[carboncow]

I'm looking at getting a hitch and see options from Hidden, Curt, Draw Tite and other no names on flea-bay.

I constantly drive around and see rusty and terrible looking hitches on trucks (non RL) that are to new to have a hitch look bad.

Who has a great looking hitch and who has a terrible looking hitch after x-amount of years?

 

[Carl]

I got the Honda brand in 2008 still looks good.

 

[feetdry]

My Honda hitch looks good after 200,000 miles of over the road in 4 states.

To my knowledge they don't make a hitch out of surgical stainless steel. That would be the only way to make a hitch completely rust proof. OK, there is titanium.

 

[schwejo]

This is what I recall from 06, but Curt powder coats their hitches so mine still looks like it did when i installed it 7 or 8 years ago? My how time flies!

I think its a great choice and one of the least visible ones, but it also changes the last rubber doughnut muffler mount. Not everyone has liked the arrangement. You can view the Curt instructions online.

For me, I'd hands down buy another Curt, but its worth searching the ROC for other opinions. You also have to make or buy some sort of bracket for the electrical connections because the Honda harness is designed to mount directly to the OEM hitch, which of course is a plus for the OEM.

 

[chiph]

They all rust. But the OEM Honda one seems to have better paint than the aftermarket, so rusts slower.

Chip H.

 

[StayPuff]

I suggest using an asphalt undercoating on the hitch; the brushable kind. I've had luck with Amsoil MPHD for bolts and threads. Not pretty but you won't rust. There will always be rust where the paint gets rubbed off.

 

[speedlever]

This is what I recall from 06, but Curt powder coats their hitches so mine still looks like it did when i installed it 7 or 8 years ago? My how time flies!

I think its a great choice and one of the least visible ones, but it also changes the last rubber doughnut muffler mount. Not everyone has liked the arrangement. You can view the Curt instructions online.

For me, I'd hands down buy another Curt, but its worth searching the ROC for other opinions. You also have to make or buy some sort of bracket for the electrical connections because the Honda harness is designed to mount directly to the OEM hitch, which of course is a plus for the OEM.

I read that about the rubber doughnut when I installed my Curt hitch. But I saw no need to do that. What did I overlook?

 

[Rickman]

They all rust.

It's nothing to do a quick sanding and repaint with rust paint! You don't even have to remove it, to do it! :act064:

 

[schwejo]

I read that about the rubber doughnut when I installed my Curt hitch. But I saw no need to do that. What did I overlook?

Yes, I didn't initially do it either because it changed the rubber doughnut from the muffler hanging from the doughnut to the doughnut pushing the muffler up, which didnt seem like the best option.

All was well and good until I drove on some particularly rutted roads and the muffler hit the hitch just a little. I ended up making another "doughnut like" loop with a piece of heater hose to suspend the muffler hanger between the OEM upper hanger and the lower Curt hanger. It just stabilized the bounce by probably an 1/8 of and inch and never a knock since.

I know a picture is worth a thousand words and I don't think I'm describing this well, but if you haven't heard an occasional knock perhaps its just a slight difference in the spacing on our trucks. I can post a pic tomorrow if you are interested.

 

[speedlever]

I figured that's all it was. I've never noticed any noise.

 

[schwejo]

This is what I did to reduce bounce by probably 1/8 of an inch. Had a slight and occasional rattle on some bumpy roads and this fixed that. I wonder if the OEM doughnut has relaxed enough over the years that I could remove my added one?

 

[McChizzle]

My 09 RL's factory frame hitch still looks new. There is no rust except where it get's stressed from the ball mount receiver (little spots in the corners) that's easily wipe off and covered with touchup paint.

The biggest rust problem I have is with the towing ball; but I can take care of that by putting grease on the ball before it's hooked up to a trailer. Then there is no metal-on-metal rubbing without lubrication.