You'll be fine as long as you don't exceed any limits, including payload, tongue load, trailer weight, bed load, and most importantly, GCWR.

Can the Ridgeline tow more? Sure, but i wouldn't recommend that you do so. If you had the experience to do so, you wouldn't be here asking the question. And you are exposing yourself to very risky liabilities.

 

You'll be fine as long as you don't exceed any limits, including payload, tongue load, trailer weight, bed load, and most importantly, GCWR.

Longboat has provided the most useful response. To add a couple other aspects that apparently have not been discussed yet has been the aerodynamics of the trailer. We have had no issues towing our 6x12 cargo trailer loaded to 5,000 pounds/500 pounds tongue weight. But our Ridgeline become somewhat perfinicky when we started towing our “boxy” 8x22 camping trailer, even while keeping it under its 4200 pound limit. We were compelled to install a larger transmission cooler with our 6-speed, but that may not be the case with the 9-speed? We also maintain a speed under 60 mph while towing. Another issue apparently not mentioned is the use of a weight distribution hitch. Even though we have towed to the Ridgeline’s maximum 600 pounds tongue weight without incident, when towing at these upper limits the addition of a WDH w/sway control has made the experience much more comfortable, again especially with our “boxy” camping trailer.
We have also experimented with using premium fuel with our G2 when towing, but we have experienced no advantages when doing so.

In conclusion, longboats advice of “You'll be fine as long as you don't exceed any limits………...” with adding limiting towing speeds to Honda’s given 55/62 MPH, would be my advice also. Most would also probably be surprised at the effects of just 5 mph has on the fuel mileage while towing.

Bill

 

Other posts here state you need to use hi-test gas when towing per the Owner's Manual but I haven't verified that myself because I don't tow that much. Might want to check that out.

 

That's true for the G1 Ridgeline. There is no supporting information or data for the G2 Ridgeline.

 

Out at the airport we tow 24,000 lb+ aircraft with a 22 hp tractor. With that said, we tow them at about 2 mph for short distances( few hundred yards at most) with a tractor equipped with a manual transmission.

Will the Ridgeline tow more than 5000 pounds? Yes.

Should you tow more than 5000 pounds with a Ridgeline? NO!

Pulling over the 5000 pound recommendation will be putting undue strain on the vehicle, engine, chassis and especially the transmission. Now if you don't mind spending lots of money on either a tranny rebuild or a remanufactured transmission then that's one thing. If you don't mind spending money for that kind of repair work then have at it.

But if you want to take proper care of your vehicle then you already know the answer. From your question I suspect you haven't read the section on towing. The tow limit also includes passengers and gear in the vehicle as well as the item being towed in that limit. It varies depending on the number of occupants, gear weight etc.

 

Various YouTube guys have set up some 4500/5000 lb towing tests............including up and down substantial grades.........and the truck seems to do just fine.

Using common sense regarding speed, outside temperature, and type of terrain can help avoid any issues.

 

Various YouTube guys have set up some 4500/5000 lb towing tests............including up and down substantial grades.........and the truck seems to do just fine.

here's a chart from one of those comparison tests:

 

So, just to document this for posterity and when your insurance denies you in the even of incident...

You're intending to tow, on public roads, more than the published specifications for the vehicle. Is that correct?

 

If you want to tow over 4,500 lbs - buy something that is designed for it

 

For several years the online page from the Honda info center calls out that if towing over 3,500 lbs, it is recommended that you use premium fuel

 

For several years the online page from the Honda info center calls out that if towing over 3,500 lbs, it is recommended that you use premium fuel

View attachment 454790

You would think this recommendation would be in the OM too.

 

Couple of thoughts.

Premium Gas: This may be a copy/paste error from the G1 page. I've seen this kind of thing happen before. Anyways, it's easy to test. Put some 87 in the tank and go towing. If the engine pings or it pulls so much timing that you lose power, then you know to use the pricey stuff.

Max. Towing Weight: (more of an FYI than any useful info) Apparently, the same vehicle will have a higher tow rating in Europe than in the states. An article I read a few years ago explained why.

1: In Europe the speed limit for vehicles which tow is restricted to 80 km/hr or 50 MPH. In the US it's the same as for non-towing vehicles.

2: Many European countries require drivers to get a special license to tow, where they are trained and tested on the peculiarities of driving with a trailing load. Since we don't do that here, mfr's play it safe by reducing the tow rating.

 

No, "In the US it's" not "the same as for non-towing vehicles." Most states limit trailer towing speeds to 55, 60 or 65 mph statewide. Non-towing local speed limits are often much higher, with 70-80 mph speed limits common in the western states. Admittedly most state LEOs do not enforce the trailer speed limits as long as the driver is white and not driving erratically; I see trailers routinely being towed at 70 to 80 mph in western states.

Intended driving speed is critical when anyone asks "can I tow xxx?" Towing at a maximum of 55 mph is much more safely doable than towing the same trailer at 65 mph or more. My point is simply that speed is an essential component of "What can I tow?"

 

Apples to oranges. It' not the truck that matters, it is the trailer.

https://www.outdoorsy.com/blog/rv_speed_limits_for_50_states?wb-auto_radius=true&wb-currency=USD&wb-instant_book=true&wb-locale=en-us&wb-page%5Blimit%5D=3&wb-page%5Boffset%5D=0

 

Apples to oranges. It' not the truck that matters, it is the trailer.

https://www.outdoorsy.com/blog/rv_speed_limits_for_50_states?wb-auto_radius=true&wb-currency=USD&wb-instant_book=true&wb-locale=en-us&wb-page%5Blimit%5D=3&wb-page%5Boffset%5D=0

The information I posted was from some article I read a few years back, and apparently they were full of baloney (bologna?). Thanks for the correction. Gee, who'd have thought you would find incorrect information on the internet 🙃.

 

I would not put regular case while towing as an experiment to see if premium is required because pinging occurred. As someone suggested.

Pinging is bad news and sometimes so subtle you don't hear it....

 

Exactly. The Ridge will [inefficiently] retune in real time to avoid pinging but it is much preferable to instead adjust with usage of premium gas when towing.

 

what the TS will legitimately tow

 

Every time I read Honda's towing information I laugh. The occupants must weight 150#? Really, who the heck is driving the vehicle? Are they old enough? Unfortunately I weigh 220#. Even though I'm on a diet, I will never weigh 150# again. I don't dare ask my wife how much she weights so there we are. Also 17.6# of cargo per person? Again, I carry my wife's stuff to the camper and the first bag was 20# and there were more to follow. I wish they would just say the RL really tows 3500# and if you are a normal person and hopefully weigh <250# take it to the scales after you load it to make sure you are under 4100#. That way People wouldn't accidentally overload the truck. I do love my RL!

 

Lest you forget, Honda is a Japanese owned company and the average Japanese male weighs 137.7 lbs compared to the 199.8 lbs that the average American man weighs. The European market is a large market for Honda and the average European man weighs 156.1 lbs. The US makes up slightly less than 1/3 of Honda's total world wide vehicle sales. I suspect that their reasoning is on a bell curve system much like grades and the average weight of an American male is on the bottom end of the bell curve.

 

The ultimate powers to be are still in Japan. A global company such as Honda does not cater to the American market in all things. FYI the Ridgeline is sold outside of NORTH America. It is also sold in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Kitts, and, Trinidad and Tobago. The closest thing to a North American only Honda is the Passport.

 

The ultimate powers to be are still in Japan. A global company such as Honda does not cater to the American market in all things.

OK, now apply that to Ford who uses the exact same 150lb standard. The Ridgeline also is in fact, intended to cater to the North American market.

FYI the Ridgeline is sold outside of NORTH America. It is also sold in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Kitts, and, Trinidad and Tobago. The closest thing to a North American only Honda is the Passport.

You're missing the point Harv, as usual, and instead choosing to be pedantic. The point is it's not sold in either of your examples (Europe and Japan) upon which you built your demographic case. The Ridgeline was and is intended for the North American market. A statistically insignificant number are sold outside the US and Canada.

 

SAE J2087 calls out 150 lb the driver and the passenger for 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.

100 additional pounds is allowed for miscellaneous things and is supposed to be placed between the two axles.

So it seems 150 lb number came from the SAE standard.

 

SAE J2087 calls out 150 lb the driver and the passenger for 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.

100 additional pounds is allowed for miscellaneous things and is supposed to be placed between the two axles.

So it seems 150 lb number came from the SAE standard.

That makes sense. Otherwise manufacturers could pretty easily fudge their published towing capacity ratings by manipulating passenger capacity.

 

The Ridgeline can tow #### pounds. Insert any digits you choose between 0-9 in each position. BUT, it is meant to tow AT MOST 5000 pounds and that would require ideal circumstances. And you can't transfer 647 pounds from your 5646 pound trailer to the truck bed and consider all is good. Weight is weight regardless of where it is traveling. You also MUST consider weights and balances, center of gravity location etc. Were I to tow with my RL I would limit trailer weight to 4000 with trailer brakes and 10-11% tongue weight. Speed while towing 60-62mph maximum. Driving in S mode. YMWV

 

It's also worth mentioning that trim level doesn't matter for max towing capacity - all trims have the same 5000 lb. I only mention this because the thread title includes a trim level.

https://www.bravohondavictoria.com/honda-ridgeline-towing-capacity/#:~:text=2024%20Honda%20Ridgeline%20Towing%20Capacity%20by%20Trim

Payload capacity, however, is different between trim levels:

 

Yes, features add weight which comes out of cargo capacity. Sunroof is one of the worst offenders. And everything is cargo, not just what goes into the bed of the truck. Including humans. Including the driver.

 

Install a larger trans cooler from hayden like I did, make all your issues co away.