Complete Setup For Towing A 3,500lb Trailer With A 2008 Honda Odyssey  

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A few things will be necessary items if you plan to tow close to 3,500lbs with your 2008 Honda Odyssey.
You will need a hitch receiver, trailer wiring kit, weight distribution hitch, and possibly a brake controller.
It is always a good idea to also install a transmission cooler, power steering cooler, and suspension enhancement for safety and comfort.

If you do not have a hitch receiver yet, I recommend the Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch Receiver # 75270. This has the highest weight capacity among the other hitch receivers available for your vehicle.

For the trailer wiring, you need the Curt 4 Way Wiring Harness # C56161. This plugs into your junction box on the passenger side of the trunk. I have attached a very detailed installation video that will guide you through this simple process.

After installing the 4 way wiring kit, you will then need to convert it to 7 way using # ETBC7. This kit has both the 4 way and 7 way plug-in, so you can use it with your raft trailer and your RV trailer. This kit will plug into the 4 way plug and will have a few other wires that need connected. The white wire will connect to bare metal in the trunk for a solid ground connection. The black wire will connect to the positive terminal on the battery. The blue wire will be ran up to the dash to connect to the brake controller (leave it alone if you are not installing brake controller).

If your trailer has electric or electric-over-hydraulic brakes, then you need a brake controller. I recommend the Brake EVN # TK63VR with wiring harness # 20127. Plug the harness into the controller, then there will be 4 wires on the end of the harness. The black wire connects to positive terminal on battery. The white wire will connect to negative terminal on battery or connect it to bare metal for ground. The blue wire connects to the blue wire that was ran from the 7 way at the back of your vehicle. The red wire connects to the brake signal circuit on your vehicle; you will need to use a circuit tester such as the # PTW2992 to determine which wire gets power ONLY when brakes are applied.

Now that we have the wiring out of the way, let's look at the weight distribution hitch. This is recommended when you are towing a trailer that weighs at least 50% of your vehicle's weight. I recommend going with the Fastway e2 # FA92-00-0800. This has a tongue weight range of 400-800lbs which will be plenty for your vehicle and trailer. You will need thin walled socket # EQ70-00-4800 to make installing this hitch easier. You will also need a hitch ball; for 2" go with # A-90, for 2-5/16" go with # A-6.

For the transmission cooler, I would go with the # D13503 which measures 11" wide x 8-3/4" tall x 7/8" deep. For the power steering cooler go with the # D13212 which measures 8-1/8" wide x 5" tall x 3/4" deep.

Last but not least, let's talk about rear suspension enhancement. You most likely will not necessarily need this, as the weight distribution system will do a very good job of leveling out the vehicle and trailer. However, to provide a more stable ride and reduce the stress on your factory suspension, it is still a good idea to consider rear suspension enhancement.
I recommend the Timbren Jounce Springs # THROD2. This will work in combination with your current suspension setup and help to absorb the shock and added weight from your trailer. These are rated for a max tongue weight of 2,000lbs and will be more than enough for your vehicle and trailer weight.

Keep in mind that although this towing setup may exceed your trailer's weight, you never want to exceed the towing capacity of your vehicle. Check your owner's manual or check with the manufacturer.

I have included installation and demonstration videos to help you with these products.

expert reply by: Andrew N

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