Towing my Van to my new unit.. Safe for 11 hours? Idk your thoughts.

[shapnasty]

Towing my Van to my new unit.. Safe? Idk your thoughts. I have a 06 Pacifica that is going to weigh enough to make me think i dont have a v8 anymore. The Curb Weight-est. 4675 lbs. (2121 kg) +/- the crap im going to put in it. i would like to just get a pull behind dolley from uhaul (cheaper) but if i have to i will rent a pull behind trailer but this will put me over the 5000 lbs towing capacity. I hope i dont have to drive 2 cars to the same place because my "truck" cant get the job done. Ive asked the RL to do alot of things but im starting to worry about the mountains on the trip no getting around them.

I am driving from Detroit MI to Yorktown VA the trip will be roughly 11 hours through the pa mountains on toll road 76 is what im worried about.

Thanks for your time and input. -Shap

[jimfrancis]

Wow. I suspect it will do it, but you are getting pretty close to the line. Lots of posts here on the forum mention that they are pulling over 5K, which is the stated limit, and Honda PROBABLY has a built in fudge factor in its specifications, including towing, but do so at your own peril. Curb weight is only one parameter. There is the weight of the dolly (or car trailer), and the extra stuff, which adds up very quickly. The RL is pretty doggone rugged, but you make the call. Personally, I probably would not pull that much weight unless there was just no other option. Truthfully, the mountain thing is what scares me. If it was across West Texas, very flat, then it might be ok, but you're gonna be stressing everything up in the mountains.

[bluewater1]

I was born and raised in some of the country you are going through. No way in hell I would try it with my RL.

[do_i_drive_you_crazy]

Got a truck scale nearby? Load it up and put it on the scale. Will give you a more accurate weight, then go from there.

[speedlever]

The folks who tow in the Colorado mountains may have some good info for you. I can't imagine your conditions will be worse than those they see out west.

[Rickman]

Since it's on a doley, I'd attempt it! Once you get rolling, it's not that bad, but any emergency stop could be dicy!

Not saying you should, but I would try it!

Good luck and let us know.........

[shapnasty]

thanks guys. Im think it s a go am im going to make plans for the move. 76 toll road i might have to stop every half tank to cool down. But it sucks that i have to think about towing something though.:? oh well nature of the beast.

[jimfrancis]

Half Tank, my sister's white corset! A half tank with that much towed is gonna be about 50 miles (ok, maybe 75).

[speedlever]

Nah... I'm betting he'll get at least 100 miles on that half tank.

[Ian Brantford]

The van's actual weight will be somewhat more than the curb weight. Let's guesstimate that it's about 5000 lbs just for the van. So, whatever is the weight of the trailer is the amount past the rated towing limit for the truck. For a steel trailer, that's going to be at least 2000 lbs. For aluminum, you might find one under 1000 lbs. Either way, it's quite an excess load.

Pros: In real terms, the extra weight will be low and stable, on its own. The Ridgeline is very stable for a truck of its size, aided by its independent rear suspension and rigidity. The weakest link is the transmission, but it's not going to suffer more torque than the engine can produce.

Cons: The handling might not meet your expectations. It might be hard to correctly balance the load for correct tongue weight. The engine is going to have to rev high on all inclines, even slight ones (which is merely annoying, not damaging). Local law enforcement might like a word with you. Your insurance might not cover you in the event of a collision.

I tow a 5000 boat/trailer, and performed some simulated emergency situations to see what would happen. My personal judgement is that the Ridgeline could perform your towing task with an aluminum trailer and anti-sway equipment at the hitch.

However, I would not do it because of the possible legal consequences if something goes wrong; your towing set-up would be blamed regardless of actual cause. It's not worth personal and financial disaster in order to avoid the hassle of two trips and feeling a bit better about your truck. This would apply to most entry-level full-size pick-up trucks as well, as they aren't rated any better than the Ridgeline and aren't as stable.