Equalizer hitch on Toyota Taco 4WD V6?

[rwbehan]

WHY does the Toyota owner's manual discourage the use of an equalizer hitch? I've tried several Toyota dealer sites and a couple of Toyota owners sites, and no one seems to know WHY equalizers are not recommended. Any ideas here? TIA

Dick Behan
soon-to-be owner of a 2720SL.

[Bill]

Is the Taco a unibody or full-frame vehicle?

Bill

[Denny_A]

Here's a site which discusses the need for frame reinforcement if extra weight is to be carried on the bumper. I know there are many models and years; so sprinkle a grain of salt on theses links:

Toyota Tacoma Frame Reinforcement (http://www.expeditionswest.com/equipment/tacoma/frame.html)

[Quote]:The rear of the Tacoma frame is subject to fatigue and failure if excessive weight is mounted to the aft C-channel. For example a heavy bumper, fuel tank, and spare tire mounted to a swing-out tire carrier.[end quote]

Also see: Toyota Frame Bent

(http://www.tankota.net/Misc/Bentframe/framebent.htm)Interesting pictures therein, FWIW.

Denny_A

[Catawbalea]

We have been asking dealerships, services depts. about the 2001 manual saying not to use that hitch. No one believed the manual, which makes me nervous. At last, here, is a possible explanation for the advice in the manual. But, what to do? Our dealer is installing some kind of hitch in a couple weeks, despite the service guy being shown the manual. Should I worry? Some kind of hitch isn't very helpful, but I am the female half of this team with no background in hitches.

[bfezel]

Dick,

Check out this site. Best site on the internet for information. Says Tundra but covers EVERYTHING about all Toyotas. If you can't find what you are looking for here, it doesn't exist.

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/

Good luck.

Bill

[fcatwo]

The forces generated by a WDH would be the opposite (up) of those that bent his frame --- correct? His problem would be best duplicated by significant trailer tongue load on a hitch without weight distribution. IMO the way to avoid this problem is to stick to the manufacturers various weight limits and use the lightest WDH spring bars necessary to handle the tongue load.

Not to hijack the thread but to add to it; I posed a question over on RV-Net a few days ago asking if anyone knew examples of unibody frames failing because of WDH use. It has generated the usual opinions and speculation but the only example so far is of an Astro being used to tow a 6,000 trailer. The body was bent to the point that the side/rear doors were wedged shut. The owner was able to bend it back with some sort of power puller. Apparently the Astro is not a true unibody but a "body-on-frame" who's frame does not run all the way back. Something else interesting I gathered from comments there is that bent hitches and frames are not unheard of in the RV community.

[Bill]

Frank -

The articles linked by Denny_A referred to damage caused by a heavy deadweight load placed near the rear of the Toyota's bed. This is just what the uncompensated tongue weight of a non-WDH would do.

Bill

[rwbehan]

Well, thanks a lot, folks. Learning a lot about Toyota trucks, and the problem with the bent frame might be the clue. You'd think, though, that if the company was sufficiently concerned about the frame weakness to discourage WDH's, they'd FIX the frame, right? And I guess, after 2000, they did. Well, the quest continues, but thanks for all your time and information.

Dick

[Geoffrey Card]

WHY does the Toyota owner's manual discourage the use of an equalizer hitch? I've tried several Toyota dealer sites and a couple of Toyota owners sites, and no one seems to know WHY equalizers are not recommended. Any ideas here? TIA

Dick Behan
soon-to-be owner of a 2720SL.

I have a TM2619 and tow with an 05 V6 Highlander plus WDH. When setting up this rig I ran into the same comments. I was eventually told by a very experienced hitch installer that for many Toyota's and also for the Lexus SUV the hitch manufactuers had decided that the potential hitch market was too small to justify them paying for the necessary certification testing, therefore no recommendation. Nothing to do with the engineering of the vehicle just economics.

[Denny_A]

Frank -

The articles linked by Denny_A referred to damage caused by a heavy deadweight load placed near the rear of the Toyota's bed. This is just what the uncompensated tongue weight of a non-WDH would do.

Bill....about WDH and dead weight.

If the trailer tongue weight were , say 510 lbs and 2/3 of the dead weight were transferred to the Tacoma front axle plus the trailer axle, the actual hitch load would be .333 x 510 lbs = 170 lbs. Seems doable.

However, most WDH hitches weigh from 50 to 100 lbs. Mine weighed 75 lbs. So if my hitch were used, with the above example, the down force on the hitch would be 255 lbs. I think most pay liitle attention to the WDH hitch deadweight - mostly because it's not an issue with suitable tow vehicles. In the Tacoma case one may not be advised to pass the additional weight off as inconsequential!

OTOH, the your vehicle would be loaded only for towing. Examples of frame bending must( :confused: ) involve vehicles which carry such deadweight loads 100% of the time. Chances are you would never have a problem.

Denny_A