Recommended Towing Setup for 2018 Hyundai Tucson

Question:

we have a 2018 Tucson. no hitch or wiring. we own a small utility trailer that we used with our last car for gardening mulch and topsoil. but we also are considering a small composite ultralight tear drop camper but we have not yet narrowed it down to one particular model. we want to get the car ready to use the utility trailer a.s.a.p. (spring is coming soon, I hope) but we also want to plan ahead for the tear trailer if that comes to pass. in other words we want to do it right the first time so we don't have to re-purchase new items later. Looking for guidance on a complete towing set-up. Thanks.

asked by: Ruthie

Expert Reply:

I can help you with towing items for your 2018 Tucson that will work for both your utility trailer and your potential teardrop camper trailer.

I recommend the Draw-Tite 2-inch hitch # 75836 for its straightforward bolt-on installation, which is shown in the linked video. All hardware is included and the hitch will have a discrete appearance on the Tucson since its main cross tube will be concealed behind trim panels. You can see the installed hitch in the photo I linked for you.

To accommodate towing both trailers I recommend using our Ball Mount Kit # 989900 since it has two hitch ball sizes and two ball mounts. This one kit will give you flexibility to tow trailers of different heights and with different coupler sizes. It includes hitch pins but if you want to lock your ball mount (a good idea) you can add anti-rattle lock # 63232.

For basic trailer wiring you can use 4-pole kit # 118501 which offers simple plug-in installation at the Tucson taillights; no cutting or splicing, as shown in the video. This harness will provide basic stop, turn and tail lighting functions. If your utility trailer has lights this will be all you need for it. If the teardrop trailer has brakes and/or an on-board battery then you can upgrade the wiring to the 7-way format using kit # ETBC7. Finally, for towing mirrors I recommend the K-Source kit # KS3990 because these mirrors feature a dual-lens design for a better view of the road and trailer behind you.

In terms of your Tucson's towing capacity that will depend on the specific version you have. I linked a table taken from the online owner's manual which details the towing capacities for each version of the car. The minimum towing capacity is 1500-lbs and the maximum is 2000-lbs. Most small teardrop trailers will be under this 1500-lbs.

Trailers with their own brakes are permitted to be heavier than trailers without them and if you select a trailer with electric brakes you will need an additional component, a trailer brake controller.
The gold-standard in controllers and the unit I often recommend is the Prodigy P3 # 90195 which is a time-tested reliable controller that is easy to set up and to operate. This controller will be installed using the # ETBC7 kit referenced above. No other items are needed.

I also included two articles with helpful towing basics and these may help you in your planning process. Please let me know if you have any other questions.