Hi, All – I wanted to thank everyone for the content you’ve added to this forum. For over a year, I’ve read and re-read these postings, trying to get up the courage to attempt this. I consider myself very handy and no stranger to tools yet had reservations. Finally, I said screw it and decided to do it. The whole process went extremely well and I wanted to return the favor by sharing my experience and some tips. Maybe it’ll help someone get off the fence and give them the courage to try it. I didn’t do the ATF, yet, I’m considering it. My boat is under 3000lbs and I only tow it 4 times a year.
Know what you’re getting into – Understand your comfort level. Do your homework. Read these forums. Find out what parts you need. Download the PDF instructions and read them cover to cover. Make sure you understand the process and plan ahead. Once you get into it, take your time.
Order your parts – I looked at several sites for the best deals. I ended up ordering from BKHondaParts.com. I found a promo code for half off shipping. The whole thing cost me $528.77. For my Passport Elite I needed:
Gather your tools – For me, the best part of any project is getting new tools. I had most of what I needed but there were a few things I picked up and since I got them from Harbor Freight, they were inexpensive:
Ready the new hitch cover and sensor – I trimmed the new kick sensor and plug cutout using an oscillating tool.
Remove the current hitch cover – This is one of the reasons I almost didn’t attempt the project; I didn’t want to have to remove the bumper. I prepared myself for the worst but ended up not needing to remove the bumper. As others mentioned, the top part of the cover was the most difficult. It is very tight up there. I managed to remove the bottom part easily using a small flat head to pop the clips up and then my panel clip pliers to remove them. I freed the side retaining tabs easy enough. The nut on the driver’s side wasn’t too bad, the passenger side was harder, but the retaining tabs on the top were the toughest. I was able to reach the first one on the driver’s side. Then I used one of the spare molding tools to wedge between the cover and the bumper on the outside to keep tension on the cover. I didn’t want the clips to re-engage. To remove the rest, I carefully probed around from the outside of the car inward with a thin butter knife. After releasing each clip, I’d slid the molding tool to keep tension and move on to the next clip. This went way better than expected and I didn’t mar any part of the bumper or break any clips. Installation of the new cover was easy and I basically did everything backwards.
Prepare for the hitch install – I can’t stress this one enough - dry fit the bolts first. The instructions don’t say anything about this, maybe because they assume the car is brand new, but I could tell there was a lot of debris where the bolts go. You don’t want to run into issues when you’re trying to mount the hitch. I cleaned out the holes using steel wool and some lubricant and then tried the bolts. They wouldn’t go. It was almost as if they were the wrong size. I was afraid to cross thread them so, I cleaned them more. What helped the most was using a pipe cleaner from my copper pipe soldering set. I was able to really get in there and clean the debris out. It took a few times but after that I was able to get the bolts in without feeling like I might be stripping them.
Install the hitch – Admittedly I didn’t plan too far ahead for how I was going to do this. They talk about this being a two-person job. I figured I’d just use some combination of a floor jack and make-shift platform and then it hit me; I could use my lawnmower lift. I felt like a genius and it couldn’t have worked any better. All the pre-fitting of bolts made the mounting extremely easy and I followed the instructions for torqueing the bolts.
That’s about it. I haven’t yet towed anything. I plan to be getting my boat out of storage soon and that’ll be my first attempt. Best of luck to all of you. I hope you find this helpful.
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Know what you’re getting into – Understand your comfort level. Do your homework. Read these forums. Find out what parts you need. Download the PDF instructions and read them cover to cover. Make sure you understand the process and plan ahead. Once you get into it, take your time.
Order your parts – I looked at several sites for the best deals. I ended up ordering from BKHondaParts.com. I found a promo code for half off shipping. The whole thing cost me $528.77. For my Passport Elite I needed:
- 08L92-TGS-100 - Trailer Hitch
- 08L91-TGS-100 - Trailer Hitch Wiring Harness
- 08L91-TGS-100A - Hands Free Power Tailgate Sensor Adapter
Gather your tools – For me, the best part of any project is getting new tools. I had most of what I needed but there were a few things I picked up and since I got them from Harbor Freight, they were inexpensive:
- Stubby Ratchet (thanks forum posters!) - 1/4 in. Drive Quick Release Stubby Ratchet
- Trim and Molding Tools (some mentioned using a butter knife, and I did end up using one, but I also used these) - Trim And Molding Tool Set, 5 Pc.
- Panel Clip Pliers (probably could have gotten by without these but I think others mentioned breaking some clips and I wanted to avoid that) - Panel Clip Pliers
- Small LED Light (I didn’t get this one from Harbor Freight but I would have. Unfortunately, I bought a more expensive version from another store) - 175 Lumen Portable Folding LED Work Light
Ready the new hitch cover and sensor – I trimmed the new kick sensor and plug cutout using an oscillating tool.
Remove the current hitch cover – This is one of the reasons I almost didn’t attempt the project; I didn’t want to have to remove the bumper. I prepared myself for the worst but ended up not needing to remove the bumper. As others mentioned, the top part of the cover was the most difficult. It is very tight up there. I managed to remove the bottom part easily using a small flat head to pop the clips up and then my panel clip pliers to remove them. I freed the side retaining tabs easy enough. The nut on the driver’s side wasn’t too bad, the passenger side was harder, but the retaining tabs on the top were the toughest. I was able to reach the first one on the driver’s side. Then I used one of the spare molding tools to wedge between the cover and the bumper on the outside to keep tension on the cover. I didn’t want the clips to re-engage. To remove the rest, I carefully probed around from the outside of the car inward with a thin butter knife. After releasing each clip, I’d slid the molding tool to keep tension and move on to the next clip. This went way better than expected and I didn’t mar any part of the bumper or break any clips. Installation of the new cover was easy and I basically did everything backwards.
Prepare for the hitch install – I can’t stress this one enough - dry fit the bolts first. The instructions don’t say anything about this, maybe because they assume the car is brand new, but I could tell there was a lot of debris where the bolts go. You don’t want to run into issues when you’re trying to mount the hitch. I cleaned out the holes using steel wool and some lubricant and then tried the bolts. They wouldn’t go. It was almost as if they were the wrong size. I was afraid to cross thread them so, I cleaned them more. What helped the most was using a pipe cleaner from my copper pipe soldering set. I was able to really get in there and clean the debris out. It took a few times but after that I was able to get the bolts in without feeling like I might be stripping them.
Install the hitch – Admittedly I didn’t plan too far ahead for how I was going to do this. They talk about this being a two-person job. I figured I’d just use some combination of a floor jack and make-shift platform and then it hit me; I could use my lawnmower lift. I felt like a genius and it couldn’t have worked any better. All the pre-fitting of bolts made the mounting extremely easy and I followed the instructions for torqueing the bolts.
That’s about it. I haven’t yet towed anything. I plan to be getting my boat out of storage soon and that’ll be my first attempt. Best of luck to all of you. I hope you find this helpful.
