Nope. Head on over to etrailer.com and take a look at what they have.

 

You only need to cut into the bumper if you decide to use the oem class II hitch by mopar, otherwise like Gaze said check out that webpage. If you are not to picky about ground clearance upon departure then you should be ok.

 

Check mine out...I got everything except the hitch from etrailer.com, they have all the wiring and accessories at a good price. The Hitch I have is a Hidden Hitch Class III/IV off of Ebay, got it for $125 and free shipping!!! Oh and if you do the install your self which you should.....Make sure you have a 15/16 Socket and A 15/16 Wrench. hahah I had a 15/16 wrench but no socket that big or ratchet so I had to so to the store and pick that up!!! Just want you prepared before you get it.

Install is a breeze, I had my wife hold up the other end of the hitch and put the bolts threw. You could use a jack but the wife was quicker and bitched alittle more than my Jack does.

 

Install is a breeze, I had my wife hold up the other end of the hitch and put the bolts threw. You could use a jack but the wife was quicker and bitched alittle more than my Jack does.

Or if you are well-fed like myself, you can just toss it up on your personal spare tire while you put the bolts in.

 

haha, good tips guys! I might go with the wife one.

 

At least your wife helped! I don't have a decent jack either. I tilted the hitch so that the back holes were aligned, put the bolts through those, then rotated the hitch until the front holes were aligned, then put those bolts through.

Either way, it was very easy.

The worst part was when I pushed the bolt through the first hole, it pushed some dirt out and onto my face/eyes. But the hitch is worth it.

 

I also have the Hidden Hitch. I paid a trailer place locally to install it, and the wiring harness/protector (protects computer from trailer shorts). Not sure if that's required or just more "muffler bearings" sold to me.

I would have bought the Mopar hitch and cut my rear bumper if I knew it was available. I frequently drag my hitch receiver off road and have lost two plugs (cover)

 

Vitroplus in Quebec province.

 

Merci Pierre, je vais les contacter pour des prix.

Another question then: Do you guys know the difference between the flat one (Hidden Hitch) and the curved one (Curt, Valley)? Is one or the other more durable or leaves more clearance?

 

To be honest the trailer was a snap to install. The longest part was the harness. My harness was fairly simple, it has a couple connections that went to the rear tail lights that you run underside the rear bumper, then you had to run a power wire from the rear lights up to the battery, and lastly the ground wire. Fairly simple just time consuming. I love the hidden hitch!!!! VERY FAST INSTALL!!!

 

Does the Ballmount draw bar 4" rise/drop that etrailer.com recommend for the Patriot is standard offset or do you need a different one depending on what you tow?

 

You should always determine the height required by what you are towing, and then select an appropriate draw-bar.

 

Pictures of the Trailer Hitch (That Does Not Cut the Bumper)?

Hello:

Anyone have pictures of their Patriot with the hitch installed that does not cut the fascia on the bumper? That is the route I am thinking I will go, but would appreciated an image or two before I get it.

PipeTobacco

 

Hello:

Anyone have pictures of their Patriot with the hitch installed that does not cut the fascia on the bumper? That is the route I am thinking I will go, but would appreciated an image or two before I get it.

PipeTobacco

Yes - Click on "Gallery" and search for the word "Hitch"
A few users have posted.

 

I have a UHaul hitch, which didn't require any cutting.

 

I got the Curt Hitch off of Ebay for $125 shipped to my door and it came with a free 2" ball mount. No cutting involved. I can take a picture of it tonight since I need to move my trailer.

 

I think the OEM is the only one that needs the insert removed from the bumper, but it also is a bit higher off the ground too.

There's a couple other threads on hitches here, maybe try a search.

 

if you want a picture of the CURT CLASS III then go to the "I did black muffler mod" thread and my pictures has it, no cutting of the bumper involved, all you see is the hitch opening and not the whole hitch assembly.

 

I have the mopar hitch with the bumper cutoff, but it looks good

I have two draw bars, one at 4 " and one at 1 ". So, when renting a trailer, I always have the right one

 

I have the Mopar hitch installed, excellent fit and looks real tucked in. The bumper cover is easy to cut with a razor knife or tin snips. A piece of trim is included in the kit to cover any rough looking edges so you don't have to worry about making the perfect cut, and the trim is squeezed on with pliers and stays on tight - nice stuff.

 

I got 2 pictures of mine tonight. The Patriot is a little dirty, but you get the idea.

 

Thank you everyone! This has been very helpful. I am going to start a slightly different thread about some additional questions I have now about towing.

PipeTobacco