Hi,... do you really need to buy this valiance with the cut out for a trailer hitch or are there trailer hitches for the FJ that sit under the rear bumper for towing light landscaper trailer? Thanks.
There are other options for aftermarket receiver hitches. I installed a Curt on my FJ. I like it very much. The receiver is below the level of the bumper and no bumper valence change is required to install it.
Just make sure you get the factory trailer wiring harness as that is much easier to install.
as said above, yes you can, but it all seems to cost the same either way you go. and removing the bumper is not that bad, it's the torque of the bolts when installing the receiver that gets scary.. 70lb/ft seems good the 80lb/ft is overkill for the thread pitch, but got all of them to 80.
It's not clear exactly what you are asking here ... the OEM Toyota hitch kit comes WITH a replacement valance with the clearance cutout for the hitch.
There are even two different versions of the hitch kit, the "standard" one with the silver valance, and the Trail Teams version with the black valance. Price is the same ...
Sold separately is the hitch wiring harness kit, which is the cleanest and safest way to add trailer wiring. It just plugs into existing (capped) connectors on the vehicle's wiring harness.
I think the OEM hitch is superior to aftermarket hitches on multiple fronts: much lighter weight, doesn't reduce rear approach angle, not as likely to get damaged when off-roading, etc.
You should try Hitchweb. They have a lot of options for FJ Cruisers. I'm sure they will have something for you. Here is the link if you wanted to have a look: Toyota FJ Cruiser
When I bought mine, it was on sale.
I think they have 3 different brands. Two of them are basically the same (I forgot which one I got)
Hardest part was removing the factory bolt for the tow hook. It was definitely cross threaded in there. One came out like butter, the other took some serious effort and a very long pipe attached to the breaker bar to get it completely out.
Thanks everyone... great info. My 2010 FJ has the silver solid valance and I want to switch out for the trail team valance with hitch notch insert... are there any step by step instructions for this? Or should I simply buy a new OEM bumper that has the valance with hitch notch already there?? From the above info, I have decided to go with OEM valance with hitch notch just not sure how hard it is to swap out one valance for the other. Truely appreciate all the help, this is my first FJ bought last May so I am just starting to improve what it didn't come with.
oem hitch kit comes with a valance silver or black your choice, its fairly easy after that instructions are included in it when you buy oem harness kit., and no you dont need to buy a new bumper
Except the harness kit is far more than "an 18" wire".
In addition to the cable, you get:
1. A sophisticated solid-state overcurrent protection module that plugs into the vehicle wiring harness under the dash in the driver's side footwell. This protects the FJ's wiring harness from any type of short-circuit in the trailer wiring.
2. A relay that plugs into the engine bay fuse block;
3. A pair of 15A fuses.
Yes it's expensive, but it's by far the cleanest and electrically "connect" way to connect the trailer wiring into the FJ's electrical system. All the aftermarket kits tap into the wiring system using the crude crimp connectors that cut through the insulation on the individual wires to the tail lamps. To me, there's absolutely no comparison.
See the OEM installation instructions here, which also shows all the individual parts contained in the hitch harness kit:
The OEM hitch looks wimpy as hell. I just replaced my Demello hitch that bolts to the Demello rear bumper with a drawtight 75461. The Demello couldn't handle a 3700lb trailer.
The OEM is a chunk of metal smaller than the Demello hitch. There is no way that OEM hitch lasts when dealing with loads close to the FJ's max. The drawtight 75461 is beefy and fits snug up to the fjS body.
i absolutely agree with FJ test, in terms of the quality/ design of oem hitch,
it mounts directly to the frame cross member and is by far the cleanest install and way more robust than anything aftermarket out there.
just my 2 cents worth!!
I have the OEM hitch. It honestly doesn't look extremely beefy, but I've hung some weight back there and it handled it without complaint. I towed a small SUV on the back of a uhaul car hauler.... and I went over a few mountain passes with it. The FJ handled it all very well.
just buy the hitch kit with the silver valence and strip the paint. the black underneath the ugly silver is the exact same texture and color and everything as the stock TT oem bumper. i went through this a few months ago. aircraft brand paint remover.
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