Towing Capacity of 2013 Honda CR-V and Recommended Hitch and Wiring

Question:

I just bought a 1965 roundabout fiberglass boat. Capsize 1200. However it is an 18 foot boat. First time doing this! Can my car tow it or not?! I have a 2013 Honda CRV. No truck. Just bought the boat with the trailer included! Online they have hitches for like 150$ that I can buy. All I need to know is if my car will ever be able to tow my boat? BTW pick up the boat Monday. It’s Saturday evening and if not, what suggestions are there? Geez. Sorry frustrated. Please respond ASAP! Thanks

asked by: Brittany B

Expert Reply:

From what I was able to determine from my research, the 2013 Honda CR-V has a towing capacity of 1500-lbs, so as long as the boat and trailer weigh under 1500-lbs you can tow it with your vehicle without damaging it. If you need a trailer hitch to tow your new boat, I recommend using the Curt C13119 because of the durability of the powder coat on the Curt hitches, which is important for making sure that it doesn't get rusted.

There are some other things you'll need to tow a trailer, including a wiring harness, ball mount and hitch ball. For wiring I recommend using the Tekonsha T-One # 118561 because the Tekonsha wiring harnesses have proven to be a little bit more reliable over time. This harness will tee into your vehicle's tail lights to provide you with a 4 way connector that will allow your lights on the trailer. For a ball mount and hitch ball I recommend using the etrailer Ball Mount Kit # 989900 since it comes with 2 ball mounts, 2 hitch balls, hitch pins, clips and a carrying bag to store everything in when it's not in use. This kit will allow you to cover a variety of potential towing setups with your new boat since it has ball mounts with varying rise/drop and both a 1-7/8" and 2" hitch ball.

I've linked the installation videos of these items for you to have a look at as well, if you're going to be installing everything yourself.

expert reply by: Erik B