# Front Mount Hitch For '08 Ford Expedition



## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

The DW and a friend are biking across America in March - May 2011 to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and Johns Hopkins Hospital Oncology Research. DW's son died of acute lymphocetic leukemia at age 19 in 2005. We've been raising funds for LLS ever since.

I'll be the Domestique and haul the Outback out to San Diego, and then back across the southern route supporting them, ending in Maryland. I get to do the laundry, prepare the meals, walk the dog, fix the bikes, and all the other Domestique tasks!!

I need to put a front mounted hitch receiver on the front of our 2008 Ford Expedition EL (4wd, too). I will carry a 4 bike rack with their regular bikes and two spares.

After 2 hours on Google, I have not been able to find a front-mounted hitch for my model.

Does anyone have a lead as to where I can buy such a part?

Many thanks!!


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

Guess they don't make one for an 08 yet. Now what you might want to do is look at an 05 or 06 and see if the front of your frame looks different. Sometimes the truck manufactures don't change them and older stuff will work but the hitch maker has not updated their sites. Or call the manufacturer direct and see if they make one yet or when they have plans too. They may tell you a certain one fits but the dealers don't update their site. I would call Reece or Curt or drawtite and see what they say.


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

While you're on the line with them, tell them what you're doing. They may just donate one to you for your cause as a sponsor. ---Mike


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## funtownrv (Feb 13, 2010)

I would check with CamperAndy He always knows where to find hard to get items....


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Well I am not a Ford guy but I got a front mount receiver from Reese/Draw tite for my Dodge 3500.

That said I find no one making one for the Expedition of any year or from any manufacture. You maybe out of luck.


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## dgilmore12 (Mar 31, 2008)

I don't have one of these, but the like the idea. Scroll down to the double model, the single looks like it wouldn't work for many reasons. Since it is temporary I don't know how it would work with the stress bikes. From looking at different models it looks like up through the 2007 Expedition are the same model. The 08 F150 is also the same.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

My local Truck Accessory shop had the hitch in stock for my F-350. Just call a few local shops and see if they have one in stock.


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## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

Looks like the Bodiak front-mount hitch that bolts to the tow hooks will work. It appears that the front bumper of the 08 Expedition is so low that if a regular hitch assembly were made, the receiver would be so low that scraping the ground would be a possibility. It appears that the Bodiak solves that problem by mounting higher.

Thank you VERY much for all the ideas, folks. This is why this site and forums are so darn good for we newbies.

regards,

Hautevue
Baltimore, MD


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## Eorb (Nov 5, 2008)

I have an 07, and have not found anything yet. What is the Bodiak hitch you are referring to. Did you get it, and do you have pictures installed? Thanks


hautevue said:


> Looks like the Bodiak front-mount hitch that bolts to the tow hooks will work. It appears that the front bumper of the 08 Expedition is so low that if a regular hitch assembly were made, the receiver would be so low that scraping the ground would be a possibility. It appears that the Bodiak solves that problem by mounting higher.
> 
> Thank you VERY much for all the ideas, folks. This is why this site and forums are so darn good for we newbies.
> 
> ...


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## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

Re: the Bodiak front mounted hitch: haven't gotten it yet. The owner says that because the Expy front bumper curves outward between the pull hooks, his regular hitch won't work--the cross bar between the tow hooks will hit the bumper.

And the reason no one makes a bolt-on front mount receiver is that the bottom of the later model bumpers is so low to the ground that a receiver mounted below the bumper would hit the ground in even a modest driveway. Think of getting in and out of those gas stations..

He's noodling around making a curved bar that would bolt to the two hooks, but curve forward enough to provide clearance for the hitch receiver and clear the bumper. Otherwise I'd have to have at the bumper with a sawz-all.

His other thought is to have the mounts on the pull hooks stick forward enough so that the cross bar with the receiver clears the bumper. He's working on that, too, but it, too, requires special mounts compared to the regular mounts.

My problem is that it appears that the demand for a front mounted receiver for the later model Expeditions is really low. He can hardly make a curved cross bar or special mounts and profitably sell 2 or 3 a year.


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## Blackjack (Jan 8, 2010)

When I owned a 2001 Chevy 2500hd, I bought one from Hidden Hitch that bolted on where the tow hooks were attached. No drilling needed. They supplied new bolts that were longer to replace the OEM bolts for the tow hooks. Easy install!


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