Trailer Hitch and Wiring for 2010 Honda Odyssey for Bikes and Light Duty Towing

Question:

I have a 2010 Honda Odyssey EX-L and am looking into a hitch. We are a family of 6, and would like to begin some biking excursions this summer. We are also a camping family, and have a small utility trailer that we occasionally use for towing some of our camp gear. I am wondering if you can recommend the hitch best suited for our vehicle and purposes? I have noted that there is a difference in the number of bolt holes in the mount - some use 4, others 5. I understand that the OEM version uses all 6. Whats best for us? Any recommendations for transporting 6 bikes without use of a roof rack? Thanks!

asked by: Carol L

Expert Reply:

The amount of bolts used to install any given hitch will always be appropriate for the capacity that hitch is rated for. So with that said going with an aftermarket hitch will be just as safe as the OEM hitch. The difference is an aftermarket hitch is going to cost less.

Based on the amount of people in your family and the things you want to do with the hitch I recommend going with a Class III hitch with a 2 inch receiver. The most popular option is # 75270. I have linked a video showing how the hitch installs on a 2010 Honda Odyssey.

Since you mentioned that you will be doing some towing I recommend etrailer ball mount kit # EBMK4. It comes with a ball mount with a 2-3/4 inch rise or 4 inch drop, interchangeable ball set, hitch pin with clip, and a storage bag. If the ball mount kit does not have the right rise or drop to tow the trailer level, use the link I have included that explains how to measure to choose a ball mount to tow the trailer level.

For trailer wiring I recommend Tow Ready harness # 118438. I have linked a video that shows how it installs as well.

For bikes, the most amount of bikes you can carry on the hitch is going to be 5. I have included a link to the 5-bike carriers that we offer. I anticipate that at least one of the bikes would be small enough to fit inside the back of the van. Otherwise to carry a sixth bike you would need to use a roof rack. I have linked the roof rack main page for your van as well just in case you do need or want to add a roof rack.