Why is it so difficult to get a hitch installed? Why?

[PrincetonBoy88]

It seems like nobody wants to install it. I bought a new Curt hitch for my Mazda6. It's a no-drill easy install, should take no more than 35 minutes tops. Dealer says no (even though my car is rated to tow 2k lbs). Pepboys is hesitant. uHaul won't do it (because it's not a uHaul hitch). And speciality hitch shops want $400 for labor + wiring (even though I HAVE the hitch ready). and I don't really trust tiny hole-in-the-wall body shops..

I guess hitches aren't popular around NYC. I'm tempted to return the hitch and Seadoo because of this. it's really frustrating. Wish I had my own lift.

Any suggestions/advice?

 

[JoeZ]

Lots of places want to make the money on selling the part, plus don't want the liability for someone elses part. The part is cheap, but the install and wiring are the challenging parts. Have you considered jacking it up and using jack stand so you can do it yourself? I'm not familiar with the electrical system on your vehicle....do you know if there is a plug and play trailer wiring kit?

 

[racerxxx]

Contact [MENTION=38668]manolocross[/MENTION] He's a member here and the shop he works at does all sorts of stuff--like a kinds from cars to hobbies and everything in between. He's a good guy and I'd trust him to do the work and if I remember correctly---he has a Mazda that he tows with! I put a Curt on my wife's minivan, they called out a 1/2 hour for the install and that was all it took--with getting the tools. Gravy work, I bought a plug and play trailer harness and had to add one screw for the ground. I was done and cleaned up in 1 hour.

 

[LouDoo]

Yep most places also want to sell you the hitch. You do have options, try an independent body shop. Also if you can return the hitch, buy one from u-haul and have them install it. And as Joe suggested do it yourself, get a couple of jack stands at harbor freight.

On the wiring kit, you really need to order a factory wiring harness, if not you stand to blow out the computer on the car or void your warranty. I have a Jeep and the wiring harness just plugs into the fuse block.

Lou

 

[racerxxx]

[MENTION=71516]PrincetonBoy88[/MENTION] I just texted him for you and sent him the link to the thread, hope you guys can work something out.

 

[manolocross]

Pm sent...


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[Dr Honda]

Not to make this sound bad... but stop whining, and do it yourself. You don't need a lift. Put your jack under it, and lift it up a few inches. Then... crawl under, and bolt it on.

This forum is for guys who want to turn a wrench, and save $$$.

Sorry... needed to be said.

 

[1983]

Like Lou and Doc said. Get some ramps or jack stands from harbor freight tools ( print off a coupon online to save a couple$$ in store ) and jack the maz up. Read on YouTube or follow instructions and knock it out in the driveway yourself

Rob

 

[Dr Honda]

............ I'm tempted to return the hitch and Seadoo because of this. it's really frustrating. Wish I had my own lift.

Any suggestions/advice?

If you really can't do it on your own.... I would return the hitch... then buy it from a shop that will install it for you.

 

[Dr Honda]

............ I'm tempted to return the hitch and Seadoo because of this. it's really frustrating. Wish I had my own lift.

Any suggestions/advice?

If you really can't do it on your own.... I would return the hitch... then buy it from a shop that will install it for you.

 

[PrincetonBoy88]

Thanks for the replies. If you lived in the city (manhattan) you'd understand. Ive been a DIY guy my whole life but when you park in a very tight underground garage, it's just not realistic/safe. In touch with manolocross if his rates are reasonable then I'm good to go. Otherwise I'll get some ramps and find a quiet parking lot. I did stop by (another) uHaul today and they said $60 but there's a 2 week wait? Any experiences with them? Also found a garage rental with lift by the hour, but it's ~100 miles away in central CT. I'll keep you guys posted.

 

[ocod]

Thanks for the replies. If you lived in the city (manhattan) you'd understand. Ive been a DIY guy my whole life but when you park in a very tight underground garage, it's just not realistic/safe. In touch with manolocross if his rates are reasonable then I'm good to go. Otherwise I'll get some ramps and find a quiet parking lot. I did stop by (another) uHaul today and they said $60 but there's a 2 week wait? Any experiences with them? Also found a garage rental with lift by the hour, but it's ~100 miles away in central CT. I'll keep you guys posted.

Thats what I would go with.

:thumbsup:

Or try Doc's approach. It's really a diy.
I'm sure mazada forum will have write up's on install.

Here's one for a 2014?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kauqjaYVXDs

 

[Mickirig1]

I am amazed at how helpless this generation is. Not to cut on the original poster. I have friends that can do almost anything. I can wrench almost anything. Between us all, there is few things that can't be repaired. One friend has almost any tool known to man to fix a vehicle. I call him up hey you got a... Yeah a couple, come get them. I take him a 6 pack and I am GOLDEN!

 

[JoeZ]

I am amazed at how helpless this generation is. Not to cut on the original poster. I have friends that can do almost anything. I can wrench almost anything. Between us all, there is few things that can't be repaired. One friend has almost any tool known to man to fix a vehicle. I call him up hey you got a... Yeah a couple, come get them. I take him a 6 pack and I am GOLDEN!

Thanks for the replies. If you lived in the city (manhattan) you'd understand. Ive been a DIY guy my whole life but when you park in a very tight underground garage, it's just not realistic/safe. In touch with manolocross if his rates are reasonable then I'm good to go. Otherwise I'll get some ramps and find a quiet parking lot.

Not helpless, just doesn't have the resources easily at his disposal.

 

[Mickirig1]

Sorry, I forget that some people that live in big Cities really don't have the space or resources. Living in an Industrail area we have a lot of stuff right down the street. My friends are all wrenchers. I really did not mean to cut on him.

 

[biffdotorg]

Not helpless, just doesn't have the resources easily at his disposal.

Yup, as much as I am a DIY person now, it was not always that way.

The first Waverunner I purchased while owning a GrandAm GT. I went to Uhaul, and they sold me the hitch, tongue and wiring harness. They were known as installation experts here in Fargo, and they proved that correct. They did an excellent job at a fair price.

The second car I wanted to tow with after that was a shiny new Grand Prix. I thought I was a DIY guy back then, and ordered my hitch/harness from E-Trailer. Great outfit, and came with good directions. I fell into that category of not having the resources though.

After reading the directions, I came to find that I needed to drop the entire Dual Exhaust from the cat back to get at the frame to bolt on the hitch. Not many people can do this with jack stands effectively. So I got my car in a buddies father's auto body shop after hours on a lift and $60 later and a few beers, I had my hitch installed. Did the wiring harness myself.

It's all about resources. And with the way some of these small cars are packed in, it's not as easy as bolting it on anymore. Glad I graduated to pick ups with towing packages from the factory.

 

[dakota.perrin]

Im dreading it but I found a curt hitch for my audi tt and I'm gonna attempt installing it myself.hopefully don't run into having to mess with the exhaust. I already have the instructions, and they don't say any thing about the exhaust

 

[Coastiejoe]

Most "Direct Fit" hitched require minimal manipulation to get it installed. Every car I have owned for the last 20 years I have installed my own hitch. It's nice to have two people, but doable by yourself.


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[dakota.perrin]

Yea I dont think it will ne too much trouble

 

[Spimothy Leary]

It shouldn't be hard, when I bought my first pwc many years ago, I was driving a lexus es300, found a used hitch for $50 and had the local shop install it for me for around $100, At the time my collection of tools would fit in my pocket. I thought $100 was fair enough, the price of being lazy but had the added benefit of knowing it was done right.

Thinking back I probably could have asked for help from a friend but the owner of the shop was a customer so I didn't mind throwing him the business either.

I didn't come here to post the above, but the below...

If this little bump in the road is discouraging you from pwc ownership, you might want to re-think your desire to spend time on the water. Its an expensive little hobby full of inconveniences, you need to be much more flexible in your thinking or your going to be dumping this hobby in short order.

(ps, given your examples, I would have not hesitated to use a little hole in the wall body shop to do the work, anybody with some wrenching experience that has done this once or twice before is usually more than qualified)

 

[dakota.perrin]

Got my curt hitch In the mail I got it installed in bout an hour . Decided to leave the muffler off cause I like how it sounds lol.

I edited the post for spelling reasons, Coastiejoe

 

[racerxxx]

^^^^^Thanks god for Quattro!

 

[ocod]

^^^^^Thanks god for Quattro!

Another 4 ringer / VDUB
I hope its a manual
:driving:
Looks good.

 

[dakota.perrin]

Pulls better than my s10 did lol.

 

[racerxxx]

Pulls better than my s10 did lol.

LOL, I've been looking (not extensively) for a hitch for my 05 Passat wagon. Easier to rip around with a single behind that then use my Yukon.