Well, I did it!

Took me a couple of hours, including a few trips back into the apartment to find more tools. On the other hand, I'm doing a write-up, so it's that much more worth it!

-brendan

Do's:
-----

-Do wear Safety Glasses (primarily for the reasons of: drilling metal & flinging around the sharp
end of the pull wire)

-DO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK & SET THE EMERGENCY/PARKING BRAKE.

-Do have necessary tools

-Do have patience, esp. when working the bolts into place and in the interim between removing the
pull wire and before getting the nuts on. You really don't want to drop the bolt/plate into
the frame. I can't see how you'd be able to recover them if you did... :shock:

Don'ts
------

-Don't Use a 12V Portable/Rechargeable Drill - not enough speed & torque.

-Don't move quickly: I bounced my head off the car and back onto the asphalt at least 3 times. GRR.

-Don't grip the bolts in the bolt holes using pliers on the threads, use your thumb and pointer
finger instead. I thought I was doing it lightly, but it appears I slightly damaged the
threads, making it more difficult to get the nut onto that first bolt.

-Don't Forget the sunblock. My legs, which were sticking out in the sun the whole time are now a bit
redder than they should be.

Tools used were:
-----------------
-Did I mention Safety Glasses?
-Razor blade scraper
-CORDED Drill
-Power source* for corded drill (important if you don't have a garage)
-Proper sized drill bit for notching (I believe I used 3/16"). Reasoning was: if too big, the
cut is spread out; if too small, chances of shattering the bit are high.
-Block of wood
-Rubber Mallet
-9/16 and 11/16 open/closed wrenches (since I don't have deep sockets)
-9/16 and 11/16 sized sockets for ratchet wrench
-Ratchet wrench
-Torque Wrench in foot-lbs

Parts that came from Valley / Sportsrack were:
---------------------------------------
-4 carriage bolts
-4 nuts for carriage bolts
-4 plates that will prevent the bolt from rotating when it is pulled all the way through
-Pull wire with spring at end that matches bolts' threading, an incredibly useful tool!
-U-bracket for center of hitch
-2 washers for U-bracket
-2 nuts for U-bracket
-Hitch itself
-Instructions

Included Instructions:
--------------------
(they were generally straightforward, but incomplete as usual).
A summary of them, basically:
1. Put notches in one hole on each side of the frame,
2. Put hitch in place and secure loosely using the U-bolt & associated washers and nuts.
3. Use pull wire to pull bolt & plate through from notched access hole to bolt hole.
4. Remove pull wire and secure in loosely place with nut.
5. Repeat steps 3&4 three more times for remaining bolts.
6. Tighten bolts/nuts to specified torque.
7. After some # of miles/days, re-torque bolts/nuts.

[continued...]

[...continued]
My expanded summary of what I did, including tips & reasoning:
0. Various preparatory actions

a. Using block of wood and mallet, slightly widen the hitch to
make it easier to slide on. I only banged on the passenger
side a bit, figured I'd do it again if necessary, but it wasn't, it
was very tight but movable w/ the mallet later.

b. The passenger side frame had an inordinate amount of
undercoating sprayed onto the side where the hitch was to be
bolted onto place. In my case I had to Remove 1/8" of
undercoating from the outside of the frame member the hitch is
bolted on to using a razor blade scraper. You may need to do
this to one, both, or neither sides.

c. Temporarily reposition the exhaust a bit lower by removing
the upper connection of the rubber anchor that it hangs from.
The exhaust is held in place by a rubber support, I assume to
allow for dissipation of vibration. I was able to, by hand and with
patience, remove the support from its top connection to give
enough clearance to get the passenger side of the hitch in place.
It was clear to me that without lower the exhaust pipe, the hitch
wasn't going to go on. Don't forget to push it back into place
when you're done, though!

1. Put notches in one hole on each side of the frame.

a. You're wearing safety glasses, right?

b. Don't try to notch the access holes in the frame using a
portable drill, or at least, not with a low to medium range
portable (such as my 12V). It will take all day due to lack of
speed & torque.

c. I chose to widen the rearward holes. Getting the pull wire from
the rearward access hole to the rearward bolt hole will be easy.
Getting the pull wire from the rearward access hole to the forward
bolt hole is *IMPOSSIBLE*. There's a trick I'll explain later.

d. Rather than "notch" I "semi-circled" a bump on the
circumference of the access hole. My reasoning was that to
notch it, I'd have to use a small drill bit. It was pretty clear
I had to provide a lot of sideways pressure to cut into the metal
using my drill bits (which are supposedly for all drilling, including
metal drilling, but supposed to be used in-and-out,
not from the side). I figured a small bit was much more likely to
shatter, so I picked a larger bit and felt more comfortable
applying strong lateral pressure.

d. Use a *lot* of sideways pressure: I used the bottom of the
spare tire well to give the drill leverage, and also moved the bit
back and forth in a slow sawing motion. Took 2-3 minutes per
side.

e. Use the end of one of the plates to test your notch/semicircle,
but don't push it in very far esp. if you are a potential klutz (like
me). Once it fits well, cut some more with the drill. I think the
carriage bolt heads which are as wide as the plates, are slightly
more difficult to get through because they go in at an angle (as
you'll find later), so you'll appreciate the extra clearance.

2. Put hitch in place and secure loosely using the U-bolt, washers and
nuts. Ha. Positioning took a lot of patience. And the mallet. The
important things to note are:

a. You did check for undercoating positioned in the way, right?
See section 0 above.

b. You can rotate it pretty easily, even when it's held in place
pretty strongly by pressure.

c. You'll need to mallet it into place on each side, noting that
each adjustment to one side will tend to mis-adjust the other.
It's a back and forth process.

d. Don't be like me and forget to put the U-bolt on until after
you started with the frame bolts/nuts. Doh.


[continued...]

[...continued]
3. Use pull wire to pull bolt & plate through from notched access hole to bolt hole.

If REAR (toward tailgate) BOLTS

a. For the rear bolts, you can do it the obvious way: screw the
spring end of the pull wire onto the bolt and thread the plate
onto the line and voila!...you've got a fishing wire to pull the bolt
through! Very very cool.

b. Getting the wire from the rearward access hole to the rearward
bolt hole was frustrating but only took a few minutes, since
they're just across from each other (well, close enough).

c. Pull the bolt through.

If FORWARD (toward engine) BOLTS (can be used for REAR too)

a. However, for the frontward bolts, getting the wire from the
rearward access hole to the forward bolt hole was *IMPOSSIBLE*.
I almost gave up and drilled a notch into the rear ACCESS hole,
but I didn't want to do more drilling than necessary, since I'd
survived the earlier drilling with nothing broken (tools or car or
me).

b. Then in a moment of brilliance (mixed with a feeling of total
dopiness), I figure out the trick! Remove the fishing wire from
the bolt/plate. Thread the *spring* end backward INTO the
REAR BOLT hole & OUT the FORWARD ACCESS hole! That was
*way easier*, though you need to be more slow/careful as it's
possible to snag the spring end of the wire in a bunch of places.
Now put the plate onto the bolt and screw the spring end of the
wire to the bolt.

c. Pull the bolt through.

4. Remove pull wire and secure in loosely place with nut.

a. Hold the pulled bolt in place with thumb and forefinger (no
pliers).

b. Remove the pull wire by slowly unthreading it. Be careful,
because if you let go now, you'll lose the bolt/plate inside the
frame never to be found again (really). Also, safety glasses
are useful here, as the pointy end tends to whip around a lot.

c. Once you've unthreaded the wire, screw the nut on by hand
loosely (perhaps halfway down the shaft of the bolt).

5. Repeat steps 3&4 three more times for remaining bolts.

6. Tighten bolts/nuts to specified torque.

7. Re-secure the exhaust.

8. Put all your tools away, have some water, and brush all the grime
and plant matter off of yourself.

9. After some # of miles/days, re-torque bolts/nuts.

You're DONE!

* I keep a PowerPack 400 Plus in the car now: http://www.xantrex.com/products/product.asp?did=737 I've had it for 2-3 weeks and already used it twice: once to give a fellow motorist a jump, and just now to power my corded drill. I loved the feature set: battery, jump, tire pump, light, 12V socket, inverter w/ 2 AC sockets, percentage of available battery power left and a wattage in use display. According to the powerpack, startup wattage of my drill is ~375W, but the drill runs at about 200W. Yeah, it's an ancient sears drill, not too beefy.


THE END!

-brendan

What a coincidence! I went to U-Haul yesterday to buy the 2" hitch with full intention to install it myself. However, the installer was so friendly in helping me pick out the electrical parts, including the 7-pin connector for my coming-soon trailer, that I decided to pay the $22 and let him install the hitch.

It took him about 35 minutes with some grinding of the holes and misc. hammering, but a clean, nice job and the hitch looks great, with only the receiver showing. I'll get a picture.

I decided to do the electrical myself as I need to run lines for the trailer brakes and charging system.

But that was the best $22 I've spent in a long time! :lol: But then I'm an old geezer and not a young whipper-snapper like our Mr. Brendan.

Heheheheheh.

That was my intention as well, but I was treated badly over the phone by the three local U-Hauls I called (granted they were busy) that I figured, "why not?". Also, I was concerned about the drilling: really wanted to see what was being drilled and hammered myself. Also, one of my hobbies now is writing HOW-TOs for this site... :)

And yeah, still gotta put the wiring in, but not for a while. The primary reason for the 2" hitch was for my tilting Softride four-bike carrier.

Now to convince Brian to help engineer a table/grill for the softride carrier (sans arms) that's way cheaper than the car-b-q ... :P

-brendan

PS - wish I were still a young whippersnapper! I'll be 50 in...16.5 years!!!

For anybody that is now too intimidated to install a hitch, I just want to let you know that it is a lot easier than it sounds.

When I installed my U-Haul Hitch, it took me approximately 35 minutes.

I did not use any power tools and the install does NOT require any drilling. Each side of the car has one enlarged hole and one smaller hole (that you can't get a bolt through). However the bolt puller is quite long and it was very easy to feed both bolts through the enlarged hole (therefore....no drilling). If you're absolutely set on making your life harder by drilling, a 18volt cordless will do a good job so long as its a brand name drill (Milwaukee, DeWalt, etc). The fit is a little tight around the exhaust, but you do NOT have to move the exhaust.

Basicaly all you have to do is
1. Get the hitch into place (this will require a some hammering because of the tight fit)

2. feed the bolts through, put nuts on bolts, and tighten

3. you're done

Now dosen't that sound a lot easier?

Now dosen't that sound a lot easier?

Vlad,

For the record, I *could not* get the carriage bolt plates inside the access holes without drilling...but I only tried the rearward access holes. If it was possible for you to do so, perhaps you used the forward access holes? They didn't seem any different in size, so I never bothered to check.

I spent about 15 minutes trying to get the hitch into place without moving the exhaust as well. Couldn't do it. Perhaps I didn't spend enough time thinking about the geometry? Perhaps hammering out the sides more would have made moving the exhaust unneccessary?

The install *was* actually *easy*. As I said (via an edit on the first post), it took me longer due to the back and forth to the apartment and the documentation of the steps.

My comments are there to cover 100% of what people might have questions about.

-brendan

My U-Haul guy who had the benefit of a nifty lift to hold the hitch in place and a nifty recliner chair to roll around in, had to unhook the exhaust pipe, using some WD-40 to grease the way, to get the hitch in place.

Of course, this was not one of those whimpy 1.25" jobs.

Good write-up, btw, Brendan.

Vlad -

Bigfoot brought up a good point: was your install U-Haul's Class I hitch or their "Heavy Class II" (sometimes referred to as "Class III") hitch? They carry both and seems to market the Class I for 2WD E's and the Heavy Class II for AWD E's.

This install was the latter.

-brendan

Heh. I positioned the E so that I had the benefit of a slight incline in the parking lot which made the contortions under the vehicle slightly less uncomfortable vs. the flat part of the lot. "No lift, no chair, no rolling board. Not a single luxury..."

WD-40 might have saved my fingertips from some pain in detaching the exhaust pipe. :)

Thanks, bigfoot.

-brendan

You definitely have to drill out one of the holes bigger each side.
Personally, i had a rather easy time once holes were enlarged.
No need to unhook exhaust, and feeding the wire through rear hole to front wasn't a problem.
If you stick the end of your pinkie, you can feel the end of the wire and you can guide it out the front hole.

Brendan, I also had massive amount of undercoating in the same location as yours. That must be the point where they finish applying the coating, and do what we'd normally do with caulk. :P

LMN_OP,

Were you using ramps and/or a lift? What was the trick to get the hitch around the exhaust pipe? I'm wondering if I was limited due to my lack of headroom w/o either ramps or a lift.

Good suggestions on the pull wires.

And yeah, the undercoating over there just seemed like a bunch of leftovers. :)

-brendan

No special tricks were used, just in my driveway.
The exhaust hanger is rubber, so it moves sideways some, and that was enough to get the hitch up.
Make sure you touch up any spots with paint missing. I looked at it today, and rust have already started in some parts.

[quote:7c62d1c854=" "]No special tricks were used, just in my driveway.
The exhaust hanger is rubber, so it moves sideways some, and that was enough to get the hitch up.
Make sure you touch up any spots with paint missing. I looked at it today, and rust have already started in some parts.[/quote:7c62d1c854]

Interesting...

Ok, I see what the difference was: I'd read about other folk's hitch attempts and they'd mentioned needing to paint with rustoleum the places where they'd scraped metal.

I was avoiding pushing the metal exhaust and the frame piece above it with the metal hitch for just that reason: not wanting to scrape it (plus also not knowing how much side-to-side play it can really take before it start pulling on the entire exhaust system too much).

Still I'm sure I left a couple of scrapes around. I've got a can of black rustoleum paint from way back when I was going to do the home depot guttar guard grille, so I can use that to touch up.

Hrm...probably need a mask to spraypaint under there w/o a lift...

-brendan

I didn't want to do any grinding on the underside of the vehicle because it invites rust. I ground the hardware enough to fit through the holes and then primed and painted it. After the hitch was installed, i shot some undercoater through the holes onto the hardware. I'd rather have rust on the hardware than on the body.

Dave

Take the right end of hitch and put it in sideways. It is at a right angle to rear of vehicle. If garage door is closed you will not think of this until I got tired of wrestling with that rubber hanger. Then you swing the hitch like a door until the left end comes under the car. The hitch swings over the exhaust pipe. Ta da :wink:

Heh. Which side of the hitch is the right side???

-brendan

The right side is the side that would be closest to tail pipe.

[quote:1a14b70665=" "]The right side is the side that would be closest to tail pipe.[/quote:1a14b70665]

Oh!

Cool, thanks!

-brendan

THe tilt bike carrier is also available for the hidden hitch. "class I"
How much was the Class II - III at Uhaul?
What do most people preffer? I heard that the Class II is 50LBS compared to half that weight of the Hidden hitch... which by the way is in supply and demand for the EL. Nationwide backorder.
What do you guys think? Any Ideas?

The Valley class III-IV lists at 27 pounds. The other 1-1/4 inch hitches
list at about 20 pounds. Not much difference. This is from
www.hitch-web.com Cheers

U-Haul hitch rocks, got mine installed this week! :grin:

I just got teh uhaul class III hitch and installed it. took me a couple hours (kept getting interupted). In my case i had to widen the holes on the inside of the frame as well. Used a craftsmand 3amp drill with a dremel grinding stone (burnt my dremel up a few months ago and have not replaced it since). I few minutes per hole is all it took and a wittled down stone. The rest was cake. Had to unhook the exhaust and attach the hitch with the ubolt. Then with a rubber malet, i just banged the hitch in place and fished the hardware thru. then used some rust o' spray paint to cover the nicked and scratched bare metal, and good to go. Also did the home depot grill on the same day.. that was real easy after i got the bumper off. about 1 hour for that. :grin:

I've never had a project go so easily (and I'm going to tell you why):
Normally, a project like this means that I'm holding something heavy in a precise location while fishing through the toolbox blindly for a specific socket or wrench.
Tried something different this time - Spent 5 minutes in the house fitting all of the nuts with their respective sockets and open ended wrenches. Brought everything out that I needed. Didn't spend any useless time searching for other stuff!

Sounds simple, but how do you do projects?

I used a corded Dremmel to expand the holes (no notches, just opened up the holes a bit). Ran into a bit of a problem when my deep well socket was too wide to squeeze in at the rearward bolt location - easy enough, I'd brought my open ended wrench at that point.

No ramps, at 8 o'clock at night, with just a flashlight. And I'm 6'4", 300 lbs. I'm sure the neighbors thought that my Ebox had fallen and flattened me, as much as I was jammed under there. Still easy, tho.

I used a corded Dremmel to expand the holes (no notches, just opened up the holes a bit). Ran into a bit of a problem when my deep well socket was too wide to squeeze in at the rearward bolt location - easy enough, I'd brought my open ended wrench at that point.

No ramps, at 8 o'clock at night, with just a flashlight. And I'm 6'4", 300 lbs. I'm sure the neighbors thought that my Ebox had fallen and flattened me, as much as I was jammed under there. Still easy, tho.

I have a cordless dremmel that I used to create a slot just large enough to fit the bolt through. I also used my ramps and did the install under the carport at night.

Anybody have any photos of a class III/IV installed?

tell me what kind of pictures you would like...are we talking a picture form the back or the underside. I will try to get a shot or two tomorrow as I am on VACATION!!!

Back and underside would be great. Thanks.

Folks, glad to see it is possible to DIY re: the hitch. I only need a receiver hitch so I can use a bike rack I already own from my old Ford Exlporer. I think it can be the small or large size. I figure I can skip the wiring harnass beceause I don't need power. Any idea what brand I should look for? Is this something it's just easier and smarter to pay someone to do? PS, be forewarned, this will be the first of many questions. My wife bought a 2005 Magnesium EX 4Wd, 5 Speed last night with only fog lights, alarm and rear air deflector. The hitch is my first project but I plan on following up with center console, side steps, rear bumber guard, rocker panel guards, front bumper guard and roof rack. I also hear the stock headlight elements are weak, so I was going to replace those as well. Maybe I should post this as question in the main chat too?

welcome.

as for the hitch, i strongly suspect that if your rack came off an exploder, it is a 2" rack.

just go to your local u-haul. they'll do it for $111 plus $20 for the install.

Folks, glad to see it is possible to DIY re: the hitch. I only need a receiver hitch so I can use a bike rack I already own from my old Ford Exlporer. I think it can be the small or large size. I figure I can skip the wiring harnass beceause I don't need power. Any idea what brand I should look for? Is this something it's just easier and smarter to pay someone to do? PS, be forewarned, this will be the first of many questions. My wife bought a 2005 Magnesium EX 4Wd, 5 Speed last night with only fog lights, alarm and rear air deflector. The hitch is my first project but I plan on following up with center console, side steps, rear bumber guard, rocker panel guards, front bumper guard and roof rack. I also hear the stock headlight elements are weak, so I was going to replace those as well. Maybe I should post this as question in the main chat too?

Hi E-NOVA! Welcome....I had a Hidden Hitch for 4 months...and bought a U-HAUL hitch....I would not go back for any reason......

Hey trickyvic. Why do you prefer the u-haul hitch? I have a hidden hitch, and I was a little bit dissatisfied with it on a recent trip. Seems like it doesn't have the right angle or something. Without having anything to compare it to, I don't really know. Also, what did you do with the hidden hitch? Sell it on Ebay?

thanks!

HI:

I also have a Toyota Pickup with a 2" receiver.....so now I only have things that work with a 2" in stead of having stuff for my 1 1/4" and a seperate set of things for the 2"......I sold the 1 1/4" to a friend that has a 1 1/4" on his jeep also....so it worked out well all the way around.

G

No tools needed except a trusty tire iron. ALL of our holes (2005)were too small :-( ....wedged a tire iron (a "real manly american tire iron"..not the whimpy Honda spec one made in Canada that comes with the E)....applied leverage in 2 directions....holes now large enough :-D

Instead of enlarging the holes or cutting a notch hole for the bolts, he filed down one side of each of the 4 bolts just enough to put the bolt through the hole so he could fish it through and then tighten it. He explained to me that he always tries to avoid doing any structural changes to any of the vehicles he works on. Hope this helps any self installers.

Instead of enlarging the holes or cutting a notch hole for the bolts, he filed down one side of each of the 4 bolts just enough to put the bolt through the hole so he could fish it through and then tighten it. He explained to me that he always tries to avoid doing any structural changes to any of the vehicles he works on. Hope this helps any self installers.

Sounds good. Dremel fans can turn the tool on the bolts and away from the undercarriage holes on the E. I think I will use this method once I get to the "install hitch" on my list of to do's.

LeadFoot

Edit: Got it installed this past weekend. :grin:

After looking at the undercarriage and the bolts - I decided it would be an easier and quicker route by grinding a notch in the undercarriage and leaving the bolts as they were. Based on other posts with installation tips, I only notched 2 of the 4 holes (one on each side) and was able to easily thread all 4 bolts through the undercarriage with the supplied lead. I had my son push down on the tailpipe to stretch the rubber hanging support enough to get the hitch in place. A little bit of extra undercoating made it a tight fit, but a whack here and there with a 2 by 4 and a hammer tapped the hitch into alignment with the bolt holes.

I didn't have the bit tightened enough on the Dremel and lost the first Dremel grinder wheel in the undercarriage of my E. It went in the hole and dropped down inside. Oh well. Other than that, the install went just fine. I didn't keep track of time, but certainly was under the car long enough staring up at the holes and grinding and wrenching away long enough to get a neck ache and get bit by a few insects.

Here she is in the after and before state....

Instead of enlarging the holes or cutting a notch hole for the bolts, he filed down one side of each of the 4 bolts just enough to put the bolt through the hole so he could fish it through and then tighten it. He explained to me that he always tries to avoid doing any structural changes to any of the vehicles he works on. Hope this helps any self installers.

Definitely my kind of guy!!

I used the file on my Leatherman tool to make notches in the holes (front and back holes were the same size, no way bolts and square metal pieces would fit thru). I only enlarged one hole on each side and used that hole for both bolts.

I've put hitches on a couple of cars/trucks and this UHaul baby was the easiest by far.

Total time about an hour for me but it was a very easy hour. I saw my sockets weren't going to fit so I tightened everything with a crescent wrench and put some locktite on as well. I'll check everything again in a couple hundred miles or when the trailer falls off, whichever comes first.

The biggest pain was taking the sidewall off to get to the wiring. I bought the $16 wireset at UHaul with the wire taps and that's very easy to do.

Thanks to everyone who contributed info. I read it all before starting and it made this a very easy job. You guys are a great resource.

Ok here we go again!!!!! Got a new boat for Xmas. 17 ft. Bayliner 2400 lbs. I have a Class 1 hitch on the Element, I know I have to upgrade the hitch to a Class 2 or Class 3. My question is does Honda make a Class 2 or 3 hitch for the Element? Does someone make a Class 2 or 3 hitch. Does U-haul make a hitch for the Element? What would be the cost for an install?

Ok here we go again!!!!! Got a new boat for Xmas. 17 ft. Bayliner 2400 lbs. I have a Class 1 hitch on the Element, I know I have to upgrade the hitch to a Class 2 or Class 3. My question is does Honda make a Class 2 or 3 hitch for the Element? Does someone make a Class 2 or 3 hitch. Does U-haul make a hitch for the Element? What would be the cost for an install?

Interesting question. Does the element qualify for a class 3? I thought it did not... anybody?

The Uhaul/Valley hitch has a 2" receiver, which nominally is a class 3. However, even if the hitch is strong enough for 3000lb/300 tongue, the rest of the Element might not be (brakes, engine, suspension, etc). When Honda puts a 1500/150 towing limit on the Element, it isn't because the hitch itself isn't strong enough.

Having said that, there have been a number of threads about the towing limits of the Element. Someone just posted 2006 towing limit numbers for the CRV. The Australian Honda numbers are nearly double the US numbers, a difference which as more to do with liability concerns than with any mechanical differences.

I think that 2400 lb Bayliner (is that dry weight? w/wo trailer?) is pushing the capacity of an Element. At the very least the trailer should have brakes. If you are towing novice, I'd strongly suggest you stick with the 1500lb limit. If you have plenty of experience towing, you don't need my advice.

Read the installation instructions for the Valley hitch for your self. They are easily found on etailer.com.

paulj

Thanks for the reply! The total weight is 2400lbs. In the past I towed an 0ld 15 ft boat approx. 2000 lbs. without a problem. The Element towed and pulled this out of the water with EASE! I also had a tranny cooler installed at purchase.

The e-mail that I received from Valley state that hitch # 82580 is a class 2 hitch with a 3500 lb. rating and a 2" receiver. The trans cooler is a smart move. But that is a very small trans and if you try to haul class 3 loads at the limit you will burn it up.:)

My observations after installing the Valley Hitch:

This thread was a great help to me yesterday, as I installed the Valley 2" hitch on my '06 ex. Nice!

I'll try not to rehash all the stuff that's already been covered, but just pay heed that you really DO want to wear glasses when you take off the pull-through wire. It has to be unthreaded, just like a nut, unless you want to ruin it for the next bolt. And the sharp end IS going to whip around and could put out an eye.

Also, regarding whether to grind on the bolt heads or to open up the frame holes a little, I ended up doing both. Not a big deal; I'll touch up with some good paint to help slow down the rusting that will eventually occur everywhere under there anyway. I still wonder why all the hardware supplied has to be just slightly too large to go through the access holes!! Or how much trouble would it be for HOnda to make those holes a little bigger! I suppose carriage bolts are just the size they are; bolt makers don't care or know what size frame access holes are in various cars.

Anyway, not a big problem. I used both my portable Dremel on the frame and my plug-in Dremel in my shed shop on the bolts and plates.

The hitch seems very solid, but I'd hope there's very little pressure on the U-bolt that attaches to the underside of the spare tire compartment. Although it fastens well, I don't think that part of the underside would support much of anything on it's own. Hopefully those four carriage bolts are doing ALL the work.

Last comments: E-trailer.com is certainly impressive! I ordered last Tuesday, I think around Noon. The hitch was on my front porch the next day (Wednesday) before 10:00 am. I live in the Nashville area.

Geez, that's one of those deals where when you click to confirm the purchase, you immediately have to run and move your car out of the way for the UPS delivery truck!

I installed a Valley Industries 2" Hitch in about 40 minutes. It wasn't necessary to remove the exhaust. I did use a Dremel to enlarge the holes though. I did it in the garage without ramps or anything. Not bad for a 51 year old huh?

2005 4WD EX RR
Yakima Roof Rack
Valley Industries Hitch
Splash Guards
All Weather Mats
Yakima Full Swing Bike Carrier

I went with the Valley hitch also!! Great product and very simple instructions. After Installing the Hitch and re torqueing bolts. I purchased a can of 3M rubberized undercoating to complete the install. It really looks great and with the undercoating applied there will be no rusting of the frame or the mounting hardware for the Hitch.:)

Used these guys b4 I found this forum. AWFULL customer service, no photo of their hitch, turned out to be one of those bolt-through-the wheel well jobs for $78. I do not recommend. Then had to pay a previously undisclosed 15% restock plus had to pay the freight back. Totally hosed, they could give a crap. Word to the wise.

Just installed my U-haul 2" hitch today. Took me an hour (i'm not too mechanical adept, but I made it work). Thanks for all the tips and help...i read though all the posts first.

Just picked up and installed the U-haul class 3 hitch. The 3500lb limit might be overkill for the E, but the price was right. Paid $130 for it as opposed to the Honda class 1 hitch (1500lbs) which ran $212 at handa-accessories.com or $295 from Honda themselves.

Anyway, installation was a breeze and saved me the $60 U-haul would have charged me. A dremel made short work of the enlarging the holes, a couple jack stands held the hitch in place while I worked, and in about 30 minutes the hitch was intalled with no hiccups. Thanks, everyone, for the great tips, tricks, and info.

Installed my hitch today. Used longer bolts that went completly through the frame. I am having problems with wire harness. My hitch is a Valley, but the connection isn't the same as the connection on my '05. Called the dealer to see if they had one that fit. They did, and wanted $165.:shock:
Any advice would be appreciated.

i have had the U-Haul class II hitch for a year now with no problems. It was money well spent and money well saved vs honda's hitch.

i have had the U-Haul class II hitch for a year now with no problems. It was money well spent and money well saved vs honda's hitch.
Yo Bro!
Did you do the install? What about the wire harness?
G.J

I am still in the dark a little with regard to what problems people run into when bolting on the Uhaul hitch. When people are saying "feeding the bolts through," and talk about "notches," it seems like getting the bolts through is quite a challenge. Is it due to limited space? Many surfaces the bolts have to go through? Shape of the bolts?

If someone could elaborate on what the issue with feeding the bolts through is, and then explain what needs to be dremeled/filed, I'd appreciate it a bunch.

It's not hard, don't be concerned. The frame rail is a long 'box', with holes on each side of it. The bolts need to be fed through one side of the frame so that their threaded end is sticking out the other side. The bolt head is therefore inside the frame once installed.

This is accomplished by using a fish wire to pull the bolts through. The wire is about 3 feet long, and comes with the hitch. It has a spiral end that matches the bolt threads. so you thread it on the bolt, put the wire through the frame so it pokes out the other side, and pull the bolt through into the frame.

The problem is that the bolt head is ever so slightly larger than the hole it needs to fit through. It's easy to rectify: The frame steel is quite thin there, and a dremel can be used to widen the hole. I used a dremel for the first one, but then switched to the screwdriver method, using the driver as a prybar to bend the hole edges. It doesn't take much, and the bolt can pass through at an angle.

It's a simple process, even with only moderate technical ability you should be able to do the whole thing in an hour, by yourself, with nothing more than your basic tools, a tourque wrench and a floor jack to help hold up the hitch while you work.

I installed the class III Valley hitch this weekend and it actually was pretty easy! To enlarge the holes in the frame I just used the file on my leatherman tool (since I don't own any power tools). It took about 10 minutes of filing per hole. I only did one on each side to thread the square plate and bolts through and everything worked fine. I'll post a pic to show just how little the holes need to be enlarged. Please disregard all the scratches on the frame, my hand kept slipping while filing! I'm going to spray it with protectant in the very near future. Good Luck! It's easier than it seems!

I just bought my first element two weeks ago. An LX 2wd. I went to U-haul and got a class II hitch and wiring installed for $215.00 with a lifetime warranty good at any u-haul nationwide. I am towing a Sea Doo Sportster Jet Boat that with trailer weighs a little over 2,100 lbs. Whoever said the Element was not meant to tow was mistaken. My 2wd 4cyl. pulls this boat no problem, and drops it down and pulls it up a steep boat ramp without hesitation. And it looks great doing it.

What is so great about the U-Haul class II? The "Hidden Hitch" looks to be a great part for the E and as I understand is the easist to install. Why spend the money on a U-Haul? I got a quote from my local U-Haul shop that topped $300!

Someone tell me I'm crazy and explain why all the fuss for an expensive U-Haul hitch.

What is so great about the U-haul Class II hidden Hitch? Well first of all, Honda offers a class I hitch, which I had thought about, since I'd like to keep as much Honda as possible, but it only tows 1,500 lbs max, and from what I've heard is a cheap hitch. I wanted the best. U-haul has a the best reputation and does in fact install more hitches than anyone. I did my research and found this to be a competitive price. Like I said I paid $215. installed. with light wiring and the whole nine yds. You got a bogus price if you heard over $300. The hitch by itself uninstalled was only 150 or something. which is less than hondas class I. I know many people who have driven Huge boats off U-haul hitches and swear by them so I trust it. And the fact that there are U-hauls about every 10 miles in most places that can install and repair all free as part of a included lifetime warranty is very comforting if you are ever on a trip and run into problems in the middle of nowhere. For the price and a little extra for prof. install, the warranty is well worth the saftey and warranty of your boat, trailer, jet ski, camper, etc. There are a lot of great hitch brands, but U-haul is competitive priced and is everywhere across the nation and has been around for ever, that says something to me. I have seen other hitches compared to mine, mine is as solid as my cars frame. For the money it is without a doubt the best and most reputable buy.

What is so great about the U-Haul class II? The "Hidden Hitch" looks to be a great part for the E and as I understand is the easist to install. Why spend the money on a U-Haul? I got a quote from my local U-Haul shop that topped $300!

Someone tell me I'm crazy and explain why all the fuss for an expensive U-Haul hitch.

The point is that it's a 2" receiver. The others are 1 1/4".

Also, it's not expensive, in fact the Uhaul/Valley hitch itself is about the same as the Hidden Hitch, and FAR cheaper than Honda. You're going to pay for a wiring kit and labor with all of them, unless you do the install yourself.

Well I just got done installing my Valley/Uhaul hitch. It took about 30 minutes after assembly my tools and disassembling the box the hitch came in to lay on while doing the install. I am please to annouce that the install went off without a hitch, no pun intended.

I took the advise of another poster to this thread and enlarged the subframe rail holes by wedging with a tire iron. That way I didn't remove any corrosion protection on the frame rails. Another thread poster said to put the u-bolt on the tie-down loop before lifting the hitch in place and that helped to speed the install. I also used a deadblow hammer to tap the two hitch ends up on the subframe rail after attaching the u-bolt finger tight.

This thread has been a great aid in the install.

SEB, I really like your wheels!!

I am looking to get a hitch installed. I am looking use the hitch for a bike carrier as well as a cargo carrier (for our trips to Vermont for snow boarding). All the bike carriers as well as the cargo carrier (hitch mounted) call for a class II hitch. Honda states that the E can only support a class I hitch. Is that because the E cannot tow anything heavy (trailer/boat)?

The bike or cargo carrier is not that heavy, so my guess is that a class II would be ok.

Can some one give me some advise on Hitches as well as cargo or Bike Carriers?

I am looking to get a hitch installed. I am looking use the hitch for a bike carrier as well as a cargo carrier (for our trips to Vermont for snow boarding). All the bike carriers as well as the cargo carrier (hitch mounted) call for a class II hitch. Honda states that the E can only support a class I hitch. Is that because the E cannot tow anything heavy (trailer/boat)?

The bike or cargo carrier is not that heavy, so my guess is that a class II would be ok.

Can some one give me some advise on Hitches as well as cargo or Bike Carriers?

Well if you look at the last page of this thread I posted as well as many others about our class II hitches from u-haul. I had a class II hitch put on and tow a boat, you can see pictures on my previous post in this thread on the previous page of posts. GO ahead and get the class II hitch put on, it is much better than the honda 1 1/4" class I hitch. If I can pull a boat and trailer up a steep boat ramp through water I think you can tow a bike or a cargo carrier. Their are many people on here who enjoy their u-haul hitches to tow jet skis, trailers, campers and like I said in my case A BOAT. just check out the other posts and all your questions should be answered.

Other folks may know this but be advised that you need to install your Honda wiring harness before the hitch goes on. This is because the hitch prevents the rear bumper facia from being removed to complete the wiring. I have the Valley/UHaul hitch and found out the hard way.

Earlier this week I had a class II hitch installed by Uhaul in VA Beach (based on a recommendation from a fellow EOC bubba). I paid about $255 for the hitch parts, 2" ball, and wiring harness, plus installation. My hats off to guys (that's the gender-neutral "guys") who have the talent and gear to install the hitch themselves. I'm no Mr. Goodwrench and was happy to pay for the expertise to have it done.

Hmmm...what shall I tow?

23615

Earlier this week I had a class II hitch installed by Uhaul in VA Beach (based on a recommendation from a fellow EOC bubba). I paid about $255 for the hitch parts, 2" ball, and wiring harness, plus installation. My hats off to guys (that's the gender-neutral "guys") who have the talent and gear to install the hitch themselves. I'm no Mr. Goodwrench and was happy to pay for the expertise to have it done.

Hmmm...what shall I tow?

23615


Even though I did mine, I would have been happy to have had it done for the price Uhaul quoted, but at that moment in time, rain was a big factor and time was of the essence! Welcome to the Uhaul trailer hitch group!:D

One day I wish to visit that Rock, so don't tow it too far! :D

guys, there is an electrical pigtail socket taped to the wiring for the brake lights, etc. in the spare tire compartment. i put a tester on it and didn't detect any voltage. does it just need fused in the box or is there some connector under the dash or something that needs plugged in? any info would be appreciated. thanks.

guys, there is an electrical pigtail socket taped to the wiring for the brake lights, etc. in the spare tire compartment. i put a tester on it and didn't detect any voltage. does it just need fused in the box or is there some connector under the dash or something that needs plugged in? any info would be appreciated. thanks.

Check out the HandA Honda site for the installation instructions on the wiring harness. It will detail what to do very well. So well in fact that I had my Honda dealer install the harness. I installed the Valley hitch no problem.

Check out the HandA Honda site for the installation instructions on the wiring harness. It will detail what to do very well. So well in fact that I had my Honda dealer install the harness. I installed the Valley hitch no problem.

http://www.handa-accessories.com/elementext.html

Has anyone put the Uhual hitch and harness on an 07 E? I only see the 06 listed on Uhual's website.

For those of you in the north...
Never underestimate the power of salt to corrode the inside of your receiver.

I hadn't towed since last winter and it was a real tight fit to get the ball mount in (hammer= mandatory towing tool).

Getting it back out was even less of a treat- noone in my neighborhood was napping yesterday as I smacked that ball mount with a sledge for a half hour!!!

Vtzdriver, take out the receiver and give it a squirt of Wd-40 or fish oil every so often. That should keep it freed up.

Vtzdriver, take out the receiver and give it a squirt of Wd-40 or fish oil every so often. That should keep it freed up.

I leave the receiver stored in the back when not in use and use a hitch plug. The problem with squirting anything in there other than when using the receiver is that it attracts dirt.

15 minutes with my rotary grinder has taken enough paint and metal off the receiver to make it fit well. As you say- I will also lube it before each use.

I'm thinking about getting a hitch for my E also and had a curious question after reading this thread. Everyone complains about the holes in the back being too small. I realize this is kinda a stupid question, but has anybody checked if the holes are actually metric that's just a hair smaller than the bolts the hitch comes with? Every last thing else on the car is metric so it would actually almost seem a bit strange that only 1 set of holes is SAE...

Looking on Majestic Honda's parts site for the OEM Class 1 hitch, all it says is "hardware kit" for the bolts & crap. Anyone out there have an OEM hitch to check the size of the bolts that came with it? I'm willing to bet it's metric...

My son, and wife installed the U-Haul hitch today.. about 35-40 minutes worth of work...this was on our 2003 E and I didn't help much cause of being the guy in a wheelchair..but I did pull the exhaust over to the side while the hitch got put up in place..and then my son (25) did take an electric drill and wholler out one inside hole on each side.. U know to feed the wire in the kit through with the bolt and stop plate.. Like I said the hardest thing we had to do was stay warm..as it was 32 degrees today in northern ohio.. we did have the garage heater on for the time period.. but still a little chilly

Chuck~E: just had U-Hall install their Heavy Class III Valley Industires Hitch with 2" Ball on my Blue 03 EX 4WD ($220.). A rather large job by my standards and well worth the labor price. Living in Louisiana (Baton Rouge) with family in New Orleans, one never knows when you might have to remove that light bike or cargo rack carrier and just move (not tow) something heavy-like a FEMA trailer! One Question: the long U-Hall pig tail wiring harness comes up via the inside left rear corner and gets closed upon by the tail gate. Seems like repeated closing of the tailgate might eventually cut into the wiring. Is that normal? Service man said it was O.K.. :roll:

O.K., just looked at the posted Honda Trailer Hitch Wiring Insturctions, doing the wiring first rather than last, removing the rear bumper, drilling through the rear spare tire well, et. al. to "properly" route the tail light wiring inside. Geech! I'm starting to think the U-Hall guy might have done me a favor with his simpler, atypical (?) wiring route. Seems like there's lots to go wrong if everything is not put back or connected exactly right. Might try to post a pic or get another U-Hall opinion on this.

Brendan, just wanted to send out a "thanks" to you & the others who posted their experiences here: just finished installing my Valley hitch & Honda wiring harness, and the whole project went as smooth as butter. Despite my lack of skills, your post made it easy. About 3 hours work for both projects simultaneously, including trips back & forth to the toolbox. Now my wife thinks I might be "handy" after all, 'cuz I didn't cuss once!

You mean she didn't HEAR you cuss once. There's a big difference ;)

I put my uHaul hitch on this afternoon and was looking for the staples easybutton. 25 minutes tops. Ground out the hole with my dremel and dropped in the bolts. I'm glad I didn't spend the 50 bucks to get it installed. It took longer to read the forum entries about the installation than to install it. Thanks to everyone here for the tips and info.

What is so great about the U-Haul class II? The "Hidden Hitch" looks to be a great part for the E and as I understand is the easist to install. Why spend the money on a U-Haul? I got a quote from my local U-Haul shop that topped $300!

Someone tell me I'm crazy and explain why all the fuss for an expensive U-Haul hitch.

just returned home from a U-Haul in Edison,NJ.
They quote me $311 for the hitch installed.
I question the guy about the price and he said that the labor went up from $40 last year..to $60 this year.


the quote also include all wiring and somekind of Ball.

Installed the Valley this weekend, took about 40 minutes. Reading this thread made all the difference. I used a dremel to widen the 2 holes just enough, and had no problems threading the pull wire.
One lingering problem: the hitch is right up against the exhaust pipe. The pipe rattles against it when I start up and also if I hit a bump. Anyone else have this problem, or can suggest a fix?

BTW, etrailer was easy and fast.

Wiring
After reading some of the posts about trouble with removing the bumper cover, I was a little concerned about the wiring kit install. I always buy a manufacturer's shop manual, so I referred to my new one for the E about removing the bumper cover. The illustrations made it obvious, and I had the cover off (I left the screws on the right side attached, but not the bolt) in less than 5 minutes. A picture *is* worth a thousand words!

What I learned:
1) There's a little plastic clip at screw "A" that likes to fall out. You need to make sure it's back in place before you replace the bumper.
2) The Honda kit is a snap. No splicing, no mess.

Hitch
I got my hitch at the local SoCal U-Haul joint for $129 +tax.

Again, the installation tips posted here make it seem worse than it is. Thanks to saruu6 for the photos of the hole enlargements. I thought I'd be down there grinding for a while until I actually saw a photo of how little it takes. I just used the sanding wheel on a demel for something like 1 minute per hole. Being anal retentive, I only ground one hole per side. (I'd do both, if I had it to do again.)

What I Learned
1) Go ahead and grind out both the front and rear holes. Trying to fish the pull wire diagonally is a real pain, and it's much faster to just sand/grind out 2 more holes - at least with a dremel. If you really are A.R. and want to do the minimal amount of grinding to your precious E, open up only the forward hole. I did the rear one, and the hitch tubes cover it when in place making it a little harder to see what you're doing when fishing the wire (especially the pesky diagonal direction).
2) I didn't need to move the exhaust at all. I was able to maneuver the hitch around without hitting the muffler.
3)My hitch was a nice tight fit without my initially scraping off the undercoat. I was able to coax the hitch into place with a hammer and block of wood. (Duh, I didn't hit the hitch directly.) The tight fit held it in place with no bolts making it easy to do the rest without having to hold anything up.
4) Previous posts indicate that you must remove the hitch to take off the bumper cover to install the wiring. I did it in the "right" order, but I think it's actually OK to remove the bumper cover after the hitch is in. Worst case, you'd need to loosen the U-bolt to gain a little wiggle room, since the hitch does press up from the bottom of the cover. (But I could be wrong.) The two plastic clips that you need to release to get the cover off are NOT covered by the U-Haul hitch (at least mine leaves lots of room).
5) At first, it looks like the hole is way too small for the hardware, but after trying the angles on the plate and bolt once, you get the hang of it and you really don't need to overdo the ginding of the holes.
6) I definitely spent more time reading posts than doing the install. But, if I hadn't read all your great tips, it would have taken me WAY longer. Thanks!

I did my Valley install this last weekend, probably 45 minutes. Very easy, enlarged the back holes but just a tad. The wire gizmo they give you to attach to the bolts is way slick, I found it very easy to thread theough the frame channel even for the front hole.

As others have said, be sure to wear safety glasses, have the parking brake on, and use a torque wrench.

Went to the local U-Haul and got an estimate for getting a hitch installed...

Hitch: $139 Class III
Install: $70
Wiring harness: $75
Wiring harness install: $259

Holy CRAP!

I thanked the guy for his time and left...

Wondering why you chose U-Haul's hitch over the Honda OEM hitch? Is it because the Honda hitch is a 1.25 inch receiver vs 2 inch for the U-Hual model? Do you know the model number for the U-Haul hitch?

Does the U-Haul hitch attach directly to the frame? I had an older CR-V and had a hitch installed which attached to the frame at one point but to the underbody (sheet metal) at two other points. It was never very stable.

Thanks for any advice!

I liked the idea of the u-haul one because the 2" is more resistant to rotation axially on things like bike racks and cargo platforms than a smaller one.

Wondering why you chose U-Haul's hitch over the Honda OEM hitch? Is it because the Honda hitch is a 1.25 inch receiver vs 2 inch for the U-Hual model? Do you know the model number for the U-Haul hitch?

Does the U-Haul hitch attach directly to the frame? I had an older CR-V and had a hitch installed which attached to the frame at one point but to the underbody (sheet metal) at two other points. It was never very stable.

Thanks for any advice!

The Honda OEM hitch is really flimsy and only good for holding a bike rack or pulling the smallest of trailers. And because its 1.25" receiver, it's insanely difficult to find accessories for it. Almost all hitches these days have 2" receivers and there's tons and tons of accessories made for it.

I just put on the class 3 U-Haul hitch, but used 1/2" x 5" high strength/high tension bolts with larger washers and locking washers and ran it through both sides instead of enlarging holes and using the thread tool. This also bypassed using the square hole plate. Any problems with this set up?

Okay- there is a problem with that method above :sad:
You can end up squeezing the frame. I knew I should have just listen to you folks here. Luckily I hadn't used the hitch yet, so I can just do it the right way now. I was working with a friend with lots of mechanical experience who does all the work on his own cars, so I let myself be influenced. Luckily I couldn't sleep that night and felt something was wrong with this method. I asked about this here and Sparman set me straight- his confirmation was all I needed to hear. Thanks for all the tips and help to the rest of you.

We Just Purchased A Like New 06 Ex. Put All The Goodies On It. Roof Rack, Bug Shield And Uhaul Trailer Hitch. On Where Can We Find Trailer Wiring Harness. Rather Not Hard Wire And Rather Not Buy From Honda. Anyone Know Of A Alternate Route? Maybe A T That They Make To Just Plug In The Plub Under The Spare? Appreiciate Any Help. Jdoe

Hey, Jdoe. I would ask in the general racks/hitches section- you are more likely to get a response there from those with experience, especially with people scanning for no reply threads trrying to help out fellow members.

I installed the U-Haul 2" Receiver hitch. Here are a couple of pics and tips for those about to start. (It went very smoothly, by the way. Particularly compared to other hitch installs I have done over the years.)

Modifying the bolt as shown makes it easy to fit through the frame holes WITHOUT opening up the frame holes or distorting/cutting them in any way.

Note that the bolts need to come through holes 2 and 3. Although it is tempting to fish the bolt through from hole 1, DO NOT TRY IT. Hole 1 does not connect to holes 2 and 3. You must modify the bolt as above, and come through one of the holes in the same region as 2 and 3. I was able to slip the washer plates through opening 4.

Hope it helps!

Hi all.
My valley hitch was very easy to install. The only tools I needed were:
Torque wrench to measure foot pounds
Deep Sockets
1/2" drill
Unibit drill bit (Sold at Sears for 38 bucks)

The Unibit widened the access holes in about 5 seconds for each hole (cuts metal like it's butter). Wear a long sleeve shirt because the metal scraps are very hot! The reverse threading tip in other posts is a winning tip, too. Other than that, just follow the directions that come with the hitch!

You guys are silly...

A die grinder and about 15 minutes does the job.... There are only 4 bolts and 1 u-bolt involved.... You only need to open up one hole on each side to get the plates in there.....

I know I should have looked here first. I had a U-haul hitch sitting on the front porch for a while and the wife said I either had to install it or get rid of it. It was given to me by my step father who is a mechanic. He was able to salvage the bolts and all the plates and nuts when he took it off the other E, but no "install tools" were left in the E. It had been installed at U-haul I guess because he had little problem getting the bolts out of the other E, leading me to believe that the access holes had been enlarged.

Anyways, long story short-it took me a little over 2 hours to install this hitch. I cut the bolts, not the frame-didn't have a long enough extension cord. I used picture hanging wire unraveled and black taped to bolts to fish them in. Also used stiff copper wire black taped to plates to position them inside frame rails.

Next time I go to do anything on my E I will look here first. Which leads me to my actuall dilema - I have the U-haul wiring kit-what is easiest access point and how should I route the wires?

I know I'm going to get flamed for this, BUT ...

You do not have to remove the bumper cover. Now that your hitch is in place, it will not come off unless you cut the center clip off, or remove the hitch. That's the one just above the receiver that goes into the frame member.

All I did was Lift the plastic spring load flap, that covers the gap with the tail gait open. You will see a space large enough to remove the plastic plug in the hole the wire goes through.

I fished from the hole inside the spare well to the outside hole. taped the harness connector to it, and pulled it in. Used the wires and some dish soap on the plug that pops in the hole from the outside, and gave the wires a pull.

It seated firmly into place. Routed the wires, plugged in the plug, mounted the outside connector, wire tied everything in place.

Done in under 15 min.

PS: Throw the wiring harness on the ground under the E first! You will be sorry if you don't. ( Don't ask how I know this ):-x
Then feed the wire ( inside plug end ) up to the slot between the rear gate and the E. Then tape it to the fish.

Dom

loading your E beyond what is considered safe by honda is very dangerous.

i just read an article about some poor fellow who was on the five freeway, some guy was driving an element on the other side with a trailer on the back full of tires. the E started snaking and one of the tires fell out of the trailer, bounced over the concrete barrier in the middle of the freeway, and decapitated the guy on the other side.

loading your E beyond what is considered safe by honda is very dangerous.

i just read an article about some poor fellow who was on the five freeway, some guy was driving an element on the other side with a trailer on the back full of tires. the E started snaking and one of the tires fell out of the trailer, bounced over the concrete barrier in the middle of the freeway, and decapitated the guy on the other side.

Sounds to me more like a warning to secure your load properly!! :twisted:

First time poster---please foregive any "issues"---still feeling my way around.

Read with interest all the commnets about hitches. I'm a new-to-me owner of an 2006 EX-P, AWD. Many of you suggest the UHaul-Valley class II hitch. I just got off the phone with the nearest large UHaul dealer in the St Louis MO area who said Uhaul doesn't offer the Class II hitch for the '06 AWD, only class III. I checked the UHaul website and sure nuff.

Class III seems WAY overkill for my needs and the E recommended towing capacity. How did others get the Class II for their 06 AWD??? :confused:
Thanks
Gary

First time poster---please foregive any "issues"---still feeling my way around.

Read with interest all the commnets about hitches. I'm a new-to-me owner of an 2006 EX-P, AWD. Many of you suggest the UHaul-Valley class II hitch. I just got off the phone with the nearest large UHaul dealer in the St Louis MO area who said Uhaul doesn't offer the Class II hitch for the '06 AWD, only class III. I checked the UHaul website and sure nuff.

Class III seems WAY overkill for my needs and the E recommended towing capacity. How did others get the Class II for their 06 AWD??? :confused:
Thanks
Gary

I'd guess that's a typo. U-Haul hasn't offered a Class II for the Element for a long time (if ever). I went and checked on one back when I got my first E and they only had the class III.

I agree it seems like overkill, but get it. It's very sturdy, so no worries about overloading, and you can find WAY WAY more accessories for 2" hitches than 1.25" hitches. Trust me, it's worth the investment.

Just installed my U Haul hitch today...it actually went pretty smoothly. I must admit to a bit of anxiety the first time I shoved the washer and bolt through the access hole and heard them clunk around in there.:-( It took a bit of playing around to fish them out with the wire but out they did eventually come. Just be gentle and patient when tugging on the wire and make sure everything is lined up well first. Took about an hour of my time. They wanted $80 to install it. I pocketed about $70 and treated myself to some Newcastles with the rest.:D

Happy E ing, Miguel

last Saturday I went to get mine install, after waiting 4 1 1/2 hour they put my E inside the garage ,the man came out saying they hitch is missing some of the hardware to complete the install...I just walk away from that place and when home order 1 online, I'm doing it myself this Saturday....:cry:

Did my install yesterday. The install of the hitch went very easy. I actually had a curt hitch on there that was the straight bar and not hidden. I never liked the look so wanted to change it for this one. The hardest part was getting the bolts and plates for that one out of the frame because it used the holes on the bottom of the frame and not the side like the hidden hitch. The side holes had already been widened to get those bolts in there. Once that was done the install of the hidden hitch took 30 minutes.

I installed my Valley/U-Haul hitch last night. I used a cold chisel and a hammer to put some very small notches in one of the frame holes on either side and used a bench grinder to grind the bolt heads down a smidge so that they would fit. After that, it took a minute or two to perfect the technique of feeding the wire through the frame holes. The entire process, including gathering tools and jacking the car up, took about 30 minutes. It was actually quite surprised how smoothly the install went. I would concur with other statements recommending that the hitch wiring be installed first as pulling the bumper off after the fact would require you to remove the hitch entirely (or at least two of the frame bolts and the u bolt) to gain access to the middle bumper clips.

Installed my Valley hitch and Honda trailer wire harness today on an 08 EX. I managed to run the tail of the wiring harness though without removing the bumper.

Wiring Harness:
After running a wire snake all the way through from the ground to the spare tire compartment, I just removed the bolt on the left and pried the plastic bumper away to make room for the plug to go through the hole. It should be noted that the 4-pin plug is almost exactly the size of the hole, and so by taping my wire snake alongside the plug I made the assembly too fat to pass through. I re-taped the snake in line with the plug (so the wire end was inside of the plug) and it went through without much trouble. Moral of the story: watch out for tight tolerances! The rest was simple, just followed the directions.

Hitch:
The distance between the two vertical flanges of my hitch was initially too small (by about 3/16") and so I couldn't get the hitch to fit where it needed to be (one flange would always hitting the bottom of the frame rail). So I ended up using a 5-lb sledge to "encourage" the distance to be wider and then further "encourage" the hitch into position. The upshot was that the hitch definitely did not need to be held for the rest of the operation. Notching the holes with a Dremel, fishing the bolts, and tightening everything up went smoothly after that.

Total time for both projects was ~4 hours, but I wasn't moving very fast.

And the requisite picture, of course:
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q181/Slammymoore/DSC00064.jpg

No, I'm not going to be towing that boat, I was just checking to see if the lights would work :razz:. They did :)

Glad it went smooth, but the boat looks it could crush your poor lil' E! :shock:

I finished my U-Haul hitch/Honda factory plug-in harness without any problems. The instructions are excellent, as are all the related threads on this forum. I agree that the wire fish "thingee" is a stroke of genius!

For any Canuks out there, there is an extra relay for the daytime running lights when you get to step 17 of the instructions. It is mounted on the vehicle bracket, but you can still add the trailer bracket to the vehicle bracket for a nice compact package.

Cheers,

Bill

Installed my class III U-Hall hitch in a little less then an hour thanks in large part to this thread.
I went the tire iron route to open the holes and did all 4.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the "how to" on installing this hitch.

Meskel

P.S. picked up my hitch at U-Hall for $136.00

Picked up my U-Haul hitch yesterday, and got in on in an hour. I got the hitch for $135, and they wanted another $70 to put it on, so I took a crack at it myself. I used a dremel as suggested in an earlier post- worked great! The hardest part was getting the frame brackets & holes to line up. I think the undercoating on my E made the hitch a little more snug than the hitch specs anticipated.

Thanks to everyone who posted their expierences; it made the world of difference.

I took the plunge and had the 2" hitch received installed at U Haul with the light hook up. I've primarily use the hitch for a bike rack, but wanted the capability to haul a trailer if needed. I've towed four bikes at one all over the cities and have been very happy with my hitch and Thule bike rack...

Thank you for all of your feedback and recommendations on the hitches and other accessories. I'll be looking for a roof rack next!

John

My Curt hitch installed

http://jansplacetoputstuff.com/hitch/DSC_1354%20%5b1024x768%5d.JPG
http://jansplacetoputstuff.com/hitch/DSC_1355%20%5b1024x768%5d.JPG
http://jansplacetoputstuff.com/hitch/DSC_1357%20%5b1024x768%5d.JPG
http://jansplacetoputstuff.com/hitch/DSC_1357.JPG

Man, I was lookin for hitch stuff, and now seein this thread is from 2003, I have to start at the end and work backwards!




2008 Hot Grey Element sc, the one where the wheels match, its my second one.

Picked up the U-haul hitch today from the local store. Not as cheap as online but I wanted bricks and mortar and a face to deal with, and they had it in stock. I see where some people are grinding bolts, looking at these bolts they appear to be zinc chromate plated for corrosion resistance, grinding would compromise that, I will go the dremel tool route on the frame rail and touch up the bare metal exposed with paint, no salted road problems in Florida but personally I'd like to see more plugged holes back there than open ones. Otherwise installation looks pretty straightforward.

I installed the 2" Valley hitch with the Honda harness...all the tips were excellent in making this an easy install. I only widened the back holes on the frame tube, but when you snake the bolts for the front ones, I would recommend you snake the wire in the front hole from the outside without a bolt to the large hole, then attach the bolt and pull back thru. This went really fast and very easy. After the install, I touched up the minor filing area of the back hole and the hitch where needed to protect all the parts. Now I will build my trailer soon so I can start a teardrop this winter.:D

Picked up my U-Haul hitch yesterday, and got in on in an hour. I got the hitch for $135, and they wanted another $70 to put it on, so I took a crack at it myself. I used a dremel as suggested in an earlier post- worked great! The hardest part was getting the frame brackets & holes to line up. I think the undercoating on my E made the hitch a little more snug than the hitch specs anticipated.

Thanks to everyone who posted their expierences; it made the world of difference.

I called a uHaul store in the SW Chicago suburbs he wants $120 to install. Ouch....Have others found differential pricing between UHaul stores?

I called a uHaul store in the SW Chicago suburbs he wants $120 to install. Ouch....Have others found differential pricing between UHaul stores?

I found another uHaul dealer in the Chicago area who will do it for $80.

Heck, I'd do it for $20 and a case of interesting micro brew.:)

I found another uHaul dealer in the Chicago area who will do it for $80.

Do it yourself. It's really not that hard. A socket set is about all you need if you can find a way to grind down the bolt heads so they'll fit through the holes in the frame.

Heck, I'd do it for $20 and a case of interesting micro brew.:)

He's going to need you to drive up to Chicago though. Only catch. :D

You can do it man.....just make sure your wires are already run. You only need to open up the back holes a small bit to bring in the bolts. :)

Hey guys, I was just about to head to U-Haul to buy the hitch to install later myself when I called a buddy who is a fellow Ele-owner. He said not to get the U-Haul version because a friend of his did and he can't use the Thule bike rack he wanted to because of it. Based on this thread I kind of thought the U-Hauls and Valleys were interchangeable. Is that not the case?

Here's a link to the Valley hitch: http://www.etrailer.com/pc-H~V82580.htm?vehicleid=20045600

And here's the Thule rack:http://www.thuleracks.com/product.asp?dept_id=8&sku=916


Thanks.

He said not to get the U-Haul version because a friend of his did and he can't use the Thule bike rack he wanted to because of it.

That doesn't make sense. Did he say why the Thule wouldn't work?

I'm curious too. I have a uhaul hitch and a wheelchair carrier/bike rack very similar in design and there's no problem.

If I'm not mistaken it's that my buddy with the valley can fold his rack up and out of the way (parallel with back of Ele) while his other friend can't. Don't know why.

If I'm not mistaken it's that my buddy with the valley can fold his rack up and out of the way (parallel with back of Ele) while his other friend can't. Don't know why.

:confused:
The U-Haul hitch is a Valley.

:confused:
The U-Haul hitch is a Valley.

That's what I thought. Just wanted to confirm, you know?

Spoke to my buddy more. My E is an 04 and his is an 05. His other friend with the rack issue has an 06. My friends hitch mounts flush with the outside of the back bumper while hitch on his friends is recessed by several inches. Is this an issue of body styles? Thanks.

Uhaul hitch (installed by Uhaul) on my '08 comes flush to the rear bumper. The way they mount makes me wonder if:

The one that's recessed was installed correctly
How much problem is a recessed hitch when you put the drawbar in it? It either shakes like crazy because it's so long or the latch on the trailer hits the rear bumper.

Hi,
I Just bought a used U-Haul hitch. It didn't come with the hardware.

I just bought grade 8 hex head bolts, as I couldn't find carriage bolts or the square spacers anywhere.

What will I have to do to make them work?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

PM me if possible,
Thanks

Hi,
I Just bought a used U-Haul hitch. It didn't come with the hardware.

I just bought grade 8 hex head bolts, as I couldn't find carriage bolts or the square spacers anywhere.

What will I have to do to make them work?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

PM me if possible,
Thanks

First thing is that if you put the bolts clear through the frame and tighten them enough to hold the hitch on, the frame will just squash down. Take a look on Ebay at some of the hitches for sale for Honda Element. Some of the sellers have links to the installation instructions and you can see what kind of hardware you'll need to come up with and why.

An independent shop that installs hitches may have spare or replacement bolts and square washers like this. The installation method and hardware is fairly typical.

I imagine the 'washers' could also be cut and drilled from scrap steel. They have to be small enough to pass through the larger openings in the 'frames' (with a little modification), yet large enough to keep the bolts from turning as their are tightened.

Thanks for the advice!
Ill try some of the local shops.

I've read almost ALL of these comments about installing your own hitch, but I diddn't recall seeing a comment about having to CUT INTO the rear fascia on the SC model.
Seems that the Valley VA82580, a 2" Class II, requires some "Trimming Around the Receiver" as it passes under the rear fascia. Anyone done that yet? I'm doing a LOT of research on this project, as I've been down this road before on other cars. WIRING is my next hurdle...
ENEWBE

I am also interested. Does anyone have pics or advice on cutting the bumper?
Cheers,
Walt

When you look at the rear tow loop from behind the bumper on the SC, how much of the loop do you see? On the 'regular' Element about 1" of the loop is visible. The hitch bolts to this loop.

A good part of the time I insist on doing this kind of thing myself. But, after a goodly amount of time spent researching and price shopping for DIY, I just called my local area hitch installer (Carney Hitch, Baltimore, MD). The rest is history....why?

Well...a 2" Hidden Hitch, Tow Ready T-One Wiring Harness, draw bar, ball and hitch pin professionally installed with tax $277.90 in under an hour.

At this price I just couldn't help my DIY self.

Thanks to the info on this thread, I installed the U-Haul Class 3 hitch in a little over an hour (most of the time was spent "unsuccessfully" aligning, wedging and whacking the hitch onto the heavily undercoated frame). I used a large screwdriver to pry open the holes a little bit, and gave a little whack on the bolt head to squeeze them into the frame.

I bought the Tow Ready T-One Connector harness (PN 118465) for ~$50 delivered. Tool-free installation took less than 15 minutes, and 5 minutes to test the connection. The black box installs into the OEM plug under the dash and has two 5A fuses. The trailer pigtail is about 3 feet, and installs into the OEM plug in the spare tire well where it is stored when not in use. Thus, a true plug-n-play aftermarket solution!

For those who are interested, here are the pin-out voltages on the T-One:

- White: Ground
- Brown: Tail lights (14V)
- Yellow: Left turn (2-12V)/Brake (14V)
- Green: Right turn (2-12V)/Brake (14V)

I like to thank all for the good info about this install.

I installed a used Uhaul hitch on an 08.

Good tips: how to slip the hitch in without removing exhaust mount and about replacement hardware.

If you are missing the pull through wire, GOOD LUCK.

I had to pay $29 for a replacement hardware kit,about $5 worth of bolts etc, but well worth it in the end.

I had to remove the mounting hardware after installing it because I thought the hitch had to be off to remove the center pin for the bumper skin. NOT SO. The center pin just looks mounted to the frame in the center.

A Dremel with a die grinder style bit opened up the holes in about 10 sec.

Yep, eye protection under the the E is a must.

A magnetic pick tool (looks like an antennae) is good for removal of hardware.

When installing factory harness, ensure you have the right parts BEFORE you start. My kit contained a different mystery harness?
And the correct year of instructions! I broke plastic in the inside compartment for nothing, as I have and 08. Arg.

Thanks again all! Without you Id be still under there cursing away.

I too purchased a U-Haul hitch (2") and plan on installing it myself this weekend. I have an '07 so I hope the comments posted before about a Thule bike rack not folding up are an isolated issue. My plan is to use a Thule folding unit as well.

My main question is this - I see Honda's installation hardware bolts through the frame where the U-Haul hitch is only through one wall of the E frame. Should there be any concern that the U-Haul hitch installation would be "weaker" than Honda's because of it mounting to one wall of the frame? Can I use longer bolts (with washers!) and through-bolt a U-Haul hitch? Should I even be concerned and just mount the damn thing and be happy? I don't have any trailers to pull at this time, but I'm not ruling out in the future. I just want to mount it securely and not worry when I do have a trailer hitched on. (I already installed OEM wiring harness)

I love this forum - everyone is so helpful - thanks in advance!

All of these hitches uses the towloop at the back of the spare tire well. That supports a substantial port of the weight. The framerail bolts help stabilize the load, but are probably not heavily loaded.

The UHaul approach is standard practice with hitches.

The Honda hitch does not simply bolt to the framerails (the welded box). It has a metal plate with spacers that fit through the larger holes on the frame rails. The bolts pass through these spacers. The effect is the same - the bolts grip just one wall of the frame rail. The Honda arrangement appears to be stronger, but I'm sure the UHaul design is strong enough.

Simply passing a bolt from one side of the frame rail to the other, and tightening it, will compress the box, potentially weakening welds. Bolts don't work well on hollow objects.

I see what you mean about the Honda hitch, must have overlooked the spacers that run through the frame. I thought maybe most of the towed weight would have been supported by the frame. I am surprised that the hitch fastened to the tow loop by a U bolt is actually that strong. I can't imagine that being much of a load-bearing connection.

Thanks for your input on the installation. I will follow the U-Haul instructions and not worry about it - especially since I won't have a trailer on there often at all.

Thanks again!

That tow loop is a Honda designated floor jack lifting point.

So right now my plan of attack is to buy the wiring harness from H&A. Install that myself.

Then take it to U-Haul and spend around $150 for them to put on a 2" tow hitch and ball?

I plan to use this tow around my 300 lb. scooter on some sort of carrier. I may rent a U-Haul mini trailer and drive my Element across the country with about 500lbs of stuff in it. Would this be a problem?

When you look at the rear tow loop from behind the bumper on the SC, how much of the loop do you see? On the 'regular' Element about 1" of the loop is visible. The hitch bolts to this loop.

On a walk with the dog I took a quick look at a parked SC. I had to put my head below the bumper to see the towloop. On mine, the loop is half visible just below the bumper. So I can understand why mounting a hitch on the SC requires trimming the bumper cover.

I didn't check the front-back distance, but if the SC bumper does stick out further as well, then it could interfere with the movement of a folding bike rack. I wonder if the specs for the SC show it to be slightly longer, due to a difference in bumper shape.

Thanks to the info on this thread, I installed the U-Haul Class 3 hitch in a little over an hour (most of the time was spent "unsuccessfully" aligning, wedging and whacking the hitch onto the heavily undercoated frame). I used a large screwdriver to pry open the holes a little bit, and gave a little whack on the bolt head to squeeze them into the frame.

I bought the Tow Ready T-One Connector harness (PN 118465) for ~$50 delivered. Tool-free installation took less than 15 minutes, and 5 minutes to test the connection. The black box installs into the OEM plug under the dash and has two 5A fuses. The trailer pigtail is about 3 feet, and installs into the OEM plug in the spare tire well where it is stored when not in use. Thus, a true plug-n-play aftermarket solution!

For those who are interested, here are the pin-out voltages on the T-One:

- White: Ground
- Brown: Tail lights (14V)
- Yellow: Left turn (2-12V)/Brake (14V)
- Green: Right turn (2-12V)/Brake (14V)
I need some help. I bought the Tow Ready 118465, but I cannot find the gray 10 pin connector under the dash. I only see a green connector which is not the right size. Am I missing something?

I have an 07 EX built in March.
Green does not equal Gray :-(

I need some help. I bought the Tow Ready 118465, but I cannot find the gray 10 pin connector under the dash. I only see a green connector which is not the right size. Am I missing something?

I have an 07 EX built in March.
Green does not equal Gray :-(

Look way to the left under the dash. you will see it there.
Cheers,
Walt

Thanks Walt, but do you have a pic by chance? :confused:

Sorry about the delay in responding. I was on the road with my band. In the E of course :) I do not have any photos, but it is to the left of the silver bracket that you will see when looking left under the dash. Hope that helps!
-Walt

I installed the U-haul hitch in about half an hour and I tried to find a harness that would fit, but with it broken in three places I finally had to order the OEM harness from HA. It really, really sucks that Honda decided to make the 2005 harness like that. So far it's my one complain with my E.

I installed my U-Haul hitch on Friday morning. Notched the holes with my dremel; easy. Used jack stands to hold the hitch up; great. Needed to bang the hitch to spread it enough to fit around the frame members; also easy.

So now I'm worried about what easy part was going to cause me the most problem. Found it! For me, it was getting the spring-wound wire off the bolt after I snaked it through the box frame. I ended up unwinding it from the bolt, slightly spreading it out. But that proved to be no problem. I just tightened it up again by twisting and threaded the other three bolts through with no further difficulties.

Couldn't have done it without the generous members of this club. Thanks guys, you know who you are.

PS: Don't linger over any of the steps too long. You'll strain your neck muscles an have to take aleve or the next two days. Don't ask me how I know...

Has anyone installed the U-Haul hitch on an 09 SC? U-Haul in BC Canada say they have one for it but I am a little sceptical as they did not seem to care that it was an SC, which I know is different with the lower bumper cover.

It is unlikely that anyone has specifically modified a hitch specifically for the SC. Comments on threads like this suggest that it is possible to mount a hitch on an SC, but it will require trimming the plastic bumper cover.

I just wanted to give some more confidence to the Sunday mechanics out there. It was extremely easy to put the hitch and wiring harness on my 08 Element. I bought a Class III hidden hitch and a T-One Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4 Pole Trailer Connector from etrailer.com. The wiring harness came with to plugs-one up front and one in the rear. In hooking it up I think I also found where to attach a car alarm, which might be my next mod. Hidden hitch fits perfectly, no crowbarring or fileing. It took me about 3 hours, but if I did it again, I bet I can do it under an hour. I did have to borrow a torque wrench, but other than that no special tools. Now onto the additional tranny cooler.

Pat

Add another voice to the it's-an-easy-job chorus. I bought the UHaul hitch yesterday, they couldn't schedule me for an install anytime soon so I brought it home and did it myself in the driveway.

I ended up using a rubber mallet to tap the hitch into rough position (close enough to suspend it with the u-bolt) and then fine-tuned its location to line up with the holes in the square frame tube/rail sections.

The most time-consuming part was using the wire bolt-puller and catching the loose end through the rails. I used a cutoff wheel on my Dremel to cut a 1/2" flap off one of the circular access holes, which was very straightforward. I touched up the cuts with rust-proof touchup paint afterwards.

UHaul's designated wiring harness still uses inline splices instead of all the factory connections, so I've ordered the fitted harness online and will install it using the Honda OEM instructions (removing the bumper, feeding through the grommet, etc) once it arrives.

twj

Just had Uhaul install the Class III hitch this morning. $108 out the door.

I asked the manager if I could see the hitch before they installed it. The hitch was a little scraped up...but apparently hadn't ever been used (the actual hitch receiver looked brand new...no scrapes inside). He said it was probably scratched some during shipping. He said if I still wanted it he'd sell it for 50% off. Sold! Didn't push at all.

$30 for install...$5 for the warranty...and a couple of coats of high temp enamel spray paint and I'm a satisfied customer.

does anyone know what the plug in in the spare tire well is for??

U Haul hitch installed a long time ago, I just did the trailer wiring yesterday. So the Honda hitch has a little attachment for the 4 way plug to keep it all neat but what is everyone doing with the plug and an after market hitch?

I tucked the plug up into the front of the receiver out of sight for now, one I idea I had was using the little metal bracket from the Honda wiring kit and attaching a magnet to it and mounting it on the side of the receiver.

Just installed the Uhaul hitch (part code 78258 134.95+tax Canadian at Uhaul in Kitchener) last night. Took about an hour (including getting tools out, opening packaging and reading instructions). Easy job.

http://www.etrailer.com/instructions.aspx?pn=87506

Funny thing is I didn't have to open up any holes, hammer anything in place. The holes were the right size for the bolts. The hitch width was actually about a 1/2 inch narrower than the gap in the frame. When I tightened up the bolts the hitch expanded about .250" on each side to close the gap. Exhaust was not a problem at all.

I bought the 3500 lb hitch (134.95) and the wiring harness for Honda/Acura part code 43105 (29.95). I haven't hooked up the wiring harness yet but it should just plug in. I'll post back to confirm.

I'm wondering if maybe the hitch is made a little more narrow to ease the install, or maybe the frame in my Element has a wider gap than it should. Oh well, its nice to have something work out without difficulty for once:D

Funny thing is I didn't have to open up any holes, hammer anything in place. The holes were the right size for the bolts.

That is because the Draw Tite hitch uses "tube spacers" which substitute for putting the bolt into the frame rail. Interesting solution.

Installed this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120480521608 package today in about 1:30. The time could have easily been cut down to 1:15 had I not been parnoid about the tube spacers being centered in the washers and had the ubolt fit into the hitch so I didn't have to file the holes a bit.

I will post a couple of photos of the finished product later this evening as well as compiling the wonderful bits I pulled from the threads to help the install go smoothly.

I used some Super Glue Gell to hold the washers in place on mine. Put a couple of drops on each one and stuck them to the frame. They stayed right there until I got the hitch in place and screwed down. 3 Tubes for $1.00 at the Dollar Tree.

Installed this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120480521608 package today in about 1:30. The time could have easily been cut down to 1:15 had I not been parnoid about the tube spacers being centered in the washers and had the ubolt fit into the hitch so I didn't have to file the holes a bit.

I will post a couple of photos of the finished product later this evening as well as compiling the wonderful bits I pulled from the threads to help the install go smoothly.


http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=75520&stc=1&d=1258081737
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=75521&stc=1&d=1258081737


yetiquatch's post #82 with the bumper removal diagram was a huge help. Removal of the bumper and routing the rear harness and putting the bumper back on was 15-20 minutes working solo

Even though I had read all the posts about safety glasses, I didn't pull mine out. Fortunately nothing ended up in the eyes but there was plenty of stuff falling.

My bumper is pushed up about an inch but I don't know that I would notice it if I wasn't looking for it.

I used some painter's tape to hold the washers in place but a couple moved a bit lifting the hitch into place. I like the Super Glue Gel suggestion.

I saved about $100 over what Uhaul was going to charge for a hitch and wiring installed. Didn't regret the decision for a moment. Dropping the rear wiring in the spare tire well and not being paranoid about the washers would have cut the job down to about 45 minutes or less from start to finish.

Thanks for all the great info!

Awesome job...i may follow in your footsteps jbridge337

Got my U-Haul trailer class III hitch about a week ago for 135.00$, with wire harnesses about 161.00$. The U-haul guy gave me 353.58 for everything:hitch, wire harnesses and install them. I said i'll do it myself.
And here i am after 1/2 hour job.
I pretty much follow the instructions here http://www.etrailer.com/instructions.aspx?pn=87506 but in different order
-First istall U-bolt over vehicle trunk pan tie-down hook and down through center hitch bracket.
-Put the 3/8'' hex locknuts on u-bolt and let the hitch hangsjust like in pics. took some pics w/ my phone, not the best quality but u get the ideahttp://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad283/kion2iu/honda/2010-01-20123347.jpg
-follow the steps 1,2 and 3 from the instructions linked abovehttp://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad283/kion2iu/honda/2010-01-20123424.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad283/kion2iu/honda/2010-01-20123358.jpg
-use red loctite on each bolt
-tighten all 1/2'' bolts http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad283/kion2iu/honda/2010-01-20123336.jpg
-I tighten u-bolt last , looks like this http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad283/kion2iu/honda/2010-01-20124734.jpg
Job done http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad283/kion2iu/honda/2010-01-20124856.jpg

Tools i used :
-1/2'' ratchet
-3/4'' socket
-3/4'' wrench
-3/8'' ratchet
-9/16 deep/regular sockets
- red loctite
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad283/kion2iu/honda/2010-01-20124844.jpg
That was pretty much all, about 1/2 hour work , do drilling , no hammering.
Untill is gonna get warmer i'll figure how to do the electrical part (wire harnesses)
Good luck
Kion

I just installed the exact same hitch as in KioN pics.
Easy for sure.. the large 3/4 washers dont really get tightend down . It seems the just get pinched between the chassis and the upper portion of the hitch side plates. The whole thing seem to "float" between the frame rail on the large tubes slid over the 1/2 bolts. There is no side to Side or Up-Down play.

This is such a diffeerent mounting system than any other Class 3 hitch I've seen. Considering I'll only ever tow a bike rack or a small 12 alum row boat.. it should be fine.

..TJR


Got my U-Haul trailer class III hitch about a week ago for 135.00$, with wire harnesses about 161.00$. The U-haul guy gave me 353.58 for everything:hitch, wire harnesses and install them. I said i'll do it myself.
And here i am after 1/2 hour job.
I pretty much follow the instructions here http://www.etrailer.com/instructions.aspx?pn=87506 but in different order
-First istall U-bolt over vehicle trunk pan tie-down hook and down through center hitch bracket.
-Put the 3/8'' hex locknuts on u-bolt and let the hitch hangsjust like in pics. took some pics w/ my phone, not the best quality but u get the ideahttp://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad283/kion2iu/honda/2010-01-20123347.jpg
-follow the steps 1,2 and 3 from the instructions linked abovehttp://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad283/kion2iu/honda/2010-01-20123424.jpg
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad283/kion2iu/honda/2010-01-20123358.jpg
-use red loctite on each bolt
-tighten all 1/2'' bolts http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad283/kion2iu/honda/2010-01-20123336.jpg
-I tighten u-bolt last , looks like this http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad283/kion2iu/honda/2010-01-20124734.jpg
Job done http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad283/kion2iu/honda/2010-01-20124856.jpg

Tools i used :
-1/2'' ratchet
-3/4'' socket
-3/4'' wrench
-3/8'' ratchet
-9/16 deep/regular sockets
- red loctite
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad283/kion2iu/honda/2010-01-20124844.jpg
That was pretty much all, about 1/2 hour work , do drilling , no hammering.
Untill is gonna get warmer i'll figure how to do the electrical part (wire harnesses)
Good luck
Kion

I had U-Haul install a class 3 hitch and then I mounted my Thule bike rack. There is not much clearance between the tailgate and the rack - about .25 inches. It is a great combination. You need to slit a notch in the bumper cover - removing it is optional - I did not.

I had U-Haul install a class 3 hitch and then I mounted my Thule bike rack. There is not much clearance between the tailgate and the rack - about .25 inches. It is a great combination. You need to slit a notch in the bumper cover - removing it is optional - I did not.

Thanks for the pics and walkthrough - definitely something I'll go to do myself if I put a hitch on - wonder if I can pay myself the $200 install fee somehow? :razz:

Got my U-Haul trailer class III hitch about a week ago for 135.00$, with wire harnesses about 161.00$. The U-haul guy gave me 353.58 for everything:hitch, wire harnesses and install them. I said i'll do it myself.
And here i am after 1/2 hour job.
I pretty much follow the instructions here http://www.etrailer.com/instructions.aspx?pn=87506 but in different order

Kion...What year Element do you have?

The reason I'm asking is that I had the U-Haul dude install my hitch on my 2009 Element and he was drilling the holes to get it fit. It took him a good 30-40 minutes, and he had my Element up and he was sitting on a rolling stool that had him eye level to the hitch, and he was working his A$$ off...hahaha
it was pretty hot today in NC so it made me :roll: b/c I was watching from inside. He definitely had the ideal situation to be working in, but he did alot of drilling :|

but he did alot of drilling :|

:?
That must have been a "one size fits all" hitch as I don't think anyone here has installed a hitch that required drilling.

Can you post a picture of it? (Especially from underneath.)

I got an '03
Kion...What year Element do you have?


and yeah post some pics to see whats going on there

I installed the U-Haul hitch on my '08 SC this past Thursday. It would appear that the hitch is a Valley and the hardware is Hidden Hitch. The install was super easy. The hitch fits on the outside of the frame rails and the hardware included long bolts that go all the way through the frame. Heavy metal spacers go over the bolts inside the frame with large washers covering the larger holes to keep the spacers in place. This way there is absolutely no "squashing" of the frame rails.
The longest part of the install was measuring and carefully cutting the bumper fascia. I covered the area with green painter's tape, measured and marked the area to be cut. I hung the hitch with rope from the tow loop to get the measurements correct. I then used a jig saw with a 24pt blade to make the cuts. It came out very neat and clean looking.
I was back at U-Haul yesterday to rent a trailer and the hitch installer looked at it and wanted to know how I had done it so he could do the same for future customers.
So, don't hesitate to take the plunge and add a hitch to make your 'E' even more versatile. The whole thing only cost me about $200 including the plug-in wiring kit. Doing the wiring took less than 10 minutes. You do have to look carefully for the under-dash plug. It is tucked to the left and back toward you as you as you crane your neck to look up under there. The rear connection is just lying there under the tire cover with a protective plug in it.
Thank-you to everyone who posted pictures and information here. It was all really helpful to me in making the decision to add the hitch.

Question: does anyone here have experience installing an electric brake controller, and the install kit with the 7-pin plug?

Had the hitch installed the other day at UHaul. Only $35 for the install, $170 total (+tax) so I had them do it instead of lying in my driveway in a 97 degree sweatbath. I'm planning to order the T-one harness, brake controller, and brake controller install kit from etrailer. The install for the basic T-1 seems pretty straightforward, but I'm trying to assess the PITA factor in installing and routing the line from the dash back to the T-1 harness. I'm wondering if it might be worth paying to have it done.

Thanks in advance!!

I just installed my Uhaul hitch-it was easy. It would have been easier if I had read page 17 first! That u bolt was a bear because I had the other bolts a wee bit too tight!
If anyone is considering paying to have this done-don't! An hour's work-tops and that's with a big pregnant belly in the way!

So, I am guessing there is still no Class II or Class III hitch for the Element SC?

Can someone tell me how much a Class I hitch can tow? Looking to pull a small trailer for house stuff like mulch and crap, small furniture purchases etc.

Any advice appreciated!

So, I am guessing there is still no Class II or Class III hitch for the Element SC?
Sure there is. All it takes is a little trimming on the bottom of the plastic bumper. Well worth it to have a real hitch on your SC. A few on the Forum have done it, look around.

If anyone is considering paying to have this done-don't! An hour's work-tops and that's with a big pregnant belly in the way!

Depends. I paid $185 all in (2" inch hitch, install, warranty, taxes) at U-Haul. They were done in 30 minutes.


Just a FYI, my trusted SoCal dealer was charging around $500-$600 for purchase and install - the dealer is beyond fair, but this is just standard dealer prices I presume.

Depends. I paid $185 all in (2" inch hitch, install, warranty, taxes) at U-Haul. They were done in 30 minutes.


Just a FYI, my trusted SoCal dealer was charging around $500-$600 for purchase and install - the dealer is beyond fair, but this is just standard dealer prices I presume.

$185?? Really?! Wow that's a good price. You just go to a U Haul shop and they sell you everything there?

$185?? Really?! Wow that's a good price. You just go to a U Haul shop and they sell you everything there?

Yep or you can order the parts online as others have pointed out and DIY.

Yep or you can order the parts online as others have pointed out and DIY.

I did fiddle with their online store, Ill pay them to install it but I get $10 off installation for ordering online. Bad part is the store 10 minutes from my house closed a while back, the next available U Haul place is for some ungodly reason almost 2 hours away :twisted:

Some DIY is a must, like when the dealerships cost for labor is almost $400, but installing a trailer hitch, something I know nothing about for around $12, sounds like a good deal to me :)

Can someone tell me how much a Class I hitch can tow? Looking to pull a small trailer for house stuff like mulch and crap, small furniture purchases etc.

The Element is rated to tow 1500 lbs with a recommended tongue weight of 10% of the trailer weight or a maximum of 150 lbs.

Your owner's manual has a complete explanation.

I have towed a 600lb BMW in a U-Haul trailer without a problem. I have a U-Haul Class I Hitch.

Sure there is. All it takes is a little trimming on the bottom of the plastic bumper. Well worth it to have a real hitch on your SC. A few on the Forum have done it, look around.

I just am super nervous to trim the bumper, Gary. I tend to screw such "artsy" things up. :|

Which class III hitch does not run into this bumper issue?

Which class III hitch does not run into this bumper issue?

It should not be an issue on your 2004.

Sweet, thanks for the info.

Yesterday, I installed the U-Haul #78258 Receiver Hitch (2") on my 03 Element. The reason I chose the U-Haul hitch was the fact there is no drilling required. Uses factory holed in the rear bumper frame/body mount. 2 bolts each side with sleeves to prevent any bending of the frame member and a u-bolt on the little tow hook under the spare tub. Took about 30 minutes total with someone to help hold it in place. Going to AutoZone tomorrow to order Reece #74660 trailer wiring harness that plugs in behlind the right rear panel in the back to the Honda trailer lighting connector. Couldn't be any easier. U-Haul wanted almost $100 to install hitch and wiring.

Will the U-Haul #78258 fit the '07 SC. I have a Curt Class I hitch which I'm thinking of replacing.

Will the U-Haul #78258 fit the '07 SC. I have a Curt Class I hitch which I'm thinking of replacing.

Yes but you will have to cut a notch in the bottom bumper to get it to fit.

This thread has been helpful in choosing which hitch I'll use. My question is now about wiring. I see U-haul sometimes recommending the "14486" wiring for a mere $16... sometimes they'll recommend the "118465" for $47... and then again there's the Honda factory harness which is over $100.

If I understand correctly, the Honda harness is plug-n-play under the dash (looks like that takes about 5 minutes) and you plug in the rest of the Honda harness in the spare tire well to a factory wiring harness already in place (I'm assuming that the work you do under the dash makes the pigtail in the spare tire well "live").

But when I look at the cheaper wiring harnesses, typically I see E's that have had the interior panels removed and wires spliced to make it work.

Am I misinterpreting things? At first blush, it looks like you get what you pay for - more money for the correct, easy way and less money for the method that takes more physical labor - your choice.

Or do I not understand the options correctly? My trailer is light - no brakes - and simply has a flat four wiring connector for brake lights and turn signals.

hidden hitch on ebay best deal 108 free delivery

Well, no one chimed in with any help so I'll provide it myself in the hopes it will help someone in the future. After hitting the U-haul dealer, he was able to figure out that the "118465" is really in their books as a "CQT 118465" for $47. Perfect for my '07! There are two pieces to the install - a diode box which installs under the dash in about 30 seconds, and a harness that simply plugs into the existing harness pigtail in the spare tire well. The pigtail in the spare tire well is 'dead' until you install the diode box under the dash. DONE. The actual work is to run the rest of the wiring pigtail in the back out to the hitch... took some work but I've run it out through the factory rubber grommet for the tailgate (license plate lights) and around the structural member which is actually the bumper.

Unless there's some life issue with the diode box, this is under half price of the Honda parts but 'the same parts' in my view. Excellent!