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So the wife bought an 08' escape. It has a trailer hitch on it. This may be a truly dumb question but here goes. The painted bumper cover, covers the stupid hitch. Is this a ford deal or a really bad install in the aftermarket? So to remedy this is there a different bracket, a correct hitch, or are you supposed to hack into the freaking bumper. . . . . thanks guys. The reason I ask is we have a little golf car trailer that she uses from time to time to haul her four wheeler. Would be nice for her to be able to use it instead of taking my superduty.

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I think there is a "knock out" formed into the bumper that can be cut out, Unfortunatly from the inside. With the hitch on already that may be difficult. May need to remove the bumper cover to cut it cleanly. It could be possible that the rear bumper cover was replaced at one time and the body shop forgot to cut it out.

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You'd be amazed what an AWD Escape can do with a hitch... My uncle uses his to pull his pontoon boat out of the water and tow it from his lake cabin up north back home for the winter. He was telling me how difficult it is sometimes because he has all 4 wheels spinning to get through the sand beach with the big old pontoon behind him. This then prompted me to go home and look at Youtube videos of people launching boats - There are some real gems there boys if you get some free time.

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I didn't have the heart to tell him what he's doing to his tranny. And yes, the rear bumper cover has to come off. You can then see from the inside a square shape exactly where you need to cut out.

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The PTU will go before the trans, if he keeps that up. Those gears in them things are TINY. We replace 2 to 3 PTU's a year from people getting Escapes stuck in snow banks and beating on them trying to "rock" them out.

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Well thanks for the advice guys. What is the preferred method of trimming the bumper. . . . I have another question for you guys. The compass in the dash above the radio does not appear to tell the right direction. Is there a calibration you can perform or just a rather expensive module to replace in order to make it operational? It reads SW most of the time and the only time it changes is when you head E at which point it says you are going W. I do not have manuals for this here "mochine" yet. The input is greatly appreciated.

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Go HERE .... on the left you'll see a link to "Owner Guides". Click that and follow the drop downs. Select "Owner Guide" and on about page 60 it'll tell you how to set your compass zone and calibrate the compass.

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That's a trailer hitch? I thought that was to secure a bike rack! LOL!!

T'would be circa '06 and new trucks sold a guy both an Escape and the lightest single axle holiday trailer we had... That thing couldn't get out of it's own way.

 

It screamed the message "just because you CAN do something - it doesn't follow that you SHOULD".

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There I go not reading all the way through the manual again. Thanks for the directions jim, alway helpful.

 

I tried to get her to drive the four wheeler up the ramps into the pick-up and haul it. I did not consider however that a 1 ton from 1996 is a ways off the ground and there for making a bit of a steep incline. Needless to say she did not want to try, I have no problem driving it up there but than again I am a bit more adventurous with stuff like that. So what your saying is I should leave the bumper cover over the hitch. . .

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