Canada: Uhaul Hitch for Sienna 2006

[ultraviolet]

I got quote from few installers (dealer recommended), both over CAD$500. Uhaul (http://store.uhaul.com/hitches.aspx) quoted CAD$240+tax for hitch + electrical (150+25+5+20+40). But i did not like the electrical harness (CAD$20) because that needed to splice the existing wires. So I decided to go with the hitch only for CAD$180+tax (150+25+5:hitch+labour+warranty). I found the similar harness that was offered by e-trailer in local Canadian Tire for CAD$45+tax and installed it following the instruction found here (http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...n+sienna&hl=en)

Hitch: Uhaul, part no. 78270, installation guide.
Harness: Reese, part no. 15304, photo of the box.
My Sienna: 2006, silver shadow pearl with new uhaul hitch photo.

[brian_bp]

As I recall prices from when I went looking a few years ago, that hitch (with installation) price sounds very good.

The U-Haul hitch is apparently made by Valley Industries; the U-Haul installation instructions show the Valley part number as well as their own, the Valley installation instructions show the U-Haul part number, and they both show the same part numbers for the hardware kit. The drawings do vary in one detail (the plate across the top at the middle of the receiver in the U-Haul drawing is missing in the Valley drawing), but the photo of the U-Haul hitch matches the Valley drawing, not the U-Haul one.

U-Haul: 78270
Valley: 87200

Depending on the vintage of the drawing or photo, I think that this hitch is sometimes shown with the tubes going straight across, and sometimes with them angled forward (which tucks under the bumper better). In this case, it looks like they go straight across.

[brian_bp]

... But i did not like the electrical harness (CAD$20) because that needed to splice the existing wires. So I decided to go with the hitch only...

I think that was a good call. On a Sienna, there should be no need to splice wires for the trailer lighting.

[robo5]

i second the call on getting the wire-harness that plugs in. The splicing one is messy and causes more problems down the road (just when you need it to work)