Equalizer hitch on Taco 4wd V6?

The owner's manual for my 2000 Taco 4WD V6 suggests NOT using equalizer hitches for towing. Anyone know why you can't do that? I'd like to pull a 3,000 lb. trailer, but it has a tongue weight of 394 pounds. The Taco max tongue weight is 350, so I'd like to use an equalizer hitch to stay under this limit. But the manual also says equalizer hitches should be avoided.....you see my dilemma. Thanks for any help.

1.) Stop posting in HTML. Text Only message boards get all screwed up by
HTML.

2.) If you have a gross trailer weight that is within the limits, but the
tongue is heavy, why not just shift the load a bit so the weight goes to the
rear?

I suspect you are trying to tow from the bumper or the factory hitch, and
you can get around the weight limits these two impose ou you. You have a
Class 1 or Class 2 hitch, the Class 3 should do the trick. I'd roll the load
a few inches towards the rear before I traded up on the hitch.





"R.W. Behan" <rwbehanNOSPAM@rockisland.com> wrote in message
news:H5OdndzGU-0HXIXZRVn-ug@rockisland.com...
The owner's manual for my 2000 Taco 4WD V6 suggests NOT using equalizer
hitches for towing. Anyone know why you can't do that? I'd like to pull a
3,000 lb. trailer, but it has a tongue weight of 394 pounds. The Taco max
tongue weight is 350, so I'd like to use an equalizer hitch to stay under
this limit. But the manual also says equalizer hitches should be
avoided.....you see my dilemma. Thanks for any help.

Jeff--
Sorry about the HTML post. I know better, but slipped up.

Actually, I have no hitch at all yet. And the trailer is a TrailManor
camping trailer, so redistributing the weight--certainly a good thought on
your part--isn't really an option. (Other than moving the can goods aft, or
some such.)

I'll look into the Class 3 hitch you suggest. But do you know, after all,
why Toyota discourages weight-equalizing hitches?

Thanks a million.

Dick


"Jeff Strickland" <crwlr@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:zYSdncr9L_yNWYXZRVn-qQ@ez2.net...[color=blue]
> 1.) Stop posting in HTML. Text Only message boards get all screwed up by
> HTML.
>
> 2.) If you have a gross trailer weight that is within the limits, but the
> tongue is heavy, why not just shift the load a bit so the weight goes to
> the rear?
>
> I suspect you are trying to tow from the bumper or the factory hitch, and
> you can get around the weight limits these two impose ou you. You have a
> Class 1 or Class 2 hitch, the Class 3 should do the trick. I'd roll the
> load a few inches towards the rear before I traded up on the hitch.
>
>
>
>
>
> "R.W. Behan" <rwbehanNOSPAM@rockisland.com> wrote in message
> news:H5OdndzGU-0HXIXZRVn-ug@rockisland.com...
> The owner's manual for my 2000 Taco 4WD V6 suggests NOT using equalizer
> hitches for towing. Anyone know why you can't do that? I'd like to pull
> a 3,000 lb. trailer, but it has a tongue weight of 394 pounds. The Taco
> max tongue weight is 350, so I'd like to use an equalizer hitch to stay
> under this limit. But the manual also says equalizer hitches should be
> avoided.....you see my dilemma. Thanks for any help.[/color]

No idea. I'll check into it. I'd be looking at Trailer Life and the TL
forums.

"R.W. Behan" <rwbehanNOSPAM@rockisland.com> wrote in message
news:H9OdnQLGobYoR4XZRVn-gw@rockisland.com...[color=blue]
> Jeff--
> Sorry about the HTML post. I know better, but slipped up.
>
> Actually, I have no hitch at all yet. And the trailer is a TrailManor
> camping trailer, so redistributing the weight--certainly a good thought on
> your part--isn't really an option. (Other than moving the can goods aft,
> or some such.)
>
> I'll look into the Class 3 hitch you suggest. But do you know, after all,
> why Toyota discourages weight-equalizing hitches?
>
> Thanks a million.
>
> Dick
>
>
> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlr@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:zYSdncr9L_yNWYXZRVn-qQ@ez2.net...[color=green]
>> 1.) Stop posting in HTML. Text Only message boards get all screwed up by
>> HTML.
>>
>> 2.) If you have a gross trailer weight that is within the limits, but the
>> tongue is heavy, why not just shift the load a bit so the weight goes to
>> the rear?
>>
>> I suspect you are trying to tow from the bumper or the factory hitch, and
>> you can get around the weight limits these two impose ou you. You have a
>> Class 1 or Class 2 hitch, the Class 3 should do the trick. I'd roll the
>> load a few inches towards the rear before I traded up on the hitch.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "R.W. Behan" <rwbehanNOSPAM@rockisland.com> wrote in message
>> news:H5OdndzGU-0HXIXZRVn-ug@rockisland.com...
>> The owner's manual for my 2000 Taco 4WD V6 suggests NOT using equalizer
>> hitches for towing. Anyone know why you can't do that? I'd like to pull
>> a 3,000 lb. trailer, but it has a tongue weight of 394 pounds. The Taco
>> max tongue weight is 350, so I'd like to use an equalizer hitch to stay
>> under this limit. But the manual also says equalizer hitches should be
>> avoided.....you see my dilemma. Thanks for any help.[/color]
>
>[/color]

R.W. Behan wrote:[color=blue]
> The owner's manual for my 2000 Taco 4WD V6 suggests NOT using equalizer
> hitches for towing. Anyone know why you can't do that? I'd like to
> pull a 3,000 lb. trailer, but it has a tongue weight of 394 pounds. The
> Taco max tongue weight is 350, so I'd like to use an equalizer hitch to
> stay under this limit. But the manual also says equalizer hitches
> should be avoided.....you see my dilemma. Thanks for any help.[/color]
Weight distributing hitches, a.k.a. equalizer hitches*, pull down on
some of the attachments of the hitch receiver as they lever up the
back of the truck. If the truck's frame isn't make for this load,
the hitch might pull loose.

All that said, here's the Draw-tite/Reese/HiddenHitch brands info
for your truck where they list their receiver for a 5500# trailer if
a weight distributing hitch is used (but I would't tow that much
trailer with a taco...I feel that's a real-world max for a Tundra).
[url]http://www.draw-tite.com/fitguides/fitguides/hitch_moreinfo.asp?vid=2260&year=2000[/url]

*not to be confused with the excellent "Equal-i-zer" brand hitch
which combines weight distribution and sway damping.


Ken

Hey, Ken, thanks a lot. Your advice about staying under--WAY under--the
5500 lb. limit is well taken. As I said, I'm looking to tow a trailer of
about 3,000 lbs. And I don't really need to lighten the tongue load very
much--only about 50 lbs. or less. Thanks again. Dick B.


"Ken Shelton" <shelton@cablespeed.com> wrote in message
news:ueydnecl-JG9SLvZnZ2dnUVZ_sidnZ2d@cablespeedwa.com...[color=blue]
> R.W. Behan wrote:[color=green]
>> The owner's manual for my 2000 Taco 4WD V6 suggests NOT using equalizer
>> hitches for towing. Anyone know why you can't do that? I'd like to pull
>> a 3,000 lb. trailer, but it has a tongue weight of 394 pounds. The Taco
>> max tongue weight is 350, so I'd like to use an equalizer hitch to stay
>> under this limit. But the manual also says equalizer hitches should be
>> avoided.....you see my dilemma. Thanks for any help.[/color]
> Weight distributing hitches, a.k.a. equalizer hitches*, pull down on some
> of the attachments of the hitch receiver as they lever up the back of the
> truck. If the truck's frame isn't make for this load, the hitch might
> pull loose.
>
> All that said, here's the Draw-tite/Reese/HiddenHitch brands info for your
> truck where they list their receiver for a 5500# trailer if a weight
> distributing hitch is used (but I would't tow that much trailer with a
> taco...I feel that's a real-world max for a Tundra).
> [url]http://www.draw-tite.com/fitguides/fitguides/hitch_moreinfo.asp?vid=2260&year=2000[/url]
>
> *not to be confused with the excellent "Equal-i-zer" brand hitch which
> combines weight distribution and sway damping.
>
>
> Ken[/color]