95 Dakota SLT 2wd, doesn't have a ball on the bumper but is there any pre-existing trailer wires anywhere, or do I have to wire them from the lights or something? I'm thinking about putting a ball on the bumper and towing a small boat under 400lbs (little 12 or 14 ft, think it's a 12ft aluminum jon boat with a little 7.5HP motor and 44lbs trolling motor/battery)

Should I not use the bumper and just get a body mounted hitch?

 

If you don't have a hitch you likely don't have the wiring in place. If you do it should be very obvious if you look underneath/behind the bumper.

If you're going to put one on just get a real hitch. The bumper ball is enough to tow what you're looking to do with it, but imo if you're going to go through the trouble of putting one on anyway it might as well be a full hitch. Not much to it either, just 3 bolts on each side of the frame and they're easy to remove.

 

Well I already looked to see if it had the trailer wiring hanging down but didn't see any. I was asking because on my dad's F150 it has a big plug where everything comes out of for all the lights.

I'll probably just get it done by uhaul or something, but that's later when I get some extra money.

 

Ya unless it is added in or the towing package which you would have a hitch, then you don't have the wires.

The bumper is rated at 200lb tongue weight 2,000lbs trailer weight. There are wiring kits you can buy that are simple plug and play, or just plug and wire up a trailer connector to that new harness so you don't have to cut up your stock harness. They are cheep under $20.

A hitch is best but for 400lbs it is not needed unless your bumper or brackets are rusted.

 

There are plug in trailer harnesses available for around $25, you just unplug the tail light connector and plug the harness connector in.

Also for 400lbs the bumper should be fine but a hitch is the better option. Should be able to get one around $150 and honestly they're so easy to install that most of the time it's a waste of money to get them installed.

 

Last week I went to a local salvage yard and bought the receiver hitch, ball and all, for $40. The wire set was available from all the local parts stores, but Napa had it cheapest for around $25. The hitch is the same from 1989 all the way up to 2000 for sure...maybe even newer. A new hitch would have cost me about $150 with the ball and all. I am glad I checked the salvage yard. Mine looks like new with a half a can of krylon.

 

well, I just bought a 2006 dakota, and there is a hitch, under behind step bumper, it looks factory installed, instead of a slide in receiver, a hitch ball, goes thru the step bumper, and into this hitch, not what Im used to, but, I plan to tow my boat soon,

 

Buy this, it literally plugs into the dakota wiring:


It took me maybe 10 minutes to install it, because I had to drill one hole in the frame to mount the ground wire.