Hello everyone!

This will be my first post on the forums here. I just purchased a 2011 Durango AWD Express. I love the vehicle and it was everything I needed. The only problem I had was finding an Express with a factory hitch installed. I could not find a single Express in my area that had the tow package from the factory. This was not a major concern for me because I only wanted the hitch for a bike rack. I have no need to tow a trailer.

An easy solution for this was a Curt Class III receiver hitch, model 13075. I ordered it from Amazon at $125 shipped. The hitch itself was actually very nice and I was impressed with the heft and quality of it. Here is a pic:



The install was straightforward and only took me about 30 minutes, but I took my time and half of that was getting out the tools and lowering the spare tire. You need to lower the spare to get to the 4 frame bolts. These 4 bolts are removed with a 21mm socket and then reinstalled with the hitch in place. I managed to hold the hitch up and install bolts by myself, but having a helper around would definitely make things easier. Here is a pic of bolts with hitch installed:






After installing the hitch, all that was left was raising the spare tire. One thing I noticed was that the hitch was in the path of the spare as it was raised. I simply raised the tire about 2/3 up and then went under and shifted the spare over the hitch. No big deal but something to watch out for when raising tire back into place.

There was no trimming of fascia required. I hope this post helps anyone that was considering this addition. This is definitely a cheap and easy alternative to a factory hitch. Hitch itself is rated 5000lb towing/ 500 lb tongue, but I believe you are limited to 3500lb towing by the Durango without the towing package. I am not postive about that final number though.

Here are some pics of how the hitch looks installed. Enjoy!

 

Looks great! So new she has even gotten her tags yet

 

That does look good, nice job. It is just a little to low for my tastes.

The factory hitch exits the rear of the vehicle centered in that rear valance/bumper cover giving you a few more potentially critical inches.

IndyD

 

Our Durango's could be mistaken for twins! That hitch looks great and your info is just what I was searching for (thanks for the pics). The aftermarket price is much better than the dealer price (in our area, the hitch with the bezel is $249 plus tax, $348 with the wiring).

I would love to see an aftermarket hitch that exits the bumper (as mentioned above).

 

got any pics of it with the bike rack mounted in the hitch?

 

That's the same one on my 11' Express, I just inverted the ball to get a little extra height. I tow a 2,500 boat with no problems at all!

 

Looks good but that hitch is really low to the ground, if you tow anything that has any kind of weight on it you better get like a 3-4 inch drop hitch and flip it upside down to give you a little extra height.

 

Expressive

What is the ground clearance on your new receiver?

 

Yup, 4" Minimum since your truck is gonna drop another 2 or 3 after you load it. Good job on the install though.

 

I just picked up a mopar hitch receiver and wiring kit from my dealer for $380 bucks. Took me about 2.5 hours to do it all and it looks factory. Instructions come with the harness and the hitch. A Dremel tool with a rotory file bit works great for cutting out the hole in the bumper. Heck the template is on the bumper from factory no locating necessary.