Tow Package After Purchase

[gbub]

Ok. I've installed the hitch, but I haven't done the electrical portion yet. It's mainly for a bike rack, but I still want to be able to pull a trailer. So what did you need to do to "activate the module"? Did it work automatically after you plugged in the module? Or was there some setting you had to activate with Forscan for the Tow module to work?

I'm just trying to understand if I need to make some change in software after I install the electrical portion (tow module and 7 pin connector), or is it basically plug n play. I don't see any setting for activating the Tow module in the Forscan document below.

FORScan - 2021+ Bronco Bronco 6G Copy - Google Drive

Yes, you do need to activate the tow module to get it to work. Just plugging it in is not enough. I used Forscan for this. I am pretty sure I used the thread in RoverDude's link as my guide. Ignore all the first part. He was installing everything from scratch. Just scroll down to near the bottom to where it say Forscan Changes. Follow directions and you should be good to go.

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[DaddyO]

I don't think any 24 Bronco had the tow package but they all have the wiring for it. Before 24 you could order the complete tow package, but it may have been a dealer install.

I bought a
‘24 Badlands with Sasquatch package and was told that it had the wiring already installed but no hitch. Is that true?

 

[RoverDude]

I bought a
‘24 Badlands with Sasquatch package and was told that it had the wiring already installed but no hitch. Is that true?

Yes, the wiring is there (or should be).
Do you still need the control parts (trailer control module, 7-pin receptacle)

 

[DaddyO]

Yes, the wiring is there (or should be).
Do you still need the control parts (trailer control module, 7-pin receptacle)

I guess so. I’m only towing a motorcycle trailer or a U-haul

 

[GoHawks63]

My dealer charged me $750 to install the package last January before I took delivery.

I don't plan on towing much, but I have a hitch mounted cargo basket with lights, so I wanted the truck to control those lights. I don't have Forscan, so having the dealer get it all done for me was worth it.

 

[gbub]

I bought a
‘24 Badlands with Sasquatch package and was told that it had the wiring already installed but no hitch. Is that true?

It is best to order the tow kit. It has the receiver, module and both 7 and 4 pin trailer connectors. The 24 Bronco is wired already and the connectors are there for the module and trailer pin connectors.

You can add a trailer brake controller too if you want and the wires should be there for that also.

I understand that if you want to use only the four pin trailer connector, you can just install the receiver and connect to the four pin. You supposedly do not need the tow module if you only use the 4 pin. The trailer lights apparently work fine without it.

 

[Go_UL_Cards]

I did all mine a piece at a time. added the hitch first. found the wiring. read up on everything in roverdudes post. Bought the trailer control module. Enabled all the 'tow' settings i could find in Forscan. It all works now.
However.... if i had know more then than i know now i would have bought the kit with the hitch, pins and trailer module. I would still install it myself. The only hard part was removing the two long bolts in the OEM bracket under the bumper to install the hitch. Had to loosen the bumper enough to swing it up and out of the way to get the bolts out.

 

[MNBigfoot]

The only hard part was removing the two long bolts in the OEM bracket under the bumper to install the hitch. Had to loosen the bumper enough to swing it up and out of the way to get the bolts out.

To the OP, this is the difference between the Ford mount and pretty much every aftermarket one. Ford for some unknown reason decided to weld the nuts on the wrong side of their bracket, making it necessary to loosen the bumper to allow for the bolts to slide in, with the Kurt mount it totally unnecessary. If I bought a Bronco with the pre-wiring, I'd get the kit, but if only wanting a bike rack or a basket, I'd get the Curt for the $100 with the similar install. Not saying it's all that more difficult, it may just add a few minutes and an extra $100(?) for the mount.

 

[Dirtrider]

I got the Ford kit installed after the fact by my dealer. It was not cheap from a labor standpoint. The dealer told me it was an absolute pita to install (the electrical part I believe).

I bought the 4 pin wiring harness from Ford Performance. My dealer spent an entire day installing it but only charged me the 'installation cost' listed as an option from Ford Performance when I purchased the wiring harness. I was originally going to install it myself until I read the instructions. I'd suggest buying the wiring harness WITH installation as a reasonable solution.

I bought a Curt 2" receiver trailer hitch from etrailer.com. Really easy to install. If you follow the Ford installation you have to remove the bumper but for the Curt, just insert the bolts from the front. Toughest part was getting them torqued but with a little muscle..... Much less expensive than the Ford Performance receiver but doesn't include the wiring connector brackets.

 

[Southsounder]

24 Badlands I bought off the lot had everything I would have ordered except for the tow package. Ordered the tow package kit from Ford Accessories on one of their 20% off sales, installed myself. Fairly straight forward project, hardest part is taking the bumper off. Dealer activated the modules for no cost (took all of 10 minutes)

 

[cpmartin1999]

I bought the 4 pin wiring harness from Ford Performance. My dealer spent an entire day installing it but only charged me the 'installation cost' listed as an option from Ford Performance when I purchased the wiring harness. I was originally going to install it myself until I read the instructions. I'd suggest buying the wiring harness WITH installation as a reasonable solution.

I bought a Curt 2" receiver trailer hitch from etrailer.com. Really easy to install. If you follow the Ford installation you have to remove the bumper but for the Curt, just insert the bolts from the front. Toughest part was getting them torqued but with a little muscle..... Much less expensive than the Ford Performance receiver but doesn't include the wiring connector brackets.

If i understand your dealer installed ONLY the wiring, you installed the actual hitch and the wiring kit on ford accessories site had a "install" price?

 

[Dirtrider]

If i understand your dealer installed ONLY the wiring, you installed the actual hitch and the wiring kit on ford accessories site had a "install" price?

Correct. I had purchased the 4 pin wiring kit from Ford Performance which had a price for just the wiring harness and an additional price for having it installed. The dealer honored the dealer installation charge listed by Ford Performance although it took them nearly 8 hours to install, (I think I was the first on that they had installed). I had originally planned on installing it myself until I looked at the instructions, pretty big job.
The trailer hitch I purchased from etrailer.com and installed myself. It was a pretty simple operation, 4 bolts through pre-drilled holes in the frame. The hardest part was torquing the bolts to 100(?) ft lbs.

 

[Broadcast Static]

The dealer where I bought my Bronco gave me a better quote to install than I have seen elsewhere, but after talking to the manager of the RV department that was going to do the install, I dropped that approach. He wanted to install all new wiring. I told him that was true for Broncos prior to 2024 but the 24s had the wiring installed at the factory. He argued that I was wrong. He also was going to install and aftermarket receiver. I told him I wanted the Ford kit installed. He told me there was no such thing. I also asked about programming the module and he said that was not required. No wonder the dealers want so much to install the tow kits. Most probably don't know how to do it. If they do know how they would not need to charge so much. I can't imagine it would take much more than an hour for anyone that had done it before.

What's the deal with these people that are supposed to know what they're talking about not knowing anything? I had a work truck we needed to install a trailer brake controller in, a previous gen tundra, and the specialized trailer place we took it to said that it wasn't possible. I ended up looking it up online and just doing it myself, works just fine. You wouldn't think they'd be turning down work, but I'm thinking I dodged a bullet not having them do the work anyway. Who knows what they would have screwed up.

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