Removing the tow package

Hi Folks,

Looking to lose some weight after the planned install of a camper shell and liner.

I’m thinking of removing the tow package. It looks heavy and hangs low. I know I’ll never tow with this truck and the tow bar looks like something to get hung up on while off road.

It looks like a simple bolt on item.

Are there any reasons the tow package should not be removed? Is this a common thing to do?

I’ll need alternative recovery points, so looking for help with that, too.


2021 Tundra

 

Pretty sure you can remove it with no ill effects. You'll have a wiring harness you'll need to stuff somewhere but other than that it should unbolt just fine. I don't think you'll lose any structural integrity removing it.
As far as adding recovery points to the rear, there will probably be some empty bolt holes created when you remove the receiver that you could add a tow hook to, but just makes sure you're on the frame and not a bracket or support bar.

 

Ah, very nice.

This is the info I was looking for, particularly with structural integrity. It looks pretty beefy and must add some rigidity to the system.


He he… Maybe I can get more flex when off road without the tow bar.

Thanks for the confirmation.

 

Yeah, anything that ties the frame together will add some structural strength, but they deliver Tundras without the tow package so it’s probably not significant enough to make a huge difference. You could fab up a steel bar to tie the end of the frame together that has more clearance if you wanted to go that route. Essentially replace the low-hanging receiver with a square tube bar or something that provides a little more rigidity with the added departure angle you’re wanting.

 

Leave the tow hitch. Get lighter wheels & tires. Get to the same place. PLUS reduce rotating mass.

 

I would not. Gain would not be worth the effort. In my case the hitch with a ball mounted in it protects my bumper when crossing creeks on hunting ranch.

 

The tow hitch/receiver saved my ass twice in my 2010 DC when I was rear ended. Once by a F150 that was subsequently totaled. Tundra had a small scratch under passenger tail light, dent in the bumper and a paint chip on the receiver. The receiver wraps all the way around the bed from tire to tire. No reason in hell I'd remove it to save a few pounds. I know that the Toyota body shop that did the repairs removed the bed to replace the receiver (whether its necessary or not, I dont know).

 

You will not gain anything by removing it. These trucks don't notice minimal weight changes like that. The hitch does not weigh that much.

 

I used to have an 07 Tundra 4x2 RCSB with Sports Appearance Package. It has a tow delete. No hitch and has a higher rear end gear. Bed jiggle when the truck is light--like that famous video made by Ford. And also had a lot of frame flex. You can get a bed stiffener but those may interfere with your camper. Towards the end, I installed an aftermarket tow hitch. It weighed 80 lbs.

 

All right, now y’all got me thinking to leave it on the truck.

The weight reduction is not so much of a concern to make the truck faster, but more so to lessen the spring sag when loaded with a typical camping load.

I really don’t mind scraping the hitch or even the spare tire or bumper. My concern was getting hung up on a solid obstacle while backing. I know, it’s a one in a million thing, but I always go alone, with minimal recovery gear.

Coming out of a lifted 97 taco that could do most any trail, I’m now kind of apprehensive about taking the 2021 Tundra out in the wild. It’s so long and low, bone stock and the 38-gallon tank hangs below the frame. This keeps me up at night thinking of silly scenarios that will probably never happen.

For sure I'll get a good skid plate for the tank.

Other than that, maybe I should just go wheel the damn thing and see what happens.

 

The receiver hitch is part of the bumper brackets, at least on a 21, so it wouldn't be as simple as just unbolting it.