McDenny, the first Uhaul guy said they only do 4 flat harnesses. The second Uhaul guy said there was nothing pre-wired, and he would have to run wires up the entire length of the car and back, and it would be dangerous, so I should have the dealership do it. ??? Then the dealership said it was pre-wired, but they could only install a 4 flat connection. Pep Boys simply had no idea what the heck was going on. I finally found a trailer place that would do it. Trailer place says they will use a Curt hitch and wiring harness, and I think he said that the wiring harness plugs in at the back of the car near the tail lights. I thought they had to plug it in at the dash?
After trying to figure this out for the past week, I sure hope the trailer place has it down. I am pretty good about doing research to figure out what is needed, but this has been a real head scratcher for me.
Vicki I am surprised none of the people you have talked to have been able to explain to you all that needs to happen.
I don't know what a RAV4 normally comes with for certain but your car is probable the same as many of other small tow vehicles & it comes with prewired but only a 4 pin that is for trailer lights only - it probable does not have a charge line prewired or a brake controller line prewired. Even some trucks if it not ordered with a tow package also only come that way. The prewired 4 plug is normally hidden under carpeting someplace in the rear of the car or sometimes behind a rear light panel - they often have to take an inside rear panel off to fish it out. To that they add a wiring harness that attaches to the outside of the car - if you are wanting brakes and a charge line to the trailer they will have to run the wires from the new outside connection up to the engine compartment of the vehicle & if you are wanting a brake controller then they will also have to fish the wire back from the engine compartment through the firewall back into the drivers area in the front of the vehicle & install a plug in connection for it. Depending on the vehicle doing all that may not be as simple as one might expect.
On our Honda CRV there was a plug behind the left rear inside panel. Plugged in my 4 wire harness that I got from etrailer, ran it under the panel, and it stays inside the car. I pull it out when needed and shut the door on the wires. It isn't exposed to the weather when not in use, and the rear door weatherstrip allows it to be shut in with no damage. Same set up on our Toyota Corolla, it stays in the trunk out of the weather when not in use. The under the bumper mounted plug on my old Blazer is always a corrosion problem.
The dealership says that the 4 plug is there at the rear of the car, based on looking up the vin #. I am pretty sure they are wrong. I have read that on the older Rav at least, the wiring needs to go all the way to the dash and plug in there. Plus the Uhaul guy was the only one to have actually looked, versus talked on the phone, and he says it isn't there. I guess I will find out when the trailer place takes a look at it. I never thought it would be this confusing!
So basically, they tap into the brake light, then connect to the battery, then the engine, then a fuse box, then to a 4 pole plug that is located in the front driver side. Or something to that effect. :-). This is way more than I ever wanted to know about hitch wiring!
So basically, they tap into the brake light, then connect to the battery, then the engine, then a fuse box, then to a 4 pole plug that is located in the front driver side. Or something to that effect. :-). This is way more than I ever wanted to know about hitch wiring!
Actually in the video it looks to me like what they guy is doing is fishing out the prewired 4 pin harness from behind the tailer light that I mentioned is common on most newer prewired vehicles. That is what the Trailer wiring harness from E- trailer simple plugs into & then he is running it to the underside of the trailer for mounting by the hitch. Put as mentioned that is only good for the trailer lights.
There are as also mentioned two wires that need to run from the rear plug up to the engine area & your charge line and your brake line. The brake line is also the one they will have to pull back through the firewall into the drivers side area and add a plug to it for our brake controller. And yes they will also fuse your charge line as well.
Looks like I'm late to the party, but what the heck!
I know Vicki's only talkin' about towing a Scamp 13-er, but since it looks like there's a lot of other cargo going in/on evidently now including rear-mounted bike rack:
It's worth pointing out that the "3500 pound towing capacity" attributed to this (2008 6-cyl) Rav-4 generation is based on the installation of certain upfits, including but not limited to Toyota's OEM hitch. Which hitch differs greatly from any aftermarket hitch install since it attaches to the car at many more predesignated points, and includes reinforcing members critical to support of the weight. See first illustration below, taken from this instructional install page.
For comparison purposes, the second pic is of the Curt "3500 pound" hitch likely being installed by the trailer place....four points of attachment only, no reinforcement plates provided.
For those who want to understand the critical differences between the two hitches-not to mention other required tow package upfits- and how they affect real towing capacity, I strongly recommend a careful reading of the discussion between Rav-4 towing folks at this link.
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I agree with Francesca that using a factory hitch is the best option as they are designed to be attached in holes that the car manufacture has already reinforced for that purpose. Many of the hitches that places such as U Haul uses as well as many of the specialty hitch shops although designed to fit the car they are also somewhat generic in design and are made to fit a number of different cars so in some cases require the installer to drill different holes that are not so well reinforced.
Although the information in the link provided is good I would be reluctant to go by it unless looking at a 2006 -08 RAV4 as its things may well have changed over the last 6 years in regards to what the manufacture may or may not be providing with a tow package or otherwise.
The discussion isn't relevant if you require a Class III hitch receiver and the OEM is only Class II.
I would think that respected after-market hitch suppliers, like Reece, put at least as much, if not more, thought and design into their products, as Toyota does. They don't need class-action suits either.
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What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
I would think that respected after-market hitch suppliers, like Reece, put at least as much, if not more, thought and design into their products, as Toyota does. They don't need class-action suits either.
Aftermarket hitchmakers guarantee only the part they make- certainly the hitch itself is capable of the named capacity.
That is not the same thing as certifying that whatever vehicle it's installed on should/can tow that load. As every hitchmaker will tell the customer: consult your vehicle owner's manual for actual towing capacities.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carol H
Although the information in the link provided is good I would be reluctant to go by it unless looking at a 2006 -08 RAV4 as its things may well have changed over the last 6 years in regards to what the manufacture may or may not be providing with a tow package or otherwise.
Before posting the above, I did first verify the year of Vicki's Rav 4- given as a 2008 6-cyl in post number 11 at this link.
It would be interesting to know, however, if it's a third-row seat model or not. That's something else that affects payload, GCWR, and especially tongue weight capacity, according to the owner's manual for that year/model.
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................................. Propane Facts vs. Fiction:. Click here Tow Limit Calculator: Click here
Wow, thanks everyone!
Yes, I do have a 2008, and it does not have a third row.
Just spoke to trailer guy. I should say up front that the dealership service department referred me to him, and kept saying "why don't you just go to -----? That's where we send most of our cars anyway." Trailer guy says the curt hitch was designed by the same engineers Toyota uses, and is specific to the vehicle. It's what he installs on Rav4's that the dealership sends him. The dealership seemed unwilling/unable to even deal with me. I am now completely confused. I will call a different dealership and see what they say. And is it true the Totota hitch is class II only? Why is this so hard?!
Just called another dealer, well known and reputable. He also referred me to the same trailer guy. He said there would be no difference in the tow rating and that trailer guy is where they send all their customers. He said the aftermarket hitches are specific to the car and designed for the car. Factory hitch was $584 not including installation. He recommended against it.
Still not sure what I will do. But really, the dealers don't even want to sell me th OEM hitch.
Also, we are talking about a Scamp 13, standard with no bath and no ac. And we pack light as far as actual camping stuff. I will be nowhere near 350 tongue 3500 total pounds of weight on the hitch -- more like 225/2000 max. I know the bikes and yaks will increase overall payload and will account for that. If I get a bigger trailer down the road i can always upgrade the hitch. Right now, an extra $400 on the hitch seems excessive.
Do you know the model # of the Curt the trailer shop is talking about installing?
I ask because the Curt I posted is the "class II only". Curt does make a Class III with the same bolt pattern. Only difference is that you can theoretically use W/D with a class 3- but I think that would be a really bad idea if relying on that four bolt aftermarket hitch attachment to the sheet metal under the Rav. How much leverage do you suppose that metal can take? The Toyota OEM is attached at around twenty points, and is engineered to carry/tow/evenly distribute the stated 3500 pound capacity of the V-6. While Toyota recommends against the use of W/D, there's no outright prohibition...that said, I'd certainly be a lot more comfortable hanging it on a twenty-point-setup than a four point one.
Side note:
I disagree with an earlier assessment of Toyota engineers as "not knowing what they're doing", especially since that would have to apply to all the rest of the design of the vehicle-? Why would anyone buy one at all if that were true?
I highly recommend AGAIN that folks interested in this question spend some time in the Rav 4 forums I linked to earlier- we here know a lot about trailers, but they're the experts when it comes to this tow vehicle.
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What I've read on the RAV4 forums contains some useful information, but basically is a collection of opinions based on experience, or just plain opinion, just like here.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
Just one last thing, in case there's any lingering idea that installing an aftermarket hitch that "fits" automatically puts one in the capacity/class of that single component:
This Curt 3500 lb hitch remains a recommendation for all RAV 4 models/years, including the present 1500 pound-limited four-cyls.
The hole pattern is the ONLY part of the hitch that was "designed for the RAV 4", and that hasn't changed. Yes, it will fit. But it will NOT provide 3500 pounds of towing capacity to any Rav 4 it's mounted on. That can only be achieved by the installation on a six-cyl Rav of the OEM hitch AND the other upfits required by Toyota for the purpose. Otherwise, tow limits of 1500 to 2,000 pounds are the limit.
If one has any lingering doubts about this, I suggest an inquiry to the hitch installer as to the nature of any guarantees per the install. I'd bet they're limited to "Defects in workmanship/failure of the hitch itself"....but I very much doubt one could receive any commitment as to the capacity of those four attachment points on the car to withstand the stresses imposed by attempting to load the hitch much beyond the lesser 2,000 pound max- let alone anywhere near 3500 pounds, especially if adding W/D into the mix.
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................................. Propane Facts vs. Fiction:. Click here Tow Limit Calculator: Click here
Hopefully I won't need weight distribution. Reviewing the post "trailer weights in the real world" once again, I think it is reasonable to assume I will be between 1500-1800 pounds with my basic scamp. Tongue weight might drift a bit over 200, but not by much. We do currently have two propane tanks, but plan on keeping only one full, and might have one removed.
I will probably add a sway bar, though. That can't hurt. And I am, of course, adding electric brakes. So I think I should be fine - - my tow capacity is at least 2000 pounds, and that is likely conservative.
If we ever upgrade to a 16', I will upgrade the hitch.
1992 Scamp Side bath
Waltzin' Matrillda
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