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I just went through the same thing. Looking under mine it appears that all it needs is a bolt on receiver. Im good with this as i wont be towing a trailer with it and likely using it just for bike racks or cargo carrier.
I have this one and installed this one myself. Really easy and great hitch. You won’t get the benefit of the whole vehicle tow rating but unless you are towing a boat/rv trailer you won’t need it. We occasionally tow a uhual trailer with no issues. Also, my understanding is that in WA if you keep your load under 3k lbs. you don’t need a brakes on the trailer, so no need to add a brake receiver. The factory wiring works for all the rest.
Hey Everyone! My family and I are planning a camping trip for June with the little one and we are planning to rent some kind of travel trailer (likely between 3500 - 4500 pounds). We live in Colorado so we'll be hitting some inclines at some point in the journey. I'm anticipating that we'll be spending 2 nights, traveling about 100 miles one way (from Denver), and camping at an established camp ground or some mild dispersed camping spot. I'm completely new to towing and my main question is what type of towing system do I currently have on my used, but new to me, 2014 GX Luxury? From the attached pictures I know I have a hitch and what I believe is a brake control harness. Do I also have anti-sway bars or anything else of note? I would appreciate any help. Thanks! -Chris
which has a max rating of 5K lbs. You typically don't want to tow at max rating so IMO I would try to find a trailer in the 2500-3000lb dry weight range as max since you will be adding weight to this.
While towing be sure to use 4th gear when you can to help keep the AT temps down. You will most likely need to install a brake controller for the travel trailer as well.
If you change the hitch to the OEM one, you get a class IV with a rating of 6500lbs max. Plus the wiring harness moves out to the rear instead of up under like it is now. You will most likely need a wiring extension harness for any trailer you use now.
As mentioned you have the lower class hitch installed which is good for 5k lbs. If you were towing more often then I'd suggest the beefier hitch. You're probably okay with a lighter weight trailer and only doing a one-time towing trip. At the very least you'll want a trailer that has axle brakes and a brake controller for the vehicle. '14+ GX's have electronic built in sway control which is a nice feature. You also have the Luxury trim which gives you auto-leveling suspension which is very helpful for towing.
The class IV hitch is easy to spot because it has the beefier extended tubes that bolt on in multiple points along the frame of the vehicle, thus increasing the tow rating.
For $300-odd and 1-hour installation the OEM hitch will give you a safety margin that is worth the price of admission. Bought mine for $265 from a Lexus dealer on the internet with free shipping and no sales tax ... even comes with the proper electric connectors and bracket that are plug-and-play.
what site did you get that from? the shipping has been killing the price when I have been looking.
Lexus dealer out of Kentucky. I kept searching for 2-3 weeks and the best deal kept moving around, with some saying free shipping until they saw the zip code.
Last week I got OEM hitch installed by a local independent mechanic. He followed the same installation instructions. However , the wiring harness is tilting downwards and not totally straight. Is it the correct way or he messed up installing the bracket to hitch.
Thanks in advance
It's intended tilted down to avoid any water accumulation. Water + electricity = bad combination.
BTW, if you are not planning on towing a 5000-6000 lbs trailer, you can just get a small class III hitch like this:
It installs in 15 minutes with 4 bolts and you can leave and use the electical connector right where it is. Class III i think is theoretically good for up to 6000lbs, and class IV is good for up to 14,000 lbs.
I have one of those for sale that I took off when i installed the calss IV one. For $20 + S&H you can have it.
I know they are the same. Just pointing out that the video says '16 but the car shown is a '10-13. And I appreciate the offer but I have the factory hitch on mine. Just wanted to post the video since it might help others in the future.
Hello everyone. I have a 2020 GX 460 that I am installing a used OEM class 4 hitch receiver. Some of the bolts I received from the previous owner have rust on them so I’m deciding to install new bolts completely. Do you guys have any suggestions on what to apply on bolts to prevent rust?
I’m planning on putting some thread locker on these bolts. Any other recommendations?
04-29-19, 06:58 AM
