Advantages of having a Smart Hitch

[ExonicJay]

Having a hitch provides a good hard point for a spare tire rack.
I find the hitch really improves the utility of my Smart.
I use it for a spare tire, bike rack and golf bag carrier plus occasional towing of a small trailer for throes trips to Home Depot and the lumber yard.

One would think it would be a great factory option.


Spare Tire with swing down feature






Bike Rack allows access to rear cargo door




Trailer Hitch



Stump Puller for throes difficulty tree stumps



Tail Hook for USS Ronald Reagan landings

[donnyonee]

Tail hook, excellent!!!

[jimvw57]

I'm afraid I would abuse it and tow a larger trailer than I should. (been known to do that)

[forestacademy]

What hitch are you using? I thought the Curt Hitch comes out below the valance and requires an upswing extension.

[pghjake]

I think Jay told me he made the hitch in his shop, but I'm sure he will check in and verify.

[Kermit]

If it were a UHaul/Kurt hitch it would provide extra support if your tire fell off because some idiot didn't put it on tight enough. Could save your oil pan and muffler.

I just ordered another Kurt hitch yesterday. Cost for UHaul to get it went up a lot!! (dealer price as in what they pay) Their cost is now close to etrailer.com's internet price, used to be well under $100!

[forestacademy]

Looks like there are 2 Curt Hitches now.
11020 is 2000LB GTW -200LB TW
11018 is 1000LB GTW -100LB TW

My Local Farm and Fleet charges $175.99 for both

Smart Madness has the 11020 Curt Hitch for $169.99

[ExonicJay]

Originally Posted by pghjake

I think Jay told me he made the hitch in his shop, but I'm sure he will check in and verify.

pghjake is correct.
I installed a custom hitch I worked up in my shop.
Below is an excerpt from an earlier post.
I have re posted some pictures since it appears AlanTravis original pictures
don't appear in the OP.


I think the inter-bumper can be purchased at any Smart
Center for about $80.
So, restoring the rear bumper to factory condition is no big deal.


I have wired in a trailer lighting cable that has LEDs on the plug end.
The LEDs light showing correct operation without being pluged into the trailer.
I will post details later.




Installed 2" Smart Hitch today

I followed AlanTravis lead and fabricated a 2" hitch for my Smart Cabriolet.

I wanted a 2" receiver so I could utilize my existing bike rack and have a
husky mount for my next Smart projects which are a golf bag and spare tire rack.
Also, I wanted a higher hitch clearance (15 inches) than some ready make
hitches I have seen advertised for the Smart car.

My fabrication is mostly like Alan's. Except, I didn't use stainless steel nor
bolts for securing the angle that holds the 2" square receiver tube.
I also contoured gusset plates to fit the contour of the inside of the
Smart bumper and welded them in place.

I welded everything with a MIG welder and added chain hooks should
I ever decide to pull a trailer. Of course, I will have to add a socket for
lights and brakes for towing a trailer in my home state.

I also added 3 holes in the vertical backing plate to allow for easy
powder coating of the boxed in interior. I found plastic plugs for the holes
but I am not sure they will hold up considering the heat that is radiated
by the near by muffler.

I purchased all the steel required from a local steel supplier for $35.00
and they even cut and sheared the steel to the exact sizes needed.
They offered welding services at $60/hour as well if needed.

I will post pictures of the golf bag and spare tire rack projects when
I complete them.

Below are several links to pictures of the process and the completed
project. I wanted to post images but I haven't taken the time to
figured out how that is done yet.

Many thanks to AlanTravis for blazing the trail.
His post was a great help in constructing my Smart Hitch.
Thanks Alan!!!!

2" Smart Hitch

About 15" clearance

Gusset Plates Added

Three Access Holes For Power Coating

Welding to Bumper Mounting Tubes

Chain Hooks Welded to Receiver

Top View


3/4 Side View

Clamped and Ready for Welding

[gurps]

Nice! This is just the type I have been looking for. I like my hitch to be off the ground, and (mostly) hidden. Looks pretty simple to make too.

[The GMan]

If you don't know how to weld, you can get a similar hitch already made.
It is available at Smart Car Universe.

Towing Hitch for Smart 451 (2008 up) (Shipping Included) - $361.00USD : Smart Car Parts and Accessories » Smart Car Universe.com, Parts and Accessories to make your Smart Car out of this world!

It is pricey, compared to the Curt/UHaul hitch, but it doesn't have the tail / speed bump clearance issues.

NOTE: I am not affiliated with Smart Car Universe. I just like the clean installation that this option offers. If I get a hitch for my car, I would go with this one.