2021 4Runner drop hitch

Aubrey

I am having trouble calculating how much drop I need in my hitch to go pick up our
FIRST T@B 400! (applause) in a 2021 4Runner. The top of the 2" Ball is 20" above ground.
(I think the hitch is a 2" or 2.5" drop) If I stand on the hitch I only get an inch of suspension travel. Not much, but we have never had a load on this vehicle as it is new.
I see a lot of folks say 16" is the goal when loaded for level travel.
Anyone using a 2017 T@B 400 behind a 4Runner, if so, what recommended hitch drop?
Thanks T@B Forum!!

manyman297

Not sure what your situation would be but we have a Tacoma and actually have to use a 1” (I think) rise. What we did was buy an adjustable hitch at harbor freight (fairly cheap) and used that to tow it home from the dealer. Then once it was home we figured what fixed rise we needed (our rig is pretty much level). And the adjustable hitch will probably come in handy if you ever tow anything else. 

mntrails

I have a 2021 320S Boondock - different beast in that the trailer hitch is higher and the tongue weight a bit lighter.  I do have 2 6V GC batteries up front though so the tongue weight is on the heavy side for a 320S.  What I can tell you is that I get a full 2" of rear spring compression on the 2018 Toyota 4Runner (its an SR5 Premium so none of the off-road suspension).  I use a Toyota 1-1/4" drop hitch that puts the top of the ball at 21" unloaded and it goes down to ~19" when hooked to the T@B and both trailer and 4Runner are level. 

Perhaps someone with a 400 can speak to what the top of the hitch height should end up at - perhaps that's the 16" you quote.  If that's true, you might want a 4" drop (your ball top height would then be 18" and with 2" of spring compression, you'd end up at 16") but I'm only guessing.   

A lot of confusion comes from where people measure.  The top of the ball on the TV is pretty obvious but where the measurement on the hitch of the 400 is made can be pretty subjective.
Good luck with your new T@B.

rhyno

Comments vary for top of ball on a newer 400 Boondock but you want to be at 20-21"  when hitched up. 

dragonsdofly

@Aubrey, just for clarification, do you have a t@b 400 manufactured in 2017? The earliest model year of the t@b 400 is 2018. Those 400's would have been manufactured after March or April of 2017, but would be model year 2018. The tongue weights of the 2018 and 2019 model years would be heavier than the current models, and that might require different info to answer your question more accurately. 

Aubrey

The Title says 2017, Its really nice with the AC under dinette and the ac vent way up high by the bed. We had the right height but only had an extra long square hitch, and the sales person just threw in the correct one during orientation. We are boondocking in the backyard last two nights!!  Had to find a few repairs to make like fixing up bathroom door hinges and dismounting the audio-dvd head from the wall to reconnect the hdmi...  but it towed like a dream and its fun to hang out in 

Aubrey

we were set up awhile when i checked the voltage at the zamp connector, it was 12.4v..     48hrs of near continuous use (
no AC or Heat) it reached 11.7v and I shut things off and began to trickle charge. The zamp is the opposite polarity but same size as my battery tender, so I need an adapter.