[lmcharlot]

I know there have been numerous discussions about whether to go with the factory 2" hitch or an aftermarket. I am considering a 1 1/4' aftermarket hitch for my 2024 RAV4 PP XSE Prime to hang a bicycle rack on and not installing a trailer light harness with it. My Prime does have the "Kick" to open the tail gate. Have any of you installed a 1 1/4" hitch and if so which one? Does it seem to not be as intrusive in ground clearance as the 2" aftermarkets seem to be? Also, does the 1 1/4" you are using still effect the gate "kick" function? THANK YOU in advance! RAV4Girl

Go with the 2" Curt (or OEM) hitch. You might never need to tow a trailer with it, but the 2" receiver will allow you to use a cargo basket, a wheelchair carrier, a swing-out spare tire carrier, or any of a dozen other hitch-mount accessories that are too heavy for those 1-1/4" class I receivers. The 2" hitch doesn't cost any more than the 1-1/4", and it's way more versatile.

 

[lmcharlot]

I watched 2 Toyota techs spend 5 hours installing mine, the whole rear of the vehicle was disassembled, rear seats, they had to get a wire to the front of the vehicle, they had to cut the kick sensor wire, the Highlander has a kit to keep the sensor, Toyota says it's working on a kit for the Rav4, I have a 23, great write up, yet, not you average mechanically inclined person should try this without great light, a dry work place and patients. (no offense meant, complementing your wherewithal)

"2 Toyota techs spend 5 hours installing mine, the whole rear of the vehicle was disassembled, rear seats....."
Huh?! 5 hours? My Curt model 13416 slipped right into place, with just 4 bolts to crank down. The only thing that needed to be removed was the OEM recovery hook. No other removal or any cutting on any body panel necessary. It took me a couple of hours because I'm 67 years old and no longer strong enough or limber enough to do this kind of work easily, but the shop guys are typically in their 20's or 30's, and two of them working together should have had the hitch receiver installed in no more than 20 minutes. The Curt wiring harness is supposedly pretty easy, too: Toyota builds the Rav4 with trailer connectors already in place, so you should not have the cut or splice any wires. The connectors are in the back of the car, and you do have to pop loose some trim fasteners to get behind the cargo area inside panels, but the Curt harness plugs in easily and no cutting or splicing of factory wires is needed. E-Trailers.com has an install video in YouTube showing this on a 2023 Rav4 ICE model. If your car is a Hybrid or Prime, it's actually easier, because the battery is already in the back of the car and you don't have to run a power wire all the way to the front. The URL for this video is:

 

[lmcharlot]

One other thing I should mention about that E-Trailer video in Post #42: it supplies a 4-pin flat connector for the trailer's lights only. It does not include an electric brake controller and 7-pin connector. If you are towing trailers that have hydraulic surge brakes, or small utility trailers that don't have brakes at all, or you have a cargo basket that has tail lights, this is all you need. If you have a trailer that has electric brakes, you need a brake controller, and a 4-pin-flat-to-seven-pin-round adapter kit like the Curt #57102, in addition to this Curt 4-pin harness. I've never owned a trailer with electric brakes (my trailers have all had hydraulic surge brakes), so I've never had to install a brake controller and don't know much about them. There are at least 20 different ones out there, costing anywhere from about $50 to $250.

 

[lmcharlot]

Just yesterday I pulled my little lightweight utility trailer up the mountain with about 1700 pounds of firewood on it (next winter's) and the Prime didn't seem to know it was there, all in EV mode no less....

I' a bit envious: your Prime is the white color I really wanted, but I was never able to find an SE in that color, that didn't have the weather and moonroof package; after 2 years of searching, I finally found one in dark blue. I am also possibly looking to tow a small trailer with my Prime, an Aliner camper to be specific. Darrell Lutey is towing one with his prime, and hasn't burned out the car's powertrain, so it seems do-able.