120 Towbar recall

[ah197331 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close ah197331]

We just picked up our 06 GXL Prado second hand which is fitted with a genuine Toyota bar. I've rang the local dealer and they confirmed that our bar has been checked and rebolted or whatever, and the stickers were applied. For what they are worth! I asked about swapping my HR WDH for the Toyota one and was told that couldn't happen, given the recall has been done already. So now I seem to have one of three options :

1. Buy a Toyota WDH which isn't height adjustable and use it in a bar that appears to be held on with Bondall. ($400)
2. Keep the Toyota bar and use my WDH anyway. We tow a 16' expanda at about 180kg ball, 1800kg all up, so might not even need it?
3. Put a HR Bar on and use my WDH, leaving a great big hole in the bumper (aside from using the 150 cover - great idea though!). Apparently HR used to have a bar that still required a bumper cut but developed a new one that is completely under the bumper -sadly! ($600)

Sigh. I was so happy to get into a Prado before I stumbled on all this. Any advise? Anyone towing an Expanda without a WDH? Are the Toyota ones THAT bad?

I Tow a 17' Expanda (not sure of the final ball weight, but 2300kg ATM), and now use the genuine Toyota WDH, after retiring my HR hitch. I have air bags as well and the genuine WDH just does the job, but it wouldn't without the air bags.
Regarding the non adjustment of height, I haven't needed it, as the outback tows level, fortunately.
I'm sure you could pick up a 2nd hand genuine one on this site, from one of the many who think they are useless, and got one for free during the recall.

Andrew

[rjstokes Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close rjstokes]

Thanks for the input guys. Toyota wanted nearly $400 for their WDH so I ended up getting a Trailboss bar fitted locally. I rang Hayman Reese to confirm that they are identical except the sticker and carry the same warranties. A local company fitted it for $480 which is about as good as it gets over here in the sunny West. I've also ordered a rear cover as mentioned earlier to cover the hole, but dont get that until tomorrow.

If anyone needs any convincing I took a picture of the Toyota genuine bar. I'm no engineer but swinging 2 1/2 tonnes off that just doesn't seem right, especially with a WDH! No wonder they were falling apart! So pretty happy with the decision to get a full length bar...

Cheers.