Trailer hitch help - '02 XLS

Folks, This was discussed several months back here but I can't find the post, so if anyone can help I'd appreciate it.

I have the smaller, 1 1/4" trailer hitch on my XLS. I want to use by Thule bike carrier which fits into the 2" but I don't want to go with the adapter since the tongue weight drastically drops when using this. A company makes a hitch that utilizes the smaller hitch with an add-on part that upgrades to a 2" reciever.

Anyone know what I'm talking about?

TIA, Ken

Reply to
knagy389us
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Reply to
Bill Jeffrey

Thanks, Bill. This is what I meant. It seems this is the only alternative for me since it looks like the factory 1 1/4" hitch is part of the frame and can't be replaced? I only want to be able to use my bike rack, which is well under the 500lb. tongue weight spec of the Valley hitch. Open to suggestions though.

Ken

Reply to
knagy389us

Bill,

I have the #82430 installed on my 2003 Explorer. I use it often and love it.

Just curious, why did you say that you were not impressed?

John ________-

Reply to
fffffffffffffffffffffffff

John,

Do you have any pixs of the installed hitch? It doesn't hang down too low, does it?

Ken

Reply to
knagy389us

John -

Let me be right up front about the fact that I have never seen one in the flesh, and I can't find a picture of it at the moment. However, if memory serves, it was some big elaborate bolt-on affair that hung way down below the factory hitch. Looked mighty close to the road to me. If you mount this thing and then drive over any kind of rough road (or the swale at a filling station exit, or anything else that isn't level), I could imagine that it will drag. And since it is a permanent addition to the vehicle (the installation process looked nasty), you don't get to choose when you have it mounted and when you don't.

Ah, just found the l> Bill,

Reply to
Bill Jeffrey

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