Finally got around to taking pics of my new Limited 5 speed and the hidden hitch I installed. The jeep does not have a tow package as the hitch is to be used for two specific purposes. First is to tote mountain bikes on a Thule carrier. Second is to support a Reese cargo tray that I use to bring deer out of the woods during bow season. I am really pleased with the Patriot so far with about 600 miles on the odo. For now it is used for commuting etc and we will take it to Camp Jeep this summer. Come fall though it will spend a lot of time off road in the woods.
Hidden Hitch Installed Pic
jagd
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I got my Patriot a week ago and have scheduled to have the Mopar hitch put on at the dealer next week. Before I got the Jeep the dealer said that a bumper cutout was required for the hitch, but now after talking to the service dept he says it comes out under the bumper and no cutout is required. I emailed him the pic from this thread and he said the install would look like that. I wonder if the hitch design changed(?) or maybe he's wrong. I'll let you know. I have an FDII so I really don't want to compromise the departure angle.
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If it is the Jeep hitch he is wrong. I went through this on Monday where I refused to let them cut the bumper. If all goes well this Friday I should have a Draw-tite hitch installed. The dealer ended up going with the firm I worked with before. Guy knows his stuff. Told me that the muffler needs to be bent slightly but no cutting or drilling.
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Hmmm. Sounds like my dealer might not have the right info. I guess I don't care whether or not the bumper is cut. Most SUVs I see nowadays have the hitch receiver coming from a bumper cutout and, when its done correctly, I think it looks nicely integrated. I havent seen a picture of a Patriot with the cutout though.
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I am in the middle of installing the hidden hitch. I am going to tow a small sailboat probably twice per summer to the lake 40miles there 40 miles back. Weight is about 1000 or so lbs. Is it recommended to install the oil cooler?
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I would check with the dealer on an oil cooler due to warranty concerns. If they say it is okay then I would not worry.
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Yesterday I brought my Pat in to the dealer to get the hitch wiring (and maybe the hitch) installed. The hitch had not yet been delivered. I told them to call me when the hitch arrived - I wanted to know if it went under the bumper or if they needed to cutout the bumper.
Well, they called me and said that the hitch they got from Mopar indeed does go under the bumper (no cutout required). They were going to charge me $365 for that, so I told them no thanks. I think I'll just put a hidden hitch on myself and save a couple hundred bucks.
Any installation issues with the Hidden Hitch that I should be aware of? Thanks!
Well, they called me and said that the hitch they got from Mopar indeed does go under the bumper (no cutout required). They were going to charge me $365 for that, so I told them no thanks. I think I'll just put a hidden hitch on myself and save a couple hundred bucks.
Any installation issues with the Hidden Hitch that I should be aware of? Thanks!
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3,829 Posts
jagd,
I wonder if you could tell us the horizontal distance between the bolt hole of your hitch reciever (the one you use to attach the ball or the bike rack, etc...) and the end of the bumper. I have a bike rack that looks like this, and I wonder if it will fit with the vertical mast. Your Pat's bumper seems to overhang the hitch.
![Image]()
I wonder if you could tell us the horizontal distance between the bolt hole of your hitch reciever (the one you use to attach the ball or the bike rack, etc...) and the end of the bumper. I have a bike rack that looks like this, and I wonder if it will fit with the vertical mast. Your Pat's bumper seems to overhang the hitch.
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FYI: It may, however as you have a three bike rack, be mindful of the tongue weight. The hitches that fit the Patriot usually have a tongue weight of 300-350lbs.
Weight straight down on the hitch is much different than the back/forward weight from a trailer.
If you can, I would be interested in seeing a picture taken from off to the side looking perpendicularly to the hitch. I would like to see how it does or does not affect the departure angle.
Also, the info I have seen on the Mopar 1 and 1/4 inch hitch is that the bumper itself is not cut or weakened; just the bottom, lower, inner part of the bumper cover is notched.
Also, the info I have seen on the Mopar 1 and 1/4 inch hitch is that the bumper itself is not cut or weakened; just the bottom, lower, inner part of the bumper cover is notched.
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3,829 Posts
4 bike rack, at 50 lbs per = 200 lb
I hear you though, because my class I hitch on the Vibe bounces like crazy with 2 bikes on a similar rack. I only wish it were weight straight down. The rack is quite a cantilever over bumpy roads
So you're saying there's no welding involved?
I have a Thule bike rack and the distance from the bolt hole of the receiver to the vertical stack is 7.5 inches. When it is installed the rack is about 2 inches from the back edge of the bumper. My rack has the fold down function, so the main veritical stack is actually further away from the bumper, probably about 4 in. Also, as I said before there is no welding involved. Just 4 bolts in a fairly tight spot. I put one of these hitches on my old Cherokee a few years ago and it was way more difficult.
Is that the 2" or the 1 1/4" hitch?
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