Hitch reinforcement - by request

By request, here is a picture of the hitch reinforcement installed in my Odyssey minivan by CanAm.

This is a fairly typical method of transferring the weight and reinforcing the hitch - a big box section from the factory hitch to a suspension carrier. I believe they also reinforced the rest of the hitch, but I honestly didn't look that close.

The Odyssey's tow rating is partly affected by how stout of a hitch you can install. (How I know that I won't divulge; I'll just say that the folks I discussed it with certainly would know.) It's tough to install a stiff hitch, because it has to span the entire width of the van to get around the third row seat well.

As posted before, my van tows the Minuet better than the T@B, thanks to well-set-up weight distribution and a friction anti-sway set-up. I can also see around the narrow-body trailer without add-on mirrors, and can see straight through the trailer to see how much traffic is backing up behind me.