Capirato

I just bought an RX 350 AWD for my daughter, which has the Trailer Package. Was wondering if anyone has attepted to do the installation of the traler hitch themselves or had someone like U-Haul do the installation ??
U-Haul sells the Curt and the Reese Hitches.
Also, does anyone know what the Dealer charges ??

~ Cap

mac12

Do the search for trailer hitches as there have been several threads on the subject. I installed the Curt hitch on mine and am well pleased with it. I'm sure the 2010's and the 2013's take the same hitch. The dealer installed one would be pretty expensive. You can order the Curt from places like e-hitches. com., ebay, etc. A local body shop would probably install for a reasonable price. It took me about an hour to install mine in my garage. Good luck.

Capirato

Mac, I've ordered a Curt Hitch from AutoAnything and am wondering what else I will need besides the hitch itself ??

~ Cap

HWDRX

dealer is $1500 you could do it yourself if your good with tools. Its not really hard at all

joeh80

I installed the Curt in about an hour on my 2012. Search for the guy on here that has a video of the whole project. Very helpful. You will also need the wiring harness. It plugs into the pigtail in the rear that is on the RX's with the towing package. You will also need a drawbar and the correct size ball for the trailer.

Capirato

Thanks Joe.....

I will have to look into the wiring harness you mentioned. Did you get yours from Curt ??

~ Cap

joeh80

I got it from the same company I ordered the hitch from. I don't remember who it was. Ebay I think. The harness is made by Curt. It is about 3 foot long and should match up to the plug on your trailer. Most are a flat black inch wide plug with four wires for your brake lights, running lights, license light, and turn signals. About 25 dollars. The lights are very important if hauling at night or if you have a tall load that hides the lights on your RX.

Capirato

Thanks Joe for your detailed description. I found the Curt 56083 T-Connector at Amazon.com. Price was $17.43

~ Cap

Capirato

Joe, here is the video you mentioned.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ll-videos.html


~ Cap

MrTowDog

I installed the curt http://www.hitchweb.com/product/88/1...s-RX350-RX450h
Seemed like a way easier install then the hidden hitch and I was right - it just bolted right on. The site (www.hitchweb.com) I bought it on had a great offer for a towing starter kit #80555 which had the ballmount/pin&clip/ball and the only other thing i needed was the wiring which i recall were two seperate parts depending on if my vehicle had a tow package or not. Check out their site and use their search - it will tell you which trailer harness to use.

I recommend saving a buck or two and just doing it yourself Good Luck!

onefastdoc

Do it yourself. I bought the Curt and it took about an hour to install. Very easy to do.

Tos

I just completed the installation of my Curt Trailer Hitch (Model 13541) with the help of my 6 year old and 8 year old grandsons. It took just over an hour with letting the boys back out the fasteners after I got each of them started. The only thing that I found different from previous posts is that the side panel of the plastic has been modified by Lexus and no longer needs to be cut as instructed. Also, the recommended 4.5" wide cut to make room for the receiver was too big for my taste and requires only a 3" width. It's a better looking and much tighter fit. I appreciate the previous posts showing the ease of installation. Saved me over $1000 and gave me a great Friday with my grandsons.

mac12

Congratulations on the new hitch. I just completed my second installation about a month ago on my 2013 RX. They are nice hitches and are all I will ever need to pull my two wheel trailer with a mower or golf cart. My last one was a lot cheaper priced than the first one, although they are the same hitch.

alexw1003

After you installed the hitch, are you able to put that plastic cover back on original place? Thanks!

Tos

Yes, I did replace it, but had to make a small cutout to accomodate the hitch. Instructions came with the hitch on where to cut. I made my cut much smaller than the instructions by taking a quick measurement. I used my Dremel to make the cut. Looks great and you can't tell it was modified.