I'm one who ordered a Draw-Tite hitch for my SF from etrailer.com. Installation went well, including the plug-in adapter, but the bleeping thing is just too low to the ground.

First off is it's lower than the hitch on my previous Explorer so my trailer isn't quite level any more. I haven't dragged the hitch yet but have had some problems getting the trailer dolly wheel on/off. I know I can fix this with a higher rise hitch bar but haven't gotten around to it yet.

This weekend I had reason to take a service road into a park for an event. Getting in was no problem but on the way out the hitch dragged at one point. Of course I had 4 more people on the way out. I wasn't too concerned until later when I saw that the bracket holding the trailer connector was bent up at a 45 degree angle. Luckily the connector itself and wiring look OK.

Sure makes the Firestone air spring helpers look mighty attractive.

My dealer-supplied hitch was also too low. Solution: Remount the ball underneath the drawbar and turn the whole thing upside down. Big improvement.

This post has been edited by Don67: Nov 4 2009, 11:07 AM

Should have mentioned I already turned the drawbar upside down. First thing I did after installing the hitch. That's still not enough to level the trailer. Need to get one with a bigger rise.

And, of course, this does nothing for the dragging hitch and connector bracket. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

This post has been edited by azjerry: Nov 4 2009, 02:43 PM

Look on the bright side! If the hitch didn't drag then what would have hit bottom? I was leaving a parking lot on a dark night and didn't realize the curb was as high as it was or that the angle down was so steep. When my rear wheels dropped to the road from the curb, my hitch dragged. Had there been no hitch then I'm sure I would have been replacing the tailpipes and/or bumper skin.

Congo

Just looked at it again and realize that the connector bracket is lower than the hitch itself, meaning it'll always be the first thing to hit the ground. Got to figure out a better way to mount the durn thing.

The problem with most of the after-market SF trailer hitches is the design - the main goal is to compensate for the twin exhaust pipes by using a single straight cross-member with a stand-off welded to each end - this design maximizes the ease in fabrication. These stand-offs are long enough to allow the cross-member to clear all the pipes etc, and as a result the hitch is very low and fully visible - not very complementary to the smooth lines of this SUV and, in my opinion, barely functional because it is so low.

The best of what I've seen is from Hyundai with the bent sections to go around the pipes and to keep the cross-member "tucked" closely under the rear bumper - it's about double the price, but the nicest of the available bolt-ons that I've seen.

With some fab skills, associated tools, and a few dollars worth of steel, one could make their own hitch.

All the aftermarket hitches I've seen including the Draw-Tite I bought wrap around as you describe the Hyundai hitch. So it's as high as it can be without requiring cutting into the bumper. Unfortunately that really isn't high enough though.

hitches at etrailer.com
installed

Jerry,

I have had a Hidden Hitch on my Santa Fe for almost 2 years with not one single height problem, I haul a heavy trailer every now and them and live rural so the roads are not very level.

Maybe we need to start thinking about this in a different way. Perhaps your Santa Fe sits a bit lower in the rear end than average.

What you need to do is, while sitting on a level spot, measure the lowest part of your hitch to the ground. Then, we have something to compare, rather than trying to guess the problem, of which there may be none, as far as the hitch is concerned.

Post your figures so that we can compare.

David <><

Jerry,

I have had a Hidden Hitch on my Santa Fe for almost 2 years with not one single height problem, I haul a heavy trailer every now and them and live rural so the roads are not very level.

Maybe we need to start thinking about this in a different way. Perhaps your Santa Fe sits a bit lower in the rear end than average.

What you need to do is, while sitting on a level spot, measure the lowest part of your hitch to the ground. Then, we have something to compare, rather than trying to guess the problem, of which there may be none, as far as the hitch is concerned.

Post your figures so that we can compare.

David <><

Try heavy ðuty shocks and springs to lift rear or a mild lft kit. Hope its a good idea.

11 1/4" to bottom of receiver
10 1/4" to bottom of connector bracket mounted on furnished tab on hitch

Measurements with SF unloaded sitting level in my garage. I have no idea what the height was with the 5 people in it. As far as with the trailer hooked up and all the camping gear loaded the SF didn't noticeably sag although I didn't measure it.

I'm not so concerned about the trailer not being level as I can easily get a higher rise drawbar. I am concerned that the connector bracket is the low point and do have to figure out a way remedy that. While it hasn't been a problem with my driveway or paved roads it will drag again on the occasional back roads I take.

I don't think there's anything specifically wrong with the vehicle or hitch other than the way it was designed to handle a hitch.

I have an 09 Santa Fe Limited. I purchased the Draw-tite from e-trailer. Mine also is 11-1/4" from ground to bottom of receiver. I haven't had any problems with clearance. I didn't mount the electrical plug as I use the flat 4 pin & let it hang out when using it. I store it in the tray with the jack. I have plans putting lights in the rear fog lights and plug them into the 4 pin plug.

Bruce

I think that tab on the hitch cross-bar is for mounting an anti-sway bar, not the electrical connector.

You're going to run into the same problem of hitting bottom at some point with any vehicle/hitch combination. There will always be something that it doesn't clear, you just need to learn the limit. I've towed a boat for years with my Elantra Wagon (a very low-riding car) and never had a problem; but every time I back out of a friend's driveway, the hitch always scrapes the street. Oh well... them's the breaks!

If your hitch is up against the bottom of the bumper plastic, that's the highest it can go, without cutting into the bodywork. All the manufacturer and aftermarket hitches are designed for ease of installation; that is, no major body modifications required.

This post has been edited by IndyMGA: Nov 6 2009, 11:07 PM

Mine is also 11 1/4", so it would appear we are all at the normal height.

David <><

I have a dealer fitted assembly in Europe, and the clearance is 12¾".
They have though cut into the bottom plastic of the bumper. The unit is made in Europe but carries a Hyundai homologation plate.

I'm pretty sure the bracket on the hitch is for the connector as it's pre-drilled for the connector bracket.

Today I remounted the connector bracket above the bracket on the hitch using some 1" spacers. Now the connector bracket is no longer the low point. If the the hitch itself drags at least the connector/bracket is (should be) protected.