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Modifying hitch receiver dust cover

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Hey guys,

I recently saw a post by mjhawley on the tesla forum about cutting a hole in the hitch receiver's dust cover to allow having the cover on while the tow hitch receiver is in place. Was wondering if anyone else has tried this or has their own solutions for it. I've gotten the extra cover and tools to try this out, going to try adding a rubber grommet to see if it'll help to get a better seal.

Tow hitch dust cover | Tesla
 
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I think Ohmman might have flush-mounted his. Definitely a much more tidy appearance when not towing. I didn’t like how it would direct the plug downward however. My trucks have always had the plug facing straight back like I did. Something that swung out from flush-mount when unladen to rear-facing when in use might be the ideal.

I believe replacement covers are available, just gotta be sure to get the right one for your car as they’ve been revised a couple times. The way I did mine, a new one of those little panels is all that’s needed (besides the hitch itself) to return to stock.
 
There was a post on here somewhere about this. The OP cut the hole and mounted the wiring plug on the exterior of the cover so he never had to remove the cover. I want to do the same for mine since I will leave it on all the time.

Thanks for the link! Looks interesting, I don't think I'll need the aux pin modification since I'm just using the hitch for a bike rack. I'll post pics if this doesn't end up being a total failure.

Yes. I received a quote from the Burbank SC last summer for $80.

I just bought one for 10.99 at the Burbank SC
 
Thanks for the link! Looks interesting, I don't think I'll need the aux pin modification since I'm just using the hitch for a bike rack. I'll post pics if this doesn't end up being a total failure.



I just bought one for 10.99 at the Burbank SC

That is very disappointing, I still have the text message from the SC stating $80. Do you mind posting the part number?
 
That is very disappointing, I still have the text message from the SC stating $80. Do you mind posting the part number?

Unfortunately I don't have a receipt for it but I do have the CC charge if you need that when talking to the dealer.

IMG_5335.jpg
 
That looks great @idoco ! Any issues or tips you can share about the process that you may have ran into?

Thanks.

Tips.. get a second cover. Rough cut with one in order to get the correct fit. Then use it as a template and cut the second one with a Dremel.

The electrical connector is easy to disconnect from the hitch. But the actual wire is fastened with a single fastener which was a b***h to cut free through the opening. Long, laparoscopic scissors would have made it much easier!
 
Finally got around to cutting a hole in the dust cover for the tow hitch receiver. Turned out great! The receiver goes in with only a small gap, which I just duct taped until I figure out a better solution. And since the only way to actually see the duct tape is if you are literally beneath the car, duct tape is probably the permanent solution. :)

Turns out it's really easy. I started by marking the point 3" in on the dust cover, measuring from the front of the car. Use a small drill bit to create a pilot hole. Then progressively larger drill bits. Then finish with:


It creates a perfect 3" hole right where the tow hitch receiver needs to be. You can even save the cut out piece to fill in the hole in case you take out the receiver.
 

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