical so the loading due to the vertical is more of a concern. While moving the load closer to the pivot does reduce the total distance, it does not change the loading due to lateral acceleration (vertical arm).

I would imagine that going over bumps at speed is the main concern for a bicycle rack (versus towing a trailer).

In any case, how does one explain the tongue rating of 500 lbs with a vertical load rating (bicycle rack) of only 120 lbs?

 

[mongo]

I would imagine that going over bumps at speed is the main concern for a bicycle rack (versus towing a trailer).

In any case, how does one explain the tongue rating of 500 lbs with a vertical load rating (bicycle rack) of only 120 lbs?

Bumps can also be an issue with the bike rack depending on the horizontal projection to the Cg, but I think the vertical projection is worse.

The 500 vs 120 is due in part to this. 120 * vertical height (likely more than 14" since wheel radius is ~28") * max(accel, decel, cornering force) vs 500 * horizontal offset (around 14" max) * vertical acceleration. Also, the trailer tongue weight is only a downward load with no additional torque or side loading. This is much more gentle on the connection than a bike carrier rocking back and forth. Note too how the hitch ball height restriction results in accel/ decel loads producing nearly zero torque on the connection.

 

[Uncle Paul]

In addition to the vertical load from gravity, you will also have a sheer load caused by wind coming off the rear deck of your Tesla. At 60+ MPH that can input a significant load, especially considering the leverage from the top of your bikes.

Wind will be constantly be pushing on your rear mounted bikes.

 

[ohmman]

I think it’s sometimes demonstrative to imagine lifting a seesaw/teeter-totter with a 100 lb spring pushing up on the other side. This is trailer tongue weight. Now imagine holding a dustpan by the handle with someone placing 30 lbs in the pan. That’s an unsupported cargo tray or bike rack. The latter imparts a lot more torque.

Edit: Messed up the analogy a touch and fixed that.

 

[smorgasbord]

So is the consensus that for my two 60 lbs e-bikes and 40 lbs bike rack that I need to replace the stock hitch with the Draw-Tite or similar?

 

[Pismo]

So I finally got mine all together with some towing coming this weekend. I did the hitch in June.
But finally out the female plug connector in.
Messed it up orientation wise - as I thought i out it on the drivers side but it was passenger and then, too far to the outside.
So only two bolts but sits flush and figure the $10 hitch cover is cheaper than the huge under cover plastic. I can always buy another one and redo it.

 

[BM3B]

@ohmman how strongly would you recommend a new X owner looking at 19-22' switch to the Draw-Tite over the stock tow package and for which reasons? I am thinking of pulling a rental with the stock hitch setup, then if everyone enjoys the experience I may upgrade like you have. Thanks!

 

[ohmman]

@ohmman how strongly would you recommend a new X owner looking at 19-22' switch to the Draw-Tite over the stock tow package and for which reasons? I am thinking of pulling a rental with the stock hitch setup, then if everyone enjoys the experience I may upgrade like you have. Thanks!

It's all about whether you want to use weight distribution or not. If you are comfortable without it, you are probably safe towing with a weight bearing hitch on the Bosal. Note that the offset restrictions on the Bosal are significant, though, and make sure you can level your trailer without going out of spec on those.

The fact that I had a Draw-Tite in my garage before I had my new X should tell you how I generally feel about it, though.

 

[BM3B]

It's all about whether you want to use weight distribution or not. If you are comfortable without it, you are probably safe towing with a weight bearing hitch on the Bosal. Note that the offset restrictions on the Bosal are significant, though, and make sure you can level your trailer without going out of spec on those.

The fact that I had a Draw-Tite in my garage before I had my new X should tell you how I generally feel about it, though.

Thank you @ohmman . If you, a Model X - AS tow master, are using weight distribution then I’d be a fool not to. As I understand WD makes your system safer and easier to drive. It should be standard for anything close to the max gross trailer weight like a 19-22’ AS. Now I have to find someone to install it in LA or DIM. I’ve done some light work on my 3, installed the power trunk myself. This seems faster but more critical to get right. Balancing seems key, and the cover modifications.

 

[smorgasbord]

In addition to the vertical load from gravity, you will also have a sheer load caused by wind coming off the rear deck of your Tesla. At 60+ MPH that can input a significant load, especially considering the leverage from the top of your bikes.

Wind will be constantly be pushing on your rear mounted bikes.

Good point. I have a platform rack, which maybe puts less torque on the hitch since there isn't an arm going way up in the air, but there are two bikes there so the horizontal distance from the vehicle is fixed by the furthest bike.

I have done three 125 mile round-trips with my two 60-lbs eBikes and the 40lbs-ish bike rack, mostly freeways, mostly under 80 MPH, and pretty smooth roads overall. So far, haven't detected any damage to hitch. A friend with a Sig Model X and the Tesla hitch says he's done hundreds of trips with 3-4 bikes and a heavy rack that was probably close to 180 lbs total without any issues.

If wind load is an issue, than perhaps a tie from the bike's seatpost to the hitch would convert angular torque on the hitch mount to raw pulling tension on the hitch, albeit at an angle to the horizontal. Thoughts?

If I should get the Draw-Tite, then could I reinstall the stock hitch upon lease return? Thoughts there would be much appreciated.

 

[tommytuna]

Folks - awesome thread. I have been stressing after finding out Bosal can only do 120 lbs with a cargo hitch carrier. We use a cargo hitch carrier to transport outboard motor (125 lbs+) to cottage and have a 4 bike rack that would definitely blow past the 120 lbs. Was going to be a utility trailer until i found this thread. Looks like DrawTite will safely handle 200lbs plus with cargo carrier?

How hard is the rear bumper removal? Anybody have a good step by step video/set of pics on removing the rear bumper? I see that is the hardest step for me.

 

[Rossy]

Folks - awesome thread. I have been stressing after finding out Bosal can only do 120 lbs with a cargo hitch carrier....

The Bosal should be good to 500#? Dis I miss the memo? Been towing 4 years with no issues 200-300# tongue weight. No issues.