A question that comes up often is what the capacity of the hitch on the CR-V is rated at. Honda’s OEM hitch is a Class I hitch. I installed a Class III hitch on mine, to get the 2-inch receiver.
But what does that mean in terms of capacity?
Think of it this way–regardless of what hitch you have installed, your total tongue weight rating (or, the maximum amount of weight you can place on the hitch) is specified by the vehicle manufacturer. That is the rating you need to follow.
Example–the OEM Class I hitch is rated for 200 pounds. The CR-V is rated for 150 pounds. Therefore, you can only support a tongue weight of 150 pounds.
My Class III hitch can support 600 pounds of tongue weight. But again, the CR-V’s rating is 150 pounds. So just as above, my maximum tongue weight can only be 150 pounds.
While the CR-V really isn’t good for towing, if you must tow, the same reasoning applies. Regardless of your hitch, you must not exceed the vehicle’s tow rating.
At any rate, you always use the lowest of the vehicle’s tongue weight rating, or the tongue weight rating of the hitch.
Check your owner’s manual for your tongue weight and towing ratings.
When using an accessory in your hitch, don’t forget to include the weight of the accessory itself. If it’s a bike rack, you need to know the weight of your bikes, plus the weight of the rack, to get your total tongue weight. That four-bike rack on a CR-V may not work if you have heavier bikes to carry. (And of course, you’ll want to load your bikes with the heaviest towards the vehicle, and the lightest on the far end of the rack.)
You might want to get something like SumoSprings if you frequently use a hitch rack or tow, as it will help with spring sag in the rear.
Quick reference for hitch classes and tow ratings:
Class I: 200 lbs tongue weight, 2,000 lbs. towing capacity, 1¼”
Class II: 300 lbs. tongue weight, 3,000 lbs. towing capacity, 1¼” receiver.
Class III: 600 lbs. tongue weight, 6,000 lbs. towing capacity, 2″ receiver.