Another hitch question

[HondaSlayer]

I have a couple of question about how everyone with a hitch has it set up. I would like some pictures of how exactly is mounted and bolted. I want to build one that goes to the tow points. I'm just a little confused about how it bolts up. And do most people that have a removeable ball have the 1&1/4 or 2 inch receiver. And how do you have the wires ran for the lights. I don't want to have them just hanging out the hatch. Any pictures and advice would be awesome. I did a lot of research on this but only found pictures of how it looks on the cars. Not close ups of mounting points. Thank-you everyone.

[HondaSlayer]

Not one person? I'm going to be trying this soon. I made a trailer for it yesterday out of an old jet-ski trailer. Any help with close up pics would be nice. But if not I will just buy extra metal and do it till it is right.

[Movin]

dont have any close up pics but 2" square stock needs bent to fit around the
tire well and cut to tap into place between the tie downs and welded into place.
The receiver or tongue welded in place just below bumper. A brace from behind
the bumper to the receiver welded to the receiver and bolted to the bumper
would be about as strong as you can get. I do not have the bumper brace and
for 10 years of heavy towing..5th set of trailer tires, have never had a problem.
I use a tongue and the change a ball set up works nice.

For wiring do it all inside the car under the plastic, including the adapter box.
drill a hole to fit a grommet in and run your wire through. Mount a plug to bumper
bottom or flat four and clip to bumper plastic. I finally switched to flat four
because I tow so many different trailers and plug adapters were easy to get.

Others have made some very nice re enforced bumper mounts with hidden plugs
and work quite well. There are threads recently about them. If they added the brace
from the tie downs that would be super strong. But again,, nobody has reported
a problem...yet...they all have been good enough, even the simple spare tire
well braced one. Just be sure you are not the first with an oh ------ story!

Use welding where sensible and and bolts where you must. I don't like bolts
for this application because if they come loose the festiva metal is thin enough
it could do a lot of damage it a very important part of the car, the part of the
car providing strength to the rear bumper. The hitch design should add strength
to the subframe area to bumper mount, and not add to much stress.

I have no regrets and would do it again, first mod to car!!!

[SimonTuffGuy]

Rule 6. Post in the proper forum. The General Discussion forum is NOT a catch-all forum. If you need repair help, post in the Repair Help forum. Video in Multimedia forum, etc...

[HondaSlayer]

I didn't think it was a repair setup because I just wanted to see how everyone's hitchs were set up. If it needs to be moved then please do so.

[Charlie1717]

I didn't think it was a repair setup because I just wanted to see how everyone's hitchs were set up. If it needs to be moved then please do so.

It already has been moved To Custom Interior & Exterior section.

Dennis is going to help me install my hitch here sometime I'll try and take lots of pictures of the process.

[lessersivad]

OK. I just went out and ATTEMPTED to take some pics;

This is what I did for the trailer lights.





Went to the "yard" and cut the tail lights plugs off another so I could make it "plug and play" and removal is easier if I decide to.

The "light converter" is part of the actual plug.

[lessersivad]

These are the main attaching points (tie hooks)






There is also a bracket extending to the bottom of the spare tire well to keep it from pivoting (tweaking) downward when the weight of the trailer is applied.

[lessersivad]

A VERY poor and dark pic of the hitch;



I know it sits lower than what some people would care for but it has worked well for my needs. Including flat towing (via tow strap) a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

For some reason got a few strange looks from people doing that.

Hope this helps.

[HondaSlayer]

That is exactly what I was looking for. Do most people that make hitches bolt them to the outside of the tow hooks. I have an old hitch I'm going cut up for parts. I'm going to go with the 2 inch receiver because I have so many laying around. I'm going to start fabing this weekend when i get the new festiva so i can mock up parts. Can't wait to tow the new trailer. Need to get it registered. Not sure how but ill figure it out. Thank you for the pictures so far.

[scitzz]

Mine bolts from the inside of the two. Kind of wedges in.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

You'd think you have to bolt the hitch assembly to the outboard sides of the "hooks" since they're rolled inward around the edges. However, take a look at my rear-view photos; the left side is clearly on the inboard side of that hook. It's hard to tell from the photos what they did on the right side. I can take more photos if you like.

I had a trailer shop fabricate this using their best judgement for $300.

Note that early "hooks" are just bent round stock, and therefore not suitable to bolt to -- see next post for photos of both types.

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

Here are the two kinds of "hooks."

[DriverOne]

Here are the two kinds of "hooks."

I've got the first instance on my '88. I don't see anywhere that I could bolt the second style to the car, unfortunately...

[HondaSlayer]

I thought you could remove the later hooks from a car and put them on the old car.