Recommendations for Flat Towing Components for 2005 Toyota Corolla with Manual Transmission

Question:

I want to set up our 2005 Toyota Corolla with a Blue Ox tow bar and base plate, etc. I favor the Alpha because of its design. The base plate BX3751 seems to be the right part. I am however confused about the wiring for the tow vehicle. Some seem to favor the bulb and socket separate wiring system and others are for the diode kit that taps into the cars wiring. I would like your recommendation on this and the other needed accessories. Lastly, the approximate measurement from the ground to the middle of my receiver hitch is 19inch and I am told the tab height on the baseplate for the Corolla is 13inch so I assume this means I need a 6inch Rise/Drop receiver, correct? Thanks in advance for your help.

asked by: Frank S

Expert Reply:

We can certainly help you select the required components to equip your 2005 Toyota Corolla for safe and legal flat towing. The items required include a tow bar, safety cables, base plates, a lighting/wiring solution and supplementary braking system. The linked article on flat towing covers each of these items in some detail and may be helpful to you as you consider your options and preferences.

It is generally preferable to stay with one brand of flat towing components, in this case Blue Ox, since it means no compatibility issues and some potential savings in overall cost since no brand-to-brand adapters will be needed.

The base plates you referenced, # BX3751, are indeed a correct choice as long as you do not have the XRS version. The Alpha # BX7380 tow bar is an ideal choice and it includes safety cables, saving you that separate expense. For a supplemental braking system I recommend the Blue Ox Patriot # BLU37TR, a proportional system that includes a wireless radio frequency remote controller that mounts in the tow vehicle.

Wiring/lighting solutions do offer a wide range of options, from the simple magnetic light kits that install in a few moments, to separate bulb-and-socket kits that require some modifications to the toad (but not its wiring) to full-on hardwired diode kits whose installation can be fairly involved and which do require you to cut into the vehicle wiring. The linked article explains each in detail. I tend to recommend the easy-to-install and cost-effective magnetic kits since their installation is by far the fastest and avoids the anguish of messing with your toad's wiring.

The Toyota Corolla is one of the preferred vehicles for flat towing but it is still a good idea to check your owner's manual for any guidance or required preparation steps to ready the vehicle to be flat towed behind your motor home.