Recommended Ball Mount for a Rise of 18 inches When Installing Draw-Tite # 75720 on a 2002 Odyssey

Question:

I am shopping for a hitch for my 2002 Honda Odyssey. The ride height of the ball is 18 inches off the ground. I do not see a gusset that will clear the bumper. In your description of 75270, you state about 7 inches from the center of the hitch pin hole to the rear most part of the back bumper for a 2017 Honda Odyssey. The gusset of the MT70068, CAB-UM, MT70067 all will hit the bumper when installed for an 18 inch total rise. Can you make a recommendation for me that will not hit the bumper?

asked by: James J

Expert Reply:

The height of the trailer hitch when we measure for the videos can vary based on the year of the vehicle, inflation of the tires, or even how much cargo is loaded in the vehicle so the numbers we give are good to use as an estimate. If you check out the attached video of the Draw-Tite # 75270 being installed on a 2003 Honda Odyssey you can see that the ground to hitch height it 12 inches and from the center of the hitch pin hole to the rearmost edge of the bumper is only 4-1/2 inches.

Since this measurement is more accurate to your 2002 Odyssey due to the one year difference in the vehicles, I believe that using the MaxxTow Adjustable-Height Ball Mount # MT70068 that you referenced is exactly what you are looking for. It offers a max rise of 6-1/4 inches and measures 8-1/8 inches from the center of the hitch pin hole to the upright bar. Keep in mind that the rise, or drop, that you choose for your ball mount will need to match the height of the bottom of your trailer coupler when it is on level ground.

Keep in mind that this ball mount does not come with a hitch ball. You can use part # 19260 for a 1-7/8 inch hitch ball or part # 40038 for a 2 inch hitch ball.

You will also need to install wiring for your trailer lights if you haven't already. I recommend going with the Tekonsha T-One # 118336 which will give you a 4-Way flat connector.

I have attached the installation video for the trailer hitch on the 2003 Odyssey and the T-One on a 2002 Odyssey that I mentioned as well as a helpful article about ball mounts.