Choosing Between 1-1/4-Inch Class II & 2-Inch Class III Trailer Hitch for 2017 Honda CR-V

Question:

I need some help choosing between the 1-1/4inch #36597 and the 2inch #76128 hitch for my new 2017 Honda CR-V touring. I prefer the hitch to be the least noticeable as possible so the 1-1/4inch seem like the right choice because the tubing is smaller, it doesnt include the Integrated mounting tab and it sit a little 1/4 higher off the ground. I mostly will us the hitch for a bike rack with lightweight bikes and occasionally rent a small U-Haul trailer. The towing capacity of the vehicle is only 1500 lbs so I dont see the benefit of the 2inch hitch for towing. My current bike rack needs a 2inch receiver but its old and Im planning to upgrade and could use an adapter in the interim.

asked by: Keith

Helpful Expert Reply:

In general there are more products made for the 2-inch Class III hitch type than for the 1-1/4-inch Class II. Some bike racks and other hitch-mount accessories such as cargo carriers can work with both hitch sizes but many are intended for one or the other.

Adapters are not a great idea since they change the geometry of the overall hitch/rack system; and this is why all hitch adapters will cost you half of your hitch capacity. If you used your 2-inch hitch bike rack in an adapter like # HT5R it would be usable in a 1-1/4-inch hitch like # 36597 but the hitch's capacity would instantly be halved down to 175-lbs of tongue weight. This might be more than enough but there will still be more random motion and noise from the set-up since the adapter introduces another mechanical connection point. More connections = more movement and noise.

Since your current bike rack is 2-inch, I urge you to get the 2-inch hitch # 76128 even if towing is not your primary intention. The 2-inch hitch offers nearly twice the capacity, which is worthwhile having even if only as a safety margin. Hitch costs are also nearly identical as are the installation processes. I linked an installation video for you for hitch # 76128.

I also linked our main page for 2-inch hitch bike racks. When you enter the 2-inch rack world you have options for features not found on Class II racks. For instance, you can consider the convenience of a swing-away type rack like the Yakima FullSwing # Y02465 which gives you much better vehicle cargo area access when you're carrying bikes. Products like these are generally not available for the smaller hitch size.

Also keep in mind that your actual ground clearance with any hitch depends on several factors including passenger load, cargo load, tire size and tire tread depth.