EcoHitch Hidden Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - 2"

Overall, I am happy with the hitch. It’s the only 2” receiver available for the Honda HR-V, and it tucks up nicely underneath the bumper cover.

The welds and included hardware appear to be very good quality.

What I am not impressed with is that the hitch rubs the rear body panel on the right side (passenger side, see photos). I had to do some grinding to make it fit, which means I’ll need to apply some epoxy primer to the bare metal. For the price of the receiver hitch and the pride the company seems to take in being American, I am very disappointed in the fitment. I have installed countless OEM and aftermarket hitches (such as Reese, Curt, etc.) and have seen better quality fit with those and even Chinese products at 1/3 the price.

I have no issue with the product or having to do some modifications during installation, but certainly expect a little more at this price point. If you don’t need a 2” receiver for your HR-V, save your money and buy the Curt or Draw-Tite units. Better yet, if you need the 2” receiver, buy a 1 1/4” to 2” hitch adapter and still have lots of money left over…1219692

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Sierra K.

12/14/2021

I sent the details of your review over to the manufacturer to see their response. They said they were unaware of any clearance issue with this for your 2018 Honda HR-V. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what the issue is without them physically having it. It could be an issue of a simple bend in the hitch from shipping and handling. We have a help article about this that I will attach. Or it could be a small difference in the passenger and drivers side on the vehicle. He said if you are unhappy with the hitch, you can send it back to the factory and they can send you out a new one. However, if it is a slight difference in the vehicle, then you may have a difficult install ahead of you again.

Helpful Links

https:www.etrailer.comfaq-my-trailer-hitch-doesnt-fit.aspx

Ben H.

12/9/2022

I’m very happy with the trailer hitch. I use it weekly with a rack to haul my dirtbike. I also used the hitch with a small U-Haul trailer when moving. The corrosion resistance seems fairly good, the trailer hitch is not rusting even though it’s constantly bombarded with rocks driving down gravel roads. I’m very happy with it and still highly recommend it.

This was one of the most incredible DIY install kits I have ever used in automotive. Highly recommend this. The kit was perfect, the video explain absolutely everything and the install was incredible. I am so grateful for this!

Incredible support, fast shipping, I went from thinking about a tow bar to having one fully installed in less than a week.

I recommend DIY and follow the video.

2022 Honda HRV install was perfect.1543818

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Well worth the money! High quality product and easy to install for the moderately mechanically inclined. I was able to complete the job by myself within about 2 hours. Would've been closer to 1.5 if I had an 11/16 deep socket. My awesome wifey picked me one up while she was out.
Whatever the issue was other reviewers stated about having to grind some of the frame to get the hitch to fit has been resolved. No issues. Plenty of clearance. Directions were somewhat obscure but I figured it out after carefully reading it a few times. This brand (ecohitch) is the only 2" hitch I found for my HR-V which is why they're probably priced so high (etrailer price is comparable to other sites) but again the quality is worth it in my opinion. My bike rack fits in it perfectly.

Tip: Read the instructions thoroughly and separate/pre-assemble the hardware for each fastening point and label it somehow. Set it aside near where they are going to be installed on either side of the vehicle. It helped me tremendously by not getting any pieces mixed up and using the wrong bolt in the wrong fastening point. Also, be sure to lube up the rubber exhaust hangers. They'll pop right off with ease. Don't was your time trying to bend the heat shield as is optionally suggested in the instructions. The metal cuts easily with pruning sheers (which is what I used).

I did not need a lift to install as the HR-V's ground clearance is enough. Obviously, a lift would make it easier though.

This is my second time purchasing product from etrailer and I cannot recommend them enough for their customer service and dedication to making the purchasing process as effortless and efficient as possible.1314425

Daniel

6/19/2023

After one year the product is still fastened properly and no signs of issues can be seen or felts.

by: Richard 07/15/2023

Honda

I investigated several different "leading" trailer makers and none would sell a 2 inch hitch trailer for my Honda HRV. Etrailer was recommended by a local bike shop. Ordering was easy and installation well documented. VERY pleased1624202

by: Russell 07/08/2022

Fits better than I could have hoped. Non-obtrusive receiver.1322254

Russell

7/14/2023

Product is great. Hold two bikes just fine.

Purchasing: The service was EXCELLENT. I had purchased the hitch and two other items. I was contacted out of the blue by an etrailer employee, wherein someone told me that 1 item I ordered was incompatible with the hitch I ordered, and the other item was not necessary given the bike rack I was ordering. Honestly I was stunned by this. I have never had such good, proactive customer service. With their help I was able to swap out the incorrectly sized item and return the irrelevant one.

Shipping: The product was shipped and the communication regarding the shipping was excellent. The item arrived bent and scraped. I suspect the bend is due to the nature of shipping a heavy awkwardly shaped item. I suspect the scrape occurred during testing.

Assembly: There were a couple hiccups here. I feel that the instructions that are provided with the hitch could be improved. They are in black and white, and much of the language and pictures are vague. Fundamentally, I was able to understand them. However, I had nearly attached the hitch when I realized that, as it was, the hitch couldn’t attach, since it was no longer square. I called customer service, and a very helpful agent told me that hitch steel tends to be softer and is designed to bend, so it doesn't crack. In fact it often bends during shipping. After physically bending the hitch back to square (easily), it mounted just fine to our car. I would suggest that if the item often bends, and is intended to flex, this information should be included in the manual. Lastly, the hitch arrived with damage. There were some serious scrapes on the bottom of the hitch. Customer service recommended treatment with rustoleum. This is fine, but I don’t really think I should have to do this with a brand new object.

Use (finally): So we've only owned the hitch for about a month now, but we recently used it on a trip involving 700 miles of driving. We used it for a tray rack that holds 4 bikes. Sometimes when we hit serious bumps, the whole assembly shakes more then I would prefer, but my suspicion is that this is more due to the rack than the hitch.

Tl;dr: Excellent customer service both with purchasing and assembly, sturdy construction, poor instructions, poor shipping container. For improvement, I would suggest an assembly instruction rewrite, and perhaps giving the customer a coupon for a can of rustoleum. I would definitely recommend this company and this hitch to a friend.855055

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Installation was a breeze. Instructions were easy to follow and fairly complete. The only thing not covered was trimming the belly fairing where the reviver hangs down.1223014

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Sierra K.

12/15/2021

In the installation notes through our fit guide we mention that fascia trimming is required. If you have a front-Wheel drive model, trimming the underbody panel for hitch installation is required too.

by: Ralph P.01/31/2020

I like the hitch . It is strong and was no problem installing myself . The 2" receiver gives a solid hold for my bike rack and also good for towing my utility trailer .746139

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The site was user friendly. Received hitch promptly. Had it installed. Don’t think I could’ve done it myself. There needed to be cutting of under carriage fascia for the 2021 Honda HRV sport.1272665

Richard

3/15/2023

Still in good shape. No issues with the cutting of under carriage fascia.

Installation was simple and direct and took about 2 hours by myself with rear wheels on blocks.

It is too early to determine if this hitch is worth 5 stars or the price, given the amount of vertical flex that is visible while driving with a 75lb bike rack attached (installed to proper torque on all bolts to a 2022 HRV).

The tongue weight is rated for 300lb MAX but at only 75lbs the amount of up and down flex is hard to accept. Even more so when you have $10k worth of eMTBs on the back with a combined load of 156lb. There is also the occasional loud creek or metallic pop during the hitches vertical bouncing, but one pro I guess, is there is zero horizontal movement/sway.

If hitch holds up for more than a couple seasons I will attempt to update my review. However, if your towing concern is related to Max tongue capacity I would be hesitant to purchase - sorry I cannot speak to trailers, perhaps the hitch is good in that respect.1431494

The instructions were a bit cryptic (drawings of parts rather than description only would be helpful, better quality photos would also help) and the online videos by Torklift were no help at all... an instructional video (vs promotional) would have been VERY helpful. After solving the mysteries of the instructions, the hitch itself is great. No complaints there.1094652

Laura

7/16/2022

Its held up really well. Was difficult to put on but now that its on I love it!

not the best fit for honda hrv. but it's the only one availavle for it. reinstalled it 3x, both different bolt to make it more secure.
first, there's a part of the hitch that scrapes on the bottom of the car.
second, the bolt that comes with the hitch doesnt seem secure enough.
third, when i attach the bike rack on the hitch. it seems like the hitch has alot of flex on it, especially on the weld. and when the bike is loaded i can feel the hitch flez and bounce the whole bike rack on miniman bump.
so now the rack just stayed on the car and not getting used at all. it's a $XXX+ dead weight on the car.
might buy a single platform bike rack. it might able to handle it.1409131

Product arrived packaged nicely insulation was easy products are doing their job well transporting fat tire electric bikes and they look good doing it722985

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Always simple and speedy delivery. 1686061

I have had the 2" Trailer Hitch Receiver for approximately six months and it is functioning quite well. I had it installed by a professional person only because I did not have the equipment needed to install. I would highly recommend the hitch for anyone needing it.1367000

by: Kurt10/04/2022

Excellent hitch! Mounted perfectly and quickly on my 2019 Honda HR-V. Solid mount for my hitch mounted bike carrier.1436706

Shipping was quick and my new hitch arrived on time an in perfect condition. The install went well, albeit a bit tricky due to the car, not the product. The new hitch looks great on my Honda HR-V. E-Trailer makes it to easy!1301801

by: Dirt Bike Dad06/17/2020

After 1 year the trailer hitch and wiring harness are working well. Fitment is perfect and looks OEM. Was easy to install using instructions and videos on the internet. Product is very heavy duty and allows me to use a 2 inch trailer hitch carrier to carry bulky items and a small motorcycle. I'm sure product is much stronger than the tongue weight capacity of the car so be careful not to exceed it. Overall I'm very pleased with my purchase and would purchase again. I plan to use EcoHitch again for my future trailer needs.820289

This hitch is Awesome! I would have given it 5 stars except for a couple of small installation details. First it warns you to be careful when putting the hitch in position not to push the fished hardware back into the frame rail. Well this happened to me twice. It would have been nice if the company would spend 5 extra cents and include some retaining washers so this would not be an issue. Very frustrating! Second they included a new exhaust hanger and instructions for mounting it. Unfortunately the mounting hole they referenced doesn't exist in my application. After about a half hour of thinking I was crazy I gave up and I ended up not using it. Other than that I'm very happy.937516

Excellent product, could use some better attention to detail on shipping preparations. Missing the 'inside teeth lock washers' - easy enough to get locally, but I figure somebody had to pick/pack the hardware bag, right? How about having that person check-off what they've put in the bag right on the 'included hardware list', and initial?

And, maybe consider including four of the wire-feeder gadgets vice the one? The single one worked great to feed the bolts - but it would have been ideal to have one on each bolt when lifting / holding the receiver into place to keep from pushing the bolts back up through the frame.

Otherwise - very happy with the Receiver. Oh - and excellent Customer Service response (I got a call shortly after sending a snarky email reply to the 'review notice' - very quick, professional and courteous offer to get missing parts to me, but I had already run out and bought them).
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by: Orville 05/23/2021

Hitch fit good. Relatively easy to ins tall.1044648

Orville

5/24/2022

It works good with the Hollywood e-bike rack.

Sherry was amazing! I had an issue with shipping and she helped me separate the orders in order to get them shipped out in time. Just small things like this will make me a customer for life. Thanks for everything!1322596

Works very well 1431436

Hitch itself was a great install the exhaust hangers were a little more difficult all in all good quality product!1320605

Top quality, fits perfectly. Instructions aren't the best and the muffler needed removing so would suggest getting a garage to do the install.1163299