Towing

I have a 2004 Prerunner extra cab v-6.. My question is my bumper has a hole for a towing ball.. I'm aware of the towing capacity of the truck and will be towing within thoses Specs. But having never towed with this truck before.. I was wondering about handling capabilitys with just the ball and stock bumber? And any other issues that might be of concern? Not sure if I should upgrade with a welded tow package or not..I am a novice!

 

If you are going to tow any weight, especially over fairly rough roads, you will want to put a receiver hitch on it. I broke the bumper mounts on my T100 when towing with a bumper hitch.

 

I bought a Curt class 3 hitch off Amazon for $98 and installed it myself in about 45 mins. trust me, it'll be cheaper than replacing your bumper if you pull too much weight with it.

 

If its a really light trailer, sure, you can. If its heavy or really big, you will for sure want to go with a tow package. The stock bumpers aren't very strong or meant to be heavily torqued.

 

An added benefit of a hitch over the bumper is that the extra 10 in. Further back in the pivot point make a difference in backing and the track of the wheels.
If you have the chance to compare the two you'll want a hitch.

 

A ball on a bumper is not very good.