Model S Trailer Hitch Installation

[antdun]

How hard is it to remove the hitch?

I have coils and the car is super low as is, it will definitely scrape on my driveway. I'm thinking of getting the 1.25" hitch for a bike rack.

Removing the receiver drop down part is super easy to do, especially if you keep a driver and socket on hand as I do so I don't need to look around for the 15/16th socket. I just grab it out of my frunk and it just always has the right size on it. I can put on the receiver in like 1 minute.

Air suspension is certainly an advantage for the trailer hitch functionality because it is far closer to the ground than a typical truck or SUV with a receiver, but if when you've put the receiver on you're careful then I think it's fine not being able to adjust the suspension. I just make sure to hit dips in the road (like a drainage ditch in the road for instance) at an angle rather than going straight through and it doesn't scrape. When we're on more major roads where we're going faster they're typically more level and there's no need for concern. That's been my experience anyway.

 

[Cheburashka]

Removing the receiver drop down part is super easy to do, especially if you keep a driver and socket on hand as I do so I don't need to look around for the 15/16th socket. I just grab it out of my frunk and it just always has the right size on it. I can put on the receiver in like 1 minute.

Air suspension is certainly an advantage for the trailer hitch functionality because it is far closer to the ground than a typical truck or SUV with a receiver, but if when you've put the receiver on you're careful then I think it's fine not being able to adjust the suspension. I just make sure to hit dips in the road (like a drainage ditch in the road for instance) at an angle rather than going straight through and it doesn't scrape. When we're on more major roads where we're going faster they're typically more level and there's no need for concern. That's been my experience anyway.

Thanks for that feedback. At this point, I'm pretty used to scraping with the coils anyway. I don't mind being extra careful around the driveway for when the bike rack is mounted as long as I can remove it easily.

Is there a point in the cover that ecohitch sells? Do you use it when you take the hitch off?

 

[antdun]

Thanks for that feedback. At this point, I'm pretty used to scraping with the coils anyway. I don't mind being extra careful around the driveway for when the bike rack is mounted as long as I can remove it easily.

Is there a point in the cover that ecohitch sells? Do you use it when you take the hitch off?

I mentioned the receiver is easy to put on, and you asked if it's easy to take off. Haha sorry for not reading accurately, but really it's just as easy to put on or off, perhaps easier to take off since...gravity makes it fall out once the bolt is out.

I don't use the EcoHitch cover. I don't really see the point to it. Perhaps there's a tiny aerodynamic advantage, but I haven't seen it. Plus if you drive on gravel roads a lot perhaps there's more gravel or dirt getting up there, but that hasn't been an issue for me when I've driven on gravel roads. If it was like $20 or less I'd consider it, but they sell it for far more than I think it's worth.

 

[cbh03]

I just received the TorkLift EcoHitch but have not installed it yet due to the need to cut the access hole in the bumper skin. For anyone that has installed this hitch, did you use a 4 in hole saw as recommended? Any recommendations for not messing this up? TIA

 

[antdun]

I just received the TorkLift EcoHitch but have not installed it yet due to the need to cut the access hole in the bumper skin. For anyone that has installed this hitch, did you use a 4 in hole saw as recommended? Any recommendations for not messing this up? TIA

One of the commenters on my YouTube video (linked to in the original post of this thread) mentioned that the Torklift EcoHitch instructions and template page have been updated and don't have the holes overlapping like they were when I did it (as shown in my YouTube video instructions). I think that's a good thing as it makes more room for the chains to be hooked onto the hitch properly. I did use a hole saw, I can't remember off the top of my head right now if it was a 3 inch or 4 inch hole saw, but I think that's a great option. I then used a jig saw to cut out the triangular pieces at the top and bottom between the holes. It makes for a pretty clean cut, but it's certainly gave me pause when doing it to be cutting giant holes in a perfectly good bumper...but it's all for better functionality so it's worth it. Measure twice, cut once! Here's where I did it.

 

[cbh03]

@antdun - I was able to install the EcoHitch this weekend and your video was very helpful, particularly seeing the cutting since mine is a 2014. Thank you!

 

[antdun]

@antdun - I was able to install the EcoHitch this weekend and your video was very helpful, particularly seeing the cutting since mine is a 2014. Thank you!

That's awesome, I'm glad to hear my video helped you out, and now you have additional useful functionality on your Model S!

 

[dancri77]

This might be useful.

Tesla Model S hitch by Torklift (3 year update): Eaten alive

 

[antdun]

This might be useful.

Tesla Model S hitch by Torklift (3 year update): Eaten alive

Torklift has modified their design since this article was published 3 years ago. They've added some plastic washers and probably some other tweaks as well. What I need is a small camera I can fish inside the bumper to see if I can tell how things are going in a year or two, because I'm not going to bother to remove my bumper again just to check on things...unless I got a ton of subscribers and they were clamoring for it then I'd do it for a video perhaps.

 

[Idaho_Steve]

I just received the TorkLift EcoHitch but have not installed it yet due to the need to cut the access hole in the bumper skin. For anyone that has installed this hitch, did you use a 4 in hole saw as recommended? Any recommendations for not messing this up? TIA

Probably too late with this post but I installed this hitch yesterday on my ‘18 S100D and used my Dremel tool. I cut out the provided template and traced the outline. The Dremel made the cut easily and quickly. Mounting the hitch looks daunting but was surprisingly straightforward and took just an afternoon working by myself. (The YouTube videos helped a lot — way more than the provided instructions IMHO.)

 

[antdun]

Probably too late with this post but I installed this hitch yesterday on my ‘18 S100D and used my Dremel tool. I cut out the provided template and traced the outline. The Dremel made the cut easily and quickly. Mounting the hitch looks daunting but was surprisingly straightforward and took just an afternoon working by myself. (The YouTube videos helped a lot — way more than the provided instructions IMHO.)

That's awesome, I'm glad to hear the video was helpful!

 

[DayTrippin]

This has been a very interesting thread as I am considering purchasing a Model S. Has anyone had any warranty issues who have towed something with their S? I am potentially interested in using a hitch for a bike rack and possibly towing a jetski on its trailer.

The combined weight of trailer and ski would be less than 1,000 pounds. I can't see buying a Y or X to tow something so small especially when I would maybe only tow something twice a month and maybe 15 miles each way.

 

[Cheburashka]

Don't see why 1000lbs would be a problem. I believe you can safely tow up to 2000lb with the ecohitch.

 

[antdun]

This has been a very interesting thread as I am considering purchasing a Model S. Has anyone had any warranty issues who have towed something with their S? I am potentially interested in using a hitch for a bike rack and possibly towing a jetski on its trailer.

The combined weight of trailer and ski would be less than 1,000 pounds. I can't see buying a Y or X to tow something so small especially when I would maybe only tow something twice a month and maybe 15 miles each way.

I have had my car into the service center about four or five times since I installed this trailer hitch and they have never said anything. What a technician told me a while back is that installing a trailer hitch would only void the warranty if there was an issue with the car that they traced back to being probably from towing and the things that I've had replaced are completely unrelated like tail light, sunroof, MCU daughter board etc. So there is some risk that if you had a problem with your suspension system or something like that at the back end of the car and they saw you had a trailer hitch they may attribute it to towing but I think that's a pretty minor probability and the functionality that I've gained has been very worth it to me. 1,000 lbs should be no problem of towing weight. The tongue weight shouldn't exceed 300 lbs.

 

[DayTrippin]

Thanks for the insight. I have seen some manufacturers really try to stretch to make a warranty issue somehow related to a modification. Years ago I worked for Honda and it was amazing sometimes the things I saw that actually were warranted that clearly were caused by a modification if not outright abuse of the vehicle.

 

[meinnovations]

Hi Tony, thanks for the great videos. I am taking your advice to run the power down the passenger side. For me it was easier to remove the wheels and felt than the rear bumper cover, and I thought there might be a way to run the wire internally so I don't snag it on a fire road. There are three structural channels that run from wheel to wheel. It looks like high voltage goes through the bottom one, but the top one seems to be clear. See my fish wire emerging near the rear wheel below. This seems like a really easy and elegant solution. I haven't laid out the rest of the parts yet. It was 106 in Seattle today - we're not used to 30deg over normal so things went slowly! The thought is to run out the vent and then over the green and orange wires and through the channel. Do you or anyone see a problem with this routing?

 

[antdun]

Hi Tony, thanks for the great videos. I am taking your advice to run the power down the passenger side. For me it was easier to remove the wheels and felt than the rear bumper cover, and I thought there might be a way to run the wire internally so I don't snag it on a fire road. There are three structural channels that run from wheel to wheel. It looks like high voltage goes through the bottom one, but the top one seems to be clear. See my fish wire emerging near the rear wheel below. This seems like a really easy and elegant solution. I haven't laid out the rest of the parts yet. It was 106 in Seattle today - we're not used to 30deg over normal so things went slowly! The thought is to run out the vent and then over the green and orange wires and through the channel. Do you or anyone see a problem with this routing?
View attachment 678712View attachment 678713

That's a really interesting route I didn't know was available because I was avoiding taking off the covers to get to this point. Looks like a pretty good option for you and I imagine it's probably a fine channel to utilize for your purposes. That's for including how you're doing it so others that come along after us know what their options are!

 

[dmwahl]

I added the hitch and wiring a month ago, rather than run a power wire all the way to the front I tapped into the lift gate power wire which on my car was the red with grey stripe wire (~14awg). It's behind the plastic panel in the back on the passenger side which you have to remove anyway to do the trailer wiring.

 

[Wolfsbane]

I added the hitch and wiring a month ago, rather than run a power wire all the way to the front I tapped into the lift gate power wire which on my car was the red with grey stripe wire (~14awg). It's behind the plastic panel in the back on the passenger side which you have to remove anyway to do the trailer wiring.

View attachment 691306

That seems a heck of a lot easier than running a lead all the way to the front. Is there any good reason not to take this approach?

 

[antdun]

That seems a heck of a lot easier than running a lead all the way to the front. Is there any good reason not to take this approach?

From my perspective if you know what wire to connect to, and you're willing to physically alter the wire to tap into it then it's a fine approach. I didn't know what wire to splice into and I wanted to be able to remove everything and have no physical evidence of my installation remaining just in case. I expect to keep my installation and the vehicle for a long time though. Mainly when I was reaching how to do it I found very little instructions online and the common consensus I read online was that Tesla is very inconsistent on what color wires do what so it's hard to have clear instructions that apply to everyone with a Model S.