I spotted one and wondered if these are rare. I have only seen this one in my area. I know they're the Sport model but did one have to special order it?
Rav4 without spare tire on hatch rare?
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yarisugi
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They're very rare. SAP - Sport Appearance Package. It had to be special ordered and came with horrible runflats instead of a spare.
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I like the look of it too, it was cool too see them rollin’ in, but my goodness changing those runflats were A PAIN. The bead is insanely hard to pop and super stiff. They’re also insanely expensive, ride horribly and handle like bricks. I would just run fix-a-flat or the equivalent, and have a mini air compressor with me.
I have a 2011 Rav4 Sport, and yes, I can confirm these things ride like bricks. Tbh, I actually prefer the look of the rear doors with the spare tires, but I couldn't pass on mine when I found it because of the extremely low miles it had.
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There is no spare tire for the 2011 sport they expect you to use run flat tires. They add a space carriage for a tire 2012 and 2013.
We bought our V6 SAP new in 2009. The run-flats were not terrible but certainly expensive. Most of the 260k reliable miles so far were accumulated on standard tires (all seasons and winters). We never have had a flat so the repair kit with inflator stowed in the back remains new in the box. We love the clean look and no spare in the way for trailers, racks, snow accumulation, rattles, etc.
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Yes, @shadow_heart . Details:
My Toyota dealer wanted more than $1200 for parts and labor, so I opted to do it myself; the prices I paid are posted here. The hitch is well integrated
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I bought the OEM hitch (much more bracing than typical aftermarket options) and wiring harness from Conicelli and used the writeups you referenced to install them myself (my brother in law helped with the hitch, which is heavy; I also ran two heavy gauge wires along side the OEM harness for brake and charge in case I ever need to install a brake controller).
My 2009 Sport V6 does a great job towing a 5x8 utility trailer (no brakes) and a two-horse trailer (inertia brakes). There is plenty of power at the expense of fuel economy; on the 800 mile round trip from Maryland to Rhode Island to buy the horse trailer, I averaged 27.47 mpg on the way up and 13.46 on the way back, and I see about 18 mpg with the utility trailer when lightly loaded. Consider the overall mileage for a dedicated tow vehicle (even my old turbodiesel, much less a traditional gas V8) and the fact that most of the time the vehicle is not towing anything...Code:Products ------------------------------------------------------ 1 x Toyota 2006-2009 RAV4 Hitch Wire Harness, Non-Refundable = $111.20 1 x Toyota 2006-2009 RAV4 Hitch Receiver = $383.20 Select Option w/ Tow Package ------------------------------------------------------ Sub-Total: $494.40 Shipping: $42.02 Tax: $0.00 Total: $536.42
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Incidentally, the backup camera makes it really easy to line up the ball and tongue!
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I prefer the peace of mind that comes with using the OEM hitch (15 years / 260k miles so far). I do not know if anyone using aftermarket hitches experienced problems.
The OEM hitch does not impact ground clearance significantly. I do not know how aftermarket hitches compare (some seem to hang lower).
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