trailer hitch for the supra

[phoenix6]

Hey guys, I was reading in a post we CAN put a trailer hitch on the car. I was just wondering WHERE I get one and do I install it or do I have someone else at a shop weld it in or what? Also what price range am I lookin at here? I want a tow one of those 8ft UHaul trailers from Houston to Atlanta. Wont weigh much.

 

[MK3Brent]

Yeah, I had a Reese hitch on my supra.
It was on it when I bought the car.

 

[bgrieger]

They were a bumper hitch, and most were the low profile type that were hard to see unless you left the ball and flat bar on. Very lightweight stuff only need apply. I actually have one from my parts car that I wanted to get cleaned up, rechromed and installed for road trips and track visits so I could haul some tires and a smallish toolbox.

 

[MK3Brent]

Towed a 71' beetle 300ish miles with mine.

 

[Asterix]

I've had a hitch on my Supra for many years now. I bought it at an RV supply store that's no longer around. It is one piece, though I wish the flat bar did come off because it'll bite your shins if you're not careful. It bolted right on to the bumber core, which already had nuts welded in for the hitch. Obviously, Toyota used that bumper for other cars. I did have to take off the skin and trim a hole into it around the hitch. It's a class 1 hitch, which isn't much; 1000lb max maybe.

I use it fairly regularly to tow my wee Northern Tools trailer to the Home Depot for things like cinder blocks or mulch. Who needs a pickup truck when you have a Supra and trailer!

It's been so long I forget how much the hitch cost. I'll hazard a guess of around $40. It wasn't much.

Asterix

 

[phoenix6]

Great news. Thanks man, theres an RV Supply place down the road Ill call them tomorrow. Yeah Class 1 is rated at 2000lbs, all I need. Hope theres not too much modification I need to do. I cant spend al day installin this thing haha.

 

[bgrieger]

The hitch is rated at 2000...not the bumper. It appears some have had no problems, but I'd hate to try to fix the twisting remains of the frame rails if that bumper gave way...

 

[mkIIIman089]

Obviously, Toyota used that bumper for other cars.

Well... maybe, but Supras were designed for hitches too.

 

[supraman7mgte]

http://www.drawtite-hitches.com

 

[supraman7mgte]

just be care ful,if you get rear ended,the hitch will kill your car. the photo shows where it punctured the plate

 

[Murd]

You can get hitches for most any car on the road today. I used to install hitches for a living, no not a good living. IF and I do mean IF you decide to tow with a supra, and it's an auto, get a transmission cooler, you'll thank me later. Also don't tow anything heavier than 2/3 the vehicle weight, past that and you'll have issues at speed, especially if you haven't balanced the load properly- 60 in front of the trailer axle, 40 in rear.

I also trust draw-tite more than any other hitch manufacturer. From what I've read they do the most testing. It looks like the supra one is rated for 1500 lbs max which is about right. Also the only part of the hitch you'll see is where you put the slide bar in, which is removable and you won't wrack your shins on it. You'll have to trim some of the lower part of the bumper to fit it.

 

[Murd]

just be care ful,if you get rear ended,the hitch will kill your car. the photo shows where it punctured the plate

That looks like a "one hitch fits all" type, NEVER EVER use those.

 

[mkIIIman089]

What an awful wing, lol.

 

[IJ.]

Installed mine way back in 97 when I got the Car I got harpooned by an idiot while I was braking for a red light, his car was destroyed mine had minimal damage (it peeled the pinstripe on the bumper)

 

[phoenix6]

Ok so, what do I need to actually TRIM the bumper? I think Im gonna get the drawtite set up, for the shipping I need with a hitchball too, its gonna be like $115, then i Need to go to Uhaul to get the wiring. Hope they come with instructions haha.

 

[IJ.]

Mine just bolts on with no trimming at all.

I also worked as an installer as a kid and there are some scarey crap setups out there.

Wait till you see the look on someone face when you blow their doors off towing a loaded trailer it's priceless

 

[Murd]

Ok so, what do I need to actually TRIM the bumper? I think Im gonna get the drawtite set up, for the shipping I need with a hitchball too, its gonna be like $115, then i Need to go to Uhaul to get the wiring. Hope they come with instructions haha.

You could probably get the hitch itself at U-Haul, they carry draw-tite at the main stores. Find out what kind of trailer you're going to be towing so you know what size ball to get as well, should use a 3/4" shaft. As for trimming the bumper, if it's needed as the instruction says, tin snips work, dremel, serrated knife, whatever you feel like using, it's just thick rubber/plastic.

 

[Murd]

For the wiring yeah it comes with instructions, most likely they'll sell you the set up with the converter box as our turns are seperate from the brake lights. Will be easiest to figure out if you go buy a test light, can get em cheap at any auto parts store. Most important part of the wiring besides getting the correct wires tapped into is GROUND GROUND GROUND!!! I cannot state that enough, 90% of trailer wiring problems can be directly linked to a bad ground.

 

[Murd]

Mine just bolts on with no trimming at all.

I also worked as an installer as a kid and there are some scarey crap setups out there.

Wait till you see the look on someone face when you blow their doors off towing a loaded trailer it's priceless

I saw a guy who had a AMC Hornet wagon with a hitchball bolted directly into his bumper, no supports or anything, just drilled a hole in his bumper and put the ball on... I didn't hook a trailer up to it and told him to go away until he has proper towing capabilities.

 

[phoenix6]

Well Im good at wiring, done alot of it. I just wanted instructions to make sure WHERE Im splicing shit up to. I ordered the Drawtite one online, the Uhaul one they didnt have in stock and didnt think they could get it here on time for me. I also ordered a ball with the set.

And yeah, I cant wait to blow the doors off someone towin that thing haha. Im only getting the small 4' x 8' trailer, Im not bringing much but a couch, 32" Sony Wega TV, and like a small computer desk, some of the smaller shit can go in the car. Im just thinking Im gonna be fucked on gas haha, all that way PLUS the load... damn.