New to towing

Im new to towing and have no idea. Can anyone please help me confirm if this is the parts to buy for my 4runner. Thank you!

Trailer ball PT79100844
Ball mount PT22889445

 

What are you towing. Your set up should match what you are towing.

I wouldn't say OEM stuff sucks but there is better out there.

 

As Dillusion indicated, there’s a lot more to towing than the ball and mount. Do your research first so you know what you need.

 

@mmuy888 I can’t answer your questions, but I’m interested.

Things I know:

• It’s important to know the gross weight of the loaded trailer and its tongue weight.
• It’s important to know if the trailer has brakes. If so you’ll need to install a brake controller and figure out how to use it.
• if your trailer doesn’t have brakes you may need a 7-into-4 adapter for the lighting harness.
• It’s important to know the tow rating of the 4Runner, both gross weight and tongue weight.
• It’s important to know that the tongue weight counts against the weight you can carry in the vehicle in terms of cargo and passengers.
• The size of the ball must be mated to the trailer’s hitch.
• Lots of folks think keeping track of the transmission fluid temperature is a good idea, and might install/upgrade a transmission cooler.
• Lots of folks think it’s a good idea to stay out of 5th gear.
• There’s lots of information on the U-Haul and eTrailer websites, though some of it might not be applicable to your setup.

Things I don’t know:

• Whether or not the trailer tongue height is standard, and how to figure out how much vertical offset the hitch should have.
• Pretty much everything else.

What are you planning to tow?

FWIW, I think asking questions on a forum counts as research.

 

Don't forget towing mirrors if what you're dragging is over 6' wide

 

I echo everyone’s suggestions above on safety, weight, etc.

I would recommend considering a company called B&W for your hitch (ballmount and ball) versus knock off stuff from Walmart. I know of someone’s hitch that rusted and cracked. Luckily there was no accidents or issue but I believe in the adage you get what you pay for.

I chose a B&W hitch that is solid all the way through (not hollow in the middle). It is very good quality, sturdy, and made in the USA. Please not the specific hitch I have below is for my boat trailer and the drop I need and does not represent specifically what you may or may not need. I just wanted to share what one looks like and recommend the brand overall. Be safe towing and enjoy

Another good source of towing information and videos is etrailer.com. Spend some time reading about towing. It definitely is not something to be taken lightly

 

How does one determine the required drop for the ball mount?

 

Oh and another thing, if don't like the loose fitting ball mount banging on the receiver, buy one of those clamps at Harbored Freight.
I made my own with a square U-bolt from Lowes and a piece of 3/4" angle iron from my scrap bin.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8RF59MBmxro