Parts Needed for Hitch Installation on 2005 Honda Accord  

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Your first step is a check of your Accord owners manual to confirm its rated towing capacity. It is very important that you do not exceed its limits. I found a copy online that indicates its towing capacity is 1000 pounds. Check your manual to be sure your intended towing set-up will not exceed safe limits. The owners manual for your trailer will indicate its gross towing weight (GTW) and its tongue weight (TW). These trailer ratings cannot exceed either the vehicle or the hitch receiver ratings. The lower of the two ratings is the limit for the entire system.

You may next want to review the attached articles on towing. One provides all the basics of the components required to tow, one gives details about how to tow safely and the third covers ways to determine your trailer tongue weight (if you cannot locate this information in the manual). These articles together will give you most of the essentials.

All hitch receivers appropriate for your Accord are Class I and are rated for 200-pound tongue weight and 2000-pound towing capacity, such as the Curt # C11290. Bear in mind that even if a hitch is rated for 2000 pounds towing weight, the tow rating of the vehicle itself may be less and that will be your actual limit. Again, the lowest-rated part of the system determines the overall limt.

The items needed to tow a trailer are: hitch receiver, ball mount, pin and clip, hitch ball and wiring harness. We will take these items in order.

Installation difficulty will vary somewhat by hitch so I will recommend one that is among the easiest to install. You can use the Draw-Tite Trailer Hitch for the 2005 Accord, part # 24787. Our team of installers has produced a video showing installation of this particular hitch on your exact vehicle; a link to this video is provided. This receiver will work on both 2-door and 4-door sedan models. This particular hitch includes the ball mount, pin and clip, so you will only need to add the hitch ball and wiring harness.

The correct hitch ball will be determined by the trailer you will be towing. This ball mount accepts either a 1-7/8 inch ball or a 2-inch ball. Check for the correct ball size on the coupler on your trailer; it should be stamped into the metal and/or indicated on a safety warning label. For a 1-7/8 inch coupler select part # 19256; for a 2-inch coupler select part # 19258.

Next is your trailer wiring harness. The T-One Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector, part # 118302, is a custom-fit harness made specifically for your vehicle. Installation requires no cutting or splicing; this harness plugs into your Accord taillight wiring and provides a flat 4-pole connector for your trailer. (If your trailer uses a different type of connector, you will want to carefully check its weight and confirm that it is within the limits of your vehicle and hitch ratings).

We recommend that when making any electrical connections to a wiring harness or trailer that dielectric grease be applied to the contacts to protect them from corrosion. You can use a product such as part # 11755. This will help to maintain solid electrical contact and inhibit corrosion from dirt and moisture.

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expert reply by: Adam R

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