etrailer.com Trailer Hitch Installation - 2014 Toyota Sienna e98837

Click for more info and reviews of this etrailer Trailer Hitch:
www.etrailer.c...
www.etrailer.com
Don’t forget to subscribe!
/ etrailertv
Full transcript: www.etrailer.c...
Ryan: Hey, everybody. Ryan here at etrailer.com. Today we have the etrailer hitch installed on the Toyota Sienna. Now even though the hitch itself is visible, it's going to be tucked far enough back to where it's not really going to cause an appearance issue. Although, since it does sit a little bit down further, we will lose a little bit of ground clearance, so keep that in mind if you're going up or down a steep driveway.Now one of my favorite things about this hitch is how versatile it is. Compared to some of the other ones on the market, it's going to be able to handle more weight.
It's not only going to work well for your accessories, things like a cargo carrier, but it's also going to good for towing.This is a Class 3 hitch, so it's going to have that 2" by 2" receiver tube opening and a reinforced collar for extra strength. Now it is going to utilize that standard size 5/8 pin, which if you need one of these, you can pick one up on etrailer.com. It's also going to have a plate-style safety chain loop which offers enough room to use just about any size hook. This hitch does have a maximum tongue weight rating of 350 pounds. That's going to be the amount of weight pushing down on our receiver tube opening.
It has a maximum gross trailer weight rating of 3,500 pounds. That's going to be the amount of weight pulling on our hitch. That's going to be the weight of your trailer plus anything you might have on it.Now this hitch can be used with a weight distribution system, and our capacities do increase. Our maximum tongue weight rating goes to 500 pounds and our maximum gross trailer weight rating goes to 5,000 pounds. However, it's a good idea to check with your Toyota's owner's manual to make sure your Sienna can pull that much weight.Another thing I really like about the etrailer hitch is that it has a matte black carbide finish, so it's going to hold up to the elements really well and it's also going to be much more scratch-resistant.Now I'm going to give you a couple of measurements.
You're going to use these when deciding which hitch-mounted accessories to use. From the ground to the top inside edge of the receiver tube opening is about 11-3/4". You're going to use that measurement when determining to get a ball mount with either a rise or a drop. From the center of the hitch pin hole to the edge of the rear bumper is about 5". You're going to use that measurement when figuring out if any folding accessories you might have can be stored in the upright position without contacting the bumper.
Now that we've gone over some of the features, let's show you how to get it installed.To begin our install, we're going to need to remove this plastic splash guard. Now there's going to be a few different style fasteners holding it in place. We're going to go ahead and remove these ones first. There's going to be eight of these white push-pin-style fasteners all along the front edge of the splash guard. To get them out, you can use a trim panel removal tool like this, or even a flat head screwdriver can do the trick as well. Just pry underneath the white head of it, pull down, and then it'll pop right out.Now here towards the bumper there's going to be five 10mm screws that we're going to need to remove. Now finally, there's going to be four fasteners like this. The best way to get these out is with a Phillips head screwdriver. They can be kind of tricky sometimes, so what I found that works good is to, while you're spinning it, actually put some light pressure pulling down on the splash guard, and it'll pop free like that. Once you have it removed, you can just set it off to the side for now.We're going to need to lower our exhaust down, but before we do that, I like to use a strap. Then I put it on each spring on side of our van and tighten it up a little bit. That way, when we do lower the exhaust, it can be controlled and won't fall down on us. To lower it, we're going to have to remove three rubber isolators just like this. One here by the tailpipe and one right here, as well as right here. Now the trick I like to use is to use some spray lubricant and soak the rubber isolator down. That way, it makes it a little easier to pry off. I'm just going to use a pry bar and get it off just like that. I'm going to go ahead and do that for the two remaining hangers.Now here on the frame rail we're going to have one rubber plug and three black stickers. We're going to need to remove those. To get the plug out, you just take a flat head or a trim panel tool, just pop it on out. Now the stickers you can just scrape away with the flat head. Now the other side is exactly the same,