1971 Chevrolet Shortbed Hidden Receiver Hitch Kit - Trailer Duty

1. With the truck up high enough to work under and properly supported, Mark begins by locating the hitch at the rear of the frame and clamping it in place. Locking pliers or C-clamps work great for this task.

2. Shortbed owners are in luck; two of the holes are already there, compliments of GM (note the holes furthest back). For the longbed, Blazer and Suburban guys, all six holes will need to be drilled.

3. It's a good idea to put the bolts in as soon as the holes are available. Finger-tight is fine, but this will keep things from moving out of place and causing grief later.

4. Using the hitch as a template, the drilling locations are easily found. Starting with a pilot hole makes the process a lot easier. Safety glasses are a must with overhead drilling, so get some or dust off the pair you have and use them.

5. Now that the holes are drilled, the hitch is mocked up in place. Mark can trace around the receiver on to the license plate box. This will give him the pattern he needs to cut out for access to the hitch. Taking the hitch back out will allow the removal of the license plate box.

6. After removing the license plate, the choice was made to drill the corners and use a die grinder to cut out the opening. A quick paintjob adds a professional touch.

7. Since everything is out of the way, now is a great time to plug in the trailer wiring adapter.

8. With the license plate box dry and back in its place, the hitch is now returned to its final resting place and tightened up.

9. The flip frame is now installed and, when the license plate is replaced, the hitch is concealed.

10. As you can see, the installation is quick and straightforward. In just less than an hour, ECE's stealth hitch is hidden away until needed for trailer duty.