[gnrboyd]

I just purchased a used 2005 Sienna and have a couple of questions.

1. I need to install a trailer hitch to pull my boat which weighs in the neighborhood of 1,500 lbs including boat, motor, trailer, and gear. (I may also have the occasional need to pull another trailer up to 2,000 but never any more than that.)

I read that many Sienna owners experience scraping of the hitch due to how low the Sienna hitch sits. (apparently due to the deep well for the 3rd row seating storage.) I just traded in my Chevrolet Venture minivan (98) which I used to pull the same boat and it never scraped. (although it didn't have stowable seat storage.) That hitch had the 1 1/4 solid metal tube but I don't recall if it was rated at 2,000 or 3,500 lbs. (The hitch was already on the van when I bought it and the tube I got from Uhaul.)

I was hoping to get some feedback from you as to what brand of hitch you used and if you have the scraping problem. (Also how much total weight/tongue weight you tow.) I read another post on another site that indicated the Toyota hitch gave better clearance than the aftermarket options. Anyone know if that is true?

2. I'm a little confused as to how much weight the Sienna will tow. The manual says 2,000 standard and 3,500 with the towing package. I read on the net that all Siennas in the 05 year had the towing package included. ??? Is the towing package simply transmission/radiator coolers only and has nothing to do with a beefed up frame to hold the weight? Any idea how I can tell if I have the towing package or not? (I have no idea what a transmission or radiator cooler looks like.) I'm really not too concerned even if I only have the 2,000 capacity because I won't be pulling over that amount and I don't pull very often and when I do, I don't go more than about 100 miles to the lake. Still, I'd prefer not to cut it that close and would feel more comfortable with the 3,500 limit. How can I verify what I have?

3. I watched a video on-line that showed the install procedure for the wiring harness on a Sienna. (04-10 class) They showed the wiring just hanging out of the back of the van instead of coming from underneath the bumper like all of my past vehicles. That seems very cheesy to me to run the wire out the van and then close the door on the wiring. Is there an easy way to route the wiring under the bumper to avoid the ugly mess of keeping it inside the van?

4. I have the JBL speaker on the driver side in the rear instead of an access panel. In the wiring install video, the guy opens up a panel to help get to the wiring. Am I going to have problems with this since I don't have an access panel and have a speaker instead?

Any insigh on any or all of the above would be appreciated. (photos of your hitch install would be a nice bonus also) Thank you.