Towing 2010 Honda Fit

[jeanacr]

I'm new to RVing and towing. Trying to figure out the cheapest and safest way to tow my 2010 Fit Sport. Looks like a Reese Towpower 74344 is a good and reliable purchase but I'm not clear about the options for connecting it to my Fit. Do I have to have a $400 base plate? Is it safe to tow short distances using the bumper? Are there adapters to good but less expensive base plates for the Honda Fit?

Any help would be appreciated. I will NOT be towing the car far or often.

Thanks,

Jeana

[tatest]

You need a baseplate. I'm not going to say the car doesn't have a bumper, because there is a small, crushable metal and plastic piece a few inches behind the fascia that Honda calls a bumper. But is not designed to be pulled.

BlueOx installs their baseplate to the sides of the reinforced section of the front end sheet metal that Honda uses to mount this bumper. After installation of the base plate, the bumper is reinstalled, and to some extent remains collapsible.

Roadmaster installs their towing bracket system in place of the bumper, which is removed permanently. This is one of those rare Roadmaster installations that actually resembles a baseplate, rather than a pair of independent brackets to be connected by a removable external crossbar. The crossbar is still required.

Considering the need for a braking system, a cheap A-frame towbar is not the least expensive solution. The least expensive solution including braking would likely be the ReadyBrute (towbar including ReadyBrake surge braking system) attached to the BlueOx baseplate.

Aside from the cost of the piece (about $400) the installation of the baseplate will take something like four man-hours on the Fit. I did mine myself, about six hours work lying on a hot driveway, spread over two days. It could be another couple hours routing and tying down the cable for a surge braking system. Both jobs are better done by someone who has experience installing both on that type of car, DIY has some learning curves.

Figure on buying a drill bit for each hole, or pair of holes, you have to drill or ream out. The front end of the Fit includes some pretty tough pieces of metal (high strength means less weight?) that quickly chew up good, expensive, drill bits.

[Bobbo]

golfknut wrote:
We tow an '09 Honda Fit.

We have a Blue Ox baseplate with a Ready Brute Elite tow bar,which has a built-in brake system. Check it out, it's a very simple setup.

We are very happy with its operation.

This is what I have, except for a Subaru Forester.

I HIGHLY recommend this setup. I would have no tow bar other than the Ready Brute Elite. I would choose the baseplate based on the instructions for attachment. I would want the one with the strongest frame to baseplate connection.

[golfknut]

We tow an '09 Honda Fit.

We have a Blue Ox baseplate with a Ready Brute Elite tow bar,which has a built-in brake system. Check it out, it's a very simple setup.

We are very happy with its operation.

[vic46]

Big Katuna wrote:
I use a Ready Brute tow bar. They sell ends for all the baseplate companies. I have used Remco baseplate for my Hondas as they are usually cheaper. But I could use another company next car and buy new ends from Ready Brute if I want.
The Ready brute has a built in surge brake. You barely need aux brakes with a FIT.

That's the ticket. Now you simply need some sort of lighting system, magnetic is a possibility and a breakaway system

[Big_Katuna]

I use a Ready Brute tow bar. They sell ends for all the baseplate companies. I have used Remco baseplate for my Hondas as they are usually cheaper. But I could use another company next car and buy new ends from Ready Brute if I want.
The Ready brute has a built in surge brake. You barely need aux brakes with a FIT.

[jeanacr]

Ok, that makes since about using the same brands , just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. I have what their is to my owners manual for the RV but it has noting on towing but references to what ever I'm towing. It a 1988 Gulfstream Regatta I'm remodeling.

Thanks again for the prompt information!!

Jeana

[luvlabs]

While it is not absolutely necessary to have a base plate and a tow bar from the same company, it does make things easier when hooking up as no additional adapters are needed.

Be prepared to spend about $3000 + labor to get all of the parts needed to tow your Fit. That is $3-400 for a baseplate, $6-900 for a tow bar, $1000 for a braking system, $250 for various wiring things. Your biggest labor costs are the baseplate installation and the wiring. You can have the work done at various place - ask your RV dealer for some recommendations.

[Bumpyroad]

I would suggest matching the bar to the baseplate, not adapting one if possible. what does the motorhomes manual say about a braking system for the toad?
bumpy

[jeanacr]

The owners manual says it's fine to tow all wheels down. I can't just get someone else to drive it because I'm a one woman show. I need to be able to hook it up and move it behind my RV when I need to move.

Thanks for the input - sounds like the base plate is a necessity (kinda figured). Next question - do they have to be from the same manufacturer? I've seen what I believe are adapters to use, for example, a Road Master Towpower with a Blue OX base plate or something similar. Is this acceptable or advisable?

Thanks for all the input!!!

Jeana

[j-d]

Problem is not the towbar. It's the Honda's (and all modern vehicles') frame. Even if not a unibody, a decorative facia over flimsy stuff behind it. The expensive baseplate ties to a specific car in a way that provides a solid tow connection and does not compromise strength of the car frame.

[Bumpyroad]

I assume the owner's manual gives instructions for towing it 4 down? and yes you need to use a base plate instead of cobbling something together on the bumper. since you won't be towing it far or often, just have somebody else drive the toad and don't cheap out.
bumpy