Inverted hitch

Johnny

Simple answer is you can do it! However, you must have the correctly rated tongue.

Google Toyota Towing Tongues and search the images and you will find examples of tongues that can and cant be used in both orientations.

You need to make sure that yours is one that can - or change it to one that can.

Cheers

Anthony

Hi Johnnykluger

We we purchased our Ultimate camper, I wanted an inverted hitch and to have it extended by 50mm so we could open the rear door fully on our Prado.

The simple answer was a 50mm, inverted hitch by Hayman Reese.


Cheers



Stephen

Johnnykluger - All the towing information you need, is in the Toyota Towing Guide.

Page 6 explains how some Toyota towbar tongues can be inverted, and some can't.

The reason why some Toyota towbar tongues can't be inverted, is because it alters the tow hitch position, to the point where the load rating may be affected adversely.

Toyota Towing Guide

Cheers, Ron.

It comes down to design. Alot of Toyota hitches are welded at 45 degrees to vertical. You should not invert these, but the ones like the photo above, welded to the square on a vertical orientation are ok to invert.

You can do anything you like, but if it causes an injury be prepaired to spend time in prison.
There are 2 sets of specs for hilux. The SR5 has a fancy rear step which requires a bar with the ball further away from the mounting holes. The SR it is ok to invert the tongue with reduced capacity, the SR5 you cant, so changing the tongue without engineering approval leaves you leagally liable. The legal specs are clearly printed on the lable and refers to the entire bar and mounting design, not just the tongue.

Yes many people just do it ignorantly and mostly get away with it, the specs are to cope with max weights so lighter trailers wont be a problem but without that piece of metal with it stamped on it any change is illegal. Have any sort of accident that is investigated it will be looked at especially by the insurance companies.

Phrase that comes to mind....

INVOLANTARY MANSLAUGHTER.

If it is an angle welded one as dozer mentioned, inverting them makes the top weld near the bend to become directly in tension and that is also where the tongue will flex slightly. After heavy load and many flex cycles, the weld will start to crack and the tongue may leave the square tube. Not recmmended.

Hi
Makes me laugh how Toyota have missed there target for awhile now .

SR5 leather interior and 10 speakers over practical capacity .
This is not Toyota Japan its Toyota OZZY making bringing in these low spec vehicles .

Then again terrorists donot tow vans or plumbing equipment .

""Can it carry a f```n huge gun . "" is whats important here .

Delivered from the factory on a 100 series cruiser, same load rating either way up. Also have a factory Nissan bar that the official rating drops about 100kg when inverted, so no hard rule on its ok or not.