Wich Hitch is a real (hidden ) hitch

[homer]

I,ll get my new 09 sienna soon. I'll need a hitch and I wonder if there is one better than the other in regards of appearance. I saw a couple of sienna with different hitch but obviuosly its hard to know their brand at 100km per hour. Some were really ugly and 1 in particular look more (absent ) for the lack of better word. Also, all the hitch that I've looked at seems really low, are you dragging yours often when loaded let say with a popup trailer ?
thanks

[topspy]

The rear end and bumper of the 2ndGen Sienna is low to begin with. Many owners report their hitches scraping at driveway/parking lot ramps...sometimes even without being loaded. It is best to approach at an angle if at all possible.

[Texastrooper]

There is no "hidden" hitch for the Sienna. The one least visible is the class 2 from Toyota. The dual port hitch. This one uses a 1.25" receiver.
But this hitch is useless if you want to do some serious towing and where you might require a WDH. It is also very expensive. A waste of money in my opinion.
The other hitches (Drawtite, Hidden Hitch, Valley Hitch, Curt Hitch, ...) are all class 3 hitches with 2" receivers and a similar design. Meaning the hitch is clearly and fully visible below the bumper. The bumper of the Sienna is not designed to hide a hitch. There is no room behind the bumper.
And yes the hitch sits low. I have installed airlifts on mine and never had a problem with scraping so far. When empty I have about 9.5" of clearance. See pictures below.
When towing my popup and with the van fully loaded with camping gear, bicycles, passengers I have about 6.5".
You have to change your driving style. Like Homer mentioned: Always take V-shaped entries into gas stations, strip malls, parking lots in an angle.
If your trailer allows to use a WDH this is even better.



The Sienna is really great for towing but the hitch mount design could be improved.

[brian_bp]

As already explained, all hitch receivers for the second-generation Sienna will sit below the bumper, so they are visible. Other than the one 1.25" version being a little lower-profile, the main difference in appearance is what happens at the ends - the Toyota DPS hitch and the Curt design bend forward at the ends, making them less apparent as the bumper curves forward (and less likely to drag, because that means they don't stick out as far back).

...The one least visible is the class 2 from Toyota. The dual port hitch. This one uses a 1.25" receiver.
But this hitch is useless if you want to do some serious towing and where you might require a WDH. It is also very expensive...

I agree that it is expensive, and that any 1.25" hitch will not work with any available WD system; however, it has the same trailer weight capacity as the Sienna (3500 lb) so for those not using WD this hitch does not limit capability at all. Towing does not need to include WD to be "serious"; indeed, almost no commercial (real working) tow configurations include any form of WD or sway control device.

I agree that for most people, a 2" receiver is more appropriate, because it covers all potential requirements.

(edit note: just fixed a spelling error - guess I didn't run Spell Check the first time!)

[Texastrooper]

Towing does not need to include WD to be "serious"; indeed, almost no commercial (real working) tow configurations include any form of WD or sway control device.

Agreed. But commercial tow configurations normally don't include a minivan like the Sienna but an SUV, truck or fullsize van which have more ground clearance, a beefier suspension and very often a higher hitch weight rating.
Also commercial setups mainly use a 2" hitch.
Yes with smaller trailers a 1.25" hitch will work just fine. But you need to watch the max allowed hitch weight.
I prefer the 2" hitch. Also because my other accessories work with my other vehicle. I just wish it would sit higher but I don't care if it is visible or not. Our Sienna is a work horse.

[mpv4-8]

The Hidden Valley 'hides' it the best. It is flushed with the underside of the bumper. The U-Haul one is the worst I've seen on other Sienna. It left a huge gap between the bottom of the bumper and the hitch bar.

[brian_bp]

... The U-Haul one is the worst I've seen on other Sienna. It left a huge gap between the bottom of the bumper and the hitch bar.

U-Haul doesn't actually make hitches, and it seems to me that they don't even have anything made specifically for them: each U-Haul hitch model is available under its original brand. Usually the brand can be determined by part number, since U-Haul uses the original manufacturer's part number.

In this case, the installation instructions for the Valley Industries part 82700 (the second-generation Sienna hitch) include an additional part number of 78270, which is U-Haul's number. This may indicate that Valley is alternate source to U-Haul for this hitch.

The part numbers for the Cequent hitch under its various brands are

• Reese: 33070
• Draw-Tite: 75149
• Hidden Hitch: 87415
• Hidden Hitch: 70639 (older, likely pre-Cequent version and out of production)

The other two common sources:

• Valley: 82700
• Curt: 13256 (also known to someone as 757256)
• Curt: 13239 (older model)
• Curt: 12212 (older, 1.25" receiver)

Photos of most of these can be found by searching for all hitches to fit the 2009 Sienna at eTrailer.com; all current models have illustrated installation instructions available from the manufacturer (and eTrailer if they sell it). Unless otherwise noted above, all have 2" receiver openings.

The "78270" part number may have originated from an earlier model for any of the major manufacturers, so it is really hard to tell what the ill-fitting U-Haul hitch might have actually been.

[brian_bp]

The Hidden Valley 'hides' it the best. It is flushed with the underside of the bumper.

Was this intended to be Hidden Hitch, or Valley? My guess is Valley.

[siennaaz]

I feel that the Curt 13256 is the best fit overall. I seem to recall the old forum had discussed this and most people said they scraped less with the Curt than any other.