Hi guys,
I'm a total towing newbie. Just got a 2007 Sequoia with the tow package.
Question: was this supposed to come with a ball mount? Or is the expectation that everyone will go out and buy their own?
Also - can someone help me out with the proper terminology? I'm not gettting much info when I search for "ball mount". What's the difference between a "hitch", a "drawbar" and a "ball mount"?
Thanks!
Brew
Your Sequoia with the tow package has a hitch
receiver...not a hitch. The reason you only got a hitch receiver and not a hitch itself (aka a ball mount) is that a hitch receiver allows you to insert two basic kinds of hitches into the hitch receiver...weight bearing and weight distributing...as well as a variety of other devices (like bicycle carriers, motorcycle carriers, cargo carriers, etc.). If your vehicle had been equipped with only a hitch, you wouldn't have any of this versatility.
For towing trailers with relatively light tongue weights (~500 lbs or less), a weight bearing hitch (which simply consists of a drawbar that has a ball mount) is both inexpensive (under $50) and adequate. As member cnold explained, weight bearing (aka weight carrying) hitches typically are made with a predetermined "drop"...you simply pick the drop that will put the ball at height above the ground where your trailer will tow level.
However, for those of us who tow trailers with heavier tongue weights (over ~500 lbs), it's extremely helpful to use a weight distributing hitch (WDH). WDH have a system of springs that effectively transfer a portion of the tongue weight to the tow vehicle's front wheels, the trailer wheels, as well as the tow vehicle's rear wheels...thereby distributing the tongue weight equally. The height above ground of the drawbar on most WDH is also adjustable...the concept of predetermined "drop" doesn't apply. WDH also provide a way to add sway control to the hitch. Take a look at
this Reese WDH page for more information on the why and how of a WDH.
The bottom line is your Sequoia came with only a hitch receiver so you have the flexibility of using whatever kind of hitch is applicable to your towing situation...if the trailer is lightweight, then you can use a simple weight carrying hitch that's basically just a ball mount, but still allows you to choose whatever drop you need. OTOH, if you have a very heavy trailer that tends to sway, then you also have the option of using a complex (and pricey) WDH that provides good weight distribution and sway control. If it had only come with a traditional hitch that had an integrated ball mount, you would not have had any choice in drop (weight carrying) nor would you have any any ability to use a WDH.
So yes, you are expected to go out and buy the kind of hitch (ball mount) that's best for your towing situation. What's best for you may not be what's best for someone else.