bcnix00-
I tow a Honda Fit Sport, but my other car is a 2003 Element. It has over 175,000 miles on it; in another seven years I can get "antique" plates for it. It's a great "truck" for someone who doesn't need a pickup.
Here is a link to the 2003 Honda Element owner's manual. Read and follow the instructions that begin on page 198, "Towing Your Vehicle Behind a Motorhome."
I would have set the Element up for towing, but its weight was over what my former Class C could tow, so I modified the Fit instead.
You can mix baseplates and towbars, as long as you work through the details and (if you buy used equipment) you get all the parts. We use a Roadmaster baseplate and Roadmaster Sterling All-terrain towbar. There are fewer reports of Roadmaster failures here on iRV2 vs. some other brands, but there are few reports of towbar failures in general. I had our trusted auto mechanic install the baseplate.
For braking system, I installed a Demco Stay-in-Play Duo. It is easy to set up. Another popular choice is the NSA Ready Brute Elite/Elite II, which is a towbar with the brake built into it. If you can get the cable through the firewall to the brake pedal (on some cars this is easier than others), the mechanical brake on the Ready Brute Elite is supposedly easy to set up, too. NSA also sells the brake separately to add to other makes of towbars, such as the Roadmaster.
For lighling, you'll find that there are no plug-and-play harnesses for the Element. Your choices are a magnetic lightbar, extra bulbs in the tail light housings, or wiring in diodes to the Element's tail lights. I suggest the last. Many folks can do the wiring installation themselves.
For kayaks I use the Thule "Hull-a-Port" carriers attached to the dealer-installed roof rack bars. I put a folding 3-step ladder in the Element to make tying the kayaks to the carriers easier, as the racks are fairly high off the ground.
Finally, you may want to consider the Honda-branded neoprene seat covers for the front seats. I have had then since our Element was new. With the age and mileage I'd be looking at beat up seats, but not so with the covers. Similarly, if you have rust on your Element, have it undercoated ASAP. That's what will keep mine going until I get those "antique" plates!
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