Hi everyone, newly reformed lurker here.

I own a 2021 X-Dynamic HSE, and the hitch receiver that I ordered back in May when I bought the car from dealer stock in Santa Monica. Anyway, the hitch finally arrived a few weeks ago, and I thought I'd share my experience with the process of hunting down and installing it. This topic was covered a while ago here by JesseRohr, and his pictures are much better than mine, but do not cover the wiring harness install.

After calling around to a few dealerships and learning that the OEM parts were on backorder, I searched around for a 3rd party option (which as others have pointed out, there isn't). I went as far as getting in touch with U-Haul, as they offer to have you out to their facility in Arizona so they can use your car to develop a compatible hitch receiver. A few days later, U-Haul returned my email informing me that they currently have a 12-18 month waitlist for getting the hitch developed for a new model vehicle. So, I went all in on the OEM option and ordered the receiver from my local indie LR shop (11th St. Auto Repair in San Francisco, Peter and Jack, the brothers who own and run the shop are awesome -- highly recommend them).

Fast forward to a few weeks ago, and the part arrived -- the receiver itself was huge--an entire rear bumper replacement! No wonder this thing can tow over 8000lb.

Here's what's going to cost you money:

• Hitch receiver and replacement trim piece that has a gap for the receiver and electrical connectors (~$1200). Receiver is part number VPLET0273, and the primed trim piece is LR135961.
  • Note: there are several trim pieces available, some pre-painted, and one that is primer only. I bought the primer only version, because I couldn't be sure whether any of the pre-painted pieces would look good with my trim color. I didn't want to pay another $350 to have a 30" piece of plastic that you can hardly see unless you're under the car, so I rattle can-ed it in my back yard using $25 in paint from the local auto parts store -- gloss black with a clear coat. As imperfect as my rattling skills are, it looks great (see pictures).
• Wiring harness that connects the trailer connector on the hitch receiver to the tow computer ($63). Part number LR146119
• Tow computer ($455 for a unit that amazingly was available on eBay more quickly but at a bit of a premium compared to dealer). Part number VPLET0278
• One hour of dealer labor to program the tow module and activate the towing feature (~$300)

The install was an involved process, and you'll need:

• Phillips head screwdriver (you'll want a short stubby one, or a right angle driver to get in some of the tight spots)
• Torx set (for removing and replacing trim bits)
• Metric socket set (for removing and replacing the bumper bolts)
• Torque wrench capable of 103ft-lb/140nm
• Breaker bar (the bumper bolts want to be extremely tight -- in one instance, 103ft-lb PLUS another 300 degrees). I don't recommend guessing the torque if you're planning to tow anything heavy.
• (optional) Impact driver or air gun for bolt removal
• (optional) floor jack to support the exhaust during the install (see pictures)

Here are the high level steps:

1. Remove the plastic bumper cover. I took my time, and this step took about 2 hours. I followed the instructions in
   this video
   , which were great, though I would add two notes:
   1. Since they were showing a recovery hoop install, the video didn't show how hard it is to pull the bumper off when you already have the recovery hoops. See 17:45 in the video. You're meant to pull the bumper off by putting your hands in the holes meant for the recovery hoops, but when the hoops are already there it is impossible to get your hand in. I ended up finding the nearest angled metal thing in my garage to get some leverage -- and I had to pull on it pretty hard to get those plastic tabs loose at the top of the bumper cover where it meets the trunk space.
   2. There are a few small white plastic tabs near the rear of the rear wheel arch trim that come off really easily (see below for picture). I almost lost one when I didn't notice it had fallen off.
   3. There are a handful of different types of fasteners used for the bumper cover, I'd suggest grouping and labeling them as you go, because if you don't, you'll be scratching your head wondering which type of screw goes where.
2. Once you've got the bumper cover removed, you can follow the instructions here to remove the aluminum bumper and install the replacement steel bumper + hitch receiver. Notes:
   1. You have to loosen the exhaust to access a few of the bumper bolts. It sounds scary, but it's actually pretty easy, especially if you can find a way to drop the exhaust and support it without removing it. I used a floor jack and a few pieces of scrap wood, which worked great (see pics).
   2. The instructions are confusing, because they are combined instructions for the petrol and diesel models, so I suggest printing them out and crossing off the steps that aren't relevant for your car.
   3. If you're like me, and you have the third row "seats," then you're on your own for a few steps, because the instructions do not cover this configuration. Where you'll be left behind is when it comes to accessing the area where the tow computer and wiring harness are installed, which is directly beneath the left rear corner of the trunk. To access, remove the protective floor panel to reveal the emergency jack. It is encased in moulded foam. You need to pull the left side of this foam up to reveal the wiring connector, and the threaded posts onto which you'll install the tow computer. To make this easier, remove the plastic trim piece that spans the width of the trunk floor at the opening.
   4. The wiring harness has a weather seal that wants to be snapped into an oblong hole in the body between the bumper and the tow computer area. Pay attention to the orientation of the weather seal by connecting the harness BEFORE you snap the seal in place. I didn't do this, and installed it backward, then broke one of the plastic tabs while removing it to turn it around.
3. Remove the original lower trim piece from the bumper cover, and install the replacement trim piece.
4. Replace the bumper cover, being careful to reconnect the wiring and tubes that you disconnected in step 1 before putting the cover back on.
5. Take your LR to your local LR shop to get it programmed. This was possibly the most annoying step for me as a DIY person. The dealer has to do it, and they'll charge you an hour of labor. I would imagine this step involves updating the tow computer, and activating the tow menus in the infotainment system.
6. Enjoy the indescribable bliss of having turned your very expensive grocery store tram into a capable utility vehicle.

I hope this helps anyone who's thinking about doing the install themselves. Feedback and questions welcome.


White plastic tab that falls off easily


Using a floor jack to temporarily support the exhaust


The hitch receiver slides into this slot (one on each side).


Hitch receiver fitted, recovery hoops replaced.


Compartment under the trunk (left rear corner) where the tow computer is mounted. The wiring harness goes behind the air duct to reach the connector to the main computer.


A bit tucked away, the connector that links the wiring harness to the rest of the vehicle electronics.


All done!

 

Beautiful mate. Wonderful documentation of the process.

Hats off!

I'm sure glad mine came with the hitch. That looks a bit of an ordeal. Probably a lot of fun for someone like yourself you knows what they're doing.

 

Great post thanks! I just installed mine yesterday and I was really hoping after doing a hard battery reset I wouldn’t need to have to go to the dealer to have the towing module programmed, but it’s not showing up on the screen so I guess there really is no choice. Did they give you any flack about installing it yourself in regards to warranty?

 

Yes, unfortunately you do have to go to the dealer to have it programmed -- I suspect all they do is activate a configuration setting and flash the tow module.

It was the folks at my local independent LR shop who ended up taking the car over to have it programmed at the dealership (I was having an oil change done so they handled the programming step as well), so I sidestepped any potential issues that might have cropped up had I brought it in myself.

That said, I did at one point call the dealership to discuss the fact that I was doing the install myself and inquired about the programming step, and they were totally on board with helping me with the last step. Legally I don't believe they are allowed to penalize you for doing your own maintenance (I'm not a lawyer so I can't give legal advice, don't listen to me, etc etc) so if anyone did give me trouble I would have politely pointed that out.
​​​​​​

 

Hi everybody. My name is Hanson and I am a new member here. I have owned an Evoque since 2013 and feel the connection with it so I recently acquired a brand new 2020 Defender D200 First Edition.

I acquired the car from an independent importer since the unit was ready. When I test drove the car the center pivi monitor was flickering and was replaced by them.

However, upon delivery the pivi kept popping up a warning telling TOW BAR NOT LOCK. PLEASE LOCK BEFORE DRIVING.

I was wondering if anybody ever experience this issue? The car came equipped with the deployable side step but not the tow bar. So, I suspect some wiring mixed up or lose ground perhaps? I took it to an independent shop to had it scanned but no DCT showed up on the scanner.

i attached the warning mesage on the pivi. TIA 🙏

 

Wish I could help you Hanson, but I've got none of the deployable electronics. Do your side steps work 100% correctly? If so, then it's probably not mixed up wiring at the harness level (as in "oops they plugged the side step plug into the towbar socket"). If you're inclined to try and diagnose it yourself, you might find these instructions helpful. They cover the installation steps for the tow equipment and the side steps: LAND ROVER ACCESSORY FITTING INSTRUCTIONS

 

@Hanson355 one thought -- take a look at the picture from my OP that shows the tow computer installed in the trunk/boot. My setup, which is the hitch receiver (no deployable tow bar), came with a plug that goes on the unused connector for the deployable tow bar (number 5 in the instructions). Could it be that this plug also acts as a jumper to tell the computer that the tow bar isn't present? If that were the case, and you didn't have the plug installed, that could explain why the computer is confused. I wish I could tell you for sure that this is your issue, but could be a reasonable guess.

 

Thank you for the reply. Yes, the plug is there. Deployable side steps also work flawlessly. The towbar msg comes on and off. Sometimes I thought God’s hand was involved and next thing He abandons me again😂. But I really appreciate your detailed explanation on this. True afficionado👍. Thanks again.

 

Re: Wiring harness that connects the trailer connector on the hitch receiver to the tow computer ($63). Part number LR146119

Thanks for posting the install, great results!! Looks like a process that requires patience and time and glad I got this with my Defender.

I have a questions hopefully you can answer, do you know if the trailer connector can be purchased separately from Land Rover? The trailer connector on my Defender was actually damaged when UHAUL installed the 4 pin connector improperly when I rented a trailer a while back. My LR dealer said the entire tow bar has to be ordered and re-placed to get a new tow connector. Seems like a minor problem that requires a huge amount of work and money to solve.

Thanks

 

@Rychlr I'm afraid your dealer may be right. The part I purchased from LR came with the tow bar and the wiring harness together. The harness on the tow bar connected to the tow computer via LR146119.

You might be able to buy something off the shelf and splice it onto the OEM harness. Or for many $$$ less, buy a 4 pin adaptor. Something like this:
Good luck