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Old 10-08-2006, 01:11 PM   #1
Thomas
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Default Honda Pilot with a TM 2720

Here is what I've been wanting to do. I like the idea of a 2720 TM being pulled by a Honda Pilot 2WD. The 2WD has what is called VCM. VCM has the ability to deactivate 3 of the 6 cylinders for fuel economy. I would guess that it would not deactivate any while pulling a 2720. Has anybody pulled a TM 2720 with a Honda Pilot 2WD? I live in south Texas and want to travel/camp just about all over the US. Yellowstone, Tetons, Sedona, Taos, Durango etc.
Thanks for the help and advice in advance.

Thomas
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Old 10-08-2006, 01:34 PM   #2
fishpondwest
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We have a 2003 Honda Pilot with AWD.
We tow a TM3124KS. We use a Reese WDH and prodigy brake controller and have found the Pilot to be a decent tow vehicle. Tow ability is good on the flat ground mileage is good. We generally tow in the D3 mode though sometimes when on flat we will shift to D and take advantage of the overdrive. In our experience when we get into the hills the Pilot will struggle a bit. We just slow down and sometimes shift down to D2 if we need to. The power range seems to be in the 3200 to 4000 RPM range so I try to keep it there shifting down if I have to and slowing our speed. We have towed up to about 4800 feet elevation but I can imagine if you get into the 6000 ft elevation and higher it might really, really struggle. I would like to see a bit longer wheel base on it as well as sometimes, especially downhill the weight of the trailer tries to push the rearend around a little bit. Knowing that, I am very careful especially in downhill situations. On the flat it is a dream however. We bought our trailer in South East Texas in February and pulled it home to Northern California, staying RV parks along the interstate on the way home and were very pleased. I will probably upgrade to a pickup with a longer wheelbase and more towing torque when we decide to get rid of the Pilot, but I love the car so much for the times we are not towing that I can't bring myself to change vehicles now. We are planning a cross country trip in December and January and will stay South in order to avoid the mountains and unpredictable weather and are very confident in the vehicle at this point.
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Old 10-09-2006, 08:20 PM   #3
mobie0309
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Cool

We have an 03 Pilot with VTM - normally 2WD but changes automatically to 4WD when needed. We had a transmission and power steering cooler installed. We just bought an 06 2720SL and have had it on the road twice. It has been on mostly flat roads in Indiana but some hills. It handles great so far and no problem with pickup or power. We have a Valley Journey brake controller and Reese WD hitch. 65 mph on the interstate is smooth as can be, even when passing or getting passed by trucks. I have seen my normal hwy mileage drop from about 21-22 mpg at that speed to about 15-16 mpg so a lot bigger drop than what TM ads claim (normal rpm on flat highway is about 1500 without TM but running at about 2000 with the TM). You can almost see the gas gauge drop. RPM really goes up when you are going up a slight incline or accelerating. Probably would be a lot better mileage if I went 50-55 mph but would get run over on the interstate.

My take is that the Pilot will be fine for around the midwest but might want something with more power if in the mountains a lot.
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Old 10-10-2006, 10:31 PM   #4
Doug W.
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Other people have said it and I firmly believe it. The issue is not if you can tow it, but do you have the safety margins needed in an emergency? Dan says it will push you around when going down hill. Now think emergency braking, like when some genius suddenly starts braking hard in the middle of a curve on a 55 MPH state hiway to turn into a driveway right after the curve without signaling. Don't think that will happen? It happened to me on our first outing about 5 miles from the state park we were going to. I am very glad I had a full size Ford van with a good brake controller. Even with this setup I could could sense the TM trying to push me, but I had enough vehicle that it was not an issue. I do not even want to think what would have happened if I had been in a marginal setup like you are suggesting. The Pilot is only rated to 3500 lbs and your loaded 2720 will be very close to 3500 lbs if not a little bit above. I will also say that with a marginal setup where you may be at the limits of the engine, then you will most likely see a larger drop in mileage. On my van with a 5.4 L V8, I normally get 15 mpg to 16 mpg instead of 16 mpg to 17 mpg. The exception is towing in the mountains coming back from Phoenix, AZ where I bought mine used. I got 13 mpg to 14 mpg then. I also get several miles less when towing into a head wind, but then my normal mileage drops then also. A full size van does not have a good wind profile.
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