Best Chevrolet Express Van Front Receiver Hitches

After struggling with the answering menu, Steve Z. was instrumental in locating a hitch to fit my van which was not specifically identified in any data search. Weird year, 2005, of popular Chevy Express van, my luck! Using manufacturers dimensions I purchased #31016 on 12/21 and it arrived on 12/24. It's a very well built, USA built, unit. It arrived rapidly, but was missing half of the mounting hardware. The remainder of the hardware was rolling around in the box. Zip lock baggie ripped apart spilling them. I used a hydraulic jack to elevate hitch into place, and an additional jack to push the drill up to drill the 6 mounting holes necessary. No factory hole alignment. All the nuts for the bolts were lost in transit, but by a Christmas day miracle, I found 2 metric nuts to fit supplied bolts that survived the delivery. I will acquire, and install remaining missing 4 tomorrow. The installation went smooth and easy using this technique. It took around 3 hours with much of the time searching for hardware.' Thanks Steve Z. and etrailer. .

The product works great. However, I was told that this front hitch receiver would bolt to existing holes on my 98 Four winds RV. That was not true, so installation was double the cost of what was estimated by the shop I took it to.

I ordered these two, front and rear for a 1990 GEO Tracker 4 wheel drive that I am rebuilding. I believed they would fit, I finally got around to mounting them and they don't fit, to large. I think I have had them to long to return them.

Hi George, I received your email and didn't realize it had been a year already. I'm afraid I don't have anything to say that you want to hear but I will tell you anyway. I spent about a week researching this hitch and read numerous reviews about it and how easy it is to install with installation times of 30 minutes to an hour, so finally I bought one. I read the instructions when I got it, looked simple enough. I've been building cars and motorcycles most of my life, a few hot rods and drag raced Harley's for 8 years, and I had to fabricate a lot of parts on the drag bike splus I've been a CNC Machinist for 30 years, and having just retired this project was on my list of things to do NOW! Well its been a year and the hitch is now sitting in the corner of my dining room. Either I have a Jeep Cherokee that is an odd ball or its just my crappy luck. In the directions it says to use the fishwire for putting in cm-sp1 and the bolt. I can supply pictures if you want but there is no access hole anywhere near big enough to get the sp1 spacer in the frame and the end of the frame isn't open either as the directions suggest. Apparently its either butcher the frame with a hole big enough to these spacers in, which I really don't want to do, or try to sell the hitch for whatever I can get and say the hell with it, except I really need that front hitch. I realize most people are very happy with your product, but I'm sorry to say I'm not at all. You asked!

It was a very easy hitch to install

The hitch is mounted on our 2018 GMC 2500hd. We use it to transport our bikes. We choose not to mount items on our tv rear bumper.

I purchased this front receiver hitch for my 2010 Ford E350 RV to use for a utility basket, launch a 16' boat and now also for a motorcycle carrier. The quality is excellent and full weight rating, one year later and the finish is perfect. Installation was exactly as stated in the directions and the modifications were minor, requiring existing holes in the frame forward of any critical mounts drilled larger and the plastic under the front bumper where a tag goes has to be cut slightly to allow for receiver. The directions called for removal of under carriage splash guard but I was able to trim and reinstall. I am perfectly happy with the purchase. When hauling a motorcycle on the front the RV rides so much smoother and better planted on the road without being overloaded.

Have been an e- trailer Cust for most of my hitch and trailer needs for years. The RAV4 hitch and air bags have been a real plus cause the Mrs uses it like a mini truck. The hitch attachments and extensions we’ve bought all top notch - expect nothing less from this front mount hitch for our c class Rv. Recommend you always check with them first before buying elsewhere.

Great products, great prices, fast shipping and a great company to do business with. Easy install, and it took longer to trim the air dam than installing the hitch.

Great solid piece, as you would expect. Extra longer bolts are included in case you have the factory tow hooks, a nice touch and saves $10 at the hardware store. Not a complaint, just info; you have to remove the bumper to fit the front bolts, they won't drop in past the bumper brackets at least on my '95. Cut a hole and some minor trimming, and it works with the factory air dam as well.

I use Curt Front Hitches from ETrailer with pintle hitch plates to make my own front protective bars and also rear protective bars in a rear truck, SUV. Or van hitch to protect my vehicles from bad drivers. Much stronger than bull bar or offroad front bumper bar protection

We live just south of Buffalo and Put this on our '11 Honda Ridgeline with a snowsport plow and a week later it snowed, and snowed and snowed... 5 feet in 24 hours and it's still snowing.... It's not good.... It's AWESOME! Not one driveway or even our street is clear... Except ours. It was easy to put together , easy to install and works exactly like it's advertised! It's November and it paid for itself already. Communication with etrailer was exceptional. We could not be happier with the whole setup.

We chose the Curt Front Mount Trailer Hitch Receiver so we could safely transport our RAD electric bikes while also pulling our travel trailer. We had it professionally installed onto the front of our Toyota Tundra and it has worked out very well! We are very pleased, and glad that we have it!

Shipping was fast and packaged good with no scratches. I modified my 2010 Tundra skid pan for oil filter changes before mounting. Replaced all 4 OEM tow ring bolts using anti-seize with new longer M12-1.25 X 40MM class 10.9 zinc finished hex cap screws along with new M12 X 24MM OD HARD WASHERS and torqued all 4 to 79 ft/lbs. Mounted new Thule EasyFold XT 2 Hitch Bike Rack and it fits in front without using the hitch extension. All went together as planned and can now take E-Bikes with us while pulling our camper. We are happy campers!

Mounting went well,video direction were accurate.

Overall, my experience with etrailer was good. There was an initial delay in shipping, but once I talked to someone, everything went well. The help page was invaluable. The biggest help was the installation video. While there are slight differences between the 2011 GMC and the 2013, the process was the same. I am very pleased with the product and the support. Picture attached.

2nd hitch, both fit up great. Left off the roll pan and built our own cover for the sway bar disconnect.

I bought this receiver to add front mounted 'accessories' on my 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara. I plan on using this to add an extra bicycle rack, a cargo basket, a receiver mounted winch or other 'accessories' needed for my Jeep when I take my family camping. It will also be useful for "front launching" a boat or parking a trailer in tight spots. It took me about an hour to install, although I had already previously removed the lower wind deflector cowling, so did not have to spend time removing it or cutting it for a finished look. Detaching and moving the top trim panel between the grill and the bumper is a must to facilitate the installation. The receiver fits pretty close, although you do have to manipulate it to get the holes to line up with the frame. Follow the instructions and do not tighten any of the bolts until you get it lined up and all the bolts in loosely, then torque it down. As noted in the instruction sheet, the driver's side of the receiver does not sit flush against the frame, there is about a 1/4" to 5/8" gap. The instructions say to use the extra split washers (in the kit) as filler, but they would just rattle around loose in there and provide any benefit, so I omitted them. Once tightened down, the receiver tube was not parallel to the ground, it is slightly higher in the front, sloping towards the rear. It is not off enough to affect my intended use, but may be bothersome to those with type 'A' attention to detail. Overall a good product that will add a lot of flexibility to my Jeep~

Requires permanent removal of the front air dam. Requires temporary removal of the front sway bar. May decrease offroad performance by lowering the approach angle. Has 2 Sturdy retrieval loops.

I chose Draw-tite because they are built very well and this one is no different. The welds are done well and I have no fear that this product will serve me well. The install wasnt to bad for a DIY type like me and the fit was excellent, only took a few hours. Knowing that I can now be pulled out of a bad situation or pull someone else out is comforting with the help of a hitch mounted winch. The Price was right and etrailer shipped it out fast although packing could use a smaller box . Oh yeah, UPS sure tested the toughness of this receiver ! . Great product and great service from etrailer

UPS was 8 days late for no good reason though it looks like they used the hitch as a crash test dummy. It’s a miracle the hardware bag made it but it did! I think this is superior than the other brands available. They always include these little threaded fish tape wires for getting the hardware into the frame. I’ve done a transit and now this. Saves a ton of time/headache. However the instructions just have a diagram. Took me about 20 min to get the first bolt in. Then 20 min for the rest of the install. So if you read this, you can probably get the whole thing done in 30 or so which is what i expected initially. Tools: 3/4” socket Torque wrench 1/2” drill bit & drill OPTIONAL: floor jack to lift hitch into place. Steps: - Drill forward holes to 1/2” and shoot with some rustoleum or equivalent paint. Let dry for 20 min while you eat lunch, take a dump, whatever. - send fish tape through forward mount hole and out front of frame rail. Figuring this is what slowed me down on the first one. the carriage bolt head won’t fit through any of the obvious openings. See pic. - put to bolt plate onto the fish wire then thread the bolt onto the wire. Pull em all through the hole and watch it assemble right before your eyes! - repeat on the other 3 bolts - jack hitch into place and finger tighten the washers/nuts on - torque down to 75ftlbs and boom! time to yank or be yanked! See all my pics and if this helps, send me an imaginary beer through the quantum field! Econolines rule!

I tried ordering this exact hitch off Amazon. Not once, but twice they shipped the wrong part number. Took a couple months to get my money back. Etrailer got it right the first time. I took about an hour to install on my 2006 class B+ E 450 motor home. The best advice I can give is take the 15 minutes to remove the front bumper (21 mm). With front bumper removed you won't need the wire chaser things. Jus stick your hand in the frame.

This front receiver mount is exactly what I needed. Great build quality and easy to install. Thanks for getting it to me in a timely manner.

After a year of having this on my truck I can say that I wish I did it sooner! The installation is easy as can be. The hitch is super handy as both a tow point and also as a kind of skid plate/bumper. I have contacted multiple ecology blocks and other objects in my truck, the hitch is the first thing to touch so nothing on the truck gets damaged! This is a super strong, affordable, and versatile addition to any vehicle!

Well built. Very tight fit on my ‘17 2500 Silverado. Getting the hitch into the proper position was more of a challenge than I expected. It took two people to install it. One to apply leverage and the second to install the bolts once the holes lined up. Minor cutting on the metal support for the bottom edge of the front end. I’m sure I could have avoided the cutting if I could have figured out how to disassemble the bumper. We got it all done in a few hours. The packaging could be better. The were holes in the box where the hitch broke through but all the parts were present and it’s kind of hard to damage this receiver. The only reason I didn’t rate five stars is that I couldn’t install it alone and the receiver does appear to be fabricated about 1/4” off center. Both of these I consider to be minor problems but problems nonetheless. Knowing everything I know now after getting the install completed, I would purchase this item again. I would also recommend this receiver to anyone looking for a front hitch for a ‘17 2500 Silverado.

The hitch was easy to install. The only issue is who ever welded it put the front ring on and it's turned to one side. It functions fine but bothers my OCD.

This worked great on my F350 dually. We needed a front hitch to carry bikes while towing a 5th wheel camper. Instructions were easy to follow

This appears to be a great receiver hitch! The first one arrived bent because UPS employees threw or dropped it. e Trailer was fabulous in getting another one out ASAP. Assembly and fit was great as well. The only recommendation I would make would be to provide a template with measurements to cut the front rubber air damn to ensure a factory finish.

Review for truck front hitch receiver I finally Installed the front receiver hitch today, I pulled it out of its package and found all parts wrapped to the receiver hitch good call as there was a hole in the box. The license plate holder received some damage it was bent some. Installation. I reviews the video prior and read the instructions. Had to purchase a 4 inch hole saw and a torque wrench that added to the cost of the hitch. Installation was for the most part straight forward, when the video cuts from shot to shot I now know all the cussing and swearing are done during that time as it’s very difficulty to get the hitch in over/under the exiting hardware, solo installer took me 3.45 hrs to install, tight fit under the truck to maneuver under the truck. Bolts back into original tow hooks was a total Pain in the A$$ trying to hold up the hitch and the hooks while trying to maneuver the hold back in. (Had to take it out as I inserted on the wrong side) I will say that installation is doable by novice front yard mechanic but with a difficulty of 7 out of 10, trying to get the bolts torqued to specs is difficult due to clearance and angle of the bolts. Make sure you have deep well sockets because the new bolts for the hitch and long and a standard size socket will not be able to grip the nut as you tighten it down to specs. Put the bike rack on the hitch receiver and found that the hole that we drilled out to put the hitch in is not big enough. The bolt for the hitch goes in from the right and there was barely enough room to get it in the hole, used a wrench to tighten it but it was slow going, the other issue was that on the left side there is a hitch lock I struggled to get it on, but then could not reach in to remove the key. So final outcome was I had to drill out another 4 inch section of the bumper to get to the key. If your hitch has a bolt on bike rack like the swagman e-bike rack you want it to be secure so the bolt is a must this option may not be the best option. The bikes block the headlights so no night driving with the bikes on the rack. The handlebars need to be folded down otherwise the bikes will ride too high on the front and obstruct your vision. If I had to do it again I would have gotten the hitch that is lower and would not have to drill out my bumper, and it would have given me more visual clearance. I did take a shot drive with the bikes in front it will take a bit to get used to them being in the front as well as making wide turns while towing the RV that I don’t take out the car in front of me.

I love this hitch for several reasons: 1) the receiver is inline with the cross tube, giving it the maximum strength 2) easy install 3) receiver is higher off the ground than most 4) front plate bracket is handy 5) allows me to mount my winch, and doesn't interfere with airflow

Fits perfect and works just as I needed it to. I use it for my SnowSport plow set-up on a 2022 Gladiator Sport Max Tow. I’ve been using front receivers for this same plow for the last 24 years. It’s been used on 5 different trucks and this front receiver mount plow is the BEST. *** When installing on a Gladiator(possibly the Wrangler as well), the front plastic trim below the bumper needs to be cut for receiver clearance. I wanted a tight and “factory looking” install, so I took my time with a vibrating cutter and very sharp utility knife. After trying to put it back in place, the hole is not just square, it’s shaped more like. “T”. I suggest you make small adjustments/cuts as you go forward. It may take several times fitting and cutting to get it right and tight, but in the end it does look like it came that way from JEEP. On the Max Tow package, there is also a metal skid plate that does not get reinstalled. Unfortunately that piece is where the back of the plastic fascia mounts. I ended up securing it with some long heavy-duty zip-ties and it’s worked well for a year now. Just an FYI for those installing the same receiver on their same vehicle.

Excellent instruction video! I would hope on future videos the dark black parts might be contrasted, they are taken from below and I am sure my lighting was lacking under an un-jacked jeep! The plastic rivets on vehicle are two part and in a restricted trough which were a pain to replace other than that issue everything was great!

This hitch was very easy to install....I had to trim the lower air dam to fit around the receiver and that gives it a clean neat look. I didn't like that I had to remove and leave the shields around the tow hooks off. But overall I'm very pleased. I plan to use this hitch for maneuvering a camper in a narrow spot beside my home, and for a bike rack when towing a camper.

I gave this hits only 4 stars since all of the available information indicated it would bolt right on to my 2003 Avalanche 1500 (All Models) with no modification, but it wasn't quite that simple. First off, my Avalanche has the plastic cladding. The end brackets of the hitch push the bottom of the air dam under the bumper down a bit and make it bow out. I had to remove the bracket that secured the air dam to the center of the frame. I mounted the hitch in the upper position since I didn't want it to be so low, and the receiver ends up being 8" back from the bumper facia. I had to order an 8" extension to bring it out past the bumper. Other than that, I'm happy with the hitch. I just wish the fitment guide was a little more specific.

Plastic trim that direction stated to be trimmed were not even close. Had to majorly trim plastic in bumper center section. Other than that it was straight forward

Just what I wanted. Been wanting to get this and install. Pretty straight forward for my boy and I. Took about 2 1/2 hours. Hardest part was the cutting of the plastic and marking everything but we got through it. Only thing wrong the license plat bracket was welded crooked, I don’t need it was going to run so it’s hidden. Could not ocd got me.

Perfect hitch for those needing a rack for extra space. I used a heavy duty vinyl bag to enclose my tools, cords and generator on my 12k mile trip to alaska. The held that 500lbs extremely well across the permafrost damaged Alaskan highway! No twists, no bends and no worries!

Looks great

The front hitch solved a storage problem that I was having with my truck camper.It fit perfectly. I added a Stow Away hitch frame and a UWS small aluminum storage box for my small generator. The photo shows a test fit before installation.

This was one of the easiest accessories I’ve installed on my Tundra. It is a front receiver hitch so I don’t use it very often. Mostly just for bike racks when towing a trailer, but when you need it you need it.