4x2 towing for beginners questions

Hi everyone
I am trying to hook up a ball receiver to the rear bumper on my 2015 4x2 4cyl Tacoma. let me start off by saying that I have never towed anything before. I am trying to hook up a trailer dolly from the local U Haul to my truck and tow an old car which weighs about 2800lbs. I read in the manual that the weight capacity is 3500lbs so I thought this would be within the weight limit.

My problem is that I don't have a trailer hitch hook up. I only have that bumper with the three holes in it. Can I use that as the connector for the ball receiver? Thanks in advance. I don't want to do something unsafe so I wanted to ask around first before a U Haul employee who doesn't care about my safety or trucks well being hooks me up and sends me on my way to failure.

Any solutions or suggestions are welcome.

 

You might check with uHaul and see if they'll even rent you a dolly with that set-up. They have a set of guidelines, I guess you'd call it, that the tow vehicle needs to meet. Around here, they seem to follow them pretty closely. I looked to tow my son's car with a Dakota pickup, but because it didn't have a class IV receiver, I couldn't rent the dolly.

 

Can you take a picture of the back of your truck? Hard to tell what you have. It sounds like you don't have the tow package. Not only do you need a hitch that's attached to your frame, but you also need to hook up the trailer lights.

 

just bolt the ball through the center hole and use the other two for the chains assuming you dont have the towing package

 

if you already have the tow package, then you also need this adapter for the trailer lights
http://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Wiring-lights/Adapters/Trailer-Wiring-Adapters?mid=128

I've rented trailers from Uhaul plenty of times, they'll make sure it's all good to go before you leave.

 

Here is the deal OP [axeman26].
1. You can install the appropriate sized ball right in your bumper for towing up to 3500#, its stated somewhere in the manual. That being said it is also limited to 350# of tongue weight. (the weight actually being applied to the bumper)
2. Get a wiring harness for trailer lights.
3. Test tow the car on the dolly in an area where you can test how the truck handles the breaking. Your truck will now be doing all the breaking for twice the weight of what it usually does so be careful.

Your truck is equipped to tow and stop loads of this size without additional equipment such as brake controllers or trailer surge brakes. That being said your truck will handle a lot differently than normal so use caution and take your time.

 

Thanks everyone for the great information. I will stop by the local UHaul and see what they say before diving in head first. I will ask about the safety aspects of going this route. And I will let them know my concerns.

To clarify, I do not have the tow package. Merely three holes that can be punched out from the rear bumper stepup in order to hookup a ball receiver or so it would appear.

 

Man, I don't recommend you tow a car with a bumper tow, even if you use chains as well.

Not only the potential damage to your bumper, but also the danger to other drivers on the road.

Please please please consider the safety of others.

 

Sorry, not to pick a fight but... you are just incorrect. See below straight from the Owners manual.

 

If you can dolly the car it should be ok. Looks like a flatbed would put you over the limit regardless. I think the dolly is 750 so you are really really close even with that. Still totally doable. It wouldnt be fun to tow for a long time through hills or anything, but on essentially flat ground it should be fine and easy.

What is the trip like?

 

not sure about some Uhaul dealers. I saw a Pontiac Vibe the other day towing a dual axle enclosed trailer. Rear bumper was inches from the pavement. I heard Vibes are rated at 1500 lbs. I bet the trailer weighed that much empty

 

I personally wouldn't pull that much from the bumper. Probably cost you about 175.00 for hitch, receiver, and light harness. Assuming you do the install yourself.

 

You might consider renting a full size truck from Uhaul (or maybe even Home Depot).

I have personally witnessed and experienced what happens when a bumper-towed trailer rips the bumper off the tow vehicle. Granted an impact contributed to that, but the trailer broke free and created a very scary (and fortunately somewhat uneventful) situation on an interstate freeway.

Although your truck is officially capable of bumper-towing that weight, a frame-mounted receiver will provide for a greater safety margin. As this will be your first time towing, there are a lot of variables which will be all new to you. Stopping distances, weight distribution and momentum, cornering, the complexities of adding 20+ feet to your overall vehicle length are just a few of the things you'll be experiencing for the first time. A full-size will provide more overall stability, power, and will probably come fully equipped to tow.

I have a 2015 with the V6 with the towing package and I've had to upgrade mirrors, buy a new receiver (to maintain the correct towing height for the trailer) and add airbags to comfortably tow our 3700# camper.

Good luck, be safe, and don't hesitate to ask more questions.

 

Hey guys
Thanks again for all the info. I am going to rent a truck from UHaul in order to be safe and NOT put any excessive wear or strain on my transmission or bumper. I can't in good conscience drive that setup knowing that it could be dangerous to others. I may look into a bolt on hitch later on though. Thanks!

 

Listen man, there is a lot more to factor in than weight when towing. Speed, distance, experience, traffic congestion, weather, etc. why risk other people's safety?

OP is doing the right thing....