| Maha |
| Has anybody installed a Hidden Hitch and if you were able to install a full size spare? |
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| phins2rt |
| So far the OEM hitch is the only one that accepts a full size spare, I believe. |
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| mesalum |
| I have installed the Hidden Hitch and there is no room for a full size spare. |
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| m500 |
| Full size spare will only fit when its uninflated as shown by another member on the board. Unless you have some sort of way to inflat your full size spare the anwser will be NO, unless you go with OEM hitch. |
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| Maha |
quote:
Originally posted by m500
Full size spare will only fit when its uninflated as shown by another member on the board. Unless you have some sort of way to inflat your full size spare the anwser will be NO, unless you go with OEM hitch.
I can't find the thread where another member talks about a deflated spare with a Hidden Hitch (not Valley Hitch)?
I really don't want to pay $1000+ for an OEM hitch when I can have a after market hitch (like Hidden Hitch) installed for about $200.
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| G. COLTON |
You do not have to pay $1000 if you can install yourself, or negotiate with another shop on installation price.
Contact Tim at HondaAcura World for prices of components.
G |
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| hammermdx |
| Not sure deflating the tire would make any difference.....the rim is the same size and the circumference of a deflated tire is not going to make that mich of a difference....... |
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| Maha |
quote:
Originally posted by mesalum
I have installed the Hidden Hitch and there is no room for a full size spare.
I just had a local Hitch sotre installed a Hidden Hitch on my 08 MDX including labor for about $180. The full size tire easily fit under it with room to spare! |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by Maha
more pics
Maha,
Do you have a part number for the hitch? |
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| 2Sxy4YoMama |
| Where are u guys getting you full spare? I just got my X, I do not think it came with a full spare cuz I had not check. |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by 2Sxy4YoMama
Where are u guys getting you full spare?
This forum or ebay are good resources. |
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| phins2rt |
Maha,
Can you post a pic of the entire back end? I am trying to see how "integrated" this hitch looks. Thanks. |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by Maha
here ya go...
Awesome! Thanks Maha! :29: |
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| gotMDX |
quote:
Originally posted by phins2rt
Awesome! Thanks Maha! :29:
Nice pic MAHA! Great deal for $180 parts and labor otd!
Hey phins2rt,
I think the valley hitch brand looks better and it costs less than the hidden hitch brand! Also the first is rated 4k pounds while the latter is 3500 lbs. If you're planning to buy one, make sure to mention promo code "acuramdx.org". I think it's 5-7% discount!
I'll post pics of my hookup later!! |
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| dory |
quote:
Originally posted by gotMDX
I think the valley hitch brand looks better and it costs less than the hidden hitch brand! Also the first is rated 4k pounds while the latter is 3500 lbs.
So, the aftermarket hitches don't tow the full 5000# that the X could tow? or is that just for models years prior to '07? |
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| HuMan321 |
Thanks for the eTrailer link
I went there and it looks like they have 4 hitch brands to choose from. This would make 5 choices counting the OEM.
Hidden Hitch $164.95
Draw Tite $174.95
Curt $149.95
Valley $109.95
OEM (Tim) $594.00
Can those that have these installed put a picture in this thread so that they are all in one place? The angle of pic for me would be straight on from the back. I am interested in aesthetics somewhat, but maybe not to the point of OEM.
These are hitch prices only.
PS
The above eTrailer prices may be even lower with the code that was provided for the forum. |
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| dory |
Were you wanting a pic of the OEM as well? If so, here's a pic of mine. It's the only pic I have right now, so it might not be the exact angle you're looking for.
What I like about the OEM hitch is that both 4-pin and 7-pin wiring are set up nicely (and are plug and play into the pre-existing wiring) and that it fits a full-size spare (I just got one). Most aftermarket hitches do NOT fit a full-size spare. I also really like how the hitch sits up higher than after-market hitches, due to the cut out in the rear bumper piece.
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| Randy B |
| Here's the Valley Hitch with the factory harness Dory was referring to. It has both the round and flat pin setup for trailers. |
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| gotMDX |
quote:
Originally posted by dory
So, the aftermarket hitches don't tow the full 5000# that the X could tow? or is that just for models years prior to '07?
NOPE, unless you use a Weight Distribution System which costs more money- and I believe someone posted as not recommended per owners manual. Models 07+MDX can tow up to 5k lbs. If you are towing more than 4000#, you better off buying the OEM hitch.
Reasons why I bought the valley hitch:
1. I don't plan to tow anything more than 4k pounds.
2. I like the way it looks.
3. Although I can not fit my full size spare, I may only need it during times when I tow my toy. So no big deal. I'll hook up the full size spare on the trailer itself!
4. It's cheap...hah-hah...I'm cheap!!!!
:2: |
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| HuMan321 |
quote:
Originally posted by dory
Were you wanting a pic of the OEM as well? If so, here's a pic of mine. It's the only pic I have right now, so it might not be the exact angle you're looking for.
What I like about the OEM hitch is that both 4-pin and 7-pin wiring are set up nicely (and are plug and play into the pre-existing wiring). I also really like how the hitch sits up higher than after-market hitches, due to the cut out in the rear bumper piece.
Thanks, that is a good angle.
My needs are really for a bike rack. I knew the OEM hitch fit up a little tighter and I am trying to evaluate how much I like or dislike the looks of the cheaper ones. The look from the back is my favorite so I don't want a big ugly hitch detracting from it for the sake of a few bucks.
Thanks again! |
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| dory |
quote:
Originally posted by Randy B
Here's the Valley Hitch with the factory harness Dory was referring to. It has both the round and flat pin setup for trailers.
Looks very nice Randy B. I guess I should pull those stickers off of mine, they look like crap. Okay, I'll read them first and see if they're important, THEN pull them off. ;) |
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| dory |
quote:
Originally posted by gotMDX
NOPE, unless you use a Weight Distribution System which costs more money- and I believe someone posted as not recommended per owners manual. Models 07+MDX can tow up to 5k lbs. If you are towing more than 4000#, you better off buying the OEM hitch.
Reasons why I bought the valley hitch:
1. I don't plan to tow anything more than 4k pounds.
2. I like the way it looks.
3. Although I can not fit my full size spare, I may only need it during times when I tow my toy. So no big deal. I'll hook up the full size spare on the trailer itself!
4. It's cheap...hah-hah...I'm cheap!!!!
:2:
Thanks for the info. The '08 manual does say that a weight distributing hitch is not recommended (something about if it's set up wrong it can damage your vehicle). So, I'm glad we went with the OEM hitch. Right now we're towing approx. 3000#, but we wanted to be able to add more people/cargo to the vehicle and you never know, a trailer upgrade could be in our future! |
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| HuMan321 |
quote:
Originally posted by Randy B
Here's the Valley Hitch with the factory harness Dory was referring to. It has both the round and flat pin setup for trailers.
Randy,
Your hitch really seems to blend in well with the back of the X. Dory's pic seems to show the hitch more. I don't know if it is the angle of the photo, the lighting or the stickers, but it looks very nice.
Thanks |
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| dory |
quote:
Originally posted by HuMan321
Randy,
Your hitch really seems to blend in well with the back of the X. Dory's pic seems to show the hitch more. I don't know if it is the angle of the photo, the lighting or the stickers, but it looks very nice.
Thanks
Ha-ha, I just posted before you that the stickers look terrible and that I've got to remove them! :D
Randy's photo has a lot more image noise in it than mine, so that may change how the hitch blends into the bumper. But, I do agree, that his setup looks nice. |
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| Randy B |
Remember, mine is a Valley aftermarket and sits a little lower than Dory's. She has an OEM, and that has a replacement insert for the grey area in the bumper.
And I did take the sticker off of the Valley hitch.
Randy B |
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| gotMDX |
| Here is a pic of stock valley hitch. Randy's better for he welded a plate for the 4 and 7-pin wiring set up. |
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| gotMDX |
| here is another one..... |
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| HuMan321 |
Excellent Pics!
I really appreciate them. It still appears as if the valley hitch (even though it is lower) blends in with the car better. I seem to see much less of the hitch than the OEM.
Since I would only be using it for a bike rack, the better it blends in is what I am looking for. |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by HuMan321
I knew the OEM hitch fit up a little tighter and I am trying to evaluate how much I like or dislike the looks of the cheaper ones. The look from the back is my favorite so I don't want a big ugly hitch detracting from it for the sake of a few bucks.
I agree HuMan321! I think I will probably end up with the OEM if I get anything. Although the HiddenHitch would fit my needs nicely, I am not sure I can get over how much of it shows below the bumper.
Maha, thanks again for the pics. They are extremely helpful! Yours too dory!
I priced out a Hidden Hitch with Acura electronics vs the complete OEM package and it looks like I would save about $100. Of course the OEM package would take a bit more work to install but I think the the overall aesthetics would be worth it. YMMV. |
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| Maha |
We go up in Mountains a lot (Lake Tahoe), and I don't want to make the trips without a full size spare...
I priced the OEM hitch at the dealer, they wanted $1000+ installed. I realize how nice they look, towing capacity, etc.... but man... I can't see myself paying $1000 when I can get it installed elsewhere for $180. Plus I was able to fit a full size spare under it! I made sure of it before they did the install.
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| gotMDX |
quote:
Originally posted by gotMDX
NOPE, unless you use a Weight Distribution System which costs more money- and I believe someone posted as not recommended per owners manual. Models 07+MDX can tow up to 5k lbs. If you are towing more than 4000#, you better off buying the OEM hitch.
Reasons why I bought the valley hitch:
1. I don't plan to tow anything more than 4k pounds.
2. I like the way it looks.
3. Although I can not fit my full size spare, I may only need it during times when I tow my toy. So no big deal. I'll hook up the full size spare on the trailer itself!
4. It's cheap...hah-hah...I'm cheap!!!!
:2:
ULK! Did I really say that?
Re: #1...looks like I'm upgrading to a bigger, heavier boat!
Re:#2...I still like the looks- valley hitch
Re:#3...Darn it! Warning: full size spare is 64 lbs!!!!! I could not find a heavy duty mount for this thing. I guess I'll have to customize one..and it's not gonna be cheap!
Hmmm..what the heck, as soon as the OEM is on sale..I am buying one! Free valley hitch anyone?...the catch? You have to help me install the oem!!!!:2: |
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| scadagawd |
If you installed the 3rd Party Hitch (Valley or Hidden), will it void Acura's warranty in any way? Are the holes for mounting the hitch already pre-drilled? Will a non-mechanical type person have trouble installing one of these aftermarket hitches? Do you need to raise the X when installing one of these?
Lots O' questions...hope you don't mind.
Cheers. |
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| polyian |
| The factory towing package comes with power steering and transmission coolers. If you intend to pull maximum I would definitely get these installed regardless of which hitch you chose. Not doing the coolers may very well void your warranty if the transmission or steering goes. Not worth saving a couple of hundred dollars...it's a one time install. If you read any of the towing published guides you will see that the towing weights are dependent on the coolers being installed...as well as brakes on any trailer over 1000 lbs. |
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| hammermdx |
| Pretty sure the coolers are standard on the '07's and up....... |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by hammermdx
Pretty sure the coolers are standard on the '07's and up.......
+1. Acura wised up and included these on all the 2nd gen models. |
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| gross |
| Great posts and awesome pics. After researching this topic I have the Valley hitch sitting in my garage ready to install. I like the look of the valley even better than the factory setup and I too had a hard time swallowing the $1200 bill the local dealer quoted me installed for the factory setup. I plan on towing a boat with trailer weighing in at about 4500lbs loaded. I know the Valley is only rated for 4000#'s withought the weight distributing hitch but I'm sure there's got to be some safety factor involved and the hitch is not going to fall off. I am also looking at the weight distributing setup anyway that should help the X handle the boat better. I'm not sure why Acura does not recommend using it, I guess I will find out. I will post pics when finished and let you know how it works out. |
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| adr5 |
quote:
Originally posted by scadagawd
If you installed the 3rd Party Hitch (Valley or Hidden), will it void Acura's warranty in any way? Are the holes for mounting the hitch already pre-drilled? Will a non-mechanical type person have trouble installing one of these aftermarket hitches? Do you need to raise the X when installing one of these?
Lots O' questions...hope you don't mind.
Cheers.
It shouldn't void the warranty.
Yes, the holes for mounting the hitch are
already there. They already come threaded too. You just line up the holes
and tighten down the bolts to the specified torque.
Not need to raise the car. You do need to have some basic mechanical skill. You will need to undo a few bolts and then tighten the new bolts. One thing to keep in mind is that the bolts that kep with my hitch did not have metric heads. I forget the size, but it was SAE, no metric.
Read the other posts on installing a hitch. There are good tips there. Had I read them first, I woudl have saved myself at least 1/2 hour of work. |
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| polyian |
| There is NO Safety Factor built in to a hitch anymore than there is to the vehicle tow rating. Safety is using a vehicle and hitch rated for the load you intend to pull. If you need 4500lbs get one rated for the load before you put everyone else on the road at risk. If you are pulling 4500 lbs (non-boat) then you should have 10-12% of the trailer weight on the tongue. This equates to 450 - 540 lbs of tongue weight on the hitch. I suspect you have this tongue weight and the hitch you are installing is underrated for the job. The reason I suspect you have a high hitch weight is that you are talking about using weight distribution bars. You are ignoring the fact that Acura says not to use them and the damage they can do to your vehicle's AWD system. Also, weight distribution hitches work by using the hitch as a leverage point to lift the rear and push down on the front of the vehicle. Kind of like lifting wheel barrow handles. This puts additional strain on the hitch which it seems you are already overloading. The other factor to consider is that vehicle tow ratings are for the trailer with the driver and a tank of gas. All other passengers and gear should be subtracted from the allowable load. Why not get the gear you require and keep yourself and others on the road safe. If you are towing to the local boat ramp you might get away with overloading but if you intend to cruise on the highway like this you are creating unsafe conditions for yourself, your family and eveyone else on the road. |
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| zcd2.7t |
| All of this information is SO great to have, since I'm also in the market for a hitch (to go with the hitch cargo rack I mentioned in my post ;-) Thanks to everyone for posting pics and details - makes my decision much easier. (leaning towards OEM, installed by ME!) |
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| gross |
Polyian
You do have a point and I know it boils down to me being a cheap sierra bravo. However I still think the valley hitch will handle a little extra load than what it is rated for without failing and most hitch manufacturers recommend an equalizing hitch for any trailer with a tongue weight over 200lbs. An equalizing hitch will help distribute the trailer weight over both axles rather than just the rear axle therefore creating less sag in the back end and better stability of the vehicle. That being said you have helped remind me that being cheap is no reson to take the risk and the factory hitch is the better way to go. I have found a place online where I can get the factory hitch for a much more reasonable price and thats the route I am going to take.
Anyone looking for a valley hitch, not used half price plus shipping? |
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| polyian |
| Good decision. I towed travel trailers for years using equalizer hitches and they do help shift some of the trailer weigh forward. My last tow vehicle was a 2002 Chevy Trailblazer rated for 5900 lbs pulling about 5200 lbs of loaded travel trailer from Ontario to BC. When I got to BC I had to get the TB safety checked and it failed. Seems the Tie Rods were so worn they would not pass the test. Likely because I had a lot of weight shifted forward on the front axle by the equalizer hitch. This suggests that a load is added to the front steering components and is probably why Acura added a power steering cooler to the tow package. Just more info for anyone who cares. Good Luck with your towing ventures. |
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| SGM2008 |
quote:
Originally posted by gross
Polyian
You do have a point and I know it boils down to me being a cheap sierra bravo. However I still think the valley hitch will handle a little extra load than what it is rated for without failing and most hitch manufacturers recommend an equalizing hitch for any trailer with a tongue weight over 200lbs. An equalizing hitch will help distribute the trailer weight over both axles rather than just the rear axle therefore creating less sag in the back end and better stability of the vehicle. That being said you have helped remind me that being cheap is no reson to take the risk and the factory hitch is the better way to go. I have found a place online where I can get the factory hitch for a much more reasonable price and thats the route I am going to take.
Anyone looking for a valley hitch, not used half price plus shipping?
I'll take it! Check your pm. Thanks. |
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| gross |
| Sorry guy's hitch is sold. Thanks for the interest. |
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