cx 5 tow hitch?

Can anyone offer advice as to how much rise/drop I need on the ball mount?

I have a curt hitch to install and will be hauling a 4x8 uhaul trailer. There are multiple options for ball mounts on the etrailer website but I really don't know what's best. I'm assuming I'll need rise but how much?

Thanks
 
Can anyone offer advice as to how much rise/drop I need on the ball mount?

I have a curt hitch to install and will be hauling a 4x8 uhaul trailer. There are multiple options for ball mounts on the etrailer website but I really don't know what's best. I'm assuming I'll need rise but how much?

Thanks

I have the 2" hidden hitch installed and use a curt 4" drop/2" rise ball mount along with my harbor freight 4x8 folding trailer rated at 1700lbs. the trailer uses 5.30x12" trailer tires. The ball on the mount is installed so that it utilizes the 2" rise. My trailer when empty tilts ever so slightly toward the tongue of the trailer but is pretty level when I have so weight on it. I've carried my motorcycle, about 600lbs wet and a couple of riding mowers that seem to level everything out as well. If I was buying another ball mount I might look for one that is a 3-4" rise but I don't feel it's really necessary. Also the tire size of your trailer and the tongue height when level will effect the needed height of your ball mount. If my trailer had the 4.80 tires it would probably sit more level. Hope that helps.
 
I just purchased the Curt 2" hitch from Amazon. Went to install last weekend and for the life of me could not get it to fit. Granted, I was doing it solo so it was a bit of a balancing act, but I felt like the curve of the plastic part on the bottom of the bumper blocked the hitch from moving vertically into place.

Has anyone else experienced something similar? Trying to figure out if this is something easily resolved by having a buddy lend a second set of hands or if I should try to find a mechanic that can use a lift and install the hitch in 15 minutes.
 
I just purchased the Curt 2" hitch from Amazon... felt like the curve of the plastic part on the bottom of the bumper blocked the hitch from moving vertically into place.

We have the Curt 1 1/4". We didn't use a jack or lift, just wormed underneath. Relatively easy install for anyone who likes to tinker and has a little patience, but we did have a similar problem getting it under the bumper. After a little gentle pressing/bending the rear bumper edge (where the metal tabs stick out), hitch popped right into place. Hard to describe, but the hitch kind of slides in on a curve (like a hook motion), then goes right up where it should be. Looks great (very discreet), works great.

Definitely good to have a second set of hands and eyes to do this, and be safe... or take to mechanic.
 
Ok. Sounds like the same thing. I was able to bend the plastic and felt it would fit but then realized there is no way I was going to be able to support the hitch and get the bolts in. Def need a third hand or a good jack setup. The jack I have wasn't tall enough to reach and keep the hitch in place enough.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I installed he Curt class 2 (1-1/4") by myself.Would have 2 people if I had to do it again.After trying to get the hitch in place I jacked the rear up and removed the muffler.Supported the hitch with a floor jack after installing the bolts with the fish wires hanging down and it went in.It took less time to drop the muffler than I spent trying to wiggle it in place and gave alot more clearance.My hitch came with grade 8 bolts so the torque was 110 ft-lbs.Somewhere I saw a lower torque figure shown(maybe 75-85) but that might have been with grade 5 bolts in an earlier kit.
 
Anybody from Colorado with a trailer, in LA(210 fwy)?
I have seen somebody, with a CX5 pulling a small trailer on the 210. It's a first for me, to see something like that.
 
Hey, new owner here and would like to bump this thread . I will take your advise and look at curt and etrailor .

Also , do you really have to buy the wire harness kit that runs power from battery or can you get the kit with the plug and play with converter? Thanks. Loooking forward to tow the boat and bike rack!
2015 cx5 touring 2.5 engine
 
You do have to buy the kit that goes up to the battery since the tail-lights are LED bulbs and don't put out enough juice. The Curt Class 3 2" hitch is very easy to install. I pull my 6x10 utility trailer weekly with my John Deere X738 and Stihl Edger/Stihl 025 chainsaw/and Stihl straight-shaft weed wacker daily. It pulls it no problem but the tongue weight is what will get you. The trailer with all the mowing equipment weighs about 2250 lbs or so. You can definitely feel it back there, especially stopping. I manually shift in sport mode and that helps slowing down and accelerating.
 
Ty, I bought the draw tight since it hides under the bumber better, no led light on my boat so I will try the normal kit first for brightness.��
 
I bought the Curt Class II hitch for my 2017 CX-5 GT FWD, part number 12170, and had it installed by a pro for $55. Today I received the Mazda OEM trailer wiring harness, and the instructions are 15 pages long and terribly complicated, making you removed all kinds of trim, folding seat handles, door rubber seals, etc. It amazes my how such a commonly used accessory is still so difficult and complicated to install. By comparison, my 2013 Acura RDX had a harness connector accessible via a small removable panel in the rear cargo area, which allowed me a self-install in about 3 minutes. I'm having this harness installed by a pro as well (because I just don't see myself removing/replacing all those parts), at a cost of $75.
 
Hey rborroto, I have only a trailer with standard bulbs so my install I will try tomorrow will hopefully take 40 min or less. Yours will be far better down the road since most newer trailers use led! enjoy!
 
I highly recommend the powered trailer wiring harness. In the old days if something went wrong with your trailer wiring it could blow the fuse that powered your taillights leaving you with no lights at all on the back of your car and trailer. Now it can take out the unit that controls all the lights in the back of the car, and you won't be able to fix it at the next rest stop. You will need to go to Mazda and give them a few hundred dollars for a new one.

The powered harness puts your trailer lights on a separate fuse.

BTW This is even better. https://www.etrailer.com/Custom-Fit-Vehicle-Wiring/Tekonsha/119250KIT.html
 
Looks nice but kinda pricey.This is what I installed on my cx-5.Instead of running the power wire up to the battery I adapted a cigarette lighter type plug so it can be plugged into the power receptacle just inside the rear hatch behind the r/h wheelwell. https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned). Jmaz
 
Back