I am in the market for a new 2022/23 Ridgeline, although, not in a hurry. I was looking for a mid-size truck that I could use to tow a RV. Was looking at Frontier, Colorado, and Tacoma because they have 6500lb tow max which should be enough for the type of RV I would likely buy. While test driving a Colorado, there was a 2022 used Ridgeline on the lot, so I took a test drive just to see the difference. Big difference! Love it, although it's tow max is 5k and tongue weight limit is 500lbs. After research I discovered there are several RVs 3k to 3.5 k and 250-350lb tongue weight. Well within range of the Ridgeline. I am sold! Much better truck!. No off-roading for me, at least nothing more than occasional camp ground stop. I am in the Houston area and am not in a hurry to buy due to extra high prices and the potential of lower future prices, but I do look forward to the day of my purchase. Any thoughts or opinions are welcomed.
2023/22 potential owner
rankinimagery
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If I were to compain about my 2019 RTL it would be a slight swaying, what sway bar do you suggest and also where did you get your brake controller and installed?
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That's impressive - my daughter has the Riverside Retro 135 (much smaller) but I haven't towed it yet with the 2022 RL...
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I have a 2013 and pull a TT total weight loaded about 4000 pounds. I have had no problems for 5 years now.
The beautiful thing about towing with the RL is stability through sweeping, bumpy turns. No skipping around. You’ll love towing with it.
Be very careful. The Ridgeline is a great light duty pickup, but well below the real rear wheel drive intermediates, which have much superior drivelines than the Ridgeline for long distance towing. In the real world, I love my Ridgeline, but I also know that it is an SUV, just a Pilot with a bed and great trunk. But, bottom line is that the driveline realy doesn't seem to like big time towing. Lots of folks have drive line problems with max tow weight pulls. Short distant, no problem. Otherwise, great vechile, comfortable, very quite, but not a real pickup for what you are looking for.
What personal experience are you basing this on? Have you actually tried towing 5000lbs with a Tacoma, or even 4500lbs?
Folks have been towing 4500lbs+ across the mountains with the Ridgeline since it debuted. That's with the Honda 5-speed, Honda six-speed and the ZF nine-speed, which is the strongest of all of them.
There have been some hiccups with the six-speed, but there has been NO evidence that towing is a factor.
I would chiose the Ridgeline to tow a 4500lb trailer coast to coast over any other mid-size truck. It will do the job just fine, and you won't need a chiropractor when the trip is done.
Towing over 5000lbs? Get a full-size truck, and make it a HD if you're towing often.
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well I got to scratch my head on that one, having owned a ton of GM's and especially Ford products doubtful you can compare them to a Ridgeline, neither would probably make it cross country towing, the ridgeline will.
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Im scratching my head after driving my 23’ RTLE for a while now. Reading some of these threads on here of complaining and doom and gloom about the RL had me second guessing wether to buy it or not.
Well Im glad I did. This truck is awesome and Id buy it again.
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Well Im glad I did. This truck is awesome and Id buy it again.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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151 Posts
I'd much rather tow 4500 lbs with a ridgeline vs say a tacoma or something like that. The tacoma is a great off road / overlanding vehicle but it's not really made for work at all. If you do any regular towing with one get ready to make quite a few modifications to it. I've seen them with pretty bad axle wrap from repeated towing that wore out the leaf springs. The rear axles can develop some pretty audible howling after some time from over use. They also deleted the transmission cooler on the 2020+ models. Whether this really affects towing in hot weather i can't say but id rather have one than not.
Congratulations on being willing to wait, and forego this ridiculously overpriced market. I am amazed at the number of people that HAVE to buy right now. It speaks to the state of the average consumer, and why they "don't have a pot to p*ss in"!!!
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231 Posts
I think if you plan to use your new truck as a “do everything” type of vehicle, the Ridgeline is hard to beat. If you plan to park the truck most of the time and use it only for towing, a half ton full size would likely be better.
The Ridgeline is smooth, comfortable, and quite efficient. I suspect its tow rating is a bit conservative as Honda isn’t a truck company and tends toward conservatism from not being caught up in the capability wars (this is only my opinion). As they veer from their normal pathway (e.g. Trailsport versions) we may see them reconsider other marketing angles too.
I’ve not towed anything big or very heavy with either my former 2017 or my current 2022. But I’ve found them both to be a huge overall improvement (for my duty cycle) over my former 1997 F250.
The F250 was ponderous. The Ridgeline handles well. My F250 was underpowered with the 4.6L V8. The Ridgeline has plenty of power. The F250 had good brakes, but it really never felt that stable when braking hard with a load…I suspect due to the handling lethargy. The Ridgeline maintains its composure under hard braking.
Unless you’re in hills or mountains, I feel aerodynamic drag has a bigger impact on towing ease than does trailer weight. Extra mass certainly doesn’t make braking better for anything, but your trailer brakes should take care of that. If you’re in high winds with a high profile trailer, extra vehicle mass can help keep it settled down but it may be best to find a place to wait it out. With the F250 I pulled a 6000 lb farm tractor on a flatbed and a 2500 enclosedy cargo trailer. The tractor - despite being more than twice the weight- was easier to handle than the cargo trailer. Wind makes a big difference.
Strapping 2.5 tons to the back of any vehicle won’t help it with handling stability. But, in my opinion, starting with a vehicle that is already confident and settled can be better than putting it behind something that is a bit squirrelly unladen.
The Ridgeline is about 5000 pounds by itself. Other midsize trucks are similar. So the ability for a heavy trailer to out wrestle any of them in adverse conditions or in an emergency is probably similar. Use of a weight distribution hitch helps spread the tongue load to the front axle of the tow vehicle so aids in upsetting the balance of the vehicle. This is less of an issue if you’re starting with an 8000 lb F350 but In the midsize class can make a difference.
The durability of the RL’s driveline seems to be pretty good. Of course who knows what your particular case may reveal. If you swap vehicles regularly this is probably moot.
I guess my point is this: the RL trailers quite well and if it meets your other needs better than other trucks most of the time, then it is probably a great choice for you.
unless I adopt a lifestyle that requires trailering something really big and heavy I can’t imagine ever going back to a different style of pickup. These things work great.
Steve
The Ridgeline is smooth, comfortable, and quite efficient. I suspect its tow rating is a bit conservative as Honda isn’t a truck company and tends toward conservatism from not being caught up in the capability wars (this is only my opinion). As they veer from their normal pathway (e.g. Trailsport versions) we may see them reconsider other marketing angles too.
I’ve not towed anything big or very heavy with either my former 2017 or my current 2022. But I’ve found them both to be a huge overall improvement (for my duty cycle) over my former 1997 F250.
The F250 was ponderous. The Ridgeline handles well. My F250 was underpowered with the 4.6L V8. The Ridgeline has plenty of power. The F250 had good brakes, but it really never felt that stable when braking hard with a load…I suspect due to the handling lethargy. The Ridgeline maintains its composure under hard braking.
Unless you’re in hills or mountains, I feel aerodynamic drag has a bigger impact on towing ease than does trailer weight. Extra mass certainly doesn’t make braking better for anything, but your trailer brakes should take care of that. If you’re in high winds with a high profile trailer, extra vehicle mass can help keep it settled down but it may be best to find a place to wait it out. With the F250 I pulled a 6000 lb farm tractor on a flatbed and a 2500 enclosedy cargo trailer. The tractor - despite being more than twice the weight- was easier to handle than the cargo trailer. Wind makes a big difference.
Strapping 2.5 tons to the back of any vehicle won’t help it with handling stability. But, in my opinion, starting with a vehicle that is already confident and settled can be better than putting it behind something that is a bit squirrelly unladen.
The Ridgeline is about 5000 pounds by itself. Other midsize trucks are similar. So the ability for a heavy trailer to out wrestle any of them in adverse conditions or in an emergency is probably similar. Use of a weight distribution hitch helps spread the tongue load to the front axle of the tow vehicle so aids in upsetting the balance of the vehicle. This is less of an issue if you’re starting with an 8000 lb F350 but In the midsize class can make a difference.
The durability of the RL’s driveline seems to be pretty good. Of course who knows what your particular case may reveal. If you swap vehicles regularly this is probably moot.
I guess my point is this: the RL trailers quite well and if it meets your other needs better than other trucks most of the time, then it is probably a great choice for you.
unless I adopt a lifestyle that requires trailering something really big and heavy I can’t imagine ever going back to a different style of pickup. These things work great.
Steve
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As far as I can tell your statement is unsupported by fact. Do you have anything to back it up?
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I would be towing about 4k RV and from what I have read from other posts, it appears to be fairly reasonable request of the RL. Still not quite 100% certain this is the goal, but with inflated prices, etc, it gives me plenty of time to ponder.
‘23 Pilot Trailsport; ‘21 Mazda MX5 RF; ‘21 Ridgeline RTL-E (sold)
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1,523 Posts
I have this Curt sway bar. The Harbor Freight looks virtually identical, but with HF cheap Chinese stuff you always wonder about build quality.
Amazon.com: CURT 17200 Trailer Anti-Sway Bar Control Kit , Black : Automotive
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Also use this brake controller—had a local hitch shop install it, not too expensive. Supposedly it is easy to install yourself—just access the plug under the console.
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231 Posts
As a suggestion for the brake controller...
Time-Delay brake controllers increase braking power to the trailer based on how long you have your foot on the pedal. So as you slow to a stop, the braking force applied at the trailer wheels increases with each passing second that you're slowing down. This works well in most applications, but you'll have instances where the trailer brakes end up doing most of the work stopping the rig.
Proportional brake controllers on the other hand have an internal pendulum or accelerometer that proportionally applies the trailer brakes based on how much deceleration it senses is happening at the tow vehicle. The harder you hit the brakes, the more force is applied by the trailer brakes to match. And conversely the lighter you apply them to the tow vehicle, the less the controller sends to the trailer brakes. When set up just right you'll not feel the trailer push nor slow the tow rig (but you may want to increase the sensitivity a bit so the trailer is always biting a bit more strongly than the truck to make sure it stays behind you).
The driving experience is a bit different with each controller type and the the proportional controllers are a bit more expensive. After using both over the years, my preference strongly lies with the proportional type. I have a Tekonsha Primus in my truck, but the Tekonsha P3 is widely popular and has some added features that many folks like. I had a Tekonsha Voyager in my Ford and it was good too.
Tekonsha | Proportional Controllers
Steve
Time-Delay brake controllers increase braking power to the trailer based on how long you have your foot on the pedal. So as you slow to a stop, the braking force applied at the trailer wheels increases with each passing second that you're slowing down. This works well in most applications, but you'll have instances where the trailer brakes end up doing most of the work stopping the rig.
Proportional brake controllers on the other hand have an internal pendulum or accelerometer that proportionally applies the trailer brakes based on how much deceleration it senses is happening at the tow vehicle. The harder you hit the brakes, the more force is applied by the trailer brakes to match. And conversely the lighter you apply them to the tow vehicle, the less the controller sends to the trailer brakes. When set up just right you'll not feel the trailer push nor slow the tow rig (but you may want to increase the sensitivity a bit so the trailer is always biting a bit more strongly than the truck to make sure it stays behind you).
The driving experience is a bit different with each controller type and the the proportional controllers are a bit more expensive. After using both over the years, my preference strongly lies with the proportional type. I have a Tekonsha Primus in my truck, but the Tekonsha P3 is widely popular and has some added features that many folks like. I had a Tekonsha Voyager in my Ford and it was good too.
Tekonsha | Proportional Controllers
Steve
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71 Posts
I got the Primus IQ controller 90160 with the Honda harness 3070-P together on sale for about $100. That one is also proportional w/ 3 boost modes but it's cheaper with a retro display. I towed a 2600# R-pod (10 ft tall, 18 ft long) and set it to 6.5 volts, boost off... worked well! It was a semi-easy install, hangs over my right shin with two screw / washers / nut combos from Ace + zip ties to safely secure the extra harness length. The only catch was under the dash is curved so I had to drill mounting holes precisely to get the controller facing straight. After mounting I tilted it to the angle of my shin while my foot's on the gas and it's completely out of the way. Pic attached. I thought this was the best bang for the buck, and if I were more serious about towing I'd put a fancier controller in a more capable truck.
Attachments
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5,255 Posts
I used to tow my classics to car shows and judging events regularly with my Tundra, but those days are past now, the cars went to good homes for "stupid money"; I think with a nearly 3,000 pound vehicle and the stout U-haul car carriers I would have been pusing the limit for the RL, it would prob be fine but cutting it close. At this point in life my towing will be well below the 2500-3000 lb range and I think the RL will do just peachy.
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To hell with pickup! Lets see more pics of that sweet SWC!
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We have a Hitch 17BHS (3500lbs) and bought the Ridgeline for towing. In that weight class the Ridgeline is fine. The only complaint I have is when there is a truck lane on the highway, the Ridgeline can maintain 55-60mph, but if I come up on a big rig doing 45mph and I cant pass due to passing cars going 70mph there is not power on demand once you start slowing down. The only other option I have seen that made me think about visiting a dealer is the new Nissan Pathfinder, which can tow 6k (using the same ZF transmission), you need a premium package which includes second row bucket seats; which is a deal breaker.
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I thought about the Pathfinder too, but really like the RL. Others have said the same thing about 3,500 lbs towing with the RL. Fortunately, for me, there is no hurry. Hopefully, prices will go down.
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