Well I just got a U-Haul hitch installed on my highlander 2 days ago. (I had to leave on a trip to Austin, TX with a trailer and realized I would be driving my highlander instead of my normal tow vehicle 2 days before I planned on leaving
) Anyway, I would have ordered from etrailers, but went to U-Haul since they had my hitch in stock at my local location and had no time to order.
Anyway, point of this post, I had seen online that some people consider U-Haul parts to be cheap and fail quickly, I just wanted to post this to point out the opposite.
I payed $203 for the hitch, install, and lifetime warranty. (hitch was 150, install was 30, warranty was 5, + tax) U-Haul actually uses Curt Hitches, then just sticks a sticker on it (can't remove or you void your warranty). The one Uhaul installed is the same as this one (
http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitc...cleid=20087962) So they don't use cheap hitches they make themselves, they actually use quality aftermarket equipment.
As for wiring, They didn't stock the quick connect for the tow-prep package pre-run wires at my location, so I can't comment on that, but I did get this generic trailer light wire harness (
http://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/...odule?id=13612). I payed $43 for the module and installed it myself (U-Haul wanted $60 to install wiring). It basically has a 12v+ line (suppose to go to the battery, but I had amp wires I could tap into), ground, a wire to tap into the brake bulb + line, 2 wires for both L & R turn bulb + lines, and running lights + line tap (I used the 3rd pin on the brake bulb, the ones that controls the dim lights when the headlights are on. Its the thinnest wire, the actual brake light wire is the thicker one.) Anyway works great/as suppose to. I installed the module where the socket is for the tow-prep package flat4 connector is (under the cargo bin on the left side of the trunk.) The module has plenty of wire to go through the rubber grommet there then reach the hitch with plenty of slack. I looped the extra around the bumper as it was too long. Plus the flat 4 connector on this has LED indicators on it to let you know its working without a trailer.
Anyway just posted this to let people know you don't have to order everything online (for aftermarket). U-Haul does have the quality parts (and their hitch was acutally cheaper than etrailer)
As for the towing, I was towing a standard U-Haul 5x8 trailer (my ball mount had a 2" drop, and it was too low with all that weight, had to flip it to be a 3/4" lift to have the right ride height. That is the only problem I see with these aftermarket hitches vs OEM, they do sit low.) that was FULLY loaded (probably close to overloaded) + the back of the highlander was totally filled (rear suspension was almost bottomed out due to weight). Went about 75 mph the whole way, got about 15 mpg in the flat area's (Arkansas-Texas) and around 13.5 mpg in the hilly parts of Tennessee. The highlander tows like a champ, even in the rain I ran into in Austin (stupid duelers spun like crazy when stopped on a hill trying to accelerate took awhile to get moving again, though that was probably because it was FWD instead of AWD with all the weight in the back.). On flat ground it would hold 5th gear fine at 75 mph, but in the hilly sections it would drop down to 3rd to hold speed (I kept the S shifter in 4 during those times). And the brakes are plenty strong to handle that kind of load. Considering trucks and full size SUV's get low mpg (my normal tow vehicle gets 15 mpg highway unloaded), I was more than satisfied with the HL's performance as a replacement.
anyway just a "for what its worth" post haha
Linear Mode
