2023 Tacoma SR5, they said it won't take a hitch ball?

My local dealer tells me that my particular 2023 SR5 isn't meant to have a hitch ball on it. That's really puzzling.

I called them to ask because when I had the idea that it would be useful to have a ball there, I looked at the bumper, which is clad in rubber of course, and saw what looked like a cover over what would be the hole through the bumper that I would use to put the shank through. See my picture, with the supposed cover outlined in red.

And see my picture of the hole, seen from below. Looks like a 1" shank hole to me.



The thing is, the "cover" doesn't pry off. The rubber bumper cover is continuous - no way to use a thin screwdriver to pop it off.

I'm not looking to tow a trailer. It's just that today I wanted to hook something to a ball in back and drag it along behind me.

So I'm pretty sure I can just cut a hole through that "cover, and it's a 1" diameter hole so I could get a ball with a 1" shank. But the service rep said she looked up the VIN and it's one of the Tacoma's that isn't supposed to tow things.

I'm hoping that just means it's not for towing a big trailer, that's all.

Thoughts?

And thanks

 

The Tacoma hitch’s are not integrated into the bumper. They are attached to the frame below the bumper. The bumper isn’t much more than a decoration.

 

OK, I'll go look again with that in mind

 

Note It doesn’t look like you have a factory hitch.

 

If money is not the issue I'd go to a proper hitch shop and get a hitch installed. Forget the dealer for things like this.

 

I purchased a third part hitch it’s a 2” receiver that bolted to the frame. I then used an extender(not sure of name) with a 2”ball. If you need lights the sr5 might not have been prewired so go to etrailer for a wiring kit.

 

Does your SR5 happen to be four cylinder?

 

Yes, just make the hole in the plastic and send it.

Don’t ever listen to a dealer service advisor. Those people know less than nothing.

 

You need to see how the bumper is mounted to the frame.
I'm not going to tell you what you can and can't do.

But do know, you will be limited to less than 3,000 lbs
And the hitch weight needs to be less than 300 lbs.

Again, don't take my advice.
Especially when I haven't laid eyes on the mounting hardware for myself.

Personally, I'd just buy a Curt or Reese hitch and install it.
U-haul will even install one for you. (If you trust them)

 

for those saying there isn't a trailer hitch on the truck they need to crawl under these and look at it. the bar supporting the bumper in the photo is identical to the factory trailer hitch w/o the receiver box. it does have a hole for a ball. as said above drill and send just be mindful of the load.

 

Not So much. Thats not really a bumper.

The trailer hitch and receiver bolts to the frame

Do 4cyl Tacomas have a hitch?

 

Yes, it's 4 cylinder

And the load is pretty darn minimal. I've never needed a bumper ball before, but we've just had some work done on the electric line to the house, which is now underground, along with re-doing the pipe from the well to the house, so there was significant tearing up of what is a fairly large lawn. The contractor did a reasonably good job of repairing it, but I want to do a little extra before seeding and haying it. The School where I work has a "drag mat" that they use for the track when it's time to get it ready for track season, and they drag it around and around until the grit is all loosened and smoothed out. They use one of those small Kubota runabouts, but I want to do mine with my Tacoma. I sure don't want to do it by hand. And it's more than I dare to ask my John Deere riding mower to do, to pull the mat.

So that's it. I just want something on the back of the truck to hitch the drag mat to and then go round and round. I thought a plain, simple, cheap ball would be all I need. I also thought of a 6" or 8" bolt with a washer and nut above and below the bumper and hook the drag mat's tow chain over it.

And I was surprised and bummed out that the "cover" there in the bumper wasn't just able to be pried out. I've gotten good help here before, often with info that I wouldn't have known myself. So why not come back to where knowledgeable people roam and donate their value to us who want and need it?

SonOfEru

 

here's the diagram of whats on the non-towing hitch trucks.

 

Ah so it's an SR not the SR5. The SR5 comes with the tow package. Take it to UHaul they'll set you up.

 

Not sure if you're referring to my truck or the diagram. Mine is definably SR5



And the "receiver" - is that the square box underneath, that the hitch goes into? I do not have that on mine



But anyway, all I want is something to attach a chain to. My only concern is that the dealer told me it's not ok to do a hitch on mine, and I just wondered why. I'm all set now, thanks to all of y'all.

Can you guess I'm from the South?

 

Once again and last time for me
Hitch shop and NOT uhaul

 

so its a 2.7L SR5? yeah, it has like 3k capacity so keep that in mind. you can just go on ehitch and order the receiver and swap it out but you have to get the curt wiring box or make your own harness to get the 4 pin working.

 

Like others here have mentioned get a Curt or Reese hitch. You can install yourself (you will probably need an extra set of hands to do it) and should take less than an hour. If you feel it’s too much take the truck to a hitch install shop and they will do it for you. They’ll even do wiring for you in case you want to tow a small trailer.

Keepin mind the 4cyl has a 3500 lbs towing capacity

 

I disagree with the people saying to go the fully monty—if you *just* want to pull a 40lb mat around a yard, I would drop the tailgate and simply attach a long length of cord to the d-rings anchored to the bottom of the bed. You can even equalize it between four of the bed attachment points.

 

OP - Go to the "etrailer" web site and watch the video of them installing their hitch on a 2023 Tacoma. They want about $170 for a kit - and it looks like they even send a set of "fishing" tools to put the rearmost two bolts on either side of the 2" box. If all you want is a sturdy drag attachment - that will be the simplest, strongest way to go. Maybe rig it with wiring for lights some other time......