Can Trailer Hitch with Higher Towing Capacity Than Vehicle be Used  

Question:

Helpful Expert Reply:

You can absolutely use a 3,500 pound Class III hitch on your 2006 Honda CR-V even though the capacity on the vehicle itself is only 1,500 pounds. This won't cause any issues at all and as you mentioned in your question you will just need to make sure you still stay under the CR-V's lower limit.

On vehicles like yours where both lower rated Class I/II and higher rated Class III hitches are available we almost always recommend the higher-rated option even if its higher capacity can't necessarily be utilized. In addition to it just being a stronger hitch, a Class III model will provide you with a larger 2 inch receiver opening. This opens the door to a lot more compatible options when it comes to hitch-mounted accessories (bike rack or cargo carrier) and ball mounts for towing.

The available options are much more limited for smaller 1-1/4 inch receivers that are on Class I and II hitches.

For your 2006 Honda CR-V I recommend the Draw-Tite Class III # 75690 because it doesn't require an additional support strap when using a bike rack or cargo carrier like with the Curt Class III model that's also available. I have attached an installation video that you can use for reference along with the written manual.

Since it sounds like you might do some towing you will also need a trailer wiring harness. For this I recommend the Tekonsha T-One # 118336 that will plug right into a factory port behind the driver side trim panel. This will provide you with a 4-Way connector to connect with and power a trailer's basic signal lights.

To pull a trailer you will also need a ball mount and hitch ball. I have attached a great article that explains how to choose the best one for your setup along with a link that will take you to our available selection.

expert reply by: Chris R

1