2017 Tow Hitch

Just finished installing the Drawtite hitch. I strongly recommend you take it to U-haul for installation! If you don't already have a good size torque wrench with 12" extension and a long QR strap, don't even consider this project. Even with the $20 muffler tool I'll probably never use again (works great), this job is a PITA. Lifting and cajoling that SOB into place solo is not fun. I struggled to get the washers and nuts on due the cramped space. Don't listen to the tiny shoulder people who say it can be done on the ground; eventually had to use the scissor jack to get enough room, which helped immensely. Will only use this to carry bikes so didn't have to mess with wiring. I may have saved $30 by DIY, not worth it.
 
Just finished installing the Drawtite hitch. I strongly Don't listen to the tiny shoulder people who say it can be done on the ground.

:p HA! And I am indeed shorter in size and shoulder width. I had to use of all things a full paint can to hold the DT hitch in place while working solo. And agreed on the nuts/bolts part being a huge PITA. But, I am one of those idiots who thinks "If someone else can do it, why can't I?". (crazy) Installation money saved is great, but it's more about that...stubborn and sometimes idiotic DIY'er attitude. (wink)
 
Technical aptitude and willing to fight with it is certainly required. The hitches are heavier than they look. And you don't really want to just let the exhaust dangle completely unsupported.

I'm not exactly a small dude. I backed mine up onto my ramps and did it from there. I can't see myself doing it on the ground comfortably.

Wrestled the muffler mounts off without the special tool, but it the car was relatively new still so they weren't exactly seized on and the lube got into them nicely. Hardest part was indeed getting the first 2 fasteners started so it could support itself.

I taped my washers into position with electrical tape to hold them in place while I threaded in the nuts / bolts.

As always, the pros make it look so easy it's because they have the experience and tools to tackle the job most efficiently. That's really what you're paying for.

I'm currently debating if I'm going to DIY a hitch on our 1 year old van or take it in. Probably DIY. I've installed 4 of them now and I'm pretty stubborn to save a few bucks when I know I can do it.

If you're not into doing even basic maintenance or wrenching on your own cars I'd recommend just taking it somewhere.
 
I installed the Draw-Tite hitch on my CX-5 late last year and found it to be a relatively easy job, with a couple of caveats:

1) etrailer (where I ordered mine) provides some ingenious fish wires that make it super easy to pull the bolts into position through the inside of the box frame and then through the mounting holes in the hitch. I can imagine that this step would be a PITA without those.
2) I did the prep work - removing the hangers (I used the Lisle tool), lowering the exhaust, and fishing the wires/bolts myself - and then had my son-in-law support one side of the hitch while we guided it over the fish wires onto the bolts, and started the washers & nuts. The final install and tightening/torquing the bolts took less than 10 minutes. Others seem to have done it alone, but trying wrestle the hitch myself would have significantly increased the difficulty of the job.
3) We did the install without jacking up/raising the car - and I'm not a small guy. But since there were two of us, I also didn't have to try moving from side-to-side under the lowered muffler.
4) Yes, like a lot of jobs, you need the right tools if you're going to do it yourself. If it's not worth investing in those for additional future use, then it definitely makes sense to have someone install it for you.
 
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I did the job myself with no special tools. I pried off the hangers with no issues, and just used my floor jack to help guide the hitch into place. All without jacking the car up.

Having a second person would make it easier, but I do things mostly on my own.
 
I have the tools and am mechanically inclined but my body is getting old. I had my car 3" off the ground and I lowered the muffler a minimum amount, which added to the pita factor. And it fought me the entire way. The main reason was it didn't want to slip into the bumper cover. I had the center receiver on a floor jack and jack stands on each side. When I finally hit the spot it slipped back into its position and I got that first bolt in. I was like "oh thank you lord" lol. I pried the hangers off with my fingers, pulled as if my life depended on it.

hitch1.jpg

hitch2.jpg
 
If anyone has a Harbor Freight folding trailer with the 12" wheels and wants to know the ball mount size, a 4" rise gets it pretty close to level. The trailer tongue is 17 inches from the bottom of the tongue to the ground. This is for the Curt hitch. It is probably the same for the Drawtite. I use the trailer once in a blue moon but it comes in handy sometimes.

Hitch3.jpg
 
I installed the Canadian OEM Mazda hitch wiring harness (00CT-88-C57H at least from Scarboro Mazda) today. Should have taken less than 2 hours, but got sidetracked by a chatty neighbor and a small problem.

As others have noted, the instructions are missing key details. I used the US instructions for better details on the trim removal in the cargo area (that's all that's needed for the CAN version, other than loosening the rubber gasket around the back of the left passenger's door). I had also done speaker upgrades in my previous 2016, and this was somewhat the same in how things are removed/fit together.

Things that might be useful for others:

--I literally just got the harness. No ties, no foam pads, no 4 wire flat connector hitch bracket, nada but the wiring pieces themselves. No biggie, as I already had ties and foam pads in my garage to use. Also, it makes sense that the bracket wouldn't be included since that's specific to the Mazda hitch, which I don't have. Easy enough to get a universal one.
--A bit confused by the fact that the inside connector for the separate wiring that goes to the outside of the car with the 4 wire flat connector didn't fit through the pre-existing opening in the car floor after removal of the grommet. Oh...the wires pull out and are then put slotted back in, but that's not directly stated in the instructions. Not sure if that connector should usually be separate to start or not. The little rubber stoppers meant to hold the wires in the connector didn't work well for me--when I tested after install but before putting everything back, the left signal wasn't working. Bad connection. Ended up using electrical tape to hold the wires in place on the connector.
--I thought I didn't get the replacement grommet for the new harness where it goes through the cargo floor to the underside of the car. I thought was clever and used the existing grommet instead by cutting a small hole out of the center and forcing the wires through. Mildly annoyed to then find that the grommet was already on the wiring loom itself and I missed it. DUH.
--One final circuit test before putting everything back, and I accidentally and stupidly touched the ground with the other wire. ZZZZT. Blew a fuse. But what fuse? The CAN harness is wired into an existing empty connector for power inside trim but the instructions don't tell you which circuit. Took a chance and tried the fuse noted in the US harness instructions in the troubleshooting step--turns out to be the same 15 amp one, luckily. I want to say it is in slot 5 of the interior fuse box.
--Everything went back together well. Did not want to drill into under bumper as the instructions direct and found that instead I could attach the harness over the front of the driver's side hitch arm (facing the back of the car) and well out of the way of the exhaust system. I also routed the wiring up and over a driver's side bumper support bracket so no part of the harness is anywhere near the exhaust or muffler.
--Waiting for stainless cable ties to arrive, so just temporarily used plastic ones to hold the harness. Will likely leave those and just add the stainless ones, and will also use the metal ties for attaching the universal bracket I ordered for the 4 wire connector end. I will likely have it on the flat face of the hitch arm pointing downward, so not below the bumper line (not sure about the OEM hitch, but the horizontal parts of the Draw Tite I installed sit above the lower bumper line. That way, the connector is mostly visually hidden from behind and above but still easily accessed when needed.
--I found this video useful mainly in terms of visually seeing how to deal with that black locking arm over the gray wiring loom, and also a better idea of what wire connectors are involved. Otherwise, I found it a bit confusing and choppy: https://youtu.be/2aLBMQMDI7M
 
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I wanted to use the rear junction box for power but I didn't know the wire termination size/style to get, or if it was even available online. I read that the empty slot was using the ESCL circuit. So I ended up taping into the rear aux wire and changed the 15 amp fuse to a 10 amp since the Curt harness is only a max of 10 amps.
 
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