Recommended Hitch for VelociRAX 5 Bike Rack on 2012 Honda Odyssey

Question:

Etrailer Team, Ive just bought a VelociRAX 5, a five-bike vertical carrier. Would the Draw Tite 75270 be a good hitch for this bike carrier? Thank you very much!

asked by: Stephen K

Expert Reply:

From what little I was able to learn about the VelociRAX 5 bike rack on their website, the rack is compatible with a 2 inch hitch that has a tongue weight capacity of at least 500 lbs, and the Draw-Tite # 75270 Class III hitch meets both those parameters, so you're good there.

However, might I make a suggestion? Instead of the # 75270, you might consider the # 76025 instead due to its greater ground clearance and because it isn't recessed under the vehicle as far. The hitch will be more difficult to install, but the greater ground clearance means there's less of a chance that the rack will scrape when you back out of a steep driveway or go over a speed bump and the fact that the hitch isn't recessed as far under the vehicle means you'll have more room between the bike rack and the rear of the vehicle. This hitch also has enough capacity, so it'll work just fine with the rack.

I've linked to installation videos for both the hitch you'd asked about and the one I recommended.

expert reply by: Mike L