How did you do that? I looked at the following instructions provided by them, and it specifically asks to remove the bumper beam.
http://www.hitchpro.net/Application/support/instructions/N24958.pdf
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Tow Hitch with Rear Facing Seats
- Thread starter Nepats
- Start date
How did you do that? I looked at the following instructions provided by them, and it specifically asks to remove the bumper beam.
http://www.hitchpro.net/Application/support/instructions/N24958.pdf
Ecohitch has either of the two options, at least for Model S: 2012-2019 Tesla Model S EcoHitch Stealth
The drawtite hitch is definitely shaped different than other Tesla S hitches. Other hitches drop lower from bracket to accommodate the rear impact bar. The draw-tite runs straight across mimicking the placement of the impact bar. It's a heavy duty hitch though and is as thick as impact bar which is probably why they designed it to be used instead of impact bar. The impact bar won't fit over the hitch receiver so it does need to be removed per install instructions.
@ifonul, did you install the Ecohitch yourself? I asked how much Tesla SC charges to install it but they won't install an aftermarket hitch. I don't mind installing it myself as I've installed hitches on two other vehicles, but I notice the Ecohitch requires carving into the rear underbody cover. What is the ground clearance of the hitch receiver when in use? Do you need a riser to prevent a bike rack from dipping too low and scraping the ground? Thank you for sharing your experience and insight with the Ecohitch.
Don’t have a hitch but think you are making a mistake equating the “rear crossmember” for the 3rd row seats with the steel tube of the trailer hitch.
The aluminum crossmember is designed to collapse and absorb energy. The steel hitch is not.
The aluminum crossmember is designed to collapse and absorb energy. The steel hitch is not.
docbrown
Member
I know this is kind of an old post, but I just installed an Ecohitch this past weekend, and figured I would clear up the misinformation.
Yes, the Ecohitch is more expensive, but it has advantages.
- As stated previously, the mounts are not identical. The Drawtite hitch requires you to lose the rear bumper beam. I'm not expert enough to say whether this negatively impacts the collision behavior of the vehicle, but I'd be wary of that.
- The Ecohitch has a removable receiver, no hitch in sight when not in use.
- The Ecohitch has a 50% greater tongue weight rating. (300lb vs 200lb) This makes a big difference if you want to carry a heavy duty bike carrier with 4 bikes.
- You can get the Ecohitch for 20% off if you wait for a sale. For example, Torklift had a 20% off sale for Cyberweek.
Some tips for anyone installing one of these themselves:
- I made ramps to raise the car by offset stacking 2 short pieces of 2x10 boards and screwing them together. This raised the rear end by 3". Between that and raising the suspension all the way, and putting it in jack mode, I had plenty of room underneath.
- Get a new batch of the plastic retaining clips for less than $10 on Amazon. The old ones are a bitch to put back on once they've been installed for a while. I'd say the most difficult part of the whole thing was getting all those clips back on.
docbrown
Member
Here's one option. There are a ton of other cheaper sets if you want to search around for the same size.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QWFTGNY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3T7YNU723BG3V&psc=1
