Jim-NY

Mark,

I am the owner of the Honda Ridgeline previously mentioned here. (For anyone confused, I changed my user name when I became a paying member.) After being educated by the fine folks on this forum, I decided to forgo a larger TM and bought a 2720SL so that I would have a better chance of avoiding problems if I towed at high elevations.

I could be wrong, but I think that the engine in the Ridgeline is also used in the Acura MDX. The Ridgeline comes with towing accommodations such as a larger radiator, second fan, and a transmission cooler. One other reason it may have a higher tow capacity (5,000 lbs.) is that it has a very strong frame that is a hybrid of unibody and a closed box ladder frame that they say is stiffer than other trucks of it's size.

My Ridgeline specs are:

3.5 L V6; 255hp at 5750 rpm; 252 lb.–ft. at 4500 rpm; 5 spd auto; gear ratios - 1st = 2.693, 2nd = 1.566, 3rd =1.023, 4th = 0.729, 5th = 0.531; Final Drive = 4.533; 6050 lb. = GVWR; 10,085 lb. = GCWR; 5000 lb. = Towing Capacity; 1550 lb. = Total Payload Capacity; 122” = wheelbase; track = 67”; curb weight = 4500 (58%F/42%R).

Your peak torque is a little less but reached at a much lower RPM. Perhaps its because its a different transmission with different priorities engineered into the gear ratios? I am still a little fuzzy on this torque vs. horsepower stuff. But they say torque is what really counts. I did some math to determine how fast I would be going in each gear at my max torque rpm. I then took the truck out before I got the trailer and drove it a bit at those speeds in each of the gears, which did seem to come at 4500 RPM, to see how annoying the engine noise would be. I don’t know how valid my test was, but I decided that 4500 RPM’s was acceptable for me nerve wise and I could use all the torque that the engine and transmission were able to give me when I needed it. So far I have not needed it.

When I bought it, I drove it home on Route 17 (future I 86) over the southern Catskill Mountains. On most of the trip I drove 65 or better and had no problems at all. Although my engine redlines at 6300 like yours, I don't think it ever went over 4300 and most of the trip it was a little over 2000. At the 4300 RPM's I could hear the engine, but it was not at all annoying. The engine never lacked the power for me to maintain 65 MPH even on some considerable climbs. Unlike out west, they don't usually bother to post grades on our little hills. I called NYS DOT and spoke to a civil engineer who looked up the climb on my route that he thought would be the steepest. It was 2 1/2 miles of 10 percent grade.

That sounds good so far...however there are a couple caveats. Most important is that the Catskills are quite low in elevation. Contributors to this forum say you should adjust your towing capacity by 3 to 4 percent for each 1000 feet above sea level. My owner's manual says to adjust by 2 percent per 1000 feet. I am hoping the engine has advanced technology that will make the 2 percent more realistic because it really cuts down on your towing capacity when you reach 8,000 to 12,000 feet.

Second, the TM has AC and awning but there were no dishes, food, clothes blankets etc. and my truck was fairly lightly loaded too. This is not insignificant. I could easily add 500 lbs to the total load when I go camping.

So, while I am very pleased so far, the final verdict is not in yet.

I love my Ridgeline, and it seems I am going to love my TM. If I take it out west and find it does much better in the real mountains than I expect, I may trade up then. I know if I had bought a larger one to start with two things would have happened. First, I would get accustomed to the extra storage space while using it at low elevations and never want to trade it in on a smaller one. Second, for sure, the knowledgeable folks here, like Rocky Mountain Ray, would be right and I would be SOL with a larger unit with all the “stuff” I would fill it with when it came to taking it through any high passes out west.

After having the Ridgeline for 3 months, I can't imagine ever wanting to give it up to get a TV with a larger towing capacity. It's a great car/truck combination and perfect for my use. The best option for me was to go with a smaller TM and be forced to travel light.

I plan to camp someplace not too far away next month as a trial run, then go to Cape Breton in September and Florida in January. None of those will test the towing capacity.

Hope this was somewhat helpful.

Jim