bumper hitch?
 

Does anyone use the stock bumper with a ball? Is it safe, how much of a trailer can I pull? The frame is good and solid but It just seems a little shady to me to use the bumber for a load.

I wouldn't recommend pulling a trailer over 1500 lbs with the bumper hitch unless the trailer has working brakes, the tongue weight is at least 10% of the total trailer weight but does not exceed 20%, and the trailer does not exceed 3000 pounds.

well, not to be a wiener, but save yourself the trouble, and just spend the 150 for a class III reciever... towing with a bumper is really unsafe. any rust whatsoever, and you lost pretty much all the structural integrity of the setup, with can lead to big problems. that and you'll notice a difference in how much better it trailers with a hitch verses a bumper.

and, my biggest beef, it can and will easily damage your bumper, and if you over load it, it can easily damage your bed too... had that happen back in the day (my step dad, before I was driving haha), and from what I saw, I'll never use a bumper to tow.

why not go class V, reese with load distribution and anti-sway bars? :D
since it's a truck, why not gooseneck? :hillbill:
--- actually, you might laugh, but a company I worked for built a toy-hauler type trailer (combined RV and enclosed box for ATV's or buggies) for a guy with a 1 ton toy pickup, 94 iirc. the trailer was 12,000 lbs gross and gooseneck. He loved it. It didn't pull hills very well (v6 then didn't do it well anyways), but worked.

I agree with you that trailers can deform the bumper. That's why I mentioned the limits on the trailer weights and having brakes on the heavier trailers. If that's heeded, the bumper hitch is fine.

thanks, I'm gonna go with the class 3 setup when I get time.

sounds good, and I meant can be unsafe haha. I just dont trust toyota bumpers, they tend to rust out rather quickly, and usually from the inside, so you can't see them.

what part of PA are you currently residing in?

we're going to get a tow package for our '86..(can anybody give me a link or something..we cant find one ANYWHERE) but we pulled our 18ft nitro with a 150hp mariner about 10 miles in total...but we wont do it much...it was scary...the brakes on the trailer work..but it was still scary..because it moved the rear bumper side to side...so can somebody give me a link to a tow package..thanks...i wouldnt recommend towing anything over 2000 with the stock bumper though

JC whitney has some of the best online prices, but also check ebay and your local scrap yard. you are looking for a Class III reciever for (whatever year range your truck is) Toyota (model). that will get you exactly what you need as far as towing goes. they usually come with mounting bolts and all, and use an integrated design to lock onto the last 1 foot to 1.5 feet of your frame. this eliminates the side sway, (thats what I meant by trailer handling) and also lowers the center of gravity, which also helps with the side sway.

happy hunting!

lower bucks for now (north of philthydelphia). We are thinking about buying some land out towards state college, maybe lewistown area.

ah, no crap! I'm about 1 hour 15 minutes from there. if you are seeking to get away from the urban scene, def. go with State College. Its a very clean town, Lewistown, however, is one of our local drug capitols, with shootings a regular thing.

LOL! Thanks.....good to know. We are actually looking for about 10 acres of wooded land somewhere between stae college and lewistown. I'm going to take a year off and build a timber frame house. I dont want neighbors but we want to be close enough to state college to enjoy the scene there. I lived in Fort Collins CO for 8 years before moving here and State College kinda of has the same feel....without the rockies of course. Where are you at and is there good wheeling / camping around there?

mine says 4000lbs and 400 lbs tongue weight

yeah, fortunately, PA has a ton of great state parks up here, almost all with camping. if you are a hunter, its good terrain up around state college, though I am unsure of property that is available. nothing that cant be found out though. I am willing to bet you can easily find what you are looking for around that area.

Currently, for my summer internship, I am working in State College and Centre County pretty much every weekday, Ill look around and see what I can spot haha. its nice country up here, a lot different from Philadelphia.

as far as wheeling, I dont know about out that way, but there are lots of local trails around here, and its not too much of a drive from state college. Im sure we could find you something... :D