Trouble towing 4 down with Ridgeline

[oran]

I finally hooked up my 2nd generation 1992 Toyota 4runner to my Ridgeline RTL today.
As a precursor I'll state that I have towed it a short distance with Chevy Avalanche and did not notice any issue.
Immediately when I started towing I noticed the Ridgeline steering was effected by the tracking stability of the 4runner - more than I'd expect.
Things got scary from there. On slow 15mph 90 degree turns everything seems fine but the Ridgeline VSA engages as an attempt to stop the rear from pulling out. There is a good reason for that as the ridgeline seems to be too light in the rear to have enough traction to steer the Toyota on any but the slowest turn. An attempt (under controlled conditions) to take a corner faster actually caused the Ridgeline back wheels to severely pull out all this at under 25mph. I guess the Toyota is less than 4000lbs though it does have 32x12.4R15 so it might be slightly less trackable than normal.
I tried the towing up to 50mph and on mild curves and it just did not feel safe and I could hear the VSA start up when things got too edgy. Power was not an issue and the Ridgeline towed as well as my last 2000 Honda Odyssey which was used to tow my last CJ7 everywhere. Given how it felt by the seat of my pats when the revs are over 4000 RPM I suspect it will shame some V8 in the hills as did my Honda minivan. Stopping hard was not as good as I expected probably also due to the light rear being lifted/pushed and ABS/VSA doing noisy things as they try and correct.
Update - I towed a 19.5' 2500 lbs SeaRay boat this weekend. Boats have tong weight so as I expected it was a much better experience. The Ridgeline had the power and stopping ability to make the experience just great. I will not be able to use a trailer with my 4runner as the combined weight is overall the 5000lbs limit.

[bellteck]

It may seem like a silly request .. why dont you turn the VSA off?

[oran]

I think that turning VSA off to stop it from getting upset on on good dry pavement while towinig 4 down might lead to me getting aquainted with the handling envelope of the Ridgeline which I am not sure I want to be familiar with.... Even with it on it was not a safe experience. I think the VSA is correcting for a real problem that it is experiencing when the rear wheels are losing grip. In the next few weeks I am going to experiment with different hitch hights and types for towing 4 down.

Originally Posted by bellteck

It may seem like a silly request .. why dont you turn the VSA off?

[chicago]

FIGURES,

The guy who probably doens't even own a Ridgline, will post anything. You toyta owners are so relentless aren't you?

[arteegee]

LOL

[bellteck]

I agree Chicago, all oran has done in his 7 posts on this forum is BI*&H. At this point I'll question if he owns one or not.

[swampler]

I'm not sure I understand his problem with the rear wheels anyway. It sounds like he is losing traction in the rear, but it is front wheel drive, mostly, so why would the back wheels even think about spinning?

[steveberger]

Originally Posted by oran

I finally hooked up my 2nd generation 1992 Toyota 4runner to my Ridgeline RTL today. Immediately when I started towing I noticed the Ridgeline steering was effected by the tracking stability of the 4runner.

You sound like you are somewhat experienced doing this, but I will ask the question. Are your front wheels on your Toyota locked during this towing? Are the Toys differentials locked in 4 wheel?

A towed 4,000 pound vehicle with wide tires trying to go straight will certainly cause problems for the rear end of any towing vehicle trying to go around a turn.

Your boat pulls better, not because of the tongue weight, but because a trailer has no steering and no differentials. It is free to follow the towing vehicle where ever it goes.

How did you hitch the Toyo to the Ridge? What kind of hardware? Photos would be helpful in diagnosing you problem and would silence those who suspect you don't even own a Ridgeline!

[bellteck]

This thread should be in the Miscellaneous section.

[DBLA]

Why would you tow another car/truck anywhere? (Except to maybe sell it to a 3rd party).