[Peds109]

Cross posting from the Ridgeline Owners forum from Honda. Thanks all!

Apologies if this sounds like another “can I tow this?” thread... if you’re willing to read through, the heart of this has to do with tongue weight and understanding the physics and options to consider. But first, the background:

2017 RTL-E with AWD so the traditional 5000/500 tow capacity and hitch rating.

Looking to buy a TrailManor camper. For those unfamiliar, it is a hard shell pop up... or a folding hard side travel trailer, depending how you look at it. Really unique rig. They market themselves as having the best of both worlds and being lighter and better to tow than even most canvas pop ups.

Part of their rationale for their claim of being the most comfortable rig to tow is that it not only has a lower profile than a travel trailer... but the axle is further back than most. This puts more weight on the hitch which reduces sway. Sounds good... except if you have a limited hitch rating.

The model I’m considering is 2800lbs dry and would probably end up at 3500lbs or less when loaded (shorter trips and not carrying fresh/gray will keep weight down). This leaves a remaining 1500lbs for people, cargo, and more. I’m very confident in all the payload, total weight, combined weight, axle ratings, etc. What concerns me is tongue weight.

The TrailManors structurally put higher weights on the hitch because of axle placement. If the 10-15% range, they’re on the higher end. 15% on a 3500 loaded trailer surpasses the 500lb hitch weight before adding a battery or propane tank (much less 2!). And because of the folding nature of the trailer coupled with the axle placement, moving your cargo to or past the axle isn’t much of an option. So I have a few questions I’m hoping people smarter than me can answer:

1 - any general input on this? Has a limited tongue rating hindered anyone else in a Ridgeline even in a lighter RV?

2 - will a WDH help? I know Honda discourages them (their reasoning has been debated) so I’d prefer to avoid, but I’m not certain of their physics. They just ‘distribute’ weight from the rear axle of the TV to the front axle of the TV and the axle of the trailer, right? They don’t actually distribute the downward force on the hitch do they?

3 - if I had excess payload available, would there be benefit in not loading the RV and loading the front of the bed instead? If I reduce the weight of the trailer, hitch weight would come down... but I’d be putting weight on the rear axle of the TV. Is that a better alternative?

Lastly, I’m really trying to do this by the book. I’m looking to stay within payload, total capacity, hitch rating, axle rating, ideally without a WDH, and with margin if possible. I’ll have to eventually hit the scales to get there... but I’m looking for insight on the hitch rating mostly. I appreciate people’s “feel” of their RL... but I’m looking for numbers here, not gut comfort.

Thanks all!
Joe