DIY: How to wire up electrics on towbar (WITHOUT can bus wiring), easy

Showing how I connected the most common functions for towing a caravan.
Normal light,
Turning indicators, left, right
And Braking light..


Car: Toyota Previa -98, but same principle
for older cars, this is not for  can bus cars

Trailer / Towbar wiring

Fitting a towbar to the Toyota Previa

This is a two part videoserie I've made documenting how to fit a towbar to a Toyota Previa / Tarago / Estima.

Hope you find it useful. :-)

The brand I used: GDW a complete kit.

Part 1


Part 2

The towbar has just been unpacked and trying it out.

Insert Points of towbar.

Close up, not to much rust.

Had to remove the plastic bumper and the framepart to fit the new nowbar "inside".

The bolts were pretty rusty, so had a work removing them and welding new nuts.

.

Installing a towbar on a Toyota Previa

Since I´m considering doing this my self I have scouted the Internet for some Pictures and videos.

I´ve seen some different versions regarding the exhaustpipe (muffler). And this is something I have to measure well since I dont want to move the exhaust pipe. Lets get going.

Picture from ‎Jay Diamse.
 1996 SC DX previa towing a 1990 Maxum 18ft 2000+ boat no problem 

//In swedish //

Krav för att få montera
"Sedan 1 september 2013 är det nya regler som innebär att en typgodkänd personbil eller lätt lastbil, som får en typgodkänd dragkrok eftermonterad, inte längre behöver genomgå en registreringsbesiktning (gäller inte husbil.) De nya reglerna gäller för en EU-typgodkänd personbil klass I, när man monterat en typgodkänd dragkrok som är avsedd för fordonet, under förutsättning att uppgifterna om maximal släpvagnsvikt finns i vägtrafikregistret." https://besikta.se/kundtjanst/fragor-och-svar/vad-galler-om-jag-monterat-eller-tagit-bort-en-dragkrok/

Finns: Max släpvagnsvikt: 1600 kg

Dragkroken ska vara monterad enligt monteringsanvisningarna. De nya reglerna gäller även för en EU-typgodkänd lätt lastbil och kopplingsanordningen som monterats ska vara typgodkänd och avsedd för fordonet, samt ska uppgifter om maximal släpvagnsvikt finnas i Vägtrafikregistret.

Från och med den 1/1-2014 måste kunden vid registreringsbesiktningen redogöra för de ändringar som är gjorda på fordonet. Här finns blanketten
Ändringar Fordon.
"
Det är en PDF som du måste skriva ut och ha med ifylld.

                 (bilens totalvikt X maximal släpvagnsvikt)  X 9,81
D-värde = ____________________________________________________
                 (bilens totalvikt + maximal släpvagnsvikt)  X 1000


                 (2450  X 1600)  X 9,81        38455200
D-värde = ___________________ =_____________ = 9,4951111111111111111111111111111 (kN)
                 (2450 + 1600)  X 1000      4050000


"Den kopplingsutrustning man väljer måste ha högre eller minst samma värde, V- och/eller D-värde, som den beräknade fordonskombinationen."

GDW variant har 9,65 kN vilket alltså är OK.


Pictures from:
http://www.teoc.ws/community/topic/34219-towbar-bracket/




Pictures below from: http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/85-previa-forum/352348-photos-factory-inch-reciever-hitch-previa.html





"I happen to own a Previa with the non-tow-hitch bumper, and one with the OEM tow hitch bumper." - celeron55
"The tow hitch one weighs like 4x more." - celeron55

Pictures below from: http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?1431-Previa-Tow-Hitch-OEM-or-Aftermarket

picture from: http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-parts-accessories/toyota/other/auction-1230997256.htm

Video:


A few examples:


Beställa denna?
https://www.rameder.se/gdw-dragkrok-komplettsats-124835-03437-1.html

Ser vettig ut, enda bekymret är om avgasröret tar i. Samt vad utsticken på sidorna är för något.

fast med påskruvad kula inkl. europeisk version elsats, 7 polig universal
Släpvikt : 1600 kg
Stödlast : 75 kg
D-värde : 9.65 kN
Monteringstid : 3 h
lämplig för Toyota PREVIA
årsmodell 05.90 - 08.00

Finns i 7 polig, också, kanske bästa att köpa 13 poliga, då adapter ingår.

Blir totalt ca 2000 kr.

G.D.W manual: http://www.trekhaakshop.nl/cms/manuals/trekhaken/toyota/1088.pdf


7 polig, want 13 poles.
http://www.bilenochjag.se/produkt/dragkrokar/fast-dragkrok-toyota-previa-19902000-gdw-2/

Previa Yahoo group: 

"Ok folks, thanks to those who so kindly took the time to write and advice I am going to tell you the final methods and advice I have for hitch installation.

I bought a draw-tite hitch.  It was $89 plus shipping (about $15) from cheaphitches.com, and it came as promised in about 4 business days.  It is very nicely made pretty and strong.... but I don't think I would use this brand again and here is why.   If you look under the car at the frame-bumper situation you will see the tow loops held on by THREE bolts all of which have to be removed to get the tow loop out of the way (at each side of the car).  However, the draw-tite hitch only provides for replacing TWO of those bolts the other remains unreplaced... not good in my book.  Other hitches I saw later have three bolting points on each end of the hitch and therefore replace the removed tow loop bolts perfectly.  I just think three is better and apparently Toyota agrees since they used three to start with.  I found a "Putnam" hitch with three bolts on the Kwik-Hitch Hitchworks  site.

However this Putnam hitch was 129$.

On the actual installation, instructions call for lowering the muffler in order to get the hitch bar in above the muffler.  This is a pain since the bolts or hangers or whatever etc are rusted and un-cooperative.  I did it the more straight forward way: I put a metal bar well up the tailpipe and pressed down with my foot and then slipped the towbar in above the "depressed" muffler.  Once the bar is in place the released muffler neatly holds the bar roughly up in place for subsequent bolting.  And the hitch was on using 75lbs torque per each of the 4 bolts as called for in the instructions that were hidden up inside the actual hitch receptacle itself.

Several points:  when you remove those three bolts the bumper is now free to wander around and you will lose bolt hole alignment immediately.  I used a jack to hold the end I was working on in place and lined up the nut hole with a thin rod and all was well. 

The electric is neatly discussed by kevin in an earlier note but I will affix it here (citation to {Kevin, 2003} and thanks!):

"Also, for your trailer lights connector, you can access the lights 

on the driver side behind the rear tail light assembly. The right 

hand turn signal can be picked off the wire heading across the top 

of the rear hatch, which can be accessed by removing the inside 

trim. You will need to get to an Authentic Toyota manual to find the 

right color coding as there are a number there. Of course, there is 

always the trial and error method....

You can leave the connector inside and stuff it under the carpet 

until it is needed or there is rubber grommet located on the floor on 

the driver side, should you want to run it outside and under."

So that was the mechanical process and I will work on the electric this weekend I guess.  I also need to have my metal shop friends make up a plate that goes down to that third hole.... or am I being neurotic?       

Jerry

'97  AWD LE  133km"

Picture from: https://www.hitchweb.com/related/12304.pdf

Supercharged Previa towing. ungraded supercharger from a MR2, Denso 600cc fuel injectors, bigger intercooler, aftermarket tranny cooler, custom made cold air intake, welded rear diff, 19x12 rear wheels, 19x10 front wheels, big brake upgrade kit with slotted and drilled rotors, coilover kit, custom made solid engine and transmission mounts, aluminum drive shaft, and a 100 shot of Nitrous just to make things even more interesting. . The combination of all those makes for a Previa on Steroids. .

"I have a MkI Estima and tow a 1270Kgs (max) caravan.

 It tows well, but I've fitted a trans oil cooler and an extra radiator.
 Yeah, it slows down on some of the bigger hills, but it's always got me there." - Father Ted

Father Ted had added an extra trans oil cooler on his (automatic?) Estima.

Picture from: http://www.teoc.ws/community/topic/49987-safe-to-tow-caravan/

"My dad tows right at the 3500 pound limit all the time with his Previa." - gideon1331

Picture from: http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/85-previa-forum/97887-towing-previa-2.html

"I tow my caravan with a 2.4 petrol-engined Toyota Previa, but find it has difficulty pulling up anything more than a mild incline. On significant hills it limps along at 30mph in second gear, but I can't get the speed any higher without the engine screaming. The maximum laden weight of the caravan is 1,450kg. I am thinking of changing to the new D4D diesel version but fear it might be no better, despite improved torque at low revs. What do you think?" - unknown

"My parents have a 96 model. Not bad tows a 1500kg boat good as well. I bit more power would have been nice, hence the new v6 but it was still a 2.4l 4cyc with about 110kw if I remember." - http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/805070

------------------------  -------------------

Here is Ted Cobb pictures of his nice Previa and Camper. US style caravan.

It's a beautiful carriage.

Danish registered Toyota Previa towing a Kabe 560 Royal XL Ks.
Towing pressure (on the ball) is 90 kg and with of caravan 248 cm. The other trailer is a Cabby 620+ F3

Source: https://www.kabe.se/documents/pdf/news-kabe-bast-i-test-kabe-mot-cabby.pdf

[Edit 2018-02-25 This is my Previa towing a Solifer 5502i. Worked like a charm. No problem!
]

Installing a Trailer Hitch, tow bar on a Toyota Previa from 1998

This post is about mounting a Trailer Hitch on a Toyota Previa from 1998.

The Brand of towbar I choosed: G.D.W made in Belgium
GDW = I'm pleased with the quality, it was in my opinion the smartest construction.

I've made a 2 part video showing the removal of bumper and the installation process... and all the problems along the way. Hope you find it of interest. :-)


Towing capacity for this tow bar: 1600 kg which is also maximum cargo for hitch installed in Toyota Previa..
Max vertical load on hitch: 75 kg.

First removing the rear bumper, plenty of rust dissolver fluid used around the bolts and nuts.


The ends of the hitch is attached to the car frame with carriage bolts and blocks of steel with round holes. ... Bumber goes outside the hitch.

No mods were necessary except drilling one hole on the buffer metal frame that the plastic bumper sits on.

Biggest problem was rusty bolts, some were very hard stuck and I pulled some apart (read broke them)
Clean rusty parts, screwdriver and a wire brush.
Rust protection used: boiled linseed oil

Part 1:


Installing a Trailer Hitch, a towbar on a minivan, part 2