Hitch Threads

[Warhammer]

That's a picture of the 1st gen MO's OEM hitch setup. Here's an aftermarket setup for a 2nd gen MO. Looks just as good as the OEM setup as far as I'm concerned. And I'm picky!

[BillArf]

Picture of Nissan hitch on my 2011 Murano LE. Wish the pic was better but it does give you an idea..




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[jimmymac]

Originally Posted by BillArf

Picture of Nissan hitch on my 2011 Murano LE. Wish the pic was better but it does give you an idea..




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Bill,

Do you actually tow something or just use for a bike rack? If bike rack, what type did you get? What was the total installation cost from Nissan?

Thanks!

[BillArf]

Originally Posted by jimmymac

Bill,

Do you actually tow something or just use for a bike rack? If bike rack, what type did you get? What was the total installation cost from Nissan?

Thanks!

Well, I haven't towed anything yet but will be towing a small trailer with my Harley on it. Total loaded weight of trailer will be about 2,000+- lbs.

As far as cost of this hitch... Well, I worked out a very good deal with a dealership in regard to the Murano I wanted to purchase. I had done my homework so to speak and negotiated a decent price. Anyway, at the very last minute in the buying process with this dealer I used their $ figures and found another dealer that would match that price plus throw in, installed, both the Nissan daylight running lights and the Nissan hitch with Nissan wiring harness. I knew all along I would try to get a dealership to throw the add ons in. (I told the second dealer if they wanted the sale that was the only way I would walk away from the competing Nissan dealer across the river) Things just fell in to position for me on my Murano purchase. To repeat I did get a very good price on my Murano LE plus got the add ons thrown in.

What would I have done if the dealer had not thrown in the add ons. My plan was to buy an inexpensive after market hitch and install it myself. As for the wiring harness I would have bought the Nissan harness and had the selling Nissan dealership install it.. WHY.. well, if a Nissan dealership installs a Nissan part you get warranty coverage on the install, part and if issues occurred down the road. I wanted the plus of having the harness (electrical) covered under the Nissan new vehicle warranty. This way there would be no chance of a dealership ever saying I messed with the stock vehicles wiring and that is why I was having a problem with the chance of warranty issues.



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[Qat]

The Hidden Hitch (87846), Draw-Tite (75647) and Reece (44600) are identical to the one pictured in Warhammer's post above. In fact, you'll see all three numbers, and a UHaul number, listed on the installation instructions for any of them.

A lot of folks buy from eTrailer.com - which has excellent prices. I found the Reece on Amazon.com for $128/free shipping, and a local shop will install for $40 (hitch only).

Hidden Hitch at eTrailer

Draw-Tite at eTrailer

Reece

Reece

at Amazon

[njjoe]

Originally Posted by Bumper

The Hidden Hitch I purchased from Etrailer arrived in very poor form. The driver's side arm was misaligned, mounting holes would not match up to existing weld nuts on frame.

I had a similar issue with a Valley Industries hitch. Their long arms coupled with their weight make them prone to damage if dropped.

I used a hydraulic jack and a piece of 4x4 lumber to bend the hitch back into shape.

-njjoe

[Qat]

I got the Reese hitch from amazon.com a few days ago - the packaging was poor, just as others have complained about with the Hidden Hitch and Draw-Tite hitches. Basically it was loose in a flimsy cardboard box that was about a foot too long. Fortunately there was no damage in shipping - nothing bent and no scratches.

I was planning to get a local shop to install for me, but I'm feeling impatient. So I might get The Daughter's boyfriend to come over and help, and have a few beers with him as a thank you (after the installation of course). :-)

EDIT:

I was too impatient to roust out The Daughter's boyfriend, so this morning I crawled under the back of the MO and looked at doing the job on my own. It took me about half an hour, not counting looking around to assess the situation and then gathering the appropriate tools. As a previous poster mentioned, with the Gen 2, at least, lowering the exhaust is not necessary. It was easy enough to slip the hitch in under the bumper cover and get it in place.

The Reese hitch comes with a chrome collar, which is an optional install. Since the receiver was conspicuous anyway, I thought the chrome collar would go nicely with the exhaust tips.