Rx350 Trailer Hitch Facts

[GDixon]

The Lexus trailer hitch from Toyota arrived for my 08 RX350. The description on the box is "Lexus RX330 RC Hitch '04 3500". It also fits the RX400h but the two plastic skirts on the sides of the rear bumper have to be removed.

Part # is: PT228-48045. It was about $280 with shipping from Lexus of Roseville where the car was purchased (they have a store on eBay).

It does not work with "active cruise control" for some reason.

If you don't have a towing package then an electrical converter is necessary - P/N 82670-48050.

The attachment is with 13 bolts and one nut. The rear towing hooks on both sides have to be removed first.

The wiring harness is permanently attached to the hitch and is integral to its operation. It apparently cannot be purchased separately for use with a hitch from an independent company.

In order to access the car's existing towing package wiring hook-up, the entire back floor of the luggage compartment has to be removed. That is the tray with the jack in it and the storage tray that opens with the two push buttons at the far rear of the interior. Then a grommet is popped out to the back of the driver's side rear wheel and replaced with a new included grommet that the hitch wiring goes through. The attachment is very near the grommet.

This is all from reading the directions. I'll post again after the install if anyone is interested and any shortcuts are found.

[GDixon]

OK, the hitch is installed. The hitch itself took an hour, accessing the electrical plug-in took two hours. How Lexus can charge $400+ for just the install labor is beyond me. This was the first time for me and it took extra time to assemble the correct tools and scratch my head a few times. It could probably be done in 2/3 of the time for someone experienced.

Tools necessary for installing the hitch to the frame:

14 mm socket

15 mm socket

6" socket extension

air impact wrench makes it easier, a regular 1/2 socket wrench would do and is definitely necessary for 4 bolts.

torque wrench to handle 37 ft-lbs or torque could be guessed

Tools for the rear floor removal:

a panel removal tool or something that will remove black plastic body clips (plugs), a small stiff putty knife works fine.

12 mm deep and shallow socket (a magnetic insert is HIGHLY recommended)

6" socket extension

3/8" in socket wrench (a 3/8" air socket wrench speeds things up)

The hitch/frame install is straight forward. After removing the tow hooks, there is a brace to install on the driver's side and one for the passenger's side - 4 bolts total. The mounting holes on the car are plugged with rubber grommets. Removing them exposes the welded and threaded backing nuts. The holes line up perfectly and just wrench the remaining 9 bolts through the hitch and into the frame or brace. There is also a 15mm nut. I jacked up the rear to gain better access and used a jack stand to steady one end of the hitch while the other was secured by one barely started bolt to hold it in place. Then the other end got a bolt and the rest was easy. Then the wiring harness can be untaped and clipped on to little mounting brackets on the hitch. Pull the obvious large rubber body grommet and the grommet on the wiring harness goes in its place. The grommet is flexible and is easily installed. The easy part is done.

The interior rear floor removal is necessary. There are no shortcuts. All of this needs to be done just to remove the little tray on the driver's side to gain access to the electrical plug in. "Front" is front of the car, "rear" is rear of the car. The tray with the jack in it comes out with the removal of two black plastic body clips on the rear part of the tray. The tray lifts up and to the rear and that is it for that one. The jack door is left on and the contents of the jack tray can be left as they are.

The hinges for the rearmost two tray access doors are held on by four nuts that are exposed when the jack tray is removed. A 12 mm deep socket is needed for those front four nuts. Then the rear of the hinges are held on by six 12 mm bolts that are hard to access and the rear tray has to be flexed a bit to get to them. Don't worry at this point if one is dropped - it will be found when the tray is removed. There are some more black clips on both sides of the tray and then it can be lifted out.

A couple of more clips allow the very rear panel that has the tray opening buttons in it to be pulled up. It is secured with several non-accessible white clips that can't be seen but comes out easily.

Finally the small tray on the driver's side that is really why all the rest of the floor has to be taken out can be removed. It is held in place by a couple of black clips and a strange threaded plastic nut in a depression on the bottom of the tray. Don't forget to un-Velcro the interior gas door release.

There is only one place to plug in the wiring harness and the length of the wire from the grommet makes it obvious. Taping the hitch wire to the body harness is advised so you don't have to do this twice in case it comes loose somehow. Of course, test the trailer plug-in now to make sure it works. Lights, LT, RT, brake, and emergency lights. Some of this testing is redundant but it pays to do it anyway.

Re-installation is the reverse of removal.

EXCEPT: Don't forget to get the gas door release out from behind the little final tray when it is put back in.

AND: The six 12 mm bolts for the rear tray's doors are a real pain. Access is limited, they are hard to start in their holes, and dropping one can cause it to roll under the rear tray and then the tray has to be removed again to get the bolt. Luckily, I had a magnetic socket insert than held the bolt so it could be started by hand. Some wide masking tape can be used to close the three gaps where the bolts might fall through. Another trick might be to put the bolts through the hinge first and then lower the door/hinge to just above the holes and use the 12 mm socket w/extension to get them started. Just start all six bolts first in case one is dropped under the tray. Then they can all be tightened after they are all started.

Hope this helps someone. Pictures were considered but they would not have been any more help than the drawings that came with the hitch installation instructions.

[GDixon]

Alright!!

Here is a copy of the actual hitch installation instructions in *.pdf form.

Lexu*BLEEP*ch.pdf

[krisv]

Alright!!

Here is a copy of the actual hitch installation instructions in *.pdf form.

GDixon - is this an OEM Toyota/Lexus product. I've been trying to find a picture of a factory installed hitch for the RX350 and have been unsuccessful. I am really interested in how the hitch fits around the tail pipe. Any comments?

[GDixon]

Look at the *.pdf file in the above post for details, drawings, and answers to your questions. Yes, it is a Toyota/Lexus part - the box had a big TOYOTA logo on it. The part number is in the first post in this topic. Figure 6-1 in the *.pdf file shows how it fits around and under the tailpipe.

Also below are attached are a couple of pictures of the installed hitch.

[DonB]

Look at the *.pdf file in the above post for details, drawings, and answers to your questions. Yes, it is a Toyota/Lexus part - the box had a big TOYOTA logo on it. The part number is in the first post in this topic. Figure 6-1 in the *.pdf file shows how it fits around and under the tailpipe.

Also below are attached are a couple of pictures of the installed hitch.

GDixon,

Your post was very informative for me. I have just purchased a 2008 RX350, due to arrive at the Dealers on Monday 8/20, and am having the Dealer install the Hitch.

I see the "Ball Mount" is listed in the "Kit Contents" list at the top of the installation instructions. Did your Hitch come with the Ball Mount? That is, the male part that slides into the Receiver hitch itself? I was told that the Ball Mount was not included.

Also, It looks like it's a 2" square receiver. Yes? Thanks for your information!!

[Rya]

Also, It looks like it's a 2" square receiver. Yes? Thanks for your information!!

2" is the standard receiver size for class III hitches (which you will have). Happy towing!

[GDixon]

I, too, saw the ball mount listed in the parts but it must mean something else since it was not in the kit.

Buy one locally for under $20. Measure the distance to the ground from the receiver and the distance to the ground that you want the ball depending on the construction and weight of the trailer. Save the sales receipt for the mount since after hooking everything up there may be a bit too much rear sag for the desired trailer tongue height. Ball mounts come in various "drops" and "raises".

Lexus probably didn't include the mount since there is no way to know the right mount measurement and even the ball size for every situation.

The receiver is indeed the standard 2 inch square.

[DonB]

I, too, saw the ball mount listed in the parts but it must mean something else since it was not in the kit.

Buy one locally for under $20. Measure the distance to the ground from the receiver and the distance to the ground that you want the ball depending on the construction and weight of the trailer. Save the sales receipt for the mount since after hooking everything up there may be a bit too much rear sag for the desired trailer tongue height. Ball mounts come in various "drops" and "raises".

Lexus probably didn't include the mount since there is no way to know the right mount measurement and even the ball size for every situation.

The receiver is indeed the standard 2 inch square.

Thanks very much. That keeps me from making an Idiot of myself if I asked what happened to the Ball Mount!

Got a call yesterday that the car has arrived at the Dealer, and will be ready to pick up on Tuesday afternoon.

Really looking forward to it! Thanks again!

[riccjard]

I just took delivery of a 2008 RX350 equipped with the towing package. Inside the cargo compartment was a box that includes the ball mount that slides into the 2" receiver, and the locking bar. It does not include the ball itself.

I, too, saw the ball mount listed in the parts but it must mean something else since it was not in the kit.

Buy one locally for under $20. Measure the distance to the ground from the receiver and the distance to the ground that you want the ball depending on the construction and weight of the trailer. Save the sales receipt for the mount since after hooking everything up there may be a bit too much rear sag for the desired trailer tongue height. Ball mounts come in various "drops" and "raises".

Lexus probably didn't include the mount since there is no way to know the right mount measurement and even the ball size for every situation.

The receiver is indeed the standard 2 inch square.

Thanks very much. That keeps me from making an Idiot of myself if I asked what happened to the Ball Mount!

Got a call yesterday that the car has arrived at the Dealer, and will be ready to pick up on Tuesday afternoon.

Really looking forward to it! Thanks again!

[DonB]

Ahhhhhh......the plot thickens!! Ha Ha! I'll let you know what I find when I pick mine up! Thanks!

[landesjm]

I purchased my hitch and electrical adapter kit from HitchFinder.com. Hitch was 140, adapter kit was 45 and tax/shipping was 32 for a total of 217.00. The only downside I see right now is that the adapter kit is not plug and play (needs hardwired) which is a bummer. The hitch installation took 30 minutes max.

Accessing the electrical seems very excessive! I'll give it a shot this weekend and report back.

My Lexus dealer in Plano, TX quoted me $795 parts and labor installed!

jml

[DonB]

Picked up the car yesterday and there is no Ball Mount. Oh well........

[krisv]

Look at the *.pdf file in the above post for details, drawings, and answers to your questions. Yes, it is a Toyota/Lexus part - the box had a big TOYOTA logo on it. The part number is in the first post in this topic. Figure 6-1 in the *.pdf file shows how it fits around and under the tailpipe.

Also below are attached are a couple of pictures of the installed hitch.

GDixon - thanks for the pictures! You've got better ones than the dealerships can provide!!

[landesjm]

Sorry for the delay but life got in the way. I ended up returning the electrical device I purchased from HitchFinders.com because it was not a plug/play module. I was able to purchase the plug/play wiring harness from my Lexus dealer without any hassle. The part was $90!

Thanks to the great installation instructions/tips from this thread, I was able to easily remove the back storage compartment, plug in the wiring harness, test the lights and put it all back together in an hour.

thanks

jml

[GDixon]

For those of you interested in doing the RX hitch install yourself, a new member has posted a message with a link to very detailed photos of the install process. It would be extremely helpful for a DIY project.

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...c=40635&hl=

The dealership price is pure robbery and the install is not that difficult. However, the poster's statement of it taking an hour for the whole process may be a bit of an underestimate.

[thecameraguy]

Thanks GDixon!! I bought the hitch fom the dealship and installed it myself. It took me about 2 hours, but I was very cautious and methodical in disassembling the rear cargo area and attaching the wiring harness. Re-assembly is a cinch! My buddies and my 16' boat went red drum fishing along the Virginia Barrier Islands this past weekend. No problems with the vehicle being able to handle the boat at the ramp.

[Claude7629]

Ok. I got the tow hitch from Lexus. Can someone please tell me which way to turn the ball mount when I put it into the receiver. Should it curve down or up?

[GDixon]

Ok. I got the tow hitch from Lexus. Can someone please tell me which way to turn the ball mount when I put it into the receiver. Should it curve down or up?

The ball mount adjustment depends on the tongue weight of the trailer you intend to tow and the height of the trailer's tongue from the ground when level. You could measure the height to the bottom of the trailer's receiver and then to the top of the ball mount (without the ball) and then try to get them to match. Remember that the rear of the car will sag a bit depending on the tongue weight.

Ball mounts of various drops and lifts are relatively cheap at auto stores or WalMart so you can get a match within an inch. There are even ones that are adjustable if you pay a bit more.

[kulikuli]

You guys made it easy for me to install it my self. Thank you very much. The only question I have is how many volts it should measure since I dont have a trailer yet to test it on.Thanks

[GDixon]

You guys made it easy for me to install it my self. Thank you very much. The only question I have is how many volts it should measure since I dont have a trailer yet to test it on.Thanks

Since trailers almost exclusively run 12V lights the volts at the plug should read 12V +.

[Rob Kissner]

Hi everyone. On May 5th, I purchased a RX-400H. It camed with the pre-hitch package and no hitch. To purchase the hitch from the dealer would have cost $375. I opted not to buy from the dealer, but still wanted the Lexus hitch since it looks nicer when installed. I did some research online to find an aftermarket hitch that did not go around the exhaust pipe. I could not find one, but in my search I came across a website called www.lexuspartsonline.com. When I did a search on the website for the part # the hitch came up at a price of $212. I thought well this seems like a really good price so I purchased the hitch. I received the hitch on May 20th and it was exactly what I wanted. The main thing to know is that when you are on the website, you have to search the OEM part # PT228-48045 to find the $212 price. There is a Lexus accessories button for searching accessories and when you click on that button and find the hitch, it comes up with a price of $359 for the exact same hitch and on the same website. The dealer is Champions Toyota in Austin, Texas. If you live outside of Texas you might be able to avoid tax.

I did find a place that would install it for $80 in Houston, TX. The place is Master Hitch. I like doing things myself and will report back if I decide to install it myself.

Just wanted to spread the word where I found a good price for the Lexus RX hitch. :)

[Dick_Lake_Tahoe_NV]

Hi everyone. On May 5th, I purchased a RX-400H. It camed with the pre-hitch package and no hitch. To purchase the hitch from the dealer would have cost $375. I opted not to buy from the dealer, but still wanted the Lexus hitch since it looks nicer when installed. I did some research online to find an aftermarket hitch that did not go around the exhaust pipe. I could not find one, but in my search I came across a website called www.lexuspartsonline.com. When I did a search on the website for the part # the hitch came up at a price of $212. I thought well this seems like a really good price so I purchased the hitch. I received the hitch on May 20th and it was exactly what I wanted. The main thing to know is that when you are on the website, you have to search the OEM part # PT228-48045 to find the $212 price. There is a Lexus accessories button for searching accessories and when you click on that button and find the hitch, it comes up with a price of $359 for the exact same hitch and on the same website. The dealer is Champions Toyota in Austin, Texas. If you live outside of Texas you might be able to avoid tax.

I did find a place that would install it for $80 in Houston, TX. The place is Master Hitch. I like doing things myself and will report back if I decide to install it myself.

Just wanted to spread the word where I found a good price for the Lexus RX hitch. :)

[Dick_Lake_Tahoe_NV]

Hi everyone. On May 5th, I purchased a RX-400H. It camed with the pre-hitch package and no hitch. To purchase the hitch from the dealer would have cost $375. I opted not to buy from the dealer, but still wanted the Lexus hitch since it looks nicer when installed. I did some research online to find an aftermarket hitch that did not go around the exhaust pipe. I could not find one, but in my search I came across a website called www.lexuspartsonline.com. When I did a search on the website for the part # the hitch came up at a price of $212. I thought well this seems like a really good price so I purchased the hitch. I received the hitch on May 20th and it was exactly what I wanted. The main thing to know is that when you are on the website, you have to search the OEM part # PT228-48045 to find the $212 price. There is a Lexus accessories button for searching accessories and when you click on that button and find the hitch, it comes up with a price of $359 for the exact same hitch and on the same website. The dealer is Champions Toyota in Austin, Texas. If you live outside of Texas you might be able to avoid tax.

I did find a place that would install it for $80 in Houston, TX. The place is Master Hitch. I like doing things myself and will report back if I decide to install it myself.

Just wanted to spread the word where I found a good price for the Lexus RX hitch. :)

I tried to get onto lexuspartsonline.com but was unable to get it to search for the part. Anyway, I found the hitch--including the wiring harness--on this site http://lexus.dealerfit.com/store/lexus-rx-...rod397_3259.php

for a little over $300. Did your $212 price include the wiring harness? Probably not since it's about an $80 extra.

[mrjkruse]

Hi everyone. On May 5th, I purchased a RX-400H. It camed with the pre-hitch package and no hitch. To purchase the hitch from the dealer would have cost $375. I opted not to buy from the dealer, but still wanted the Lexus hitch since it looks nicer when installed. I did some research online to find an aftermarket hitch that did not go around the exhaust pipe. I could not find one, but in my search I came across a website called www.lexuspartsonline.com. When I did a search on the website for the part # the hitch came up at a price of $212. I thought well this seems like a really good price so I purchased the hitch. I received the hitch on May 20th and it was exactly what I wanted. The main thing to know is that when you are on the website, you have to search the OEM part # PT228-48045 to find the $212 price. There is a Lexus accessories button for searching accessories and when you click on that button and find the hitch, it comes up with a price of $359 for the exact same hitch and on the same website. The dealer is Champions Toyota in Austin, Texas. If you live outside of Texas you might be able to avoid tax.

I did find a place that would install it for $80 in Houston, TX. The place is Master Hitch. I like doing things myself and will report back if I decide to install it myself.

Just wanted to spread the word where I found a good price for the Lexus RX hitch. :)

Rob,

Did the $212 OEM part come with the wiring harness? I'm looking to add the hitch to my RX 400 and wanted to verify beforeing ordering at the site you quoted.

Thanks,

Jason