Hi all,

Just some late night ramblings. 5000 lbs seemed adequate enough for me until I entered the world of toy haulers. All the decent toy haulers with living quarters are beyond my tow capacity when fully loaded. So are there any talkative Honda engineers on this forum that can fill us in on what the limiting factor is? Is it a safe/conservative number? Meaning, that figure was presented to avoid someone breaking down when trailering at the highest possible elevation at the highest allowable speed in the hottest area (yeah, wishful thinking)? If not, what exactly holds us back? Is there is a limiting factor that could be enhanced (e.g., chassis strengthening)? I'm new to trailering, but am picking up on the lingo here and there. Any gurus out there that can explain how the Ridgeline's GCW was reached? I've done the searches and all I see are opinions wrt exceeding tow capacities and debates over hitches (???), but anyone here in the know and have the real facts? Come on, spill it! Help me from turning to the 2007 Avalanche (8k tow capacity) or the 2007 Tundra (10k tow capacity, wow), mostly spending more money. =)

If you need to tow 8k or 10k lbs, the RL is not for you and you should not expect it to be if you need to tow this type of load in a legal fashion. Towing over the towing capacity could void your warranty, or void your insurance coverage for using the vehicle for purposes it was not intended to.

With that said, here is my 2 cents regarding the real tow capacity of the RL. Some have commented that the limiting factor regarding the RL's tow capacity is the transmission. I personally have never seen any hard data showing that the tranny is the weakest link but I have heard it posted here. I'll wait for someone else to try to pull 10K lbs with their RL before I would try it. What I do believe though is that the RL wouldn't accelerate very fast nor would it go up a hill of more than a 10% grade and keep up a constant speed but I believe it would definitely move 8K lbs. One of the reasons that there is a standard transmission cooler on the RL may be because of the limitations that some claim the tranny has. Maybe it is because of people like me who are foolish or have been foolish in the past in towing over rated capacities.

I guess they say that ingnorance protects children and fools and with that comment, let me tell you that I have used some very unsafe tow vehicles in my past as I have totally ignored the towing capacity in my quest to move things and tow several boats I have owned. Here are two examples.

Example 1 - I used to tow a 16 foot boat with a 2nd gen 4 cylinder Honda Accord. It wouldn't pull the boat out of the water but it would get it there where I would meet my friend with his truck who would use the truck to launch and retrieve the boat after he had launched his boat. This was in my younger days when I had full access to a machine shop where I made what I would call a class III hitch for the accord with a 2" receiver. I jack knifed the whole rig in a thunderstorm back in the 80's on the interstate which was very scary. Again, being foolish, I still persisted in using the Accord to tow the boat. The final blow to my towing with the Accord came when I blew the tranny at 225,000 miles pulling the boat from Columbus OH to Cincinnati in 90 degree heat. I still had 1st and 4th gear but 2nd and 3rd never worked again after that day.

Example 2 - I used to pull my current 22 foot boat with a Suzuki Sidekick. It wouldn't pull it fast but it would pull it. I used to get all sorts of strange looks as the boat and trailer were at least 2 1/2 times as long as the Sidekick. Again, machine shop access allowed me to make a hitch to handle it. Now, if you were smart as to how you used the tranny, it would tow that boat up any boat ramp I ever tried. 4wd low in 1st was the obvious choice. It would also pull the boat at freeway speeds. I only tried this once though as the Sidekick's lack of wheelbase made for some very tricky straight line towing. I never wrecked using the Sidekick as a tow vehicle but came close to several times. You could also cook eggs on the hood of the Sidekick after 10 miles of towing.

Now that I am older, I no longer try to exceed what a stock vehicle is capable of since I am now perhaps a tad bit wiser. I do believe though that the towing capacity may be a bit understated and was figured to cover mountain driving and worst case scenarios. This is not an endorsement to tow over the rated capacity, it is my own opinion.

Yamahauler, the 2007 Toyota Tundra at least according to the Toyota website has the following towing capacities:

4x2 Regular Cab V6 - 5000
4x2 Regular Cab V8 - 7100
4x2 Access Cab V6 - 4800
4x2 Access Cab V8 - 7100
4x2 Access Cab Limited V8 - 4800
4x2 Double Cab V8 - 6800
4x4 Double Cab V8 - 6500
4x4 Regular Cab V8 - 7100
4x4 Access Cab V8 - 6800
4x4 Access Cab Limited V8 - 6800

4.0-liter DOHC 24-valve EFI V6
with VVT-i 236 hp @ 5200 rpm;
266 lb.-ft. @ 3800 rpm

4.7-liter DOHC 32-valve EFI
V8 with VVT-i
271 hp @ 5400 rpm;
313 lb.-ft. @ 3400 rpm

Note: Regular = 2 door; Access = Extended Cab and Double = 4 door
Note2: I might have missed one, but I am pretty sure those are all of the different configurations the Tundra comes in.

As you can see, the Toyota Tundra has a very similar towing capacity to the Honda Ridgeline. Sure the V8 can tow more as can the 4x2 versions of the Tundra. But when trying to compare Apples to Apple (4x4 V6 vs 4x4 V6) you can't even do that, it isn't offered in the Tundra in a 4 door version.

As for the Avalanche, those all come with a monster 5.3L V8, but here are those towing figures:

2WD with 3.7 Axle = 7200
2WD with 4.1 Axle = 8200
4WD with 3.7 Axle = 7000
4WD with 4.1 Axle = 8000

5.3-liter V8 OHV 16-valve
320/310 hp @ 5200 rpm;
340/335 lb.-ft. @ 4200/4400 rpm

If you're looking for a pure hauling vehicle with a huge mpg hit and a big truck ride, then get the Tundra or Avalanche... but you can't compare either of those vehicles fairly to the Ridgeline. Honda doesn't even compare the Ridgeline to either of those trucks, probably because of the V8 engines and the hauling capacities.

As to your question why the Ridgeline has a capacity of "only" 5,000 pounds. I am sure there are many variables involved in coming to this numbers. Engine size, transmission capability, tires, wheelbase, brakes, cooling capacity for both the engine and transmission, target market for the vehicle. I am sure there are many other reasons than the few I listed, but those are probably the main ones. Here is a quote from Honda on the towing capacity of the Ridgeline; "Honda's market research of truck owners who tow a trailer indicates that 84 percent tow less than 5000 pounds, making the Ridgeline a good match for the way most people actually use a truck."

For comparison:

3.5-liter SOHC VTEC V-6
247 hp @ 5750 rpm
245 lb.-ft. @ 4500 rpm

Thanks. Hehe, yeah, I'm not thinking about going that extreme. I was hoping for some real facts so I can know if I can tow that addition 1000-1500 lbs safely. =)

If you need to tow 8k or 10k lbs, the RL is not for you and you should not expect it to be if you need to tow this type of load in a legal fashion. Towing over the towing capacity could void your warranty, or void your insurance coverage for using the vehicle for purposes it was not intended to.

With that said, here is my 2 cents regarding the real tow capacity of the RL. Some have commented that the limiting factor regarding the RL's tow capacity is the transmission. I personally have never seen any hard data showing that the tranny is the weakest link but I have heard it posted here. I'll wait for someone else to try to pull 10K lbs with their RL before I would try it. What I do believe though is that the RL wouldn't accelerate very fast nor would it go up a hill of more than a 10% grade and keep up a constant speed but I believe it would definitely move 8K lbs. One of the reasons that there is a standard transmission cooler on the RL may be because of the limitations that some claim the tranny has. Maybe it is because of people like me who are foolish or have been foolish in the past in towing over rated capacities.

I guess they say that ingnorance protects children and fools and with that comment, let me tell you that I have used some very unsafe tow vehicles in my past as I have totally ignored the towing capacity in my quest to move things and tow several boats I have owned. Here are two examples.

Example 1 - I used to tow a 16 foot boat with a 2nd gen 4 cylinder Honda Accord. It wouldn't pull the boat out of the water but it would get it there where I would meet my friend with his truck who would use the truck to launch and retrieve the boat after he had launched his boat. This was in my younger days when I had full access to a machine shop where I made what I would call a class III hitch for the accord with a 2" receiver. I jack knifed the whole rig in a thunderstorm back in the 80's on the interstate which was very scary. Again, being foolish, I still persisted in using the Accord to tow the boat. The final blow to my towing with the Accord came when I blew the tranny at 225,000 miles pulling the boat from Columbus OH to Cincinnati in 90 degree heat. I still had 1st and 4th gear but 2nd and 3rd never worked again after that day.

Example 2 - I used to pull my current 22 foot boat with a Suzuki Sidekick. It wouldn't pull it fast but it would pull it. I used to get all sorts of strange looks as the boat and trailer were at least 2 1/2 times as long as the Sidekick. Again, machine shop access allowed me to make a hitch to handle it. Now, if you were smart as to how you used the tranny, it would tow that boat up any boat ramp I ever tried. 4wd low in 1st was the obvious choice. It would also pull the boat at freeway speeds. I only tried this once though as the Sidekick's lack of wheelbase made for some very tricky straight line towing. I never wrecked using the Sidekick as a tow vehicle but came close to several times. You could also cook eggs on the hood of the Sidekick after 10 miles of towing.

Now that I am older, I no longer try to exceed what a stock vehicle is capable of since I am now perhaps a tad bit wiser. I do believe though that the towing capacity may be a bit understated and was figured to cover mountain driving and worst case scenarios. This is not an endorsement to tow over the rated capacity, it is my own opinion.

Hi,

Thanks. I don't believe Toyota's website has the tow specs yet for the 2007 model. If i'm off on the model year than forgive me, I'm referring to the next generation Tundra which recent press releases have been flaunting it's high tow capacity of 10000 lbs and noted it was 500 higher than the Titan. I believe the specs you've included are from the current Tundra.

For the record, I'm not trying to compete the Ridgeline directly against the Tundra or Avalance since they're in a different class. I've own my Ridgeline since last Oct, it's been an awesome truck with impressive handling especially compared to my old F150. My other car is a Boxster S, so I would like to think that I know something about handling. =) It was only recently that I started looking at Toy Hauler trailers when I was suffering in the heat at my last motorcycle track day then it dawned on me, "wouldn't it be nice to have a trailer that I can haul my bike, have A/C, and save on motel/hotel costs". lol Yeah, not much going on at work, so too much time on my hands to dream. I need to check out the new Avalanche, it looks a lot better than the previous Avalanche and the mpg is close to the Ridgeline at 15/21 since it has the new cylinder deactivation feature for fuel economy. I'm sure Honda will have that for the Ridgeline soon given they already provide it for the 2wd Pilot EX. Right now, I'm at a crossroad to either buy a small trailer or get a bigger truck so that I can tow a larger, more comfortable trailer. By all news, I wasn't knocking the RL as 5000 is still respectable. It's better than my wife's MDX that can only haul 3500 lbs. Anyway, just wanted to post something since it really hasn't been covered and was hoping that a helpful Honda engineer would give us some insight.

Yamahauler, the 2007 Toyota Tundra at least according to the Toyota website has the following towing capacities:

4x2 Regular Cab V6 - 5000
4x2 Regular Cab V8 - 7100
4x2 Access Cab V6 - 4800
4x2 Access Cab V8 - 7100
4x2 Access Cab Limited V8 - 4800
4x2 Double Cab V8 - 6800
4x4 Double Cab V8 - 6500
4x4 Regular Cab V8 - 7100
4x4 Access Cab V8 - 6800
4x4 Access Cab Limited V8 - 6800

4.0-liter DOHC 24-valve EFI V6
with VVT-i 236 hp @ 5200 rpm;
266 lb.-ft. @ 3800 rpm

4.7-liter DOHC 32-valve EFI
V8 with VVT-i
271 hp @ 5400 rpm;
313 lb.-ft. @ 3400 rpm

Note: Regular = 2 door; Access = Extended Cab and Double = 4 door
Note2: I might have missed one, but I am pretty sure those are all of the different configurations the Tundra comes in.

As you can see, the Toyota Tundra has a very similar towing capacity to the Honda Ridgeline. Sure the V8 can tow more as can the 4x2 versions of the Tundra. But when trying to compare Apples to Apple (4x4 V6 vs 4x4 V6) you can't even do that, it isn't offered in the Tundra in a 4 door version.

As for the Avalanche, those all come with a monster 5.3L V8, but here are those towing figures:

2WD with 3.7 Axle = 7200
2WD with 4.1 Axle = 8200
4WD with 3.7 Axle = 7000
4WD with 4.1 Axle = 8000

5.3-liter V8 OHV 16-valve
320/310 hp @ 5200 rpm;
340/335 lb.-ft. @ 4200/4400 rpm

If you're looking for a pure hauling vehicle with a huge mpg hit and a big truck ride, then get the Tundra or Avalanche... but you can't compare either of those vehicles fairly to the Ridgeline. Honda doesn't even compare the Ridgeline to either of those trucks, probably because of the V8 engines and the hauling capacities.

As to your question why the Ridgeline has a capacity of "only" 5,000 pounds. I am sure there are many variables involved in coming to this numbers. Engine size, transmission capability, tires, wheelbase, brakes, cooling capacity for both the engine and transmission, target market for the vehicle. I am sure there are many other reasons than the few I listed, but those are probably the main ones. Here is a quote from Honda on the towing capacity of the Ridgeline; "Honda's market research of truck owners who tow a trailer indicates that 84 percent tow less than 5000 pounds, making the Ridgeline a good match for the way most people actually use a truck."

For comparison:

3.5-liter SOHC VTEC V-6
247 hp @ 5750 rpm
245 lb.-ft. @ 4500 rpm

Hi all,

Just some late night ramblings. 5000 lbs seemed adequate enough for me until I entered the world of toy haulers. All the decent toy haulers with living quarters are beyond my tow capacity when fully loaded. So are there any talkative Honda engineers on this forum that can fill us in on what the limiting factor is? Is it a safe/conservative number? Meaning, that figure was presented to avoid someone breaking down when trailering at the highest possible elevation at the highest allowable speed in the hottest area (yeah, wishful thinking)? If not, what exactly holds us back? Is there is a limiting factor that could be enhanced (e.g., chassis strengthening)? I'm new to trailering, but am picking up on the lingo here and there. Any gurus out there that can explain how the Ridgeline's GCW was reached? I've done the searches and all I see are opinions wrt exceeding tow capacities and debates over hitches (???), but anyone here in the know and have the real facts? Come on, spill it! Help me from turning to the 2007 Avalanche (8k tow capacity) or the 2007 Tundra (10k tow capacity, wow), mostly spending more money. =)

I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THE TOWING CAPACITY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HOW MUCH WEIGHT THE VEHICLE CAN MOVE. IT'S HOW MUCH IT CAN STOP SAFELY. I'VE MOVED A FOUR PLACE SNOWMOBILE TRAILER WITH FOUR SMOWMOBILES ON IT ARUOND MY YARD WITH A 425 POLARIS 4-WHELLER. IT WILL GET IT MOVING JUST FINE BUT IT DOSN'T STOP VERY WELL.

"wouldn't it be nice to have a trailer that I can haul my bike, have A/C, and save on motel/hotel costs". lol

Well, how about this:

http://www.rvsearch.com/findrv/index.cfm/a-d/tc-36260/vid-186530/

It is just 2000 lbs, so should work well. Pricey, but it fits your requirements. :)

It would also look great behind a Ridgeline!

Hi

You Could Look Into The Starcraft 11RT, Starcraft 14RT, Or Starcraft 36RT. They Have A Rack Built On The Front For Gear Or Atv's And Motor Cycles. A Freind Bought One 3 Weeks Ago And Loves It. He Tows His With A Pilot. He Also Said The A/c Works Very Well.

I have no idea, I'm really new to trailering. If that's the case, a brembo brake upgrade would do it, but I doubt it would be that easy. =)

Actually, are there a set of standards/guidelines that manufacturers have to follow in order to present a tow capacity figure?

I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THE TOWING CAPACITY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HOW MUCH WEIGHT THE VEHICLE CAN MOVE. IT'S HOW MUCH IT CAN STOP SAFELY. I'VE MOVED A FOUR PLACE SNOWMOBILE TRAILER WITH FOUR SMOWMOBILES ON IT ARUOND MY YARD WITH A 425 POLARIS 4-WHELLER. IT WILL GET IT MOVING JUST FINE BUT IT DOSN'T STOP VERY WELL.

Thanks, I will look into them. I would prefer an enclosed trailer, but heck, if it'll work and allow me to keep the RL, why not.

Hi

You Could Look Into The Starcraft 11RT, Starcraft 14RT, Or Starcraft 36RT. They Have A Rack Built On The Front For Gear Or Atv's And Motor Cycles. A Freind Bought One 3 Weeks Ago And Loves It. He Tows His With A Pilot. He Also Said The A/c Works Very Well.

That does look nice. Thanks for the link, will have to check it out in person. It doesn't look like it has a kitchen or bathroom, but it's amazingly light.

Well, how about this:

http://www.rvsearch.com/findrv/index.cfm/a-d/tc-36260/vid-186530/

It is just 2000 lbs, so should work well. Pricey, but it fits your requirements. :)

It would also look great behind a Ridgeline!

I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THE TOWING CAPACITY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HOW MUCH WEIGHT THE VEHICLE CAN MOVE. IT'S HOW MUCH IT CAN STOP SAFELY. I'VE MOVED A FOUR PLACE SNOWMOBILE TRAILER WITH FOUR SMOWMOBILES ON IT ARUOND MY YARD WITH A 425 POLARIS 4-WHELLER. IT WILL GET IT MOVING JUST FINE BUT IT DOSN'T STOP VERY WELL.

Compared to what? I've pulled my Corvette (3000+ lbs.) on a crappy Uhaul trailer (2100 lbs.) with no brakes (thanks to Uhaul's great maintenance :rolleyes: ), and it stopped excellent. I mean, it's got 4 discs that barely fit inside 17" wheels. I'd think it may be a little tough to evaluate brakes just driving around the yard. Of course it won't stop as fast as when you have nothing on the hitch, but how can you evaluate braking when you're hitting what, 5-10 mph?

but how can you evaluate braking when you're hitting what, 5-10 mph?

Actually, that is an ideal way to evaluate the braking. If you can't stop at 5-10 mph, why would you try to go any faster???:confused:

Hi all,

Just some late night ramblings. 5000 lbs seemed adequate enough for me until I entered the world of toy haulers. All the decent toy haulers with living quarters are beyond my tow capacity when fully loaded. So are there any talkative Honda engineers on this forum that can fill us in on what the limiting factor is? Is it a safe/conservative number? Meaning, that figure was presented to avoid someone breaking down when trailering at the highest possible elevation at the highest allowable speed in the hottest area (yeah, wishful thinking)? If not, what exactly holds us back? Is there is a limiting factor that could be enhanced (e.g., chassis strengthening)? I'm new to trailering, but am picking up on the lingo here and there. Any gurus out there that can explain how the Ridgeline's GCW was reached? I've done the searches and all I see are opinions wrt exceeding tow capacities and debates over hitches (???), but anyone here in the know and have the real facts? Come on, spill it! Help me from turning to the 2007 Avalanche (8k tow capacity) or the 2007 Tundra (10k tow capacity, wow), mostly spending more money. =)In the world of light trucks...TOW RATING REALLY MEANS NOTHING. The real world limiting factor is the payload capacity. My Titan's tow rating is 9.5K, but in reality is only around ~7000lbs with two people and a dog on board. The math is at rvtowingtips.com. You're gonna' wish you went for at least a 3/4 ton. 8K lbs is one very small toy trailer with small toys in it (my 18' travel trailer no toys is 5300 lbs and can you believe the manufacturer sticker only says its 4200 lb :) ).

Actually, that is an ideal way to evaluate the braking. If you can't stop at 5-10 mph, why would you try to go any faster???:confused:

Well yeah, now that I read it again, I realize that he was talking about towing with his Polaris, not the Ridgeline. I was wondering how mine stopped so well with a lot more weight than he had, before I noticed that the tow vehicles were slightly different...:D

Try looking for a TrailManor. The more info I find on the net about this trailer the closer I come to making a decision. It fits well within the 5000 lb criteria and has a real walkin bathroom.

Try looking for a TrailManor. The more info I find on the net about this trailer the closer I come to making a decision. It fits well within the 5000 lb criteria and has a real walkin bathroom.

I concur, This trailer was on our list as well and they have a dealer in O.C. They have a very good reputation for quality too. The only deal with a fold down unit is you have to open it to use the bathroom when your on the road unlike the Bantam Flier we chose. The TrailManor is much more aero because of it's folding design though. Let's go camping sometime Brent!

Ron

Yama, you and I are not too far apart in vehicle buying and owning habits, but you did not mention that you haul your family around with you in the back of the Ridgeline. I too am intrigued by the new Tundra and probably would not be talking to you now if the old 2006 Tundra had the safety features that the old Ridgeline has. I still do not see the 2007 Tundra offering rear air bags, even in their biggest crew cab versions.

Take a look at this toyhauler. On paper, it looks like a perfect match for the Ridgeline. This has A/C, kitchen and bathroom. If you dont haul a bunch of quads, this might be for you.http://www.aliner.com/page41.html