Recommended Class III Trailer Hitch for 2011 Honday Odyssey

Question:

I am looking at the same 2 hitches referenced in this question from Erik L. for my 2011 Honda Odyssey. Here is his question and your answer my question will follow and I apologize for the length of this post in advance: I like the additional 3/4inch ground clearance of the Curt, and the spacers providing with the DT I also like the fact that the DTs forward-most bolt sits a good 6-8inch forward from the Curts most forward bolt. Is there anyway to get spacers for the Curt? I also would like a clarification as to what the measurement from the center of the H-pin hole to the outermost edge of the bumper is for, as the Curt measures 5inch and the DTs is 6-1/2. Thank you.

asked by: James M

Expert Reply:

Both the Curt Class III Trailer Hitch Receiver # C13068 and the Draw-Tite Class III # 75270 are confirmed to fit your 2011 Honda Odyssey. The Curt model does include one .250 inch x .88 inch x 2.25 inch square hole spacer, but we do not have additional spacers available that can be added to the kit. I can say that Curt did design and test the hitch for use without them and you do not need to worry about there being any drop-off in its durability or quality because it uses less than the Draw-Tite model.

As you mentioned in your question, the Curt model hitch does have a slightly shorter hitch pin hole to rear bumper clearance measurement of 5 inches when compared to the 6-1/2 inch measurement on the Draw-Tite. This simply indicates how far back the hitch receiver is tucked behind the bumper. This can be an important measurement when looking at the length of a ball mount or hitch-mounted accessory (like a bike rack or cargo carrier) to make sure it will clear the bumper without any interference. The shorter 5 inch clearance measurement on the Curt model will likely allow for compatibility with more accessories along with easier access to the receiver.

Just using a hitch-mounted bike rack as an example, the Swagman Chinook 2 Bike Rack # S64683 features a distance of 6 inches from its hitch pin hole to the closest part of the rack when it is folded up. This means that it will clear the rear bumper of your Odyssey when folded if you have the Curt hitch installed, but would knock against the bumper when folding it up with the more recessed Draw-Tite model.

I have attached the complete installation video for the Curt hitch that you can also use for reference.

expert reply by: Chris R