Towing hardware advice needed

TerryV6

We had the proper hitch put on our 6 cylinder Rav 4, but don't have a Receiver Hitch Ball Mount yet.  Are there different quality ones etc?  What to get?  Also, I know we need chains too right?  Where to get and what size ....  I imagine the camper dealer probably can answer these, but he is 100 miles away and I'm trying to study up...grin

Nomad

The safety chains come with the T@B. You need a hitch receiver and a seven pin trailer connector.

wizard1880

Uhaul is a good source of ball mounts, so is any auto parts store and hardware store like Lowe's or home depot.  Just get a 3500 rated, since that's what the rav4 limit is anyway.  Not sure about drop, maybe 2 inch.

Ratkity

I now have a mid-sized truck, but had a 2006 6 cyl AWD with "tow package" as my TV for both my LG teardrop AND T@B before I purchased the truck.  For Toyota, the "tow package" means the plug exists in the fuse panel for the 7-pin harness, but doesn't include the harness or the 7 pin connector or the hitch receiver. I purchased the Toyota brand hitch and harness online because the holes are already there for the bolts for the Toyota brand type II 2" hitch receiver (OEM hitches work well, I just felt better with the Toyota brand). Easy to install. The harness was plug and play and routing it back to the 7-pin connector was easy. Finding a place for the connector was annoying. The Rav4 was ALWAYS a trooper when towing. I never took the campers over 4000ft (over the Blue Ridge Pwy), but never had a over-heating problem. The "tow" package included a beefier alternator for the Rav4, but it didn't have a transmission cooler (would add if taking through rougher mountain passes).

May I suggest you find the Rav4 forums (I think it's Rav4 World) and search towing for your year Rav4. There's an online Toyota place where you can buy the receiver and harness for not much more than an OEM hitch (buy from dealer.. pffft, take out a loan). The Rav4 forums helped me so much with installation. It was painless! I also installed the brake controller. Someone here suggested the wireless brake controller and has given it a thumbs up review. The less time you spend having to mount and wire stuff, the better, right? Search function here is great. Look for wireless brake controller.

Chains come with the camper. They attach to the receiver and the dealer will show you how to cross them and why you use them (if he doesn't, ask him to explain).

Ratkity

Ooops, posted after the other two folks. The hitch drop is 2". You'll be perfectly level. You need a 2" ball. The rating for the 6 cyl Rav4 is 3500 lbs.

KyBawpaw

FWIW , the Reese hitch gear is good stuff. Like someone said just use the 3500 lb plus rated hitch connects and ball. Two inch square I think.  WalMart (of course) has good selection and price. Check for the drop or rise if any you may need.

TerryV6

Thank you all for the replies...  I do use the search function too.  In my case it had to do with the chain question (answered), and the ball type...  Also the drop ?  I'll have to check that out.  I'm sure I can just wait till I pick it up at the dealer and he could supply one.  I wasn't sure if there were different quality ones.  I see them at Fleet Farm and Walmart...  I suspect it will be cheaper to buy myself.  My 3 ring binder is getting bigger though as I print out useful articles.  We are total newbies with this.

Nomad

My dealer supplied mine - Handy and adjustable...

SweetlyHome

Sorry I have not done this sooner.  Attached show the hitch installation on our 2012 6 Cyl. RAV4.  Receiver and components, not the pins, are all Reese.  The Receiver was installed by the Toyota dealer.  The other components were sized by our T@B dealer.  Note that the mount has a 3.25" drop but it is installed to raise not lower the ball.  The receiver is really low on the RAV.  We have to be careful of uneven ground.  Hope this helps.

We have two installation pins.  One unlocked for when we are in a hurry between storage and home and one locked when we are traveling.  

TerryV6

All of the posts above are very helpful.  I didn't see this last post until now.  SweetlyHome, are you happy having just gotten the ball mount and ball from the camper dealer, or thought perhaps you could have gotten a cheaper but better one somewhere else?  I went to a Fleet Farm armed with the measurement numbers and left without anything.  They told me about the 3.25 drop and they only had 2 inch or 4 inch rise mounts and also said that with my exterior spare, I'd have to make sure I allowed for that.  They said I really needed to do this with the trailer at hand.  I see that the Rav has quite a low receiver. At the end, I was also informed that there are a number of balls I could get.  I thought I'd only need a 2 inch....  Sorry, as you can see, this is our first trailer.  I've done quite a number of searches, but in the end, I figured I'd just go for it and expose myself as a total newbie...

SweetlyHome

TerryV6,

The hitch set up has worked out well.  While I'm sure I could have paid less it was certainly easier to just get it taken care of at the dealer when I picked up the trailer. 
At the time the TV and T@B met for the time and thus there was no way to pre-plan for these adapting components.  The spare has not been an issue at all with the standard reached ball mount.  We can open the rear door sufficiently to get items out while hitched up.  Just have to be careful not to hit the tongue jack to protect the paint.  

I would not, IHMO, get a longer ball mount as this decreases the tongue weight rating of the TV.  The front of the RAV already lifts slightly more than I would really like.  It apparently has a fairly soft rear suspension.

Thinking about it about it again, and with my experience in mind, there is no guarantee that you have the same hitch/receiver on your RAV4 as I have and thus you might need a slightly different ball mount height.


 

TerryV6

Thanks SweetlyHome, we will take your advice.. 

Looking outside, it is now snowing...  Sigh....  I went to the State Park nearby yesterday, to get a vehicle sticker, only to find that they are closed on Mondays.  I was planning on going today, but probably will wait till tomorrow...

Apopejoy

My TV has a tow package but I need the controller.  Considering the prodigy as sold by LG vs wired direct,  TV is Mercedes GL550.  Local dealer has never installed one so kinda afraid of a Medes up job.  Comments? 

Photomom

I'd suggest that anyone get a hitch ball from their T@B dealer if they carry them (and I have to think most do.) We took the one we use with our utility trailer when we went to pick up our T@B. It was immediately apparent that it was the wrong height, but the dealer went in his shop and brought out the right one.

Nomad

Apopjoy - Most corporate Uhaul places install brake controllers.

T@Balong

I have had Prodigy 2 brake controllers installed on two different vehicles by Camping World and been very satisfied with the work.

TerryV6

We've come a ways since this discussion.  New vehicle, new hitch and ball.  We had to go to an 8 inch drop.  What the heck, we bought a new ball too.  This season, twice I've found the ball a bit loose after a trip.  I did a number of recommended tests.  I connected the ball only to the trailer hitch to see if there is up/down movement etc.  Nope.  Each time, I've used two pipe wrenches to tighten it up.  After a number of trips, loose again.  I've seen lock tight recommended.  Someone said to score the lower threads.  Don't like that idea.  This morn I saw someone say they drilled a hole below the nut and put a retaining pin in.  I didn't have this problem with my car.  I'm sure I'm at the right height....

RollingBnB

TerryV6  Get a 4 foot pipe to put over the pipe wrench for more leverage. Your not torqueing down the nut enough to keep it tight. Also, you do have a lock washer under the nut?

TerryV6

Yup, lock washer in place.  Will try the pipe and the lock tight stuff as well this time... Still thinking about the lock pin idea...

RollingBnB

No need for locktite, just tighten with a pipe

TerryV6

Will give the pipe a go... thanks..

Verna

I don't have a pipe, but two monkey wrenches did the trick for me. One was wedged against the receiver and I pulled the other one...or vise versa. It's tight now. 

TerryV6

That's what I did when I put the ball on before.  I did worry about future rust problems and did spray the threads before install...  maybe a no-no....?

Ratkity

TerryV6 said:

That's what I did when I put the ball on before.  I did worry about future rust problems and did spray the threads before install...  maybe a no-no....?

Spraying the threads for rust prevention is a lot like putting soap on it to get a stubborn nut on a bolt. If you've already tightened it, just keep an eye on it. If it loosens again, clean threads on the ball shank and inside the nut with rubbing alcohol to get rid of the residual spray you used. There's a loctite that is not permanent - the blue one. Just a spot on a couple threads near where the nut is going to settle under the washer is a little more insurance. There is a torque poundage that you should use and I would recommend an appropriate torque wrench with extender bar for leverage. It's easy for me to say that because I currently have a torque wrench and extender.

I have to confess I used 2 long-handled pipe wrenches when I had my LG tear to get the ball on good and tight (one to hold the ball from turning and one for the nut tightening). That was after I noticed it making noise and saw it was a tad loose (yay lock washer!). I didn't put the ball on the hitch, btw. The dealer did.

TerryV6

Nothing scarier than getting home from a trip, disconnect the camper from the TV and finding a loose ball.  Thinking of what could have happened....

RollingBnB

Torque specs are 250 ft/lbs so a little leverage is needed.

Ratkity

RollingBnB said:

Torque specs are 250 ft/lbs so a little leverage is needed.

Thanks @RollingBnB! I was being lazy and not looking it up.