Has anyone fitted a tow bar hitch to their car, I need to put a bike rack on and tow a small trailer occasionally, i Cant fit my lawn mower in the boot

Steve

Hi Steve,

I installed one on my HCHII. I use it for a bike rack though not for towing. I bought it at etrailer.com for $93 and installed it myself which took about an hour, but if you do it with someone else it should be pretty quick.

Bert

06HCH-MP,

I have a Hidden Hitch on my HCH2. Does your hitch bar interfere with the plastic bumper? On the right side, where the bar makes a U shape to get around the exhaust, the bar is pushing against the plastic.

Sledge,

Actually I got mine after seeing yours installed. Anyways, no it does not touch the bumper at all. Make sure it was installed correctly by checking where the hitch connects to the frame. The hitch needs to be flush with the frame. I had a hard time aligning it but it finally went on right. Also mine is a Draw Tite but I think they are the same hitch.

BTW did you put the plastic undercarriage back on? I'm thinking of cutting mine so I can put it back on.

Bert

Okay... info and questions for Steve, Sledge and Bert...

Steve: Sledge posted some great photos of his Hidden Hitch installation here:
http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/h...ight=bike+rack

Sledge: I finally bought a bike rack (Thule... just like yours, but with the 2" hitch for my Isuzu Ascender). I'm thinking about getting the 1 1/4" adapter and using it on my HCHII for an upcoming trip to Tucson (El Tour de Tucson bike race!). Wondering if you've had any problems (like the hitch bar interference you mentioned) or ground clearance or MPG issues?

Bert: Any chance you could post a few photos of your setup? I'm wondering how visible the rack is (the less you can see it, the better!!!). Do you have a model number or part number for that hitch? Did the $93 include shipping?

Thanks!!!

Hi Anahymbrid,

I will take a picture for you when I get home but it's basically the same setup as Sledge's. The one I got was from etrailer. There web site is http://www.etrailer.com/products.asp...=Honda&t1=&h=e.
The price seems to have gone up to $100 and does not include shipping. If you use coupon code XJJB7 you get a 5% discount. I purchased the hitch and a bike rack from them and the total shipping was $31.

BTW what bike do you have. I ride a Trek 5200.

Bert

Thanks for the coupon info. Looking forward to the photos.

I've got a Giant FCR1. It's the red one in my photos from that other thread. The blue Cannondale belongs to my 12 year old son. We took both bikes up to Seattle in July for STP (Seattle to Portland). They do fit in the trunk of the HCHII (as the photo shows), but it takes a while to break down and set up. Now my wife is getting into cycling, so I'll need the rack for the third bike! Obviously, for the Tucson trip, one bike will go in the trunk and two on the rack!

On a slightly related topic, can anyone tell me what the metal loop on the underside of the rear of the car is for?

It's a tie-down hook. It's used when they transport the vehicles on the ship and on the rail or truck carrier. It's also the rear jacking point if you have a garage floor jack!

I stopped by the Honda dealer's parts department and asked the man behind the desk about a hitch for the HCH II. He seemed genuinely alarmed and stated: adding an after-market hitch voids your warranty.

Is this true?