Be honest...Honda Pilot 3500 lb tow rating

I have a 2010 Honda Pilot EX for a TV. No, not the AWD that can tow 4500 lbs, I have the FWD rated to tow 3500 lbs. I would absolutely love to be able to tow one of the 2619's or 2720's but am afraid I am pushing it and don't have enough horse for the cart

I live in the flatlands of North Central Florida and am only looking at small weekend trips but have read many of the posts here about tongue weight, what propane adds to it, and everything else on the board.

I cant get a different TV. But I really want a used TM!!

Ideas? Be honest,

Thanks,

Jay

You answered your question in the first paragraph! Hopefully you are not waiting for someone to say it is OK when in your heart you know it's not. Sorry, but that's honest!

[ShrimpBurrito]

I agree with Scott.

Why not look into a Trailmini/Sportdeck model? You probably would be able to reasonably handle one of those if you pack carefully (at least the 16RD).

Dave

[Brittany Dogs]

I agree with these guys. I have a 2010 Nissan Pathfinder pulling a 2720SD and it does a good job, not a great job. The tongue weight has a lot to do with it and the 400 pound tongue weight eats up the 600 pound capacity of the Pathfinder pretty good.

Either increase the tow vehicle or consider the sport models from TrailManor.

As I always say, most any vehicle can pull most any trailer... ONCE.

[mjlaupp]

Use the Search tool and type in "Honda Pilot". This has been a heated discussion on more than one instance.

I would not tow with this combination since I tow in the Ozark mountains.

Short distance, lightly loaded, flat land and good roads it might be possible with a 2619 or 2720 and your TV.

Do you need both beds? If not, a Trailmini (Sportdeck 19 now) would work.
Not alot of room inside, but you do get the sweet back porch!

[Bill]

Part of the problem is that you may live in the flatlands of Florida, and you may intend to stay in the flatlands of Florida. But once you get on the road with a TM, and see how much fun it is, you will start to think about extending your trips a little bit. Maybe into a region with small mountains - "Oh, they are just hills!" And for a little longer trip, you need a little more stuff, and that means a little more weight.

You see what is happening.

With a 109-inch wheelbase, the Pilot is kind of short, as well.

Having said that, I will also say that there are several members of this board that tow with 3500-pound-rated vehicles, and report that they have had no problems. (I would add "yet".) They will chime in shortly.

I can't wait for the 2013 tow vehicles to come out, so we can start to see some meaningful tow ratings. We may be surprised.

Bill

I would be most worried about the handling while making a panic stop, road off camber, gravel on the surface.

Perhaps the roads of Florida are cleaned periodically and do not have any debris on them like California does.

You can compensate by driving slower.

Like someone around here (I don't recall) it isn't how fast you can pull it, it is how fast can you stop it.

Assuming that the static tongue weight of the TM is 400 pounds, what is the tongue weight while making a panic stop? Is that weight enough to unweight the front wheels of the TV? I don't recall the dynamics of tongue weight being discussed before.

As I have said on numerous occasions, I tow my 2720 without any problems with a 2000 Honda Odyssey. Based on my actual experience,your Pilot would work in all but the most severe circumstances. And I would bet your 2010 Pilot would perform better than my older Ody.

Just take it easy and be sure to use a wdh since your vehicle is fwd.

[Mr. Adventure]

Originally Posted by jbright

I have a 2010 Honda Pilot EX for a TV. No, not the AWD that can tow 4500 lbs, I have the FWD rated to tow 3500 lbs. I would absolutely love to be able to tow one of the 2619's or 2720's but am afraid I am pushing it and don't have enough horse for the cart

I live in the flatlands of North Central Florida and am only looking at small weekend trips but have read many of the posts here about tongue weight, what propane adds to it, and everything else on the board.

I cant get a different TV. But I really want a used TM!!

Ideas? Be honest,

Thanks,

Jay

I do not know your vehicle or about it's differences from the model that has a higher tow rating. I would listen carefully to the experience of those who do, particularly from the owners who tow TrailManors with them. Assuming the various versions have the same brakes and hitch mounting bolts, I don't know why there should be any additional safety issues.

A properly adjusted Weight Distributing Hitch is mandatory, and therefore also a hitch receiver that can support it as well.

Tow ratings are guidelines, not laws. They are not figured the same by different manufacturers. My Toyota with a 3500# tow rating has 4700# between it's empty weight and it's Gross Combined Weight Rating, which would give it a 4700# tow rating if it had been made by Ford, Chevy, or a lot or other manufacturers. That leaves room for a 4000# TrailManor. The gross vehicle and axle weights are all within spec, unlike the scale numbers posted in this forum by a surprising number of our members with substantially larger tow vehicles (mine are posted here: http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=10652).

I have a 107" wheelbase, and this is the most stable RV I have ever owned. On the road, I have 1.5 times the torque and twice the horsepower per pound as the Ford V10 400hp Motorhome I drove across the Continental Divide 18 times on a trip a little over 10 years ago. My TV/TM held 30mph on a 17% grade last summer without flooring the gas pedal. I might want a bigger tow vehicle if I lived in Colorado Springs. But I don't.

I almost never tell others what to do. If I owned a Honda Pilot, I'd probably give it a try. I would also keep my speed under 60, tow with extended following distances, and pay close attention to my vehicle and driving conditions.