Hitch advise

[ethielr]

Hi, I have a 2002 tundra, and I want to get a hitch but I'm confused and I need your help! Which one should I buy?
I Looking at the OEM but is very expensive. Please give me your advise. OEM is $ 387 including the receiver, wire, ball etc. Is there something shipper out there? Also who makes toyota hitches? Thanks

[KLS]

You're looking for a hitch receiver.

They're all about the same. They all are rated for the Tundra's max towing capacity, so you might as well buy by price or by the quality of the paint.

I have a Draw-Tite. It works fine. Reese is the same company. Putnam is good, so are Hidden Hitch, U-Haul (same as Draw-Tite) and all the rest. Ignore the so-called Class ratings of the receivers. Go by the actual rating in pounds. Anything equal to or over 7200# is more than adequate.

No wiring is included with any of the receivers. You'll need to get that done at a local trailer or hitch shop. Draw-Tite (sold under several brand names) is one of the makers of the electrical adapters (you may need one, two, or three depending on the type of electrical hook up to your trailer).

If you tow a trailer with electric brakes, you'll do best with either a Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller or a Jordan Ultima brake controller...don't consider anything else, and really don't buy a Draw-Tite or Reese controller. I really like my Jordan http://www.jordanbrake.com/

Unless you just want to tow a really light trailer...then all you need is a ball to put into the bumper, or maybe a step-down bracket to get the ball lower, plus the lighting wiring. Check a trailer or hitch dealer. Balls come in three diameters, 1-7/8", 2", 2-5/16", and different shank diameters and lengths. Get the one that fits.


Ken

[keninsb]

Not sure who makes the OEM hitch for Toyota.
I bought a Surepull on ebay for $75. It was about $100 total after shipping. I like it. It is well concealed, the paint seems to be a good quality, and seems very well constructed.
The place I got it from was truckexpressions.com. They sell it for $89.95 http://www.truckxpressions.com/truck...ullhitch02.htm
They also have a "hitch package for $30:
http://www.truckxpressions.com/truck...ullhitch04.htm

You can also get a 10% on line discount here:
http://www.truckxpressions.com/truck...l/discount.htm
Also, you can get the wiring harness from Summit for about $15. It plugs in to the existing harness (no tapping or splicing).
I think these are pretty good deals. Just my 2 cents.

Ken

[TundraBear]

and how far should the drop be? say for a lifted tundra (2½")? i see 2" & 4" drops and don't know what to get for general use.

actually i don't even know when i'll tow, but i can't seem t ofigure out where the heck my rear bumper is. most of the time i'm 10" - 20" away from the wall. with a ball on there, i'dd glide back till i hit!

[akauth]

Originally posted by TundraBear
and how far should the drop be? say for a lifted tundra (2½")? i see 2" & 4" drops and don't know what to get for general use.

actually i don't even know when i'll tow, but i can't seem t ofigure out where the heck my rear bumper is. most of the time i'm 10" - 20" away from the wall. with a ball on there, i'dd glide back till i hit!

If you hang a tennis ball from a string so it just misses your rear window when you are backed up the right distance from the wall you'll know EXACTLY how far you can back up without hitting the wall. .... every time.

For a normal tundra, depending on the tongue weight a 2 inch drop or a 4 inch drop would be appropriate (well for a 4x4, don't know about the height on a 4x2). Of course trailer wheel height is also going to be a factor in this. The trailer and vehicle when loaded should allow the trailer to be level - ideally. I've got a 4 inch bar and I'm going to get a 2 inch bar also for when the trailer is a bit heavier. The problem is the rear of the Tundra drops a LOT when you start to load some weight on it. So the tongue height is a lot more variable due to weight then say a ford or a chevy.

But if you're lifted, you'll want at least a 5 inch drop for a good "one bar" compromise, maybe even 6 or seven inch drop if the trailer you are towing is light or has smaller wheels.




Alan

[SATundra]

As for the hitch receiver I have the factory one. But as others have said there all about the same. You might try looking here:

REESE HITCH RECEIVERS

As for the drop hitches I have a 2", 4" and an adjustable one that I carry all the time. You can check those out here:

REESE DROP HITCHES

[TundraBear]

thanks for the feedback. my search is getting narrower and although i tow less than next-to-never, i like the reese adjustable since it looks like it will provide more versatility.

SATundra, why the need to have 3 hitches? wont the adjustable satisfy all needs?

[SATundra]

Originally posted by TundraBear
SATundra, why the need to have 3 hitches? wont the adjustable satisfy all needs?

Well yes for the most part, but the adjustable is rated at 5,000 not the 7,000 that the receiver or the other drops are rated for. Besides that my truck came with the 4", I then bought the 2" thinking "well that should cover everything", but then I saw the adjustable on sale at K-Mart when they were going out of business and bought that as well (only paid $38 ). So I just keep all 3 in my toolbox, they should cover any situation that I might get into.

[TundraBear]

ahhhh! i see said the blind man!

it all makes sense now. there is that little thing called "rating"

[SATundra]

Originally posted by TundraBear
ahhhh! i see said the blind man!

it all makes sense now. there is that little thing called "rating"

Generally I only use the adjustable drop. I havent towed anything really heavy enough to warrant using the 4" 7000K only but at least I will have it when I do.

BTW remember you have a lift so you will want to get something with enough drop to compensate for that. "If it were me" and if I didnt buy the adjustable I would start off with a 4" then determine if you need more or less. Also my add-a-leafs help offset the rearend sag so it doesnt affect me as much as others.

Oh ya dont forget when you buy your "ball" to make sure that IT has a rating to match your drop hitch. Preferably 7500K. A GOOD ball will last a LONG time. Have fun towing.

[aaronjpeterson]

I got mine from www.etrailers.com
They had three different models that fit the Tundra.
I got the Hidden Hitch brand.

They also provide the installation instructions online (so you can see what you are getting into before you buy).
They have some FAQ sections to help you with other towing questions like "how much of a drop do I need".

And their prices seemed fairly reasonable. The shipment arrived within a week of ordering.

I have the receiver, but have not installed it yet (due to 24" inches of snow falling!!!).

[keninsb]

They have another Surepull on ebay for $75 here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=1467
As I mentioned, I have this hitch and I think it is a good quality.

As far as the ball mount, you may want to check this site to determine required drop/lift:
http://www.etrailer.com/faq/ballmount.asp


KA

[ThomasE]

I can also highly recommend the surepull hitch, it's very good quality plus I like the fact that it mounts up high, most of the hitch is hidden from view.