Trailer Hitch Recommendation for 2021 Honda CR-V for Towing Yakima Rack and Roll

Updated 05/23/2026 | Published 05/21/2026

Products Featured in This Question

etrailer Trailer Hitch Receiver - Custom Fit - Matte Black Finish - Class III - 2"

(1019)

$173.58

Yakima Rack and Roll Trailer - 78"

(84)

$2078.95

Question:

I have a 2021 Honda CR-V, gas, no lift gate. I will pull a light kayak trailer Yakima Rack and Roll. I noticed recommendations for several hitch receivers with all sorts of capacity. But the cars limits are TW-150, GTW-1500. Do I have a choice of good 2 hitch receivers within these limits?

asked by: Bruce H

Expert Reply:

Hey Bruce, when picking out a trailer hitch like for your 2021 Honda CR-V it's okay to go with one that has more capacity than needed. There really isn't a downside. Hitches are generally made with higher capacities than the vehicles because they are designed to fit the vehicle and then reinforced to be as strong as possible and then rated independently of it.

So while the etrailer hitch part # e98848 is rated higher than you'd need it would still be a really great hitch for a Yakima Rack and Roll trailer part # Y08107. Do you have a ball mount and wiring option picked out already?

expert reply by: Jameson C

CR-V Hitch
(click to enlarge)

Mark

5/22/2026

I have the e98848 installed on my 2026 CR-V hybrid and have carried our ebikes on a Yakima "On Ramp" carrier around 10,000 miles up and down the east coast without issue. The bikes and carrier total somewhere near 150 lb. I do recommend the Malone Hitch Anti-Rattle (or similar) to help take the 'bounce' out of the carrier in the hitch receiver. Note that I had a similar hitch from e-Trailer installed on my 2020 CR-V and it carried the same bikes/carrier all over the country (I'd guess 40-50K miles) with no issues. Bottom line - if e-Trailer says it is a fit for your vehicle, you can rest assured it will meet your needs!!

Steve Q.

5/22/2026

Bruce - I installed an etrailer hitch on my 2026 Honda CR-V hybrid and it works just fine, very sturdy. I use a Thule rack and haul 2 bikes, one of which is an e-bike tank at about 60lbs. Installation is a bit of a grunt when you need to crawl under the car do it (solo!) but the video and the wires to fish the bolts made it a straightforward job. I haven't towed anything yet. I have a small trailer but the CR-V hybrid isn't much of a tow vehicle anyway - the hitch is way stronger than the car!