Torklift Central Stealth EcoHitch for Model 3

[maddievanpatte]

I also purchased the Model 3 Ecohitch as soon as it came out and had it installed last week. Just wanted to provide my initial opinions for whatever it’s worth. For reference, I have always had hitches installed on all my cars and have owned hitches made by Curtis and Invisihitch on non-Tesla vehicles. I also had an Ecohitch installed on my Model S. I don’t ever do any real towing but carry bikes on my car 1-2x/week.

Ordering and Delivery: No issues ordering but they did say it would take 5-10 days to ship. I would say shipping time was broadly accurate but a bit surprising in this day and age of same day shipping. I purchased the optional cover at the same time. Shipping was included in the price. The hitch was well packed and arrived unscathed. Made in the USA which is nice.

Installation: I did not install it myself but had AB Trailer Hitch in San Carlos, CA do it. They’ve installed hitches and all my vehicles and have always done a great job. They told me that the Model 3 hitch was easier to install than the Model S Ecohitch. I asked the shop to take some pictures during installation which are included below.

Bumper cover removed with bumper still in place (pre-hitch installation)

Bumper removed and hitch assembly put into position

Bumper re-installed over hitch assembly

In Use: The installation of the 2" receiver is very similar to the Model S. I love this style of hitch because when you don’t have the receiver installed and the cover is in place, no one can tell that you have a hitch unless you look carefully underneath the vehicle. Without the receiver installed, ground clearance is pretty much the same as stock. This is very different than other types of hitches where the hardware hangs below the exhaust, reducing ground clearance and affecting the appearance of the vehicle. When the Ecohitch receiver is installed, you do lose a bit of ground clearance at the rear so I am a bit more careful going up and down steep driveways.

To install the receiver, remove the optional cover and place the receiver up into vertical fitting. A horizontally oriented bolt is then used to tighten things down. I generally use a ratchet wrench to tighten the bolt on receivers such as this. The one thing I would say is that the cutout in the bottom panel of the car is smaller than for the Model S Ecohitch. As mentioned in previous posts, the tighter space makes it more difficult to thread in or loosen the bolt. Also- it is more difficult to get a ratchet wrench in there to help yourself. I still haven’t figured out the best way to attach the receiver quickly and do wish they made the cut-out a little larger. I guess could look into potentially enlarging it myself but then the optional cover wouldn’t be large enough. I do hope they make the template for the cutout larger and make a larger cover. Once you do get the bolt tightened, the whole thing feels very secure.



Receiver (horizontal bolt tightens receiver to fitting)

Cover removed. Vertical Fitting that receiver attaches to (view from below vehicle)

Receiver Installed

After installation of the receiver, you can install whatever rack you have. I’ve attached a picture of my single bike carrier (1upUSA) + mountain bike mounted to the Model 3 hitch. Works as advertised for carrying bikes.

Hope this helps.

 

[Shoal007]

I also purchased the Model 3 Ecohitch as soon as it came out and had it installed last week. Just wanted to provide my initial opinions for whatever it’s worth. For reference, I have always had hitches installed on all my cars and have owned hitches made by Curtis and Invisihitch on non-Tesla vehicles. I also had an Ecohitch installed on my Model S. I don’t ever do any real towing but carry bikes on my car 1-2x/week.

Ordering and Delivery: No issues ordering but they did say it would take 5-10 days to ship. I would say shipping time was broadly accurate but a bit surprising in this day and age of same day shipping. I purchased the optional cover at the same time. Shipping was included in the price. The hitch was well packed and arrived unscathed. Made in the USA which is nice.

Installation: I did not install it myself but had AB Trailer Hitch in San Carlos, CA do it. They’ve installed hitches and all my vehicles and have always done a great job. They told me that the Model 3 hitch was easier to install than the Model S Ecohitch. I asked the shop to take some pictures during installation which are included below.

Bumper cover removed with bumper still in place (pre-hitch installation)
View attachment 297344
Bumper removed and hitch assembly put into position
View attachment 297345
Bumper re-installed over hitch assembly
View attachment 297346
In Use: The installation of the 2" receiver is very similar to the Model S. I love this style of hitch because when you don’t have the receiver installed and the cover is in place, no one can tell that you have a hitch unless you look carefully underneath the vehicle. Without the receiver installed, ground clearance is pretty much the same as stock. This is very different than other types of hitches where the hardware hangs below the exhaust, reducing ground clearance and affecting the appearance of the vehicle. When the Ecohitch receiver is installed, you do lose a bit of ground clearance at the rear so I am a bit more careful going up and down steep driveways.

To install the receiver, remove the optional cover and place the receiver up into vertical fitting. A horizontally oriented bolt is then used to tighten things down. I generally use a ratchet wrench to tighten the bolt on receivers such as this. The one thing I would say is that the cutout in the bottom panel of the car is smaller than for the Model S Ecohitch. As mentioned in previous posts, the tighter space makes it more difficult to thread in or loosen the bolt. Also- it is more difficult to get a ratchet wrench in there to help yourself. I still haven’t figured out the best way to attach the receiver quickly and do wish they made the cut-out a little larger. I guess could look into potentially enlarging it myself but then the optional cover wouldn’t be large enough. I do hope they make the template for the cutout larger and make a larger cover. Once you do get the bolt tightened, the whole thing feels very secure.



Receiver (horizontal bolt tightens receiver to fitting)
View attachment 297348
Cover removed. Vertical Fitting that receiver attaches to (view from below vehicle)
View attachment 297349
Receiver Installed
View attachment 297352


After installation of the receiver, you can install whatever rack you have. I’ve attached a picture of my single bike carrier (1upUSA) + mountain bike mounted to the Model 3 hitch. Works as advertised for carrying bikes.

View attachment 297350


Hope this helps.

Excellent post, my hole ended up about the same. When using your 1up I haven't figured out how to use the Velcro backup and/or chains if pulling a small utlity trailer. I guess u could have someone weld on a hook to the hitch.

 

[But_dave]

Thanks for the pictures - regarding access to the bolt - if the hole was same size but off center a bit - would that allow better access?

 

[dhrivnak]

Thanks for the pictures - regarding access to the bolt - if the hole was same size but off center a bit - would that allow better access?

Yes and that is what I did

 

[jamnmon66]

maddievanpatte-

Thanks for the post. Very helpful.

 

[Skione65]

@maddievanpatte,
Looks great....will be perfect for my Trek Domane 4.5. Did you get the optional cover and do you have a photo with the cover on? Also looks like the cover is held on by a heavy duty magnet. Is that correct? I’m sure it’s secure enough. I think I’d still want to even plug the small finger pull hole as well to prevent debris.

Regards,
Ski

 

[mekberg]

View attachment 297350

That bike tho

 

[Shoal007]

@maddievanpatte,
Looks great....will be perfect for my Trek Domane 4.5. Did you get the optional cover and do you have a photo with the cover on? Also looks like the cover is held on by a heavy duty magnet. Is that correct? I’m sure it’s secure enough. I think I’d still want to even plug the small finger pull hole as well to prevent debris.
View attachment 297388

Regards,
Ski

Mine doesn't quite cover the hole seems secure enough, ill take a photo of the cover.

 

[maddievanpatte]

Here's a photo with the cover in place (taken from below). The cover is held in the vertical fitting by a heavy duty magnet. It seems pretty solid when in place. Enlarging the cutout or displacing the opening to the passenger side would likely increase access to the bolt. However, if you did either, I don't think the optional cover would block the entire cutout on the passenger side.

 

[Leofingal]

Very cool! Does anyone leave their hitch in? Also planning to get the 1up hitch rack for my bike when my 3 comes, and this looks like a perfect solution. Many folks leave the 1up racks on the car all the time, and I was thinking of doing the same. My bike fits in the S with the seats down, but I keep aggravating my back loading it in, plus the mud...

Thanks!

 

[dhrivnak]

Yes I will likely leave the receiver in place. I see no reason to take it out.

 

[Quocamus]

I was able to install mine in 3 hours. The hole is too small even with a 4 inch cutter. You have to slide the bolt up at a wierd angle and need a special wrench to tighten it. I was able to do it without toouch trouble but lost one push clip and have not a very pretty hole. Now to use it with my 1up!

Shoal007 - How difficult was it to install yourself? Any tricks or advice? I am fairly handy but do not have experience with body work and removing bumpers. I just received mine and I’m trying to determine if I can do this myself or if I should find an installer.

Anybody have recommendations for an installer in the Ventura County or Los Angeles area?

Looking forward to using my 1Up rack with this as well.

 

[israndy]

There already is a very long thread on this subject What about the tow hitch?

I just got back from a road trip to LA with my bike on the back. I was driving in VERY windy conditions back up Hwy 5 and I was losing about 2 miles for every mile I drove. I almost didn't make the next supercharger. Hopefully not related to the bike. I'll do another trip to Colorado next, which will give me more time to see if the miles really drop due to the bike.

img_5828-jpg.301712

As to leaving it on the car, I have so far. It scrapes when I drive straight at my driveway, but not anywhere else, but I have the pliers in the car in case I need to remove it.

-Randy

 

[Skione65]

@Randy Spencer,

That Red! What a Shot! Incredible....just gorgeous. Love the bike set up. Yes let us know what you come up with. I’m assuming it was just ‘drag’ induced/related. Or a combination of drag and the increased weight of the eco hitch? Had you noticed any significant reduction in range with ‘just’ the hitch and no bike on the rack? Maybe you can do a real world test on the same stretch of highway in a ‘no wind’ condition with just the hitch, then with a bike on the hitch and look at energy consumption.
Very interested as I have a Trek Domane 4.5 I’ll be needing to cart around.

Ski

 

[israndy]

Still trying to figure out the new car, first obvious issue is the vampire drain, but next will be the range anxiety if I see that more than driving on Hwy 5. Gonna need it to work as I am heading to the Grand Canyon North Rim and there ain't a lot of power near by

-Randy

 

[ForeverFree]

I'm concerned about the range issue, too.

On our S85D, at 70-75 mph, with two 26" mountain bikes on a Kuat rack plugged into our Ecohitch, we typically use 150 range miles per 100 miles traveled. That contrasts with about 115/100 without rack and bikes.

That suggests that our 310 Wh/mi typical usage has become 410, a 100 Wh/mi drag penalty.

I'm about to order an Ecohitch for our 3, but I expect the impact to be worse. First, with the 3 being 4 inches narrower, there will be more rack and bike hanging out in the breeze. So, I fear that the 100 Wh/mi penalty may become 120.

Second, this is an absolute penalty, not a percentage penalty. With a rackless Model 3 using only about 260 Wh/mi at highway speeds (and only 235 Wh/mi to achieve rated range), a 120 penalty is a pretty big hit. 260 + 120 = 380 Wh/mi. Which suggests using about 165 range miles per 100 miles traveled.

Put another way, that means 60 miles traveled per 100 range miles used. Or about 185 full-to-flat max range on a 310-mile Model 3LR.

With 10% --> 70% being a decent time-optimization strategy for supercharging, that means charging roughly every 100 miles. Ouch!

 

[Leofingal]

Yes, the model 3 (and model S) have very low drag coefficients, and bikes on a rack are a pretty serious breakup of the wind. I am not too surprised by the 160/100 mile penalty. This won't be a problem for me though as I primarily mountain bike well within 60 miles of home. For a long trip, it may make more sense to put the bike in the trunk (plenty of room) and use the rack only for shorter/more frequent trips.

 

[roblab]

Tesla does not approve 3rd-party items.

Tesla cannot deny any warranty claims (at least in the US) unless they can show that the third party item caused a failure. Possible if you tow something heavy; but awfully unlikely with a bike rack.

Lets start a rumor that Tesla buys their hitch from Eco Hitch and resells it for double. I'm probably more right than you think, although Tesla could get almost any hitch shop to fab up a hitch for them. They've all got cutting torches and square tubing.

 

[Quocamus]

@Randy Spencer - Thank you for pointing me to the other thread. There was a lot of useful information that gave me enough confidence to perform the install myself. I'm happy to say that it went pretty smoothly and was a success!

Some notes from my experience that may help others in the future:

• The 6 bolts protruding from the hitch for the crash bar fit perfectly fine with the factory flange nuts. Based on Randy's notes, I thought I might have to purchase nuts to fit them because my hitch did not come with any nuts, but it seems that Torklift has updated the design so that the factory nuts will work.
• The trunk rests were initially very tight on mine -- too tight to loosen by hand. I used an adjustable wrench but didn't want to scratch anything so I put a towel over it before putting the wrench on it.
• Probably obvious to most people, but it took me a while to figure out how to disconnect the sensor plug when I removed the bumper. There is a little gray tab on the bumper-side connector that slides out a bit. That uncovers a tab that can be lifted from the other end so that the two connectors can be pulled apart.
• The crash bar supports were stuck pretty hard to the chassis. I tried scraping the coating around the edges and still couldn't get them off. Then I got a pry bar and just tapped it in between with a mallet, and they came right off easily. I had a tiny bit of water in one of them, but not much. But I also live in SoCal and haven't had any real rain with this car yet.
• Reinstalling the bumper was a bit tricky since I was working alone and didn't have another person to support it. After I got it on, I realized that I didn't have the front tabs of the black plastic pan slid underneath the felt cover. I found that by removing two more bolts on the felt (a bit further up towards the front, one out on each side), I could easily pull the felt down enough to get the plastic tabs in under the felt. This also made it a lot easier to reinstall the center bolt that goes under the felt.
• I cut the hole with a 4" hole saw, following the instructions. Maybe the instructions have been updated -- they stated to have the holes offset quite a bit toward the passenger side. The driver side hole was only offset 3/4" from the center line, while the passenger side hole was offset 2-1/4" from center. With this hole, I don't find it too difficult to install the hitch receiver. I angle the bolt, head first, back into the space above the pan and then I can straighten it and install the bolt by hand. After that, I have enough room to use an adjustable wrench to tighten the bolt.
• Be careful when re-installing the taillights so as not to drop a nut down inside the body. I dropped one, and luckily I was able to get my arm down in there and feel around to find the nut.
• Overall, it took me about 3.5 hours to install on my own.

Hoping to get to try this with my bike rack soon!

 

[israndy]

Excellent, not looking forward to there being another RED car with a hitch, I like being unique. But happy to have more company of hitch owners and very happy you got to update the notes on installation so well. The offset may only be in the new notes, I am dyslexic so I really only look at the pictures, but I don't remember any mention of offsetting to one side. I did do it myself to get a wrench in there, but I did it with a box cutter, after my mistake of only making one hole. The plastic is SUPER easy to cut that way. Also leaves less ragged edges as other's photos have revealed.

What was your experience with water in the crash bar supports when you removed them? Or rust more to the point.

-Randy