STEALTH HITCHES SHR34003 Volkswagen Golf Hitch Instruction Manual

STEALTH HITCHES SHR34003 Volkswagen Golf Hitch

Product Information

Product Name: Rack Receiver Kit#: SHR34003
Hitch Installation Instructions
Make: Volkswagen
Years: 2018 – 2019
Model/Trim: Golf R
Compatible with Tow Kit: SHT25006
Maximum Payload: 350 lbs
Maximum Tow Rating: 3500 lbs
Maximum Tongue Weight: 350 lbs
Under Vehicle Trimming:

• Heat Shield: No
• Fascia: Yes
• Gravel Guard Trimming: No

Parts Supplied with Rack Receiver Kit:

• (2) Bolts 5/8-11 x 5
• (7) Bolts M8 – 1.25 x 40
• (2) Bolts 7/16 – 1-1/2
• T15 & T25 Torx

Tools Required:

• 15/16 Open End Wrench & 15/16 Sockets
• 13mm, 5/8, End Wrench & 15/16 Sockets
• T15 & T25 Torx

Additional Parts for Tow Kit:

• Passive Wiring Kit Box

Additional Tools for Tow Kit:

• Not specified

Product Usage Instructions

Rack Receiver Installation:

• Follow Steps 1-9 & 28-31 for rack receiver installation.

Tow Kit Installation:

• Follow Steps 1-31 for tow kit installation.

Important Safety Notice:

• Read all installation and operating instructions along with all labels before installing or using this product.
• Do not perform any installation or towing procedures without fully understanding the correct tools and actions for all steps. Call for support if needed.
• Failure to comply with the safety information in these instructions could result in serious injury or death.
• Do not modify this product in any manner as it may alter its integrity and lead to a loss of attachment between the trailer and the tow vehicle.
• Check for signs of damage or excessive corrosion while performing the installation. Do not install hitch components over vehicle parts that are broken or have compromised structural integrity.
• This product is designed to fit vehicles in their original, as manufactured condition. Compatibility with vehicles having replacement parts or other modifications is not guaranteed. Inspect the vehicle for modifications before installation of this product.
• Some accessories, like the rack receiver, are not rated for towing. Do not use any accessories without proper knowledge of their use.
• Ensure you have proper knowledge of towing safety before proceeding. Refer to The Trailer Handbook: A Guide to Understanding Trailer and Towing Safety from the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers, www.NATM.com, and your trailer and tow vehicle manufacturer’s owner’s manual.
• Do not exceed the tow or tongue rating of the coupler, hitch, tow vehicle, or trailer. Refer to vehicle and trailer manufacturer information for ratings. Exceeding these ratings may cause damage to towing components or loss of attachment between the trailer and vehicle.

HITCH INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

RACK RECEIVER KIT#: SHR34003
COMPATIBLE WITH TOW KIT: SHT25006

2” RACK RECEIVER MAXIMUM PAYLOAD: 350 LBS
MAXIMUM TOW RATING: 3500 LBS
MAXIMUM TONGUE WEIGHT: 350 LBS

UNDER VEHICLE TRIMMING

• HEAT SHIELD: NO
• FASCIA: YES
• GRAVEL GUARD TRIMMING: NO

READ ALL INSTRUCTION WARNINGS AND LABELS

NO WELDING, METAL DRILLING OR VISIBLE TRIMMING REQUIRED

PARTS SUPPLIED WITH RACK RECEIVER KIT

ADDITIONAL PARTS FOR TOW KIT

TOOLS REQUIRED

ADDITIONAL TOOLS FOR TOW KIT:

RACK RECEIVER INSTALLATION: USE STEPS 1-9 & 28-31
TOW KIT INSTALLATION: USE STEPS 1-31

THESE INSTRUCTIONS MUST BE GIVEN TO THE END USER >
NOTICE: Installation of Stealth products may or may not require the addition of a wiring harness to the vehicle.

• The Rack Receiver only product does not require adding a wiring harness.
• The Rack Receiver plus Tow Kit requires the addition of a “Passive” wiring harness to the vehicle. The passive harness “reads” the output of the vehicle’s lights and translates the signals to the trailer without being connected to the vehicle computer.

INSTALLATION NOTE : In most instances, these instructions will only outline disassembly of vehicle components. Re-installation of components will require the installer to retain vehicle hardware and work through disassembly instructions in reverse order. When installation is complete, double check that all vehicle components have been replaced and are secured

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE FOR STEALTH HITCH INSTALLERS AND CUSTOMERS.
Read all installation and operating instructions along with all labels before installing or using this product. Do not perform any installation or towing procedures without fully understanding the correct tools and actions for all steps. Call for support if needed.

Failure to comply with the safety information in these instructions could result in serious injury or death.

• Do not modify this product in any manner. Doing so could alter its integrity and lead to a loss of attachment between the trailer and the tow vehicle.
• Adding Stealth hitch components to the chassis of any vehicle can be hazardous. There is potential for unexpected combustion of fuel, electric shock, burns, shifting or falling of unstable vehicle, damage to vehicle, injury from tool usage and many other hazards. This installation must be completed by someone who is aware of the hazards involved. This person must be knowledgeable of proper safety procedures for a vehicle modification of this nature, and for usage of the equipment required to perform the installation.
• Without proper knowledge, towing can be a dangerous activity. Understand all the risks involved with towing before proceeding. For information on towing safety, see “The Trailer Handbook: A Guide to Understanding Trailer and Towing Safety” from the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers  www.NATM.com and your trailer and tow vehicle manufacturer’s owner’s manual.
• Do not exceed tow or tongue rating of coupler, tow or tongue rating of hitch, or tow or weight ratings of tow vehicle or trailer. See vehicle and trailer manufacturer information for ratings. Exceeding these ratings may cause damage to towing components or loss of attachment between the trailer and vehicle.
• While installation is being performed, check for signs of damage or excessive corrosion. Do not install hitch components over vehicle parts that are broken or have compromised structural integrity.
• This product was designed to fit vehicles in their original, “as manufactured” condition. Compatibility with vehicles having replacement parts, or other modifications is not guaranteed. Inspect vehicle for modifications before installation of this product.
• Some accessories, like the rack receiver, are not rated for towing. Do not use any accessories without proper knowledge of their use.
• A visual inspection of the hitch should be performed before each use. Regularly check that all connections are secure, including those that secure the hitch to thevehicle. Check for cracks or damage to the hitch. Do not use the hitch if cracks or damage outside of normal wear is found. Using a hitch that has insecure connections and/or cracks or damage could result in damage to the tow vehicle, trailer, towing components and loss of attachment between the tow vehicle and trailer.
• Stealth hitches are not compatible with any weight distribution or sway control products.Adding additional products to the trailer or chassis which modifies the function of the Stealth hitch may cause hitch failure.

NOTICE : Installation of hitch requires removal of vehicle parts and interaction with vehicular electronics.Before installation, check the condition of body panels and note any locations where panels are not flush.Check the electronic functions of the vehicle, such as: headlights, taillights, turn signals, cameras, backup sensors, Parking Distance Controller (PDC), foot activated cargo access, etc. It is the responsibility of the installer to restore the fit and function of the vehicle

GAIN ACCESS TO MOUNTING AREA

• Open the cargo area door. Locate the plastic springloaded wing nut inside thecargo area, behind the taillight. Turn wing nut counterclockwise to release  taillight. Slide taillight rearward. Use a plastic pry tool, if necessary. Unplug and remove the taillights.

• Inside the rear wheel well, behind the tire, locate (4)  screws which are holding thewheel well liner (yellow arrows). Remove these screwsand fold the flexible liner back toward the tire. Behind theliner locate and remove (1) additional screw (green arrow). Repeat on other side of vehicle.

• Under the rear of the vehicle, use a T25 Torx to remove (4) screws from the bottom of the fascia.

• Use a T15 Torx to remove (2) screws.

• The rear fascia is clipped tothe vehicle body above and behind the wheel wells. Pull outward on the top front ofthe rear fascia to expose a clip in the seam. With a plastic pry tool, push down on the  exposed clip to disconnect.  Continue to pull outward on the fascia and disconnect clips as they are exposed. Repeat on other side of vehicle.

• The fascia will not be completely disconnected from the vehicle, a wiring harness attached to the fascia must remain attached. Before removing the rear fascia, set up a stand or place a pad down near the rear of the vehicle. Carefully pull the fascia away from the vehicle. Move the fascia away from the vehicle and place on the stand or pad prepared earlier.
  NOTICE: Carefully remove the fascia and place on a blanket or pad.

• Remove the foam piece. Remove (7) bolts from the factory reinforcement beam.Discard the factory reinforcement beam, foam  piece, and bolts.

INSTALL STEALTH HITCH FRAME

• Slide the hitch tabs into the exposed chassis channel and align the hitch holes with the bolt holes on the rear of the vehicle. On the outside of each chassis beam, Insert a supplied 7/16” bolt, lock washer, and flat washer on each side and hand tighten. Use (7) supplied M8 bolts, lock washers, and flat washers to fasten the hitch. Torque the (7) M8 bolts to 20 ft.-lbs. and the (2) 7/16” bolts to 65 ft.-lbs.

MOUNT LATCH BLOCK

• Installation of the latch block varies depending on which kit you are installing.

  • Rack Receiver Kit: Install the latch block with (2) 5/8”-11 x 5” bolts and (2) 5/8” nylock nuts. Tighten each bolt to150 ft.-lbs.
  • Tow Kit: Install the latch block and (2) chain hooks with (2) 5/8”-11 x 5” bolts and (2) 5/8” nylock nuts. Tighten each bolt to 150 ft.-lbs.
    NOTICE : Keys are packaged within the latch block, remove keys and store in safe location

• IF INSTALLING A RACK RECEIVER KIT, SKIP TO STEP 28.

• IF INSTALLING A TOW KIT, CONTINUE TO STEP 10.

INSTALL PASSIVE WIRING KIT

• Locate the wiring kit box. Review the contents of the box against the list above to check for missing components. The passivewiring kit uses a control module to manage the  functions of the trailer lighting. The module has an “input” side that receives power from the vehicle’s battery and signals from the vehicle’s taillights. The “output” side of the module delivers this information to the 4-way plug. The control module is connected to the vehicle’s battery and taillight wiring as outlined in the next steps. NOTICE: Do not allow electrical system to become disconnected from power or ground. Doing so may interrupt electrical systems.

• Remove the cargo floor panel by lifting it up and out. Place panel and cargo holder on a blanket or safe area.

• Remove threshold by pulling upward. Place threshold on a blanket or safe area.

• Locate rear driver side seatbelt trim panel. To gain access to plastic rivet, dislodge trim panel. Remove plastic rivet.

• Locate (1) screw inside cylindrical protrusion. Remove screw with Torx socket. Dislodge top rear panel by pulling inward.

• Remove (2) cargo anchors by removing (2) screws. Remove (2) plastic rivets from side panel. Dislodge driver side rear panel to gain access to taillight wiring harness.

• Remove (1) screw to remove cargo anchor on passenger side. Remove (2) plastic rivets from passenger side panel. Dislodge passenger side rear panel to gain access to taillight wiring harness.

• Under the vehicle on the driver side, locate and remove the rubber grommet shown inthe image. Drill 3/8” hole in grommet. Retrieve the power  wire and the 4-way plug with wire. Pass the grommet over the wires so the plug will be on the outside of the vehicle. Thread the end of the wires into the hole and replace the grommet.

• Locate the tail of the 4-way connector wire and the output side wires of the control module. Attach each similar color wire to each other using a red butt connector and crimping tool.
  NOTICE (OPTIONAL): The butt connectors are heat shrink connectors. Apply heat to waterproof the connectors after crimping.

• Secure harness to Stealth hitch frame with cable ties. Maintain an 18” loop from the cable tie to the 4-way plug. Add the magnetic cable holder and secure to the harness close to the 4-way plug, with a cable tie.

• The wires on the input side of the module need to be attached to the vehicle wiring. Inside the driver side cargo compartment locate the indicated part of the vehicle wiring harness. Use clamp-on connectors to connect the brown and yellow wires to wires behind taillight. (As shown in reference table on next page.)
  NOTICE : Verify wire signals with multimeter. Manufacturer may use different colors.

• • Use an existing vehicle wire harness as a guide to route the green input wire to the passenger side of the vehicle. Locate the indicated part of the vehicle wiring harness.Use a clamp-on connector to connect the green wire to  right turn signal wire behind the taillight. (As shown in reference table below.) NOTE : If two colors are listed, the first color is the dominant color.

• Locate the ground stud in the driver side cargo area. Trim white ground wire so it will reach stud without excesswire. Crimp supplied fork terminal to the ground wire with a crimping tool. Loosen the ground stud and secure the fork to the stud.
  NOTICE: Loosen ground stud just enough to install fork terminal, so vehicle wiring does not lose ground.

• The power wire will need to be routed to the engine compartment where it will connect to the battery. Routethe wire from the grommet to the gravel guard on the driver side undercarriage. Loosen the (4) nuts holding the gravel guard to allow routing  through it. Then pass the wire up into the engine compartment.

• Remove battery cover. Route the power wire from the rear of firewall to the positive side of battery. Locate the fuse holder supplied in the wiring kit box. Remove the fuse from the fuse holder. Crimp thefuse holder lead to the black power wire. Connect the ring terminal to the positive battery terminal (+).

• Determine the amount of power wire needed to reach the control module inside the vehicle. Trim the control module power wire to remove excess length. Use the included blue butt connector to crimp the power wire leading from the battery to the control module power wire. Reinstall the 20 Amp fuse in the harness fuse holder located near the battery. Test the 4-way plug using a multimeter or connect the plug to a trailer and verify that the lights and brakes work correctly
  NOTE: Taillights will need to be temporarily plugged in during testing.
  NOTICE (OPTIONAL) : The butt splice connector is a heat shrink connector. Apply heat to waterproof the connector after crimping.

• Secure all wires and wiring components. Replace the grommet removed earlier on the rear driver side of the vehicle. Use silicone to waterproof the grommet. Use the remaining cable ties to secure wiring so that it is not loose and will not interfere with replacement of the fascia. Wiring should not be visible once the vehicle is reassembled. Use the provided adhesive foam strips to secure the control module to an inside body panel.

• Secure the gravel guard. Reinstall threshold and cargo area side panels, refer to Steps 11- 16.

CUT ACCESS TO LATCH BLOCK

• Cut out fascia with Dremel tool. Use a file to smooth out the cut.

REINSTALL VEHICLE COMPONENTS

• Reattach and secure the fascia, taillights, and other vehicle components in reverse order. Refer to Steps 1-6.

FINAL VEHICLE EXAMINATION

Examine the body panels to ensure that they are in a pre-installation condition. Test the electronic functions of the vehicle. Correct any inconsistencies.
Ensure that hitch components work properly.

• Verify that the lock works correctly. Push in the safety lock on the latch block then unlock with key. The lock should slide back out with the key when unlocked.
• Verify that each accessory can be installed correctly. Use the following steps to install and remove each accessory that will be used with the hitch. (Rack Receiver and Ball Mount if purchased.)
  1. Prepare latching mechanism. Turn handle clockwise if needed.
  2. Firmly insert “post” of accessory into latch block until handle releases indicating that the accessory is latched.
  3. Push in the safety locking pin until it fully engages. The locking pin prevents the handle from turning when pushed in, and confirms that the block is securely latched onto the accessory. The safety locking pin will not depress if the accessory is not fully latched.
  4. Use key to release safety locking pin.
  5. While holding on to the accessory, rotate handle clockwise to release and remove the accessory.
• Verify that no part of the accessories come into contact with the body of the vehicle.

PRODUCT USE AND MAINTENANCE

NOTICE: If the hitch is being installed by a professional, the installer is responsible for training the end user in the use and maintenance of the product.

• Accessory installation procedure:
  1. Prepare latching mechanism. Turn handle clockwise if needed.
  2. Firmly insert “post” of accessory into latch block until handle spins counterclockwise indicating that the accessory is latched.
  3. Always depress the safety locking pin and check that it has fully engaged.
• Never use any accessory with the safety lock disengaged. Until the safety locking pin is engaged, the handle is able to turn. A fully engaged safety locking pin is confirmation that the accessory is properly latched into the latch block.
• Never use the rack receiver for towing. The rack receiver accessory is only to be used with payload carrying products, such as bike racks or luggage racks.
• Before each use, give the post of the accessory a light coating of lithium based grease.
• Before each use, inspect the hitch to ensure that all bolted connections are secure and that no cracks or damage are present. Do not tow with the hitch if cracks or damage outside of normal wear is found.
• Remove the Stealth accessories from the latch block after each use. Do not leave accessories plugged in for extended periods of time.

Copyright 2022, B&W Custom Truck Beds, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
SHR34003_(pn 2120-34003-2) 10 31 2022

References

• National Association of Trailer Manufacturers | NATM

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