Wreckingcrewsdad
Member
I’m not sure if this is directed to me?
If so, ours is a 2019 2500 crew 170ext. MB must have stopped options along the way, cause ours has factory hitch and auto slide door. We didn’t try for the Led option.
Factory Tow Hitch vs. Aftermarket
- Thread starter Elementbldrs
- Start date
If so, ours is a 2019 2500 crew 170ext. MB must have stopped options along the way, cause ours has factory hitch and auto slide door. We didn’t try for the Led option.
AlaskaD@ve
Member
I just installed a "Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Class III - 2"" from eTrailer. Installation was quite simple as a solo job but it would've been difficult without a floor jack to put it into position. Like others have said, the wiring and 7-pin was zip-tied to the spare tire assembly. I can't imagine the MB part being any better.
The LED and auto slide door were available options...they just stopped offering them for a bit, while our van was being built, due to recalls and parts availability. They discontinued the Red paint altogether for 2019 so we went with one of the metallic greys.
The hitch was 100% not offered at the time we ordered and built ours (August 2019 build). I still have a copy of the ordering guide that even has a call-out on the hitch section that says not available on the 170 Passenger. Maybe they made it available after our build date? Or, it's available on the Crew and not the Passenger?
Can someone here please confirm the size of the stock trailer hitch? My 170 Crew hasn't been delivered yet (hopefully soon after life returns to normal) but I want to buy a bike rack and need to confirm that it's a 2inch trailer hitch - I'm assuming it is but just want to be sure. Thanks
sailquik
Well-known member
KD.
Yes, the factory installed receiver is 2.00" x 2.00".
It might be a little looser than you would like, but a few wraps with duct tape or some thin
plastic shim stock and your bike rack will be solid.
It's much easier to fit a slightly loose drawbar or bike rack into a standard 2 x2 receiver than
it is to try to fit a slightly too large drawbar/bike rack into an right on dimension (2.000" x 2.000")
reciever.
Hope this helps,
Roger
Yes, the factory installed receiver is 2.00" x 2.00".
It might be a little looser than you would like, but a few wraps with duct tape or some thin
plastic shim stock and your bike rack will be solid.
It's much easier to fit a slightly loose drawbar or bike rack into a standard 2 x2 receiver than
it is to try to fit a slightly too large drawbar/bike rack into an right on dimension (2.000" x 2.000")
reciever.
Hope this helps,
Roger
Elementbldrs
Member
Yeah that looks perfect with the step. I won’t be using the step as we will have a rear wheelchair lift, but I like what you did.
I ended up ordering factory hitch off Pelican for $500. Double price but I read enough to feel good about the decision.
Thanks for everyone’s input.
I ended up ordering factory hitch off Pelican for $500. Double price but I read enough to feel good about the decision.
Thanks for everyone’s input.
Here is our Curt on a 170 Passenger van. The only downside is the ground clearance is several inches lower so we have to be careful backing into a parking space over a curb or grass that isn't flat. We also have to watch humps or driveways that have a big dip or hump as the hitch has hit or dragged unless I hit it at an angle.
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Wreckingcrewsdad
Member
What is the distance of this cantilever?
Attachments
430 hp 70
'19 144 Gas Passenger - Carlsbad
~6.25"
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iksro
Member
Picked up my 2019 4x4 Passenger thats already prewired. I like the look of the OEM Half-Step but cant seem to find it online. I have seen the van compass step and a few others that are more slim but cant get a clear answer if they will work on aftermarket receivers since the tubing may be slightly different. Anyone attach a step to an aftermarket receiver? And I am NOT talking about the steps that go into the receiver itself, it attaches to the tubing.
Eric B
Well-known member
The VC step uses existing bolt holes in the factory tow hitch that don’t seem to exist in aftermarket ones... you could line up the VC step to an aftermarket two hitch, mark them, and drill them .... but, no one is going to promise this works ...
part of the reason why I got a factory MB tow hitch, and as mentioned above it doesn’t hang down as low as some of the aftermarket ones - departure angle fwiw
download the VC step install instructions from their site to see the holes they use to mount it
part of the reason why I got a factory MB tow hitch, and as mentioned above it doesn’t hang down as low as some of the aftermarket ones - departure angle fwiw
download the VC step install instructions from their site to see the holes they use to mount it
agreenjacket
New member
When I bought my van, initially without a hitch, I asked the sales person to give me a price to have an OEM installed by the dealer service center. The sales person told me not to do it and to call e-trailer and get the hitch and harness from them. I did that, it was an easy straight forward install including the wiring. e-trailer has a bunch of how-to videos that can help as well. I also added the LED lights to see what I am doing back there when using it. I used a nutsert in underside of the hitch step to mount the LED's with a wiring kit from Amazon, easy peazy works great at night. 
It has not been mentioned in this thread that there are basically only two aftermarket hitch manufacturers in the USA. Curt and Cequent. They are sold under a number of different brand names.
This is T1N information, but should apply in general to any Curt or Cequent hitch.
Curt vs Cequent
So let's look at which is more sturdy.
They are different designs.
The Curt hitch has a straight square shape. The pull is directly against the center.
The Cequent design uses a rectangular shape with some formed angles to change the stresses. Using formed shapes can increase the load rating of a given structure/material.
At the receiver, the Cequent has 2 ea. plates welded to the rectangular main beam shape vs one plate on the Curt. Two plates distribute stresses differently vs one.
To carry the tongue weight, the vertical walls of the Cequent hitch rectangle shape are equal to the Curt square walls. (generally for design both need to match to the receiver tube.)
Some pictures.
Is one more sturdy than the other?
The designs are different.
The Curt appears to stick out a bit further from the bumper than the Cequent. The Curt requires drilling. The Cequent doesn't. The Cequent design probably has less visible parts when looking at the rear bumper area. The Curt design probably provides a bit more bump protection.
To my knowledge either design will give good service as both have a good reputation.
vic
For the T1N pictures, not VS30. The original thread seems to have disappeared or I would have linked it. Once you expand this link the post does have the T1N info and pics.
sprinter-source.com
This is T1N information, but should apply in general to any Curt or Cequent hitch.
Curt vs Cequent
So let's look at which is more sturdy.
They are different designs.
The Curt hitch has a straight square shape. The pull is directly against the center.
The Cequent design uses a rectangular shape with some formed angles to change the stresses. Using formed shapes can increase the load rating of a given structure/material.
At the receiver, the Cequent has 2 ea. plates welded to the rectangular main beam shape vs one plate on the Curt. Two plates distribute stresses differently vs one.
To carry the tongue weight, the vertical walls of the Cequent hitch rectangle shape are equal to the Curt square walls. (generally for design both need to match to the receiver tube.)
Some pictures.
Is one more sturdy than the other?
The designs are different.The Curt appears to stick out a bit further from the bumper than the Cequent. The Curt requires drilling. The Cequent doesn't. The Cequent design probably has less visible parts when looking at the rear bumper area. The Curt design probably provides a bit more bump protection.
To my knowledge either design will give good service as both have a good reputation.
vicFor the T1N pictures, not VS30. The original thread seems to have disappeared or I would have linked it. Once you expand this link the post does have the T1N info and pics.
Hidden Hitch for 140 w/ rear step bumper
Hidden Hitch for 140 w/OUT rear step bumper I read this thread with interest Seek, since it seems like we could use this hidden hitch even though we do not have a rear step bumper - it's benefits being it just bolts on. I realize we'd see more of it without the step bumper but is there any...
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sailquik
Well-known member
Careful guys!
The 3 series/2500 USA 4235mm-170" wheelbase Sprinters can be ordered with the factory hitch WITHOUT THE FULL
STEP BUMPER, and the towing capacity is 5,000 lbs./500 lbs. tongue weight for both the short back and the Extended.
The 5 series/3500 USA 4325mm-170" wheelbase, with dual rear wheels or SuSi can be ordered with the full 7,500lb./
759 lbs. tongue weight in the short back version with out the full step bumper, but the 3500 Extended reduces the
towing capacity to 5,000 lbs./500 lbs. tongue weight.
I think alot of the dealers have been told by the Daimler/MBVans USA group that approves custom builds that
things like the factory hitch are not available due to lack of parts at the new plant in No. Charleston/Ladson, SC
Logistics at the new plant seem to be very lacking and it takes forever.
I got almost every thing I wanted but I had to wait an entire year.
My 2019 was ordered on Dec. 21, 2018, assembled in the new Charleston/Ladson plant in late August 2019 and
finally shipped to the dealer on December 5th, 2019, and I took delivery about a week later.
The order changed several times between when it was ordered in Dec. 2018 and when it was built in late Aug.
Hope this helps,
Roger
The 3 series/2500 USA 4235mm-170" wheelbase Sprinters can be ordered with the factory hitch WITHOUT THE FULL
STEP BUMPER, and the towing capacity is 5,000 lbs./500 lbs. tongue weight for both the short back and the Extended.
The 5 series/3500 USA 4325mm-170" wheelbase, with dual rear wheels or SuSi can be ordered with the full 7,500lb./
759 lbs. tongue weight in the short back version with out the full step bumper, but the 3500 Extended reduces the
towing capacity to 5,000 lbs./500 lbs. tongue weight.
I think alot of the dealers have been told by the Daimler/MBVans USA group that approves custom builds that
things like the factory hitch are not available due to lack of parts at the new plant in No. Charleston/Ladson, SC
Logistics at the new plant seem to be very lacking and it takes forever.
I got almost every thing I wanted but I had to wait an entire year.
My 2019 was ordered on Dec. 21, 2018, assembled in the new Charleston/Ladson plant in late August 2019 and
finally shipped to the dealer on December 5th, 2019, and I took delivery about a week later.
The order changed several times between when it was ordered in Dec. 2018 and when it was built in late Aug.
Hope this helps,
Roger
Eric B
Well-known member
You can’t get full width rear step and tow hitch because both use the same mounting location in the frame rails.
I bought my factory tow hitch through PelicanParts after I bought a van off a dealer lot. Received the tow hitch in less than a week - of course I’m local to them and did will call - when that was still possible
I bought my factory tow hitch through PelicanParts after I bought a van off a dealer lot. Received the tow hitch in less than a week - of course I’m local to them and did will call - when that was still possible
Can you please give us the part number for the Heins hitch arms too?
randymacbc
Member
So I plan to install a hitch on my new to me 2015 170 and found this plug hanging down by the spare tire. I assume this is for the trailer wiring so is there an adapter to just plug into it and convert to standard 4 prong for a small utility trailer or do I have to splice into it?