Hitch Install ... Dealer vs Aftermarket

[RAD]

I'm ordering the OEM hitch and hitch cover. I see they list both a Tow Hitch Chrome Cover - Kia (S9F61-AU060), and a black cover, but both have the same part number. Does anyone have a chrome one? I've only seen the black ones on the vehicles at the dealerships.​

 

[PittPa]

Its a misprint. The are a black plastic finish only. With the hitch installed, there is very little to see down there and the black blends in.

 

[RAD]

Its a misprint. The are a black plastic finish only. With the hitch installed, there is very little to see down there and the black blends in.

Thanks PittPa

 

[ronniebell]

That's seems like they don't want the business unless you overpay.

Parts

• There are online dealers that will sell you the hitch for under $385. S9F61-AU000 - Tow Hitch - 2020-2021 Kia Telluride | Wholesale Kia Parts
• The bumper cover for $40 S9F61-AU060 - Tow Hitch Chrome Cover - 2020-2021 Kia Telluride | Wholesale Kia Parts
• The 7-pin harness for $137 S9F67-AC500 - Tow Hitch Harness 7 Pin - 2020-2021 Kia Telluride | Wholesale Kia Parts

Labor

• The DIY job takes maybe an hour, so without any installation you can do it all for under $600 (tax not included)
• UHaul only charges $142.50 plus tax for installation.
• I would think you could buy the parts and go to a camper dealer and all in spend under $750.

Sounds like the dealer is implying their installation is valued at $400/hr. I'm in the wrong business especially since they are still making money on the parts.

Thanks for the info. Would you mind glancing at this CURT 13420 Class 3 Trailer Hitch from Amazon? It says it fits my Telluride. Do you think it would be okay? It's a lot. cheaper than the link you provided.

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[PittPa]

It is a lot cheaper. After using my KIA hitch, it does sit low and the aftermarket ones are even lower. Nothing you can't fix with a taller receiver and ball. It should work, but I would always go for the OE simply for the looks.

 

[2020Telly]

Thanks for the info. Would you mind glancing at this CURT 13420 Class 3 Trailer Hitch from Amazon? It says it fits my Telluride. Do you think it would be okay? It's a lot. cheaper than the link you provided.

It works and you can start that part number on this forum to see how others have the finished product. It does hang lower than OEM and requires a slight cut into the plastic.

Here’s a breakdown of the other options: After market hitch

 

[ronniebell]

That's seems like they don't want the business unless you overpay.

Parts

• There are online dealers that will sell you the hitch for under $385. S9F61-AU000 - Tow Hitch - 2020-2021 Kia Telluride | Wholesale Kia Parts
• The bumper cover for $40 S9F61-AU060 - Tow Hitch Chrome Cover - 2020-2021 Kia Telluride | Wholesale Kia Parts
• The 7-pin harness for $137 S9F67-AC500 - Tow Hitch Harness 7 Pin - 2020-2021 Kia Telluride | Wholesale Kia Parts

Labor

• The DIY job takes maybe an hour, so without any installation you can do it all for under $600 (tax not included)
• UHaul only charges $142.50 plus tax for installation.
• I would think you could buy the parts and go to a camper dealer and all in spend under $750.

Sounds like the dealer is implying their installation is valued at $400/hr. I'm in the wrong business especially since they are still making money on the parts.

Would this from Amazon work for a 7-pin harness for my 2021 Telluride S trim? The one above from Wholesale Kia Parts seems pricey.

 

[2020Telly]

Would this from Amazon work for a 7-pin harness for my 2021 Telluride S trim? The one above from Wholesale Kia Parts seems pricey.

I think you might be confused on how and where a junction box goes. The harness connects to the vehicle and provides a socket connector at the hitch. Presumably the Kia 7-pin is a 7-way blade (vs a 7-way round). That junction box is not required as it connects to the Telluride by plugging into the socket then the cable hangs to your trailer and you mount the junction box to your trailer. From there you have contacts where you can hardwire any type of connector. The pricey Kia part is what you need to make the 7-way wiring work with the Kia plug and play. The alternative if your trailer has a 7-way blade round connector is to just put that in the socket and not use the junction box.

You can also buy a universal one for $25 and have it hardwired but then you would be splicing into the vehicle harness. The other option if you don’t need 7-way now is to get a 4-way flat aftermarket plug and play for now and wait for someone to make an aftermarket 7-way.

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[ronniebell]

I think you might be confused on how and where a junction box goes. The harness connects to the vehicle and provides a socket connector at the hitch. Presumably the Kia 7-pin is a 7-way blade (vs a 7-way round). That junction box is not required as it connects to the Telluride by plugging into the socket then the cable hangs to your trailer and you mount the junction box to your trailer. From there you have contacts where you can hardwire any type of connector. The pricey Kia part is what you need to make the 7-way wiring work with the Kia plug and play. The alternative if your trailer has a 7-way blade round connector is to just put that in the socket and not use the junction box.

You can also buy a universal one for $25 and have it hardwired but then you would be splicing into the vehicle harness. The other option if you don’t need 7-way now is to get a 4-way flat aftermarket plug and play for now and wait for someone to make an aftermarket 7-way.

Yes, this is confusing to me, but your explanation is helpful. Thank you. I will go ahead and order the OEM one above.

 

[lamduhh]

i just installed a curt hitch and 4pin pretty easy took about an hour or so. the hardest part was lifting the hitch by myself to bolt it in.

 

[mrjoe50]

Can anyone who installed an aftermarket hitch post a picture of how it looks? Curious on how much space is between the hitch and bumper, also the cover, where does that cover attach to? Thanks

 

[critrider]

Can anyone who installed an aftermarket hitch post a picture of how it looks? Curious on how much space is between the hitch and bumper, also the cover, where does that cover attach to? Tha

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Stealth Hitch, receiver removed when not in use.

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[2020Telly]

Can anyone who installed an aftermarket hitch post a picture of how it looks? Curious on how much space is between the hitch and bumper, also the cover, where does that cover attach to? Thanks

The “cover” is the bumper insert and only required if you go with the Kia hitch. You don’t need that part if you go aftermarket because those non-Kia hitch receivers and hitches hang below the bumper and not in it.

Here are a couple examples of clean installs, IMO not as clean as the Stealth but not as expensive.

How To: Full Tow Hitch Install

Thank you so much! I ordered the 58000 as I think that will be the most stable. I did not even think before about the importance of keeping the echo level. Thanks again! Just curious if you got it installed and can post a picture.

tellurideforum.org

How To: Full Tow Hitch Install

Just installed the Curt hitch, wiring harness, and harness mounting bracket. Got everything for ~$230 on Amazon.

tellurideforum.org

After market hitch

Sorry guys, been out of the loop. Had a medical issue. I will post pics tomorrow. Yes I had to cut cover. For after market I think it looks very good and nice fit. No ground clearance issue and nothing exposed. The plug even is hidden well.

tellurideforum.org

The net effect is that the aftermarket hitch receiver that hangs completely below the bumper is about a 2 3/4" lower than the OEM one. In some cases it does hang out further from the bumper which may be an advantage if you are putting a hitch mounted cargo basket or bike rack. If the drop is a concern, as @PittPa mentioned the easy fix is to get a different ball mount with at least a 2" or 2 3/4" rise and you can connect your trailer at a more level height to the OEM hitch receiver (Walmart has one for under $20, or there are more expensive adjustable height ball mount that let you set whatever you want). Some people prefer the integrated look while others like the cleaner bumper. I tend to like both options and don't think either detracts significantly. I'm of the opinion that there is a "U" in SUV, so add as much utility as you want.

 

[Fri77]

If you put an aftermarket hitch on, can you also change out the shocks to self leveling?

 

[RedTailedHawk]

That's seems like they don't want the business unless you overpay.

Parts

• There are online dealers that will sell you the hitch for under $385. S9F61-AU000 - Tow Hitch - 2020-2021 Kia Telluride | Wholesale Kia Parts
• The bumper cover for $40 S9F61-AU060 - Tow Hitch Chrome Cover - 2020-2021 Kia Telluride | Wholesale Kia Parts
• The 7-pin harness for $137 S9F67-AC500 - Tow Hitch Harness 7 Pin - 2020-2021 Kia Telluride | Wholesale Kia Parts

Labor

• The DIY job takes maybe an hour, so without any installation you can do it all for under $600 (tax not included)
• UHaul only charges $142.50 plus tax for installation.
• I would think you could buy the parts and go to a camper dealer and all in spend under $750.

Sounds like the dealer is implying their installation is valued at $400/hr. I'm in the wrong business especially since they are still making money on the parts.

I ordered an Kia OEM hitch for my Telly from an Amazon merchant. It was noted as being the last one in stock. So, I ordered it seeing I was having issues finding it on Kia parts websites. The description noted it as being for a 2020 KT. However, it seems to me it would also fit both the 2021 & 2022. Am I correct on this? I am not aware of changes to the structure of the KT these past years? I own a 2022.

If not, I will need to cancel my order asap.

Thanks

 

[2020Telly]

I ordered an Kia OEM hitch for my Telly from an Amazon merchant. It was noted as being the last one in stock. So, I ordered it seeing I was having issues finding it on Kia parts websites. The description noted it as being for a 2020 KT. However, it seems to me it would also fit both the 2021 & 2022. Am I correct on this? I am not aware of changes to the structure of the KT these past years? I own a 2022.

If not, I will need to cancel my order asap.

Thanks

You should be fine. I think others have done the same.

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[2020Telly]

If you put an aftermarket hitch on, can you also change out the shocks to self leveling?

Presuming you mean the Kia OEM Mando self leveling? Likely not because you have more to than just the shocks to swap out for those to work. But there are less expensive options to raise the rear under load or when towing like AirLift helper bags or the SumoSprings. If you wait just a little bit longer for the early Tellurides to get more mileage Bilstein, Gabriel, Rancho or some other reputable aftermarket brand will have nice shocks that may help with leveling.

 

[PittPa]

Presuming you mean the Kia OEM Mando self leveling? Likely not because you have more to than just the shocks to swap out for those to work. But there are less expensive options to raise the rear under load or when towing like AirLift helper bags or the SumoSprings. If you wait just a little bit longer for the early Tellurides to get more mileage Bilstein, Gabriel, Rancho or some other reputable aftermarket brand will have nice shocks that may help with leveling.

It's going on 3 years for this car. Not sure what the timeline for development is, but they are missing out on plenty of business.

 

[2020Telly]

It's going on 3 years for this car. Not sure what the timeline for development is, but they are missing out on plenty of business.

Maybe but I doubt it’s about years on the market and more about sales figures and total cars in the road. The Telluride is in high demand but that’s in part because they can’t make enough not because Kia is selling 200k per year to justify lots of aftermarket priority.