The Tacoma is a light-duty pickup truck manufactured by Toyota Motor Corporation and first marketed in 1995. While a full tow package is a factory option for this vehicle, a great number were delivered without the option, and a dedicated harness intended to retrofit a trailer hitch is available. Using the Tacoma-specific harness, wiring a Tacoma for a trailer hitch is a straightforward project.
Use a Phillips-head screwdriver to remove the securing screws holding the lenses and taillight clusters in place on both sides of the Tacoma. Put the lenses in a safe place, and draw the clusters out from the bodywork so the connectors at the back are visible.
Locate the access ports beneath the sides of the pickup bed immediately below the taillight housings. Install the side of the harness, which comprises a white, yellow and brown wire, through the access port under the driver's side and feed it up until it emerges from the empty taillight bucket.
Pull the original multi-block connector off the back of the driver's side taillight cluster and push the front side of the hitch harness multi-block in its place. Then push the original multi-block onto the back side of the hitch harness multi-block. Locate the eyelet connector on the end of the loose white wire over one of the receivers from which the securing screws were withdrawn, and then replace the taillight cluster and the lens and the securing screws.
Route the green wire of the hitch harness across the underside of the Tacoma bed, in through the access port under the passenger side taillight and feed it up until it emerges from the empty taillight bucket.
Pull the original multi-block connector off the back of the passenger side taillight cluster and push the front side of the hitch harness multi-block in its place. Then push the original multi-block onto the back side of the hitch harness multi-block. Replace the taillight cluster and the lens and the securing screws.
Site the flat four-pin hitch of the hitch harness adjacent to the tow package, and secure it in place with plastic cable ties. Follow the two runs of wire from the hitch to the access ports and use plastic cable ties to secure them so they are not vulnerable to accidental damage.
