Some Toyota RAV4 car owners need to attach a trailer to their car for transporting goods or traveling. To be able to hitch the van to the car, it must be equipped at the rear with a towing hitch, which is called a tow bar. What is a towbar and how it can be installed on a Toyota RAV 4 will be discussed below.
The towbar is a ball-type towing hitch that is designed to couple a trailer to a car. Installing it helps to solve the following issues:
Fast, safe and convenient connection of the trailer and the vehicle, which turns them into one movable structure.
Control of electronics, brake system and other trailer mechanisms from inside the car.
Competent distribution of the trailer load - this is due to the fact that the towbar is mounted on the car, screwing it directly to the body
The towing hitch looks simple - its design consists of the following elements:
mounting frame;
hook for coupling;
ball for connection;
wiring for the trailer electronics.
There are several types of towbars - it can be stationary, removable or folding. Driving with such a device without a trailer can become a source of serious problems: in the event of a collision in the rear, not the bumper, but the body will take over the entire load. Therefore, experienced drivers recommend buying a detachable or folding type towing coupler.
Electrical component
The hitch usually makes it possible to connect the electrical equipment of the trailer to the vehicle's on-board electrical system. This means that from the passenger compartment you can control the turn signals, dimensions, license plate lighting, etc.
The trailer is connected to the electrical system of the vehicle through a special socket. There are two types of such outlets:
for seven contacts;
for thirteen contacts
The design of the Toyota RAV4 towbar is attached to the vehicle using a special platform on which a socket is located, which has several connectors
В The second type is used to connect a residential type trailer - additional contacts are needed to turn on the refrigerator, recharge the battery, etc. If you want to combine a plug and socket of different types, use special adapters for towbars. To simplify the task of soldering wires, each of them has a different color - this helps to distinguish them from each other and not to be confused when connecting.
Toyota RAV4 vehicles use thirteen pins for connecting a trailer - this is their purpose:
Rear fog lamp.
Right turn signal.
Left turn signal.
12 volt battery output.
12 volt ignition output.
Reverse gear.
Signal.
Stop lights.
Pendants numbers and dimensions on the left.
Pendants numbers and dimensions on the right.
Earth.
Earth.
Contact ground.
The hitch is not included in the standard Toyota rav4, which means that the choice of this device and its installation is entirely up to you
Choosing a hitch
Toyota RAV4 vehicles do not have a towing device as standard. Apparently, the manufacturer allows the owners to decide for themselves whether they need it. Therefore, if you decide to use a trailer for Toyota, first take care of buying and installing a towbar.
You can choose and buy a trailer hitch in a regular spare parts store, in the car market or order it on the Internet - today many sites sell parts and accessories for cars of any brands.
First of all, you need to find out which type of towing device is suitable for the Toyota RAV 4. It is important not to be mistaken here, since the industry produces a huge number of different products of this type, each of which takes into account the design features of a particular Toyota model.
If you are not confident in your ability to correctly determine the suitability of a particular type of TSR, you should not order it online. In this case, it is better to drive up to an auto parts store, show it to a consultant and ask them to choose the right device.
Before buying, you can monitor this issue on the Internet and read reviews of motorists about different types and brands of coupling mechanisms. This will help you identify the manufacturers with the most solid reputations and not get trashed by choosing a low-quality option.
Some car owners believe that a towbar is needed to protect the vehicle in the event of an emergency.
Do not get carried away with low prices and choose products from unknown manufacturers. As you know, free cheese is only in a mousetrap. A cheap product is likely to bring you a lot of unpleasant surprises and make you regret your decision to save money more than once..
The best solution would be to buy certified products from a well-known manufacturer - this will save you from unpleasant surprises.
Installing the towbar on the car
There is great news for everyone who wants to install a towbar - Toyota RAV 4 allows you to do this without additional time-consuming manipulations:
you do not need to remove the bumper;
you do not need to cut a hole in the bumper for the hitch;
you do not need to drill additional holes - all fasteners are installed in standard holes provided by the manufacturer.
Responsibly approach the choice of the presented device, since not only the further use of the car may depend on your choice
The work will take you about two and a half hours. It is recommended to invite an assistant, as it will not be possible to complete it alone. Before installing, lubricate the mounting holes with graphite grease so that you can remove the tow bar at any time when the need arises.
It is recommended to carry out the work on installing the towbar on the Toyota RAV 4 as follows:
First, open the package and check the package contents - it includes the device itself, mounting parts and power accessories.
Read the instructions carefully and make sure you understand everything. It happens that the package contains no instructions in your language - it's okay, if you don't understand English, try using diagrams and illustrations. Most likely they will be clear to you.
Assemble the structure according to the instructions.
On the rear of the Toyota RAV 4 under the bumper on the right, remove the towing eyelet.
Clean both mounting holes from dust and dirt.
Lift the mounting frame with two people and place it over the mounting holes.
Insert the fixing bolts into the holes and tighten them securely.
Using the instructions, assemble the outlet.
The wiring can be routed through the rubber plugs provided by the manufacturer, or through the ventilation holes.
Fasten the socket to the frame.
Install the towing hook
In the process, make sure that all wire connections are insulated and secure the wires themselves with special clamps. At this point, consider the installation of the towing hitch complete.
Hitching to the trailer looks like this: you need to lift the hitch handle until it clicks and bring the connecting socket to the hitch ball of the tow bar. Aligning them, lower the handle down and push it down until you hear a click. Check the reliability of the connection, and before the trip, check the operation of the electrical equipment of the trailer - it must obey your commands from the inside of the car.
Smart Connect
Finally, it remains to say a few words about one important detail - the matching unit or smart connection. The fact is that connecting a trailer with its on-board electrical equipment can mislead the automatic control service of the Toyota RAV 4 on-board electrical system.
The inclusion of extraneous freelance devices leads to increased power consumption, which is instantly recorded by the on-board computer. The control service perceives unauthorized consumption of electricity as an emergency and makes an emergency shutdown of the on-board power supply.
To solve this problem, a special matching unit is installed, which helps to "make friends" between the on-board computer and the electrical equipment of the trailer. Installing a matching unit in the network solves a number of the following issues:
• ensures the correct operation of the on-board computer and automatic controllers;
• protects the network from voltage surges;
• eliminates the possibility of malfunctions in the operation of the car's electrical equipment.
The smart connect is responsible for the competent distribution of the load - it determines which branch should be enabled at the moment.
The modern industry offers a wide range of matching blocks for any Toyota model - you can find such a product in an auto parts store or on the website of an online store of the corresponding profile. Some motorists, who have the relevant skills and knowledge in the field of electrical engineering, assemble smart connections with their own hands - they are in no way inferior in their characteristics to factory ones. If you feel the talent of an electronics engineer - go for it! On the Internet, you can easily find many ready-made schemes, developed by experts and already tested.
Conclusion
The manufacturers of the Toyota RAV 4 2014 have provided for the installation of a towing hitch - so you do not have to spend time and effort on dismantling and trimming the bumper, drilling mounting holes, etc. Follow the instructions, be careful and two and a half hours of work will definitely be crowned with success - installing the towbar will not cause you any difficulties.
