Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
... . but only if you're willing to do some trimming-both plastic and metal. I've had a Hidden Hitch front hitch sitting awaiting install since I got my truck in late April. I kept putting it off because I really didn't want to cut the front fascia and was looking for other options. Factory tow hooks also require cutting the fascia-the local Dodge dealer has the brackets modified by welding in a piece of square tube to drop the hook below the fascia. I steered away from this not because I was afraid of the weld quality (the guy modding them is a B-pressure welder) but more because I was afraid of tweaking the frame with a hard pull and the extra leverage the dropped bracket would exert. Plus I liked the idea of the receiver hitch pulling equally from both sides of the frame-my truck weighs 8300 lbs. right now with a full tank of fuel and me in it and the nature of my job probably entails getting stuck bad at some point in the future (hopefully very distant future! 
). So after I bit the bullet this is what I found... .
I pulled the fascia off the truck leaving the actual steel support bolted up. Really not that hard-5 Torx screws along the lower edge, 3 Torx screws on each edge facing the wheel, unplugging the fog lamps from the harness, and using a flat screwdriver to unclip the top edge from the clips. After that it's just a little flexing and pulling to have it off the truck. Then I could see how the hitch would mount and what would have to be trimmed. The metal reinforcing the bottom edge of the fascia has to be cut to let the hitch mount up to the frame. I used an air chisel as the metal is pretty light-thought about a hacksaw but then I'd probably still be there doing it
. Then I could bolt the hitch in place. On my Hidden Hitch the center mounting holes didn't match the frame holes-had to get my fab man (read Dad) to dig out his trusty torch to "modify" a couple holes. Maybe there was a change in 2001 trucks? Or maybe the hitch was drilled wrong..... either way it's in there now. The other 2 holes were properly placed-although trying to thread the bolts/spacers into the back holes was no fun at all... .
After I had the hitch mounted I stretched the fascia back into place to see where it would have to be trimmed. Needed a notch in the center to clear the hitch shank-so you have to trim it from the bottom edge up and around the lower lip. Pretty easy to do once I worked up the courage-I used a sharp knife and it cut fairly nicely. Used door edge molding to cover up the raw edges-I'm still not satisfied with that part of the job but it'll do until I can find something that looks more professional.
The Hidden Hitch shank actually sits recessed behind the Sport bumper, and the bumper lower piece only comes down to just above the pin hole in the shank (the pin actually rubs on the lower edge which doesn't hurt my feelings any-as you lose the center screw on the lower edge when you notch the steel support for the hitch. My Warn pulling insert fits almost perfectly-the clevis just clears the front fascia when installed in the hitch. And the fascia covers the hitch crosspiece fairly nicely-if I'd have painted it silver to match the truck it'd be fairly inconspicuous...
So if I can do it I would think the average trained monkey can as well
. Hopefully soon I'll have some pics to put up as I still haven't taken any decent ones of the truck itself.
Jason
). So after I bit the bullet this is what I found... . I pulled the fascia off the truck leaving the actual steel support bolted up. Really not that hard-5 Torx screws along the lower edge, 3 Torx screws on each edge facing the wheel, unplugging the fog lamps from the harness, and using a flat screwdriver to unclip the top edge from the clips. After that it's just a little flexing and pulling to have it off the truck. Then I could see how the hitch would mount and what would have to be trimmed. The metal reinforcing the bottom edge of the fascia has to be cut to let the hitch mount up to the frame. I used an air chisel as the metal is pretty light-thought about a hacksaw but then I'd probably still be there doing it
. Then I could bolt the hitch in place. On my Hidden Hitch the center mounting holes didn't match the frame holes-had to get my fab man (read Dad) to dig out his trusty torch to "modify" a couple holes. Maybe there was a change in 2001 trucks? Or maybe the hitch was drilled wrong..... either way it's in there now. The other 2 holes were properly placed-although trying to thread the bolts/spacers into the back holes was no fun at all... . After I had the hitch mounted I stretched the fascia back into place to see where it would have to be trimmed. Needed a notch in the center to clear the hitch shank-so you have to trim it from the bottom edge up and around the lower lip. Pretty easy to do once I worked up the courage-I used a sharp knife and it cut fairly nicely. Used door edge molding to cover up the raw edges-I'm still not satisfied with that part of the job but it'll do until I can find something that looks more professional.
The Hidden Hitch shank actually sits recessed behind the Sport bumper, and the bumper lower piece only comes down to just above the pin hole in the shank (the pin actually rubs on the lower edge which doesn't hurt my feelings any-as you lose the center screw on the lower edge when you notch the steel support for the hitch. My Warn pulling insert fits almost perfectly-the clevis just clears the front fascia when installed in the hitch. And the fascia covers the hitch crosspiece fairly nicely-if I'd have painted it silver to match the truck it'd be fairly inconspicuous...
So if I can do it I would think the average trained monkey can as well
. Hopefully soon I'll have some pics to put up as I still haven't taken any decent ones of the truck itself. Jason
). If you want I can take some thickness measurements etc. for you for comparison with someone with a Drawtite... . can't remember off the top of my head what the side plates are but I'm wagering on 1/4". The hitch is rated for a 5000 lb. trailer (like anyone could even pull a trailer any distance off the front hitch anyways... duuuuhhhh
) and 9000 lb. line pull. I'm thinking that these ratings are probably fairly conservative in the name of legal liability-God we live in a wonderful world don't we? Anyways if you want to know thicknesses or other tech things like that let me know and I'll crawl under and have a look. 
