Anyone found an aftermarket tow hitch for the EcoSport?

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#2
Both Draw-Tite and Curt have hitches.

Draw-Tite Class II Frame Receiver Hitch Item # 36660



Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class II - 1-1/4" Item # C12188
 

roemmelt

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2018 EcoSport SES
#3
Have you found the location of the "Trailer Tow Prep Wiring"? I've got a RV dealer that can get me either of the hitch assemblies, at 1/2 the Ford Service Department price.
 

Scott0468

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#4
I have the draw-tite hitch on mine.
Easy to fit and when installed all you can see under the bumper is the receiver and not the frame hanging below the bumper.
As far as the trailer tow prep wiring I did find a plug under the rear drivers side it has four wires ,yellow green brown and black with yellow.
So I figure this is all I need to do is plug an extension into it that will it turn plug into the trailer.
The thing is it is a female plug with flat pins. I can not find a male plug to fit. Ford accessories web site shows a trailer tailight converter.
It should have the flat pin plug? WRONG! Also no instructions they direct you to a web site that I was not able to log in.
I just wired it up like a universal taillight converter direct to the wiring harness.
On a side note I towed with it for the first time this weekend. It did very well.
 

roemmelt

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2018 EcoSport SES
#5
Scott,

thanks so much for your post. can you take a picture and post of the female plug you found and exactly where it was. Did you find it when you removed the plastic covering 'tween the bumper and the heat shield for the muffler?

Also do you have a picture of the finished hitch installed?

Thanks again for your response.

b
 

roemmelt

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2018 EcoSport SES
#10
Installed

Thanks to Scott finally got my hitch installed. I went to my local RV/Hitch place and got the Draw Tite. They had to splice the wires since Ford has been no help in getting the adapter from the "Trailer Tow Prep" package. I guess it did save me some extra labor installing the wiring myself. Just wish they would communicate with there service/parts folks.

IMG_0342.jpg
 

MKVIIST

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Staff Team
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#11
Thanks to Scott finally got my hitch installed. I went to my local RV/Hitch place and got the Draw Tite. They had to splice the wires since Ford has been no help in getting the adapter from the "Trailer Tow Prep" package. I guess it did save me some extra labor installing the wiring myself. Just wish they would communicate with there service/parts folks.

View attachment 6
Looks great.
 

roemmelt

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2018 EcoSport SES
#13
I had my local RV guys do the job. Right at $400 for parts and labor. The Ford OEM hitch is almost $400 and then there is the wiring. The "Trailer Prep Wiring" plug had to be spliced as there is no OEM part available. The pain of an "Early Adopter". I'm really happy especially not paying Ford another $200 for install labor. I was at the Ford parts desk twice and they were unable to find an adapter for the wiring plug, so my RV guys did the work from some off the shelf stuff they had. WINNER!
 

Scott0468

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#14
I the install myself. Not bad for 1 person if you have a way to raise it up in place. I used a motorcycle jack.
The wiring took a little more time but was not bad.
 

roemmelt

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2018 EcoSport SES
#15
I the install myself. Not bad for 1 person if you have a way to raise it up in place. I used a motorcycle jack.
The wiring took a little more time but was not bad.
Great Scott. Pictures always enhance the story. Can you post some?

b
 

jack130

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City
BARNESVILLE
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PA
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2018 ford ecosportses
#16
Scott where is that plug. Do I have to remove some panels? or is it in plain site near the rear bumper on the drivers side? I can't find it.
 

jack130

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BARNESVILLE
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2018 ford ecosportses
#17
Can you be a little more specific as to where you found that flat female plug? The picture looks like you cut it off and put it in a vice I need to know where you found it under the car. I called 4 ford dealers about it and they have no clue. It would save me a lot of trouble if I could spice those four wires to
my trail plug.

Thanks
 

Jonhaasen

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City
Rergina
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Non-US
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Canada
What I Drive
2018 Ford Ecosport SES
#18
I've been trying to find the same plug. Ford doesn't seem to know where they put it either. I found one that I believe it is in the corner of the driver side rear bumper. I installed the Draw-Tite Class II Frame Receiver Hitch Item # 36660 tow bar it shows the wire in one of the instruction pictures on sheet 4 step 4.
 

Attachments

jack130

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BARNESVILLE
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2018 ford ecosportses
#19
Yes that looks like the plug I found. I had to cut off the plug because I could not get a connector that would connect from it to my trailer. The colors were right (Brown tail lights; black/yellow ground; green and yellow for stop/turn lights), but when I checked for power I could not get any voltage reading. I checked under the hood for fuse no. 34 which is a 50 amp fuse for trailer tow module but that was good. Why we need a 50 amp fuse for trailer lights is very odd. So, I gave up and bought a ford wiring kit and wired the trailer from the battery on back. Now it works. My ecosport tows a 1400 pound trailer very good. I have been impressed.
 

Jonhaasen

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City
Rergina
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2018 Ford Ecosport SES
#20
So my dealer thinks he found the Ford plug to use. It's on order. I will update with the part number, if it's the right one.
 


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