malhokc

There are no modifications due to the the positions of the bolts. It's only a 1-2 inches out. It looks fine to me.

sayadil

so the final pic is like this.. Uhaul hitch installed with all the wiring comes to $420 (CAD) and Lexus if installed by dealer would cost me $650+15% Tax = $750 (approx) . The hitch as seen from the pics is no diff then uhaul hitch.. both r class III hitches and stick out around the same. i have decided to go with the Uhaul one.
the only other thing which is bothering me is that my lex is at 70k miles now.. wondering if towing is gonna give me engine problems.. ? any thoughts.

CVsIS250

Makes sense to me too.

CV

trebien

I concur... escpecially for the heavy loads this vehicle can tow.

FYI - My hitch came on it from the factory, not dealer-installed... looks like the pic on the right. I like the way the wiring connector bolts to the bottom of it on the left side. I also like the fact that it bolts to the frame rails with 4 bolts per side, and another 4 bolts right in the middle. Something else to consider... make sure if you go aftermarket, to get a Class 4 hitch. Technically, class 3 hitches are rated to 5000 pounds, less than the GX capacity.

malhokc

70K on a lexus is not much milage. As long as you've maintained your vehichle, this should not be a concern.

Capirato

Trebien.....

To my knowledge, all of the aftermarket hitches DO NOT have the four bolts in the center, just the ones on the sides.

I have a Curt Hitch on my GX. I took the truck to a welding shop and had the center of the hitch welded to the frame. I feel a lot better now, knowing that the tongue weight can be considerably more than before, plus the overall strength of the hitch is greater.

~ Cap

loflin

Sayadil, I don't believe you ever told us what your towing (or how much it weighs).

If you are towing over 3500lbs, you should not go with the aftermarket (unless you have it welded like Cap did).

BobsGX

[QUOTE=Capirato]Trebien.....

To my knowledge, all of the aftermarket hitches DO NOT have the four bolts in the center, just the ones on the sides.

This is true, thats why the Lexus hitch has a tow rating of 6,500 lbs. The others have a 5,000 lb rating. But if what you intend to tow weighs less than 5,000 lbs, the get the cheaper hitch. I didn't even consider the cheaper hitch and got the official Lexus 6,500 lb hitch.

sayadil

well i'm only planing to tow a 2 bedroom RV trailer... its prolly not more then 3000 pounds.... and i think thats the most i will ever tow..

I don't mind spending 300 or even 1000 more on something as long i think its gonna make an impact. I saw the Hitch at lexus n uhaul... and they look pretty much the same. The weight difference can be covered by just going CLASS IV Uhaul hitch... I mean One thing i liked about Uhaul is that they provide lifetime warranty on parts as well as labor... the warranty is so good.. that if the car gets into an accident (for any reason) and towing equip is damaged.. they will still replace it free of cost.. so seems like they know what they r doing... plus one thing my friend told me.. that lot of dealers send cars to places like uhaul to install hitches and customer thinks they r done at the dealership. I'm sure Uhaul knows more about towing then lexus.. so thats prolly the reason i'm gonna stick with uhaul.. i knew both would be ok for towing but was concerned about the looks and how much a hitch is gonna stick out.. i found out. both stick out the same.. so it doesn't matter...

trebien

Just to be clear - my GX470 came with a hitch from the factory, from Lexus. Not an aftermarket hitch. Therefore, having the 4 extra bolts in the middle and my additional comfort factor. I couldn't tell if you were agreeing and supporting my statement, or thought I was saying I had an aftermarket hitch with 4 extra bolts.

Also, the oem Lexus hitch is designed for weight-distributing connections... something to be considered for bigger loads like RV trailers. For something small or compact like a boat, I wouldn't worry about it as much.

Capirato

Trebien.....

I know that you don't have an aftermarket hitch. Although, the aftermarket hitches, do look like yours, but without the bracket for the four bolts in the center which raises the hitch rating to 6500 lbs.

~ Cap

SilverLady

As far as I could tell when ordering my 06GX470, the hitches are not actually added at the factory. The towing prep is welded and a factory item, but the hitch itself would be a "port" item added after the vehicle came in if not at the dealer. The same was true for the scoop on the back.

I believe when I did the lexus.com design the hitch was only available as a dealer item.

I would be curious if this was true for all ordering areas in the country or whether hitches actually are added in Japan at the factory itself.

malhokc

Attached is another view of the aftermarket hitch.

CVsIS250

sayadil...damn i wish i would have taken a picture, but my hitch (which was on the car when I got if from the dealer looks like as Silverlady explained. There is no notch cut out of the bumper but instead it looks like the picture on the right. It is from Lexus so maybe that is how they are doing now???

CV

CVsIS250

THANKS!! THIS is what mine looks like but mine isn't aftermarket. Unless you are describing aftermarket as put on by the dealer.

CV