Front hitch for snowplow

So I think I found the solution to the front hitch being unavailable that works for me. One of the biggest reasons that I wanted a front hitch is to attach a small snow plow to clear my driveway. What I found is that Snowsport HD not only makes the kind of plow I wanted but also sells a front hitch mount for it. I just installed it and it looks great. This may work for some of you so I thought I would share.


Pros:

1. Both Hitch and plow are well made. The hitch states it is only rated for a plow but I can tell you that it is as strong as most rear hitches I have owned. Maybe I would not jockey around a super heavy camping trailer with it but it should be strong enough for most any other use.
   
   
2. It bolts to the two boxed extensions from the frame to the crash bumper with 3 heavy duty bolts. It is not going anywhere.
   
   
3. It doesn't stick out or is too obvious. (See con #2 below)
   
   
4. Installation was straightforward and there is a video from the company showing how to do it (see con #1 below).
   
   
5. For those like me that weren't happy not having a recovery/tow hook in the front, this solves it. I also can attach my winch with a hitch mount.
   
   
6. The plow is perfect for the truck. I know it is not recommended to have a plow on the Tundra because it blocks airflow. The Snowsport is only 18" tall so it does not block the grill in the plowing position. It does a little in the transport position so if I would be driving far, I would take it off and put it in the bed.
   
   
7. It is relatively light being it is made out of aluminum. One person can handle it themselves but it helps to have a second person if you are trying to carry the whole thing. It should not put too much load on the front of the truck.
   
   
8. It doesn't block the headlights. No need for additional lighting for plowing.

Cons:

1. It is pretty heavy. It would definitely help to have a second person to install it. I did it alone but between installation of the hitch and assembly of the plow, I was sore the next day.
   
   
2. It is recessed behind the bumper so if what you are mounting to it doesn't have a long arm, you may need an extension.
   
   
3. It is a little expensive at $375 for the hitch and $1800 for plow. Not unheard of for this equipment but you can definitely find cheaper options for other trucks.

Now for the biggest con:

This will only work if your truck does not have a deployable air dam. The dam and the motor are right in the way. There is no trimming or modification that would make both work. If you do not have one, you are golden. If you do, like me, here are the additional cons:

1. You must remove the air dam. Not a big deal. A couple of bolts and then it's off. I don't think it does much anyway.
   
   
2. You must remove the motor that moves it. This turned out to be a bigger job that I originally planned. The bolts holding it on the top are very inaccessible. They are also aluminum so they strip easily. If you can;t get a wrench on it just right, you will strip the heads. I tried but ended up removing the whole front of the truck (grill/bumper). It is not a bad job. I've done it twice before for different reasons but it does take a little time. There are a lot of videos showing how to do it.
   
   
3. The motor is huge. I could not find any place to put it once removed. That means disconnecting it which gives you a persistent CEL on the display. Kind of really annoying. I ordered the bypass box from CBI ($160) but they have a 6-8 week lead time so I am going to have to live with it for a while.

All in all, I am very happy. The hitch install took a couple hours. The air dam delete/front end removal added a few hours. The rest of the plow assembly/install took a few more. So it was a pretty full and tough day. Probably would be smart to do it over 2 days but it was really worth it. I have not had any snow yet this winter but I am not looking forward to it. I will try to come back and report how it does once it snows. All the reviews on it are positive.


Also, if you want the motor to lift it up and down (not needed but nice), it is very expensive. There are quite a few videos out that show how to do it with a cheap winch motor. If you are handy, you can save yourself some money. This may be my next project.


I hope this helps.

 

Front hitches are great for moving boats and trailers around in tight spaces. At lake houses a lot of people do that to move their boats into garages and down narrow boat ramps.

 

Very valuable info, I need the hitch for a ball to put decoy and utility trailers in tight spots! Thanks for posting.

 

Once you've gone front hitch for tight space trailer maneuvering you'll never go back... to the back.

 

You could also use the front hitch to carry bikes if there is a trailer of something using the rear hitch.

For really tight maneuvering, I use one of the trailer dollies "Parkit360". It was second hand when I bought it otherwise probably would have passed as they are pricy!

 

Just a quick update. I finally received the CBI air dam delete module. It works like it was described. Immediately got rid of annoying malfunction warning. It kind of annoys me that Toyota made a persistent warning for something that it not a critical system. Also kind of expensive at $150 but it is the only solution I found and the warning message gets real annoying after a while.

 

GaryArt1, where can I (or should I) purchase this mount for my 2023 tundra hybrid? I went to their website and asked the online chat person and they didn’t know much and said it didn’t exists in their catalog either?… thanks,

 

It looks like you can purchase the Mount only without the plow but I'm not 100% certain. Keep in mind you need to order the model for a Tundra w/o the air dam.

https://shop.agricover.com/product/...*MTY3Nzk3MzAxOC4xLjEuMTY3Nzk3MzA4Ny41NC4wLjA.

 

Damn, that Snowsport HD plow looks tiny on their website. Looks like something my 1st gen can handle. Must be why they now call the Tundra a “lifestyle” truck.

 

It is small compared to a commercial plow. It is only about 18"tall. It is what I would consider a "personal plow". It is enough to do my driveway (300') and a few neighbors and friends. I would not even think of it for any type of commercial applications. The benefits are:
1-Being it is low it does not interfere with airflow to the radiators. For some reason Toyota does not recommend a plow for the truck for this reason. It also doesn't need additional lights, the headlight shine over.
2-No complicated hydraulics. It pushes snow forward and lays down when going in reverse. I did hook up a homemade wireless 12v winch setup to raise and lower mine for hell of it but it is not needed.
3-It is light enough that one person can install/remove/move it.
4-When it is off, it doesn't take up much room in garage. It can probably fit along the wall without obstructing the truck space in most garages.

It is supposed to work really well for what it is. People rave about it in reviews. I can't personally atone to how well it works being the year I purchase it seems to be the first year I can remember without a significant snow storm in NY. My friends and family joke they are going to take up a collection and buy me a piece a snow removal equipment every year so they never have to shovel again.

 

I’d be curious how well it does with heavy wet snow and the max height it can handle.

 

I used to own this plow and used it with my 18 Tundra. Recently sold it in favor of a nice snow blower in anticipation of upgrading to the new gen Tundra.

The plow worked surprisingly well and has a rubber edge that protects the driveway and lawn. This also means it doesn't scrape the driveway as well as a professional system, but good enough for me. Simple and basic plow, but effective for my 400' driveway with some steep sections. Goes through a plow mound at the end of the driveway with no problem and no strain on the truck. I recommend it if you are looking for a basic, manual plow.

 

Another vote here for the SnowSport have had mine on my old f150 for five seasons. It works well and doesnt tear up my gravel driveway. Biggest drawback is you need somewhere to push the snow as you cant raise the blade and build high piles.

 

The design of the front hitch looks super simple. I would guess that other aftermarket companies will be offering similar hitches shortly. Have you noticed any changes in mpg?

 

I scored one of these and will be testing it out this winter if it decides to snow this winter!
LOL my ferd was twerking?!!

 

Does anyone know if this would fit on the new sequoia? I know on the last gen tundra/sequioa they used the same mounting points. I'm thinking about replacing my sierra with either a tundra or sequoia. I need to have a front hitch and the tighter turning radius of the sequioa would be a big plus.

 

I just finished installing the Agricover front receiver on my 2023 Platinum Hybrid. I’ve had my Snow Sport plow for 10 years now, thru 3 different Tundras. I found that the air dam motor DID NOT have to be removed as has been previously stated. I simply put the air dam in the down position, removed the 4 bolts holding the air dam to the brackets underneath, then put the motor in the up position to remove the 2 bolts connecting the air dam to the motor. I then disconnected the motor and connected the CBI air dam delete module and velcroed it to the motor. I varied from the Agricover installation instructions in that I raised and positioned the hitch with a floor jack, then fished the bolts thru. Fit was very tight, not sure I could have done it alone if the bolts were installed first as instructed. The body of the receiver is pretty well hidden under the front fascia, but there was still a tiny space between it and the swing arm on the motor, so was not pressing against it. The front receivers on my previous Tundras (2011, 2014) blocked the front bolts to the skid plate, so I had to remove the receiver for oil changes, but because of it’s size and design, this one does not really block a lot underneath. Haven’t verified, but I suspect you could install a skid plate without issues as the bolts to the stock felt cover are fully accessible. This receiver is a bit pricey compared to others, but the installation wasn’t to hard and the fact I didn’t need to remove the air dam motor makes it worth it.

 

Glad it worked out buuuut we need those pictures please!

 

Ya, the thought briefly crossed my mind that I should be documenting it, but I was trying to stay focused so I wouldn’t screw anything up. I’ll take some of the finished install and try to show the motor clearance if I can.

 

I was interested in getting this for my 23 Platinum, but I noticed that the bigger holes with caps in the Agri-cover install video are actually sealed up on my frame. Did yours also have this problem? And if so, did you drill into the frame to make it work?

 

No drilling needed. I thought the same thing the first time I looked at it, but the holes are there, they’re just covered with plastic caps (so 4 total). I missed them at first because the under coating made them hard to see. They were a little tough to get out because they’re plastic, not rubber, and very flat. I actually broke a couple in the process. I also believe that the holes are different sizes (inner holes are a larger diameter), so the hardware (bolts, etc.) that you need to fish in, will only fit thru the inner holes. If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out to me. It actually went smoother than I expected, only struggled a bit with positioning the hitch because I was working alone. Just make sure you use the CBI module to avoid the dreaded error message. Next project is to modify the old air dam to fit around the receiver. Obviously it won’t be retractable, so for summer use only.

 

That’s super helpful! I was looking hard for it today and just couldn’t see it. I’ll take another look for those hard plastic pieces. I’ll be ordering the CBI module shortly, hopefully it’ll arrive sooner than the 6-8 week lead time. Did yours arrive in that time frame? And I’m curious to see how you’ll retrofit the dam. I was thinking of removing the front hitch each spring and putting the dam back, but if I can leave it all on there, that’s preferable. I really appreciate your response and help! I’ll definitely reach out with more questions good sir!

Edit: is this the plastic piece??? It looks like it belongs to the frame.

 

Glad I could help. I ordered the CBI module back in the beginning of the summer expecting 6-8 weeks (figured I wouldn’t need to pay for it until then), and then I ended up getting it in a week, so it sat for 3 months. I removed the receiver each summer on my previous Tundras and would prefer to do that with this one too, but I think the way it installs, with the bolts and square spacers inside the frame, might make it more of a pain than it’s worth. Just worry about losing one in the frame. I’d prefer to have the air dam working though, so might give a try in the spring to see how painful it is. For now, I was just thinking about cutting a 4” square around the hitch and mounting the dam statically to the original mounting points on the sides, but probably not a good idea for the winter up here in the Adirondacks as it sits pretty close to the ground. I found an air dam on eBay that I was going to buy to experiment on, but somebody scooped it up. Actually was a good thing as I found a place I can get a new one cheaper, about $300 shipped. May not be worth it though, since it doesn’t even come with the TRDs anyway and I’m seeing owners starting to complain about having problems with it. Good luck!

 

Oh wow! Good to know it arrived that quickly. Hopefully mine will as well.

I was also thinking that the bolts sitting out in the open like that could be a problem, hence being curious on the retrofit. Either way, I hope the solution you come up with works out. You’ll have to share once you do figure it out! Thanks again for all of the info!

 

Ever find this out? I’m looking at one for my sequoia

 

I have a Limited TRD and it has the damn air dam.

This EcoHitch receiver claims it compatible with TRDPro and 1794.
https://www.etrailer.com/Front-Receiver-Hitch/EcoHitch/EH89CR.html
Pretty sure the 1794 has an air dam.

Anyone familiar with this one?