Tow/ Brake Control Questions

[Ridgerider06]

hey everyone. I see that many Ridgeline owner have already took advantage of the towing ability of this vehicle so now I feel I should start pulling some of my toys. I have an older Ridgeline (production April 05) that I have just purchased the tow package for. I plan on pulling a 14ft V-nose enclosed Class Act trailer for my motorcycle track days. First question can the OEM hitch use a 2 5/16 ball instead of the 2"? Second, i plan on buying Prodigy brake controller either the Tekonsha PRODIGY or Tekonsha P-3. Which would better suit the Ridgeline? Which adaptor would I need to buy to make the unit function? Etrailer.com offers 2 for the Ridgeline - the standard and the Tekonsha adapters. would i benefit more from a proportional or time delayed braking device? As far as install go are all ridgelines pre wired from the factory for the tow/ brake control packages under the rear bumper and the dash? Any ROC help would be great and appreciated. ROC on GUYS!

[jeepwatchman]

To answer your question about ball size(That doesn't sound right), yes the OEM will fit a 2 5/16" ball.

As far as the other questions, can't help, sorry. I use a Tekonsha brake controller, but I can't seem to remember the name. I am at work and my wife has the RL.

Oh, wait, I think it's the Voyager, does that sound right?

[Webwader]

You can use a 2 5/16" ball but make sure that it has a 1" shank, not a 1 1/4".
Either of the Tekonsha controllers would work fine with the RL. I have a Prodigy and like it very much. The P3 is new on the market and has a lot more bells and whistles, but I think the proportional braking system is the same. The proportional systems are far superior to the inertia ones.

All the RLs are prewired for the tow/brake controller but "prewired" is somewhat a misnomer. If you don't have it already, you still need to purchase the Honda harness for $169 (suggested list). If you are buying the Honda towing package, the harness is included. Be aware, though, that your early 2006 RL was not wired to include the reverse light wire. If you do need the reverse light function, there is a retro fit kit to do it. There is a TSB out on it and you may or may not be able to get it done free by Honda. The adapter you need for the controller would be the Tekonsha 3070-P.

There currenly is a $20 rebate on Prodigy controllers until August 25th. The rebate form is here.

[Ridgerider06]

thanks for the info. Question on the reverse lights. Are you saying that with the tow package installed the reverse lights wont work at all? or just with the trailer connected?

[Webwader]

Are you saying that with the tow package installed the reverse lights wont work at all? or just with the trailer connected?

Sorry for the confusion. The reverse lights on the RL are not affected in either case. Prior to Aug. '06 production, Honda did not make any provisions in its wiring harness to provide power to the 7th pin on the plug, which is the reverse light wire and is located in the center of the plug. So if your trailer has backup lights they will not work.
For the most part this affected boat owners with disc surge brakes, which require power from the reverse lights to lock out the brakes when backing up. Honda was advertising that they provided a 7-pin plug, when in reality it was a 6-pin.

[Ridgerider06]

[quote=Webwader;233521]Sorry for the confusion. The reverse lights on the RL are not affected in either case. Prior to Aug. '06 production, Honda did not make any provisions in its wiring harness to provide power to the 7th pin on the plug, which is the reverse light wire and is located in the center of the plug. So if your trailer has backup lights they will not work.
For the most part this affected boat owners with disc surge brakes, which require power from the reverse lights to lock out the brakes when backing up. Honda was advertising that they provided a 7-pin plug, when in reality it was a 6-pin.[/QU


Got it. Not a big problem for me, i dont plan on towing a boat so those issues wont effect me. thanks for the fast response and info. i just ordered the hardware this afternoon. now i just have to wait for delivery