As every S2000 owner knows, space inside the car is a hot commodity. With it being my only car, I'm looking at solutions for putting luggage, bikes, etc elsewhere. Searching here on HT and http://www.s2ki.com has yielded many trailer hitch options. Unfortunately, 99% of them all bolt up and stick way out under the bumper making it look quite ugly IMO.

For example: http://www.chaserace.com/s2k.php

Thanks to a member here (sorry I forgot your name, and couldn't find the post on here), he linked me to some pictures of his hitch install.





This looks like the ideal solution for me. The hitch piece can be purchased at just about anywhere (Harbor Freight, etc) and welded on. What are your thoughts on having it BOLTED on instead? After it's all said and done, it is hidden by the plate when not in use, plus it's at a more ideal height when you're hooking up trailers. If you compare the height of that hitch versus SUV hitches, they are at relatively the same height.

After that, with my 15%-Off-Anything coupon from Harbor Freight, I can pick up any number of trailers.

Such as....
$250


or $400


Thoughts?

Doesn't this look hot?

 

Good idea, only thing I'm questioning is you still have to have a plate on your car when you are towing as well as your trailor. Where is the plate going to go when you are towing?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by envee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Good idea, only thing I'm questioning is you still have to have a plate on your car when you are towing as well as your trailor. Where is the plate going to go when you are towing?</TD></TR></TABLE>

F the police and the plates! Just kidding, I'd put it at the back of the trailer. It's small enough where you don't need a trailer plate. Or if the police really give me a hard time, I'm sure I could rig it to the car somehow when I'm towing.

 

I've had the chase hitch. best solution IMO. bolts right up with no modding. pretty expensive, but you gotta pay to play. You could hardly notice i had a hitch.

 

You know there is actually a page in owner's manual telling you not to do this.

 

Thats just stupid....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Shy_GuyAP1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You know there is actually a page in owner's manual telling you not to do this.</TD></TR></TABLE>

x2

But its w/e im sure your not going to be towing 2146781648lb

I would only do this if so I can transport my track tires to the track. But I would much rather just put them on my car and drive on them bitches to the track *** the police they dont know what a R compound is.

 

our cars are NOT meant to tow anything! i under stand that its small and you cant hardly fit anything in it... but then again THATS PART OF WHY WE BUY THESE!!!! we dont buy an S to have lots of room or much of a trunk.... if you really need more space, so much so and often enough that you would buy a trailer and bastardise our cars to take it in the ***....... than an S2k is not for you.... you need to sell it and and buy something else....

just my 2cents....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by toofast4u752 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">our cars are NOT meant to tow anything! i under stand that its small and you cant hardly fit anything in it... but then again THATS PART OF WHY WE BUY THESE!!!! we dont buy an S to have lots of room or much of a trunk.... if you really need more space, so much so and often enough that you would buy a trailer and bastardise our cars to take it in the ***....... than an S2k is not for you.... you need to sell it and and buy something else....

just my 2cents....</TD></TR></TABLE> YEP

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Shy_GuyAP1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You know there is actually a page in owner's manual telling you not to do this.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yep

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by HondaKyle &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thats just stupid.... </TD></TR></TABLE>

What is?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Black S2K &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">x2

But its w/e im sure your not going to be towing 2146781648lb

I would only do this if so I can transport my track tires to the track. But I would much rather just put them on my car and drive on them bitches to the track *** the police they dont know what a R compound is.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Exactly. The only thing I will be "towing" is my bicycle. That weighs about 25lbs. The entire trailer is also pretty light. It's only going to be carrying very light objects that will have hardly any affect on the car. Things that I can think of:
1. If I buy a lawnmower, might have to put the 50lb box on the trailer.
2. Recently I bought a screen door, no way to get it home but rent the Home Depot truck. That thing was about 30lbs.
3. My 25lb bicycle
4. My toolbox maybe.
5. Snowboards

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by toofast4u752 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">our cars are NOT meant to tow anything! i under stand that its small and you cant hardly fit anything in it... but then again THATS PART OF WHY WE BUY THESE!!!! we dont buy an S to have lots of room or much of a trunk.... if you really need more space, so much so and often enough that you would buy a trailer and bastardise our cars to take it in the ***....... than an S2k is not for you.... you need to sell it and and buy something else....

just my 2cents....</TD></TR></TABLE>

Your 2 cents is appreciated, and I'm sure many people feel this way. I don't want another car, and I hardly think a $35K car is something that can't be daily driven. It's not a Ferrari. It's basically a hopped up Miata, and that can be daily driven. If I'm going to be daily driving it, VERY occasionally I'm going to have to bring something with me that's larger than what the car can hold.

 

You should die

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by shamoo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Yep

What is?

Exactly. The only thing I will be "towing" is my bicycle. That weighs about 25lbs. The entire trailer is also pretty light. It's only going to be carrying very light objects that will have hardly any affect on the car. Things that I can think of:
1. If I buy a lawnmower, might have to put the 50lb box on the trailer.
2. Recently I bought a screen door, no way to get it home but rent the Home Depot truck. That thing was about 30lbs.
3. My 25lb bicycle
4. My toolbox maybe.
5. Snowboards

Your 2 cents is appreciated, and I'm sure many people feel this way. I don't want another car,driven. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Let me see if I understand this

1, You only have one car and can not find a car to use
2, You want to use a rwd sports car in the snow to snowboard???
3, You can fit a tool box in teh car?
4, You can buy a bike rack
5, I assume you dont have the $ for a 2nd car. And you would have one if you had teh $

 

I would probaly never tow a trailer with it. #1 reason was my mountain bike. but i also had a tire tail for a set of tires.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by blkturbos2k &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Let me see if I understand this

1, You only have one car and can not find a car to use
2, You want to use a rwd sports car in the snow to snowboard???
3, You can fit a tool box in teh car?
4, You can buy a bike rack
5, I assume you dont have the $ for a 2nd car. And you would have one if you had teh $</TD></TR></TABLE>

1. I have two cars, and the other one has a bike rack on it. I am looking to sell the car because I only want one car.
2. Yep, been snowboarding/skiing several times with my S2000. All the times that I've been so far, I've rented equipment. There's no snow when you drive to the place. Plus if there is, I have winter tires.
3. Yes I can, but I don't like to because it hardly fits in there and I don't want it banging around when I turn. A 70lb toolbox will do wonders against metal when it's knocked against it.
4. Yes I can buy a bike rack, but I don't want anything touching the trunk area, as ALL the trunk mounted ones I have owned eventually scratch that area. I've had 3-4 trunk mounted racks and two full roof racks.
5. I have plenty of money to buy 3 more cars, but I'm currently saving for a home and toys to fill that new home with.

I'm trying not to have this thread turn into options why I SHOULDN'T get a hitch, because I am going to get one. I want to know which hitch options are good, and is the one I posted fine if I decide to bolt the piece in instead of weld.

 

if you absolutely must..... i recomend staying away from the hiden hitch one..... the one thats just welded to the bumper support is nowhere near supported enough..... the bumper support is not super duty for towing.... its meant to bend and obsorb impacts.... especially because its just welded on top of the support which puts it about 4-5 inches higher than the bolting location of the bumper support... which means your gonna be twisting the hell out of the bumper suppport from the center..... and incase of a hard stopping situation you could possibly start to buckle it in half... which could at the same time tweak your frame rails.... which all that would equall bad.....

just my other 2 cents....

oh and i also daily drive my S i have been for the past year.... my passenger seat has had everything from a tool box full of tools to groceries to a box with a sorround sound in it....

i do have an integra but it hasnt had an engine since i got my S....

everytime ive had the need to carry larger items (picking up engines, wheels, tires, etc) ive never found it difficult to call up a buddy or family with a larger vehicle or a truck.... considering ive needed more space than what my S can provide less than 5 or so times a year.....

 

^^ Appreciate the input! I had similar thoughts on the effects of the hitch on that bumper support. There must have been a reason why ALL S2000 hitchs are bolted solidly and sticking out the bottom. Might have to do the whole Chaserace thing.

Yeah, I have my gf's car, but we live about 60 miles apart. Many times I end up wanting to bring things up to her place, or back down to mine without her being around.

Inconvient....such is life though.

Thanks.

 

I'm the guy with the bumper hitch

https://honda-tech.com/zero...age=2

I imagine you could bolt the receiver to the bumper, if you welded some brackets onto the receiver. THe bolts would work best in shear, so they should go vertically. The metal on the bumper is decently thick, so I think nuts and washers would be fine on the underside. I think the bumper is a U-shaped channel, not a box, so you can reach the underside to bolt it.

My big question is why bolt it? You still need to have the brackets welded to the receiver and that route needs more fabrication anyway. If you want the receiver to be removable, sure, but you'd need to remove the entire bumper to do that. You can't just drill vertically through the receiver because the bolts will block the hitch when you insert it.

As far as all the other comments about using a bumper to mount a hitch, I've got thousands of miles using this setup. Many trucks have their hitch ball mounted to their bumper. It's fine for light loads, but not for heavier stuff. If you're pulling a load heavy enough to question the bumper support integrity, you're probably putting a good strain on the motor too. To pull around a couple hundred pounds, mine seems to work fine.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by blkturbos2k &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You should die </TD></TR></TABLE>

youre an *******... go get chlamydia...