Aftermarket Hitch Installation - UPDATED - COMPLETE

Okay, I needed a hitch and after seeing the OEM installation and price, I set out to find an aftermarket DIY solution.  I had a few criteria:

1.  Significantly cheaper than dealer installation which was pushing $380 for receiver, hitch and wiring harness plus labour. 

2.  Ability to lower tailgate if possible.

3.  Something less obtrusive then the OEM round hitch mount.

So, in a nutshell I have had success on all three counts which can be summarized as follows:

1.  Curt Manufacturing is the only current third party manufacturer of 2007 Outlander Hitches as of May 2007.  Their hitch is rated higher than the OEM version at 4000 pounds towing and 400 pounds tongue weight.  I also selected a Reese 10" hitch with 4" rise.  For wiring harness, I tested three harnesses from Reese, Hidden Hitch and Draw-Tite (Modulite).  All three claim to work with LED taillights but only the Modulite #118176 by Draw-Tite actually works fully and properly with the Outies LED system  So, as far as saving cashola - I paid $140 for the receiver, $40 for the hitch and $30 for the harness plus my time.

2.  I can lower the tailgate fully with a tow load on - unloaded, the tailgate does not clear the Reese hitch (by about an 1/8th of an inch).  In a practical sense this shouldn't be an issue - if you don't plan to drive around with the hitch in with no tow load it's a moot point.

3.  I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  I didn't care much for the look of the OEM installed hitch but after further investigation, determined it is mostly unavoidable.  The problem with the 2007 Outie is the location of the spare tire and its mounting brackets which impede the ability to have a truly "hidden hitch".  If Mits had moved the spare tire mount an inch or so towards the front of the vehicle, there would have been adequate space to hide the hitch behind the lower bumper cover.  The Curt hitch cross tube is narrow enough to squeeze behind the bumper and spare tire as is but would require some serious modification to the hitch mounts and recertification.  Personnally I find the Curt hitch a tad less unobtrusive mainly because it has square cross tubing rather than round like the OEM version.

Receiver Installation:
 
This installation is pretty simple for DIY'ers out there.  The hardest part of the install was releasing the rubber exhaust hanger mounts - other than that, no drilling is required and you just need to make sure you torque everything to spec.

Here is the Curt hitch:



The instructions say to remove all three exhaust hangers, but I only removed the two hangers on the right of the muffler.  Definitely need to use some muscle and a short pry bar really helps to get the rubber over the flared ends of the muffler mounts:





The frame rails already have welded nuts in postion to receive the mounting bolts, 3 on each side.  Torque the bolts to 38 foot pounds:



Left side:



Total time for hitch installation was about thirty minutes of which about half the time was spent wrestling with the rubber mounts.  Here are some pics of the installed hitch:









I selected a 10" Reese hitch with a 4" rise to try and clear the tailgate when lowered.  As mentioned, it clears when loaded.  Here is the hitch:



And here it is installed:



Wiring:
 
My wiring application is quite simple as I am using the hitch to tow a boat and small utility trailer.  As such, a 4 pole connector for the trailer will suffice but YMMV.  With LED taillights, the 2007 Outie poses some wiring challenges.  There are not many taillight converters out there that work properly with LED systems and I didn't want to spend $80 on the OEM harness (although that would definitely be easier).  An aftermarket harness can be had for about $30, but as mentioned only Draw-Tite's Modulite #118176 gives full functionality of the 2007 lighting system.  This is a very slick unit - it is waterproof and has integrated ciruit protection - it is passive in that it draws directly from the battery to supply power to the trailer lights rather than through any existing circuits and the contrtuction seems very robust.  Because of the design this unit will NOT cause any harm to existing computer chips, ECU's, circuits, etc.  Here is a picture of the #118176:



For those of you who want to attempt this without the OEM harness, here is the relevant information.

First, the spare connector for trailer wiring is located in the rear right wheel well.  You can pull out the small cubby to reveal the connector:



The wiring is as follows (I clipped off the connector in order to wire up to the aftermarket harnesses):




NOTE - the above picture incorrectly identifies the black/white wire as ground.  It is NOT ground.  It supposedly connects to the ETACS-ECU through terminal 3 on C-312 and has a zener diode to restrict current flow to one direction.  The Service Manual gives no indication of what this is for but my best guess is it may be required with a trailer brake controller setup but I have not confirmed this.  In any case, IGNORE the black/white wire and ground the Modulite harness directly to the vehicle chassis.

Power Connection:
 
In order to get power direct from the battery the Outie is pre-wired.  The connector for the battery is located between the battery and the driver side high beam headlight.  I managed to squeeze my hand through to grab the connector but it is easier to pull the battery which should be self-explanatory.  Here is the connector after I pulled it free
(lower right of battery).  



As you can see, it is a four pin connector with orange rubber plugs covering the openings.  The connector has both halves (male and female) but does NOT include the male locking pin in the male side of the connector.  Each of the openings is numbered 1 to 4 - number 1 is the one you want.  You can buy a male pin connector (as pictured below) but I would recommend removing the battery and just tapping into the female side wire and direct connect to the battery +12volts.  This is WAY easier!  In any case here is a picture of the type of pin connector you need if you want to attempt it:

[image]http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g204/FJR-Ri

etrailer.com has the wiring harness you mentioned
http://www.etrailer.com/pc-ELELED~118176KIT.htm
 
thanks for the detailed information regarding wiring installation. i will be receiving my harness in a few days and will post up on my progress.
 
let me ask a stupid question: if there is so much trouble with LED tail lights and circuit protection why couldn't you just swap out regular trailer lights with LED trailer lights? would that make sense: keeping LED lights integrated throughout the entire system? i do not know enough about electrical components to not sound like an idiot.  

Not a stupid question at all.  The problem isn't so much with the trailer lights being incandesces, but rather we have a car lighting system which is a combination of LED and incandescent.  This affects how the converter operates when it receives its signal from the car lighting system.  In addition, we are trying to accomplish two things - first we want to isolate or draw power for the trailer lights direct from the battery, rather than taking it off the existing vehicle lighting system which can have very negative consequences; second we are taking a car lighting system which has separate circuits and bulbs for brakes, running lights, and turn signals (which is a three way system) and converting it into a trailer system which is two way (combined turn/brake bulb, separate running light bulb).  On non-LED cars, all of these signals, come in at around 12 volts peak.  The power converter is like a relay in that once it receives an input from the car system, it turns on the direct draw from the battery and outputs to whatever trailer light is required based on the original inpout it received.  LED systems operate with very small voltage drops and wreak havoc on converters not designed for it.
 
The Lexus RS330 has LED taillights and apparently this Modulite model 31825 has been used successfully with them.  One of the techs was sure it would work on the Outie given his understanding the only difference between the 31825 and 31824 (or 118176) was the latter had integrated circuit protection.  That said, 31824/118176 is the only harness I have seen actually recommended for the Outie and the only one that specifically advertises as "working with LED systems".
 
Let us know how you make out with the 118176 - I'm hopeful this is the solution.

also not to sound like an idiot, but if I were to bite the bullet and buy the OEM wiring kit, (do you know?) does it's attachment in the vehicle also occur in the right wheel well as you've shown. (sans the resplicing it was necessary for you to do) .and (newbie that I am) can I get a confirm that this is the passenger's side rear wheel (sorry)..it seems so from the picture (I'll bet one wheel well doesn't have an access panel--I'm not in front of my vehicle right now--and that this question has an obvious answer).... thanks!!

sorry, another question...couldn't help but notice that the "backup chains" (for lack of a better description) from the boat trailer weren't attached in one shot..maybe just so that it wouldn't block the camera shot...(maybe they're on in the last camera shot)...this said, does the Curtis hitch provide attachment points for these chains, and if not, do you know if the Mits OEM trailer harness does?  many thanks

Not to offend, but with the time and effort that you have spent on trying to make (multiple) aftermarket wiring harnesses work (with moderate, but not absolute success), wouldn't you be just as far ahead to buy the factory harness?  I'm all about saving some cash, but in the time that you seem to have spent trying a couple different harnesses, you could have installed the factory (granted for $40 extra) and spent some extra time on the boat?
 
On the other hand, great job, and thanks for the hitch pictures, I was hoping someone would have some!

Hey no offence - if I actually had to pay/account for my time then I would be an idiot to keep trying these out!!! LOL.  But, this is mainly just a hobby for me - I like to figure stuff out (maybe I have some type of OCD) and hopefully the time I spend will help others save some cash in the end.  Many times I have been the recipient of other peoples efforts (especially when I first got into my other passion - motorcycling) so somehow this seems like a karma equalizer for me.
 
I've got the 118176 coming in tomorrorow to try out - if that doesn't work than I am hooped and will probably have to go with the OEM harness.

Questions are always good - this is what the forum is for.  The connector on the rear passenger wheel well will plug right into the OEM harness.  As I mentioned in the write-up, the direct battery lead for this connector is not currently attached - I have located the "battery" end of the connector but haven't pulled the battery yet to see how it ultimately connects with the battery.  (Sheesh I said 'connect' a lot)
 
As for your other question - yes the Curt hitch has the chain hookups on the botom side of the hitch.  You can see them in the closeup side shots.

Hey rdenis, thanks for steping up and doing this for us, I'm following this thread verry closely and anxiously to find out the fait of the harness issue. The wife and I are planing on buying a boat for the summer and will obviously require us to get a hitch, so many thanks and hopefully everything works with the harnes. 

I'll second that!
 
I can't put a dollar cost on how you have preempted the escalation of my blood pressure in knowing (not worrying) that the Curtis Hitch works (and is cheaper, and IMHO looks less obtrusive on the vehicle than the OEM's), the things to look out for when installing it, and getting to know ahead of the game whether biting the bullet and buying the OEM hitch wiring kit is the way to go or not.
 
As they say in the MasterCard commercials:
 
Buying an aftermarket hitch versus an OEM: $150 savings
 
Saving the heartache of installing it: priceless
 
 
thanks for sharing!!

Ive stated in previous posts about this already..

buy the factory harness.   Its designed for it.

People trying to save a buck will cost themselves in the long run when they "pop" a transistorized control circuit for the lighting, and then have to buy a 500 dollar control unit.

Pinning to the top RD.
Great write up once again.

Okay I have updated completely.  Modulite #118176 wiring harness works properly.
 
Manybrews and I will have to agree to disagee on this one - this harness has integrated circuit protection, isolated direct power supply and will not harm any other circuits, ECU's, transistorized chips or what have you.  It is designed not to interfere with any of the tow vehicle's computer systems or anti-lock brakes.

quote:

ORIGINAL: rdenis

Okay I have updated completely.  Modulite #118176 wiring harness works properly.

Manybrews and I will have to agree to disagee on this one - this harness has integrated circuit protection, isolated direct power supply and will not harm any other circuits, ECU's, transistorized chips or what have you.  It is designed not to interfere with any of the tow vehicle's computer systems or anti-lock brakes.

perhaps the harness you installed.
but the ones most will be installing are generic "one size fits all" units from various autoparts stores that completely applies the added amperage draw to the factory circuits.
Ive seen this far too many times to not warn people about the possible damage they can cause.
The factory system is reliable, plugs right in, and is designed for it.  An added 40 bucks is not really that big of an investment when most have already spent 20-25 grand on their truck.

but to each their own.

I agree with Manybrews with the "one size fits all" plugs.  I've seen friends use those generic ones and have their turn signals and interior lights go bonkers on them....fast flashing and what have you.

I agree, with Rdenis too.  I've seen..just seen..those higher priced tow plugs with it's own built in circuitry and it and it seems to appeal to my common sense to use those over the generic plugs for reason Manybrews stated.

I don't believe that things like these need to be from the dealership.  The aftermarket world knows that just adding on an extra bulb to one side will lower that side's electrical resistance and cause that side to die faster and cause numerous electrical bo bo's.  That's the whole reason for using relays and such in a lot of aftermarket installs (relays on remote wires, add on power sources, etc.).
IMO, spend that extra little bit now or spend 10x more later.

I wouldn't try to disuade anyone from the factory harness - just wanted to be clear there is an alternative that is not some cheapass generic which is going to fry your system - besides, $40 buys me three cases of cold beer! 
 

Another great write up. Genius!

Thanks again for a great write-up contributor rdennis.
 
With the moderator's permission, assuming you acquired your Curt Hitch through the internet, might you be able to furnish the dealer with which you effected business.  $140 seems like a pretty good price to me! : - )
 
Thanks.

question: would the OEM wiring kit have eliminated the need to both draw towing wiring from the vehicle's rear to the vehicle's battery in front (as done here), as well as eliminated the need to snip off the towing wiring connector in the passenger's rear wheel well (as done here)--as the kit--presumably would have interfaced directly with this connector?

Re: the OEM:
 
It operates on the same principle - ie. it isolates the trailer amperage draw from the Outies systems.  It plugs straight into the wheel well connector so you don't need to cut/splice.  But you will still need to make the direct battery connection - the Outie has the wiring in place for this as I have detailed, you just need to make the direct battery connection under the hood - do not short cut this by tapping into another supply such as accessory power, etc.
 
I bought my hitch direct from a retailer in Canada who had it in stock.  Cheapest I.ve seen them on-line is at bageco.com for $129.99.

I've instaled an aftermarket hidden hitch ($143+tx) and the Mitsu harness ($122+tx) this weekend on my 2006 LX. No problems at all.

quote:

ORIGINAL: firstsuv

I've instaled an aftermarket hidden hitch ($143+tx) and the Mitsu harness ($122+tx) this weekend on my 2006 LX. No problems at all.

Did you say "hidden", I thought that was imposible due to the spare tire? Well show us some pics!
 
*EDIT* I just realized it was an 06, dammit I got excited for nothing..lol, oh well.

That's what you get for having the latest model ! 

i  installed the Curt trailer hitch today. the installation was pretty straight forward. i was able to install the hitch without dropping the muffler. by going this route it took me a little longer than 30 mintues (plus i have a broken scapula so that didn't help any)... closer to an hour actually. anyway, as far as esthetics it's not a very pretty hitch it kinda hangs there in full view . i wish the engineers at Mitsu would have relocated the spare tire which would have allowed for a cleaner/hidden hitch. i will attempt to install the wiring harness at a later date. 

Wow, you guys are good.  I installed the Curt hitch tonight and I had to go way overboard:  jacked up the rear end on jack stands, took off the rear passenger wheel, and removed all 3 hangers to the muffler.  The bolts are 17mm and I recommend a long extension for your torque wrench, at least a 6 inch extension.

By far the hardest part was getting the hangers off, but I finally used WD-40 sprayed on the flanges and hangers and this made removing them somewhat easier.  After that, no problem.  I think the Curt hitch looks good, don't mind if it sticks out a ways.  The price can't be beat.

Besides my hitch bike rack, I'm looking for a backup ultrasonic detector that attatches to the hitch (beeps if you're gonna hit something).  Anyone have any suggestions?