Inexpensive Front Receiver

We have also installed a front receiver on our truck but only use it to haul the bikes when the bed is full. 

macotak, did you install the front receiver and if so, what is your evaluation of them?  Thinking of using them with my new Expedition as the foundation for a front-mount bike rack.

Thanks,

Bruce

I'd like to know more about how they perform.

Don

Bruce, Don,

It's a well-made part and installed easily, but ran into a little hitch... sorry. The plastic fascia on the underside of my bumper molds too close to the receiver to get a hitch pin in, see pics. I've been meaning to re-tackle this problem as I could have used it last weekend while backing the TT into another tight spot. I'm either going to cut a slot in the plastic or design and machine a custom split-pin on a kind of wishbone arrangement that will fit within the tight dimensions. I talked to Jeff at Mohr about this, and he was surprised that I couldn't fit the pin in there, offered to take it back but I think I can make it work; this problem may be peculiar to the 2007 F-150 bumper design.

Mark

Hmmm... attachment uploads don't seem to want to work this morning.

Thank you, Mark, for your thorough response.  Glad to hear that it is well made and installed easily.  I've studied the pics on the website and I believe it will fit OK with the Expedition's fascia.  I'm going to order a pair and go from there in terms of either adapting a bike rack, fabricating my own, or having a welder build one.

Bruce

your other option is to use a DiversiTech stinger with the built in lock as you do not need to get a pin in.  I use them and love them, on my front hitch its so much better than trying to get my hands in to put a pin through...  I will try and take a close up picture for you but here is one you can zoom in on.

FYI, Curt makes a front receiver hitch for Ford pickups.  They're carried by a number of vendors, such as eTrailer and sell for about $160.  They're quite easy to install but may require some air dam mods.  I have one on my 2012 F-150 EcoBoost originally put there in the event that I have the park my TT in a very tight spot.  Using it for a bike rack is a great idea!

That DiversiTech ball mount is ingenious and should solve my problem... Thanks!

Some of thoses front hitches are only rated for 500 pounds of tongue weight.  Looking around the forum I see most tongue weights are over the 500 pound mark.  Do you think moving around your trailer with the front hitch rated for 500 pounds cause any problems if the weight was 600 Plus pounds?

Lynn

Lynn, even those there is some dynamic load factor in that capacity, and a front hitch would be used under relatively low stress conditions, I'd avoid going over that limit. My tongue weight on the 1575 ranges between 400-430 lbs.

Thanks, Brian, for the info.  After serious consideration of the Hitch Hooks option, I finally decided go with the Curt front receiver hitch for the Ford Expedition as I should be able to mount a bike rack to it without having to do any modifications.  $162 from eTrailer with free shipping.  Plan to install it myself--may have to cut a notch out of the lower fascia, which has me a little anxious.  Otherwise, the installation looks to be pretty simple--just four bolts.  We'll see...

Bruce