[Jashue]

I have a 2016 Touring Accord. I love it very much. The other thing I like is my road bike. I'm finding it increasingly irritating to have to ask my father (who lives pretty close to me) if I can borrow his Honda Fit whenever I need to take my bike someplace. I have a hitch mounted bike rack which I used with my 2008 Accord Coupe and my 2012 Acura TL, but I have not yet gotten around to putting a hitch receiver on my new ride.

Just the other day I was commiserating with a friend about the matter and he told me quite emphatically that I shouldn't put a hitch receiver on my car; that doing so would bring the trade/resale value down on it. I said to him, "It's a half-inch receiver... no one would ever believe that I was towing with such a thing!" He replied, "Don't ever give someone a reason to devalue your car."

Now I'm really wondering.

What do you folks think?

A roof rack would screw up the aesthetics of what I believe to be a gorgeous automobile. Is that a compromise you would make?

 

[200366HFP]

You can always take it off if you decide to sell it down the road, and maybe 1 out of 100 buyers might even look under the car to see there was ever a hitch mounted.

 

[Justanotherguy]

Half inch what? 1.5" receiver? Anyway putting one on these cars is extremely simple.... So therefore any concern over resale value would be mitigated if you simply removed the receiver if and when you might sell.

 

[2Accordz]

oh boy..Your friend sounds like one of those people who feels it's his god given right to tell you "what's what"...no matter if you wanna hear it or not!
Hitches simply bolt on, and you can take them off just as easily...before you sell/trade the car, if you want.

 

[pparks1]

Putting miles on your car drops it's resale value too. It's easier on the car to haul around a road bike on a hitch carrier, than 2 adults in the backseat.

 

[Joeggernaut]

Roof rack decreases MPG and requires more effort (lifting height), and more of a chance to scratch the car vs a hitch mount. Plus the hitch mount rack can easily be taken off with 1 receiver bolt. Both install without any modifications to the car so can be easily removed for resale. No one thinks a hitch on a car decreases value. People know you aren't towing anything big a in a Sedan. If that was the case, there would be apparent mechanical issues and suspension sags.

I prefer hitch because you can install a bike rack plus pull a small utility trailer around for things way to big or heavy (not many things I buy from HD or Lowes ever weigh more than 1000lbs, plus I don't need to daily drive around in a full size truck just for the 5 times a year I need a flat bed truck because it won't fit in the accord, you can rent uhaul trailer for 15 bucks/day) to put on the roof rack and then can be easily disconnected when not in use vs messing with roof rack clips.

 

[slimm1469]

I had a removable bike rack on my coupe. You can get them at any bike store.

 

[Ronch]

I believe the hitches available for the '17 don't require any drilling, but they require minor mods to the heat shield around the muffler.

When I'm not using the hitch for a bike rack on my '16 Coupe, I put a black hitch cover into the receiver and hardly anybody ever notices it.

I always take the hitch off my Accords when I sell them. If it won't fit the next Accord, I just sell the hitch on Craigslist, etc. The previous hitch needed holes drilled through the spare tire wheel well. So when I took it off, I put rubber plugs in the holes from inside the tire well to seal them. I got the plugs at the hardware store for about 80 cents each. Unfortunately, that hitch didn't fit the '16...

 

[nayr14]

You're worried about a hitch for a bicycle rack? Please...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009WTWNUA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got mine for $66, used "very good" condition (part of the box had torn and Amazon wouldn't sell it as new). You do have to cut some of the heatshield around the exhaust, but it's so thin you can do it with utility scissors. There is a YouTube video too.

I've towed motorcycles with my Accord nearly 1000 miles total.

 

[200366HFP]

@nayr14 - how much tongue weight do you have with that bike sitting in the front of the trailer like that???

I probably have 5000+ miles towing this:

 

[qman]

Your friend is a moron. I have one on my car and I'm gonna charge extra for it if I ever sell.

 

[nayr14]

@nayr14 - how much tongue weight do you have with that bike sitting in the front of the trailer like that???

I probably have 5000+ miles towing this:

I'm not sure, I never weighed it but I was able to lift the loaded trailer off the ball and I'm not too strong. The long arm helps, and loading the front makes it more stable at higher speeds. I know it's "rated" for 100lb tongue, but from what I have read, a vehicle sold in the US get lower tow ratings than than same vehicle sold in Europe. So as long as it's under 200lb I think I'm OK.

 

[200366HFP]

I'm not sure, I never weighed it but I was able to lift the loaded trailer off the ball and I'm not too strong. The long arm helps, and loading the front makes it more stable at higher speeds. I know it's "rated" for 100lb tongue, but from what I have read, a vehicle sold in the US get lower tow ratings than than same vehicle sold in Europe. So as long as it's under 200lb I think I'm OK.

Makes sense, and I'm sure that bike doesn't weigh what my snowmobile weighs.... Sled is about 500lbs.

 

[Joeggernaut]

Uhaul motorcycle trailers are 800lbs. The 4x7 uhaul utlity trailer is 630lb. The harbor freight fold-able trailer is only 250lb. I don't have a light adapter on mine because I guess the 16+ require a power cable ran up to the battery since the tailights are LED and don't draw enough power to support trailer lights + LED lights at once. Anyone installed trailer light kit for 16+ that cared to share how they ran the battery cable from the back to the front?
?

 

[Hudouc]

If OP is talking about a bicycle, I suggest just putting the back seats down and put it in the car. Much more secure that way. Quick release the front wheel, put it between the front seats and the rear seats. Put a rag down if you are afraid of it getting the car dirty. I been doing that for years now. I don't trust any strap on bike racks ever since the one I own almost loosened itself off the car on the highway.

And if you don't mind me asking, what model is your bike?

 

[200366HFP]

Uhaul motorcycle trailers are 800lbs. The 4x7 uhaul utlity trailer is 630lb. The harbor freight fold-able trailer is only 250lb. I don't have a light adapter on mine because I guess the 16+ require a power cable ran up to the battery since the tailights are LED and don't draw enough power to support trailer lights + LED lights at once. Anyone installed trailer light kit for 16+ that cared to share how they ran the battery cable from the back to the front?
?

My '15 required a power cable be run to the back as well. I went through the drivers side foot well, behind the left front wheel splash shield - somewhere in the audio/electronics section of this site there are very detailed pics and instructions on that. I then ran the power cable along/under the drivers side trim, into the rear of the car.

I guess I was asking @nayr14 more what that motorcycle weighs - I would expect a trailer to be fairly balanced with a ~10% tongue weight for proper distribution. But, how you load the trailer also comes into play. My total trailer weight with sled is right around 1200lbs.

I've used that same exact trailer behind my old '95, with 1400lbs of wood IN the trailer, not including the trailer. The key is having BRAKES on the trailer if you plan to go over 1000lbs. That trailer I have has a surge hitch, with rear drum brakes and wheels off an '87 Accord.

 

[nayr14]

My '15 required a power cable be run to the back as well. I went through the drivers side foot well, behind the left front wheel splash shield - somewhere in the audio/electronics section of this site there are very detailed pics and instructions on that. I then ran the power cable along/under the drivers side trim, into the rear of the car.

I guess I was asking @nayr14 more what that motorcycle weighs - I would expect a trailer to be fairly balanced with a ~10% tongue weight for proper distribution. But, how you load the trailer also comes into play. My total trailer weight with sled is right around 1200lbs.

I've used that same exact trailer behind my old '95, with 1400lbs of wood IN the trailer, not including the trailer. The key is having BRAKES on the trailer if you plan to go over 1000lbs. That trailer I have has a surge hitch, with rear drum brakes and wheels off an '87 Accord.

The weight is about 400lb with fuel/oil/coolant, so I'm pulling 1200lb. My guess is tongue weight is between 100-200 lb but I have not verified that. I usually start driving around 5AM to get to the track and I have my headlights on... it does hold the back down a bit and angles the headlights up a couple degrees...

 

[Ronch]

If OP is talking about a bicycle, I suggest just putting the back seats down and put it in the car. Much more secure that way. Quick release the front wheel, put it between the front seats and the rear seats. Put a rag down if you are afraid of it getting the car dirty. I been doing that for years now. I don't trust any strap on bike racks ever since the one I own almost loosened itself off the car on the highway.

And if you don't mind me asking, what model is your bike?

The jaw of my bike rack has a big knob on a threaded screw to tighten it down on the top frame tubes of 2 bikes and it locks with a key. It's all solid metal, painted black, and hasn't rusted after many years of use. The jaws are lined with rubber so they don't scratch the frame tubes, but I wrap a microfiber cloth around them for extra protection. The rack also locks into the receiver so it can't be removed without a different key.

No straps are needed at all, but I run bungee cords through the wheels to keep them from spinning and to keep the bike frames from "flaring" out away from the car in the wind stream.

The extra bonus of my rack is its imposing look and big red "Cyclops eye" reflector. It extends out from the back of the car, so it encourages other drivers to leave plenty of room if they park behind me even if no bikes are racked, saving my rear bumper from their stupidity. :devil

 

[200366HFP]

The weight is about 400lb with fuel/oil/coolant, so I'm pulling 1200lb. My guess is tongue weight is between 100-200 lb but I have not verified that. I usually start driving around 5AM to get to the track and I have my headlights on... it does hold the back down a bit and angles the headlights up a couple degrees...

So pretty close then - I'd be curious just what your tongue weight is like that. Not that I think you are doing anything wrong, but you may be putting added stress on the rear of the car unnecessarily. Perhaps that longer tongue on the trailer does make a difference. Just a thought.

 

[nayr14]

So pretty close then - I'd be curious just what your tongue weight is like that. Not that I think you are doing anything wrong, but you may be putting added stress on the rear of the car unnecessarily. Perhaps that longer tongue on the trailer does make a difference. Just a thought.

Maybe, measuring the weight will be a bit of a pain though. I might back it up a foot in the trailer next time. The reason I had it all the way forward is because there is a wheel chock at the front for extra stability.