how to hook up stock trailer hitch lights? is it as easy as pluging in?

[jersey]

No hitch on a 2002 and looking to add one. Had a 4runner which has a black box in the rear drivers quarter accessed by removing the interior plastic. all you had to do was mount the factory toyota hitch run the wire and clip/plug it in.

Is it the same set up on the LC? Is the box there from the factory?
With the 4runner i was just replacing what was there, so i am not sure if they are prewired with the box and no hitch. The black box was over $100 to replace

 

[e9999]

would depend on year for one thing, whether you have trailer brakes etc
do a search, look up FAQ

 

[jersey]

year is a 2002 -- and i do not need trailer brakes.
did a search and was not sure if the LC is prewired to a junction box close to the tailgate to plug into OR if I had to run the wires from under the dash as if I were following the set up for trailer brakes.

 

[e9999]

I believe there may be a connector some place in the back of an 02 to plug in a 4 pin trailer connector.
Don't know about any black box. This ain't no airplane ya know, even though some here think they are...
EWD will tell ya for sure.

 

[Jukelemon]

There is a trailer circuit relay box that is mounted in the DS rear Tail light (large). The OE harness from the 98-00 years have been recalled. The harness, including box, was 350.00 on paper i.e. it was at no cost but I saw the invoice. The actual hitch is pretty standard, well, very standard. Bolt on and cheap i.e. under 200.00.

 

[cruisermaine]

Mine didn't come with the hitch etc. either. I purchased the Toyota harness from Dan. It's pretty substantial and includes the "black box" you refer to. I will be installing it soon -will do a FAQ write up.

 

[ppressle]

On my 98, I purchased a trailer light adapter on ebay. Something like this .
This bit of wiring plugged into a plug in the cruisers harness, under the car, on the passengers side, kind of on the corner of the car.

This after market wiring did not have a black box, but it seems to work anyway... (Does anyone know what this box does?)

I recently upgraded the wiring to get a trailer brake, and retained this adapter for the light wiring.

I don't know if this will work for a 2002. You could ask the guy that sells the adapters...

Pete

 

[NMuzj100]

If the truck doesn't already have the wiring I would go with the simple adapter over the overpriced harness. The loads from a couple of trailer lights are very small and all you want is the trailer lights to come on with the truck's rear lights. I think the 19.95 on ebay is overpriced. The parts you need are at the nearest Sears/Walmart/U-haul/AutopartsRus and they will have directions too. The ones I've used don't even require cutting a wire but use snap-on tap splices.

 

[ppressle]

I agree with MNuzj on the generic trailer wiring kits being both cheap and easy to install. In my case, with a relatively new car, I thought it was worth the $20 to not disturb the factory wiring harness. It was also a bit easier as I didn't have to track down any wires. I just plugged the adapter into an existing plug and shazam, it was done..

Both ways work.