So I looked for months on definitive information that clearly stated which hitch receivers work with my 2011 RR. There seems to be a ton of conflicting information and not much else. The hitch receivers for the 2010-2012 (KNI000020) seem to be very difficult to come by and if you do find them, they are very expensive. So, being the cheap guy I am, I bought a receiver off eBay for $150 delivered. The thing is, it is off of a 2004. To be clear, it fits perfectly. The ONLY difference between the earlier (KNI000014) L322 receivers and the newer ones are the brackets that support the muffler. They need to be removed from your existing setup and reinstalled on the early-model hitch you procure. If you are the kind of guy (or gal) that is looking to DIY your install, you need some way to remove a couple of tack welds off the old muffler support brackets in order to transfer those two brackets to the new setup. I used a pneumatic 4" grinder and it took maybe 5 minutes of grinding to knock them off there.
Next, I've seen people on various forums saying the install "is easy-peasy, 30 minute job." No. Those people are wrong.
This is not a tutorial, although I would gladly write one if someone so desired, it is an involved job.
The basic steps are as follows:
1- Remove rear bumper cover from L322 (you can find Youtube videos for this). The backup sensors on the passenger side are a bear to disconnect, best to have a buddy help support the bumper so you don't strain the wiring.
2- Next, tear out ALL of the floor panels in your cargo area. You need to remove these in order to remove the actual bumper (don't get it confused with the bumper cover that you already removed). There are eight NUTS inside your cargo area, under the floor panels that needs removed; these hold the actual bumper on. Oh, and they are Ny-lock nuts so no spinning them off.
3- Sit the bumper on the floor so you can trip over it.
4- Now, here is a trick I learned. I'm not a "muffler guy" or anything and those stupid rubbery muffler hanger things were a royal PITA to remove. Here is what ended up working the easiest. I supported the muffler in the center with my floor jack. I lifted it just a touch to take the tension off the rubbery muffler hanger things. I then blocked the muffler up with two jack stands and removed the floor jack. Now, remove the two BIG bolts that go straight up and hold that big bracket on. Once those two bolts are out of the bracket, you can manipulate the bracket around and disengage the rubbery muffler hanger things. It sucks but it works. Do this to both sides.
5- Now, here is where we currently stand. You've got a bumper cover on the floor, a bumper on the floor, cargo area floor in complete disarray, muffler supported by jack stands, and the two brackets off. We are past the point of no return.
6- See those little tabs welded to the two brackets you just removed, grind them off. You need that muffler bracket hanger apparatus on the new setup.
7- Intermission - halfway point
8- Precariously balance your eBay hitch on your floor jack and draft your wife to help you balance it while you slowly and carefully manipulate the hitch receiver into position under the RR. Seriously, this thing is HEAVY.
9- Start a couple of the bolts so that stupid thing doesn't fall and smash the cat. I loosely started the rearward bolts on each side.
10- Now, take you muffler hanger brackets and scooch halfway up under the RR so you can contemplate poor life decisions while reinstalling those hangers. Attach them to the rubbery muffler hanger things, THEN run the bolt through it. Or do it the other way if you insist on doing things the hard way, I really don't care. No, I did not weld these muffler hangers to the new hitch receiver. I did not feel it necessary although I have a welder. This serves no structural purpose to the hitch receiver as far as I could tell.
11- Do NOT torque the bolts down yet. You want them loosely installed until after you complete step 13 as the whole receiver will move forward and seat properly.
12- Install your harness you picked up from Atlantic British for half the cost of OEM. Lube up that grommet with something as it will not fit otherwise. I used a touch Pam cooking spray. Plug in the harness inside the spare tire area, just left of center. The harness reaches with about a millimeter to spare. If you can't figure out where it plugs in, I'm not sure how you've survived to this point.
13- I installed the electric plug onto the hitch receiver at this point. It's just easier to do before you reattach the rear bumper. I flipped it both ways and ended up with it oriented to the left. If you try to install it closer to the center-line of the vehicle, you've got to cram the wiring kind of hard against the body and I didn't like that so I flipped it toward the driver's side. This will be obvious what I'm talking about when you get to this step.
14- Re-install the bumper. Next up, those God-foresaken 8 Ny-Locks nuts inside the cargo area. Torque to 45 Nm (or 33 ft/lbs in freedom units). See why we left those 4 monster bolts loose now?
15- Woohoo! Light at the end of the tunnel! Torque those 4 monsters down underneath!!! 165 Nm (122 ft/lbs in f.u.)
16- Reinstall your other crap. Look for lost bolts. Wonder why they used those plastic rivet things in one spot that wasn't on ANYTHING you read or looked at (haha). I think you've got it from here!!!
Maybe that is a semi-tutorial; I tend to be wordy.
I hope this helps someone who was in a situation similar to mine. If anyone sees anything fundamentally incorrect with what I've done, please speak up. Thanks for reading.
Next, I've seen people on various forums saying the install "is easy-peasy, 30 minute job." No. Those people are wrong.
This is not a tutorial, although I would gladly write one if someone so desired, it is an involved job.
The basic steps are as follows:
1- Remove rear bumper cover from L322 (you can find Youtube videos for this). The backup sensors on the passenger side are a bear to disconnect, best to have a buddy help support the bumper so you don't strain the wiring.
2- Next, tear out ALL of the floor panels in your cargo area. You need to remove these in order to remove the actual bumper (don't get it confused with the bumper cover that you already removed). There are eight NUTS inside your cargo area, under the floor panels that needs removed; these hold the actual bumper on. Oh, and they are Ny-lock nuts so no spinning them off.
3- Sit the bumper on the floor so you can trip over it.
4- Now, here is a trick I learned. I'm not a "muffler guy" or anything and those stupid rubbery muffler hanger things were a royal PITA to remove. Here is what ended up working the easiest. I supported the muffler in the center with my floor jack. I lifted it just a touch to take the tension off the rubbery muffler hanger things. I then blocked the muffler up with two jack stands and removed the floor jack. Now, remove the two BIG bolts that go straight up and hold that big bracket on. Once those two bolts are out of the bracket, you can manipulate the bracket around and disengage the rubbery muffler hanger things. It sucks but it works. Do this to both sides.
5- Now, here is where we currently stand. You've got a bumper cover on the floor, a bumper on the floor, cargo area floor in complete disarray, muffler supported by jack stands, and the two brackets off. We are past the point of no return.
6- See those little tabs welded to the two brackets you just removed, grind them off. You need that muffler bracket hanger apparatus on the new setup.
7- Intermission - halfway point
8- Precariously balance your eBay hitch on your floor jack and draft your wife to help you balance it while you slowly and carefully manipulate the hitch receiver into position under the RR. Seriously, this thing is HEAVY.
9- Start a couple of the bolts so that stupid thing doesn't fall and smash the cat. I loosely started the rearward bolts on each side.
10- Now, take you muffler hanger brackets and scooch halfway up under the RR so you can contemplate poor life decisions while reinstalling those hangers. Attach them to the rubbery muffler hanger things, THEN run the bolt through it. Or do it the other way if you insist on doing things the hard way, I really don't care. No, I did not weld these muffler hangers to the new hitch receiver. I did not feel it necessary although I have a welder. This serves no structural purpose to the hitch receiver as far as I could tell.
11- Do NOT torque the bolts down yet. You want them loosely installed until after you complete step 13 as the whole receiver will move forward and seat properly.
12- Install your harness you picked up from Atlantic British for half the cost of OEM. Lube up that grommet with something as it will not fit otherwise. I used a touch Pam cooking spray. Plug in the harness inside the spare tire area, just left of center. The harness reaches with about a millimeter to spare. If you can't figure out where it plugs in, I'm not sure how you've survived to this point.
13- I installed the electric plug onto the hitch receiver at this point. It's just easier to do before you reattach the rear bumper. I flipped it both ways and ended up with it oriented to the left. If you try to install it closer to the center-line of the vehicle, you've got to cram the wiring kind of hard against the body and I didn't like that so I flipped it toward the driver's side. This will be obvious what I'm talking about when you get to this step.
14- Re-install the bumper. Next up, those God-foresaken 8 Ny-Locks nuts inside the cargo area. Torque to 45 Nm (or 33 ft/lbs in freedom units). See why we left those 4 monster bolts loose now?
15- Woohoo! Light at the end of the tunnel! Torque those 4 monsters down underneath!!! 165 Nm (122 ft/lbs in f.u.)
16- Reinstall your other crap. Look for lost bolts. Wonder why they used those plastic rivet things in one spot that wasn't on ANYTHING you read or looked at (haha). I think you've got it from here!!!
Maybe that is a semi-tutorial; I tend to be wordy.
I hope this helps someone who was in a situation similar to mine. If anyone sees anything fundamentally incorrect with what I've done, please speak up. Thanks for reading.
