Front Receiver Hitch Preferences: Quality and Caveats

[Ollie Rogers]

Shopping for and Comparing:
Front Receiver Hitches


Class C MH Application:
1992 - 2007 Ford Econoline / E-Series / E-350 / E-450 RV Cutaway


Current Candidates:

DrawTite 65001

Curt 33055


Questions:

Is there another brand or candidate to be considered?

Has anyone tried more than one type over the years (perhaps when trading motorhomes) and discovered that one type or brand is preferable over another in this application?


Usage:

The E-Series has no proper place to mount a tow strap to pull the vehicle out of a rut. Unlike most pickups that have tow hooks, the E-Series has no anchor points up front. The purpose of a front receiver hitch is to provide the vehicle with an accessible forward mounted anchor point for other vehicles to pull it (not for miles, but for a few dozen feet).

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or recommendations.

[twinboat]

Reese makes a hitch, I just installed one on the front of my 2017 E450. I carry EBikes on mine.

Why not install 2 tow hooks in the same holes the hitch would use. 1 hole is 1/2 inch, the other needed to be drilled out to 1/2 inch.

[Ollie Rogers]

Twinboat,

What is the part number to the Reese front receiver hitch that you bought?

Thanks!

Ollie

[SergioP]

I believe mine is a Draw Tite. I installed it my self, just had to drill out one hole on each side. Got to carry a small dirt bike on it.

I got stuck in the sand at the beach and a pick up was able to pull me out hooking up to the hitch. Not sure how much cheaper tow hooks would be than a hitch.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by Ollie Rogers

Twinboat,

What is the part number to the Reese front receiver hitch that you bought?

Thanks!

Ollie

Reese 65053. Got it thru Amazon for $67.00 as a used part. Must have been a return because it didn't have a scratch on it.

[Ollie Rogers]

Thanks Twinboat.

It looks like the Reese 65053 and DrawTite 65053 are the same front receiver hitch, offered by the same parent company (Horizon Global, formerly Cequent Towing Products).

This co branding arrangement is similar with the Reese / DrawTite 65001 front receiver hitch.

The physical difference between the 65001 and the 65053 is dramatic in cross bar, but the side plates that mount to the E-Series Cutaway front frame horns are the same.

The difference in cross tube design appears to coincide with the change in front facia, grille, hood, front fenders, and bumper that Ford introduced into the 2008 and up Econoline and E-Series.

The 1992-2007 Econoline E-Series RV Cutaway front clip would use the 65001.

The 2008-2023 Econoline E-Series RV Cutaway front clip would use the 65053.


Besides Curt, are there any other options that anyone reading has heard about or tried?

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by Ollie Rogers

Thanks Twinboat.

It looks like the Reese 65053 and DrawTite 65053 are the same front receiver hitch, offered by the same parent company (Horizon Global, formerly Cequent Towing Products).

This co branding arrangement is similar with the Reese / DrawTite 65001 front receiver hitch.

The physical difference between the 65001 and the 65053 is dramatic in cross bar, but the side plates that mount to the E-Series Cutaway front frame horns are the same.

The difference in cross tube design appears to coincide with the change in front facia, grille, hood, front fenders, and bumper that Ford introduced into the 2008 and up Econoline and E-Series.

The 1992-2007 Econoline E-Series RV Cutaway front clip would use the 65001.

The 2008-2023 Econoline E-Series RV Cutaway front clip would use the 65053.


Besides Curt, are there any other options that anyone reading has heard about or tried?

Wow, lots of homework.

I installed my hitch on a E450 Axis class A. I wasn't worried about a Ford bumper.
The stripped chassis has a steal beam across the front, where the bumper mounts would go. I removed it, flipped it over, and installed it with 4 bolts rather the 8. That got it up out of the recievers way. Then I drilled a 4 inch hole thru the fiberglass front cap.