Off-road trucks are still alive and well, especially in southern California, where a quick jaunt down the freeway can land you in some of the country's premier desert playgrounds. A problem for many off-road enthusiasts is the ability to tow their other toys, gear, and belongings behind the primary off-road rig. Spare tire holders, shock hoops protruding through the bed, air compressors, etc., limit the useable bed space for a serious off-road enthusiast and a trailer is often a must-have commodity. Custom bumpers, steel cages, or building a strong hitch from welded sheetmetal are typical solutions, but we found a perfect fit in Street Scene Equipment's Hidden Street Hitch series. Load rated at 5,000 pounds maximum trailer weight, these hitches are very strong and will suffice for most applications. You may be wondering how a street hitch could solve an off-road truck problem? Easy. Street Scene designed its hitches to be placed behind one of its roll pans for a clean, stealth appearance. This same philosophy could be used on an off-road truck without a bumper-the hitch would tuck up neatly to the bed, be a completely functional hitch, while also strengthening the frame and providing added safety. If it sounds too good to be true-it's not.
| street Scene Hidden Hitch ford Ranger
To get the hitch on the truck in a timely fashion, we contacted Summit Racing, who carries a full line of Street Scene parts. For under $200, Summit had the hitch in stock and ready to ship. A couple clicks of the mouse later and our part was on the way. Check out how we bolted on a Street Scene Hidden Street Hitch in just a matter of minutes and in doing so, gave our off-road truck added functionality without sacrificing good looks.
From The Driver Seat
This install went nice and smooth with only small modifications made to the existing holes in the frame for extra clearance of the large mounting bolts. Fitting very tight against the bed, the hitch looks like it came from the factory and after using it to tow several different sized trailers, the hitch has worked flawlessly. The amount of time and fabrication this hitch saved us by simply bolting on and working is worth its weight in gold. Shopping at Summit couldn't have been easier and with fast, low-cost shipping and good customer service, using them for our truck parts is a no-brainer.
| In under 45 minutes our project off-road Ranger was ready to tow.
Your Questions Answered
Time Spent Working: 45 minutes
Degree of Difficulty: Beginner
Tools Needed:
1/2-inch drive ratchet, 13/16-inch deep socket, 13/16-inch wrench
Parts Used:
Street Scene Hidden Street Hitch 950-60820
$199.95
Total Cost: $211.90
(price from summitracing.com and includes shipping)
