etrailer | Setting up the Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver on a 2018 Toyota RAV4

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Full transcript: https://www.etrailer.com/tv-install-t...
Speaker 1: Today on our 2018 Toyota Rav 4 we're going to take a look at, and show you how to install the Draw-Tite Max Frame Custom Fit Class 3 Trailer Hitch Receiver, offering the 2 inch by 2 inch receiver tube opening. It's part number is 75235. Here's what your hitch is going to look like installed. We've got our side plates and the round tube that's going to come over to the receiver tube opening. Now the opening itself is going to be 2 inch by 2 inch. It's a Class 3 hitch, which is going to make it very, very versatile.

Works out with a lot of bike racks, cargo carriers, ball mounts, just about any type of hitch accessory they make probably comes in a Class 3 variety.You see on the side of the receiver tube you're going to have two holes. The larger one, located closer to the front of the vehicle is the one you'll want to use to secure any of your items in place. You want to pick Class 3 accessories to do that with, but whether you use a pin and clip, locking hitch pin or anti-rattle device, you really shouldn't have any issues. You can see here, the smaller hole's for use with the J pin stabilization system, which is a form of anti-rattle device. We've got our safety chain connection points here.

It's a plate steel style, good large opening, so any size chain, you won't have a problem getting that connected, and something I like on this hitch that you don't see on other manufactures' hitches is this bracket here, designed to attach wiring to, so if you plan on having 4 or 7 pull wiring on the back of the vehicle, that can provide a really nice attachment point for you.Now the hitch is going to be really easy to get to on the back side of the vehicle. You can see it's out here far enough so we can get to the pin hole and everything pretty easily, but it's not so far out that it's going to extend past the end of the bumper. We really shouldn't have to worry about running into it. As far as weight ratings go on the hitch, we've got a 675 pound tongue weight rating. That's a maximum downward force we can put there at our receiver tube opening.

We've got a 4,500 pound gross trailer weight rating, so that would be the total weight of your trailer and anything you we're to load up on it. You definitely want to check your owner's manual to see what the Rav 4 is rated for, and not exceed that. The hitch is also rated for use with weight distribution, but the weight ratings won't change.Now a couple measurements you'll find important when selecting ball mounts, bike racks or hitch cargo carriers will be from the ground to the inside top edge of the receiver tube opening. We've got right at 13 inches. With it being around that 13 inch mark, not a bad idea to choose accessories that have a rise in the shank, just to give you a little better ground clearance.

Then, from the center of our hitch pin hole to the outer most edge of our bumper, it's about 3 1/4.Now depending on the model of Rav 4 you have, that's going to kind of determine how you're going to start your installation. On the driver's side, sometimes there's going to be a cover right here. If you have that, you're going to take out 2 push pin fasteners that will be attached here, and one little plastic nut that threads up on the stud. If you don't have it, you can proceed to moving either the tie down hook that should be held in place with these 2 bolts, or if that doesn't exist, just to remove the 2 bolts we use a 17 millimeter socket.Now over on the passenger side, you want to follow your exhaust tip up just a little bit and you'll see this rubber hanger right here. We're going to get that removed. That's going to give us some space to get in there and get our bolts and hardware attached. To do that we're going to use a little bit of spray lubricant, and then if you grab the bottom of it with a large screwdriver or a pry bar, it should slide off there for you. All right, see that's just going to come down a little bit. We've got an attachment point right there, right there, going to hit those with a little bit of spray lubricant. We can clean them out. Now to get these cleaned out, I'm using a nylon tube brush. If you don't one at home, part number is 814092, and once we have that one cleaned out, we'll clean out the 2 that we have remaining on this side, and the 2 on the other side.Next we'll remove the little bar, located right here. You're going to have 2 bolts right up here to take out. You use a 12 millimeter sock