I use the Equalizer system for the antisway and an electric brake system. Don't forget to use your pigtail to install the braking system.

 

The Equalizer looks nice, but double the cost of everything else. I also discovered that the owner's manual states our G2s were "designed to tow without the need for a load distributing hitch" - whatever that means. I find it hard to believe Honda would say this without explaining it more. At any rate, have you been able to compare towing with and without the Equalizer on your rig?

 

Using the load equalizer, I would highly recommend getting your truck and trailer on a scale. We had a G2, not too long ago on this forum, with multiple transmission failure while hauling a camping trailer with a load distribution bar. Though you may not exceed the max tongue load, you may want to see that load it may pose on your front axles. You should be able to tow it without the bar and the brake controller just fine.

 

Pulling a 17' Casita without the WDH and the sway bar, but do have the brake controller. You won't need them unless you are overloading the trailer.


trainman

 

We carefully considered the issue of using a WDH or not when we began towing our travel trailer a couple of years ago with our 2011 RTL. Our Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS typically weighs 4600-4700 lbs on a CATScale - with a tongue weight of 480-520 lbs.

We tried towing without one and discovered that our G1 performed so well that we didn't need the additional gear. We did, however, install a friction sway bar but sometimes didn't use that. We towed that trailer with that truck for well ver 12,000 miles in all kinds of winds and terrain. Never a hint of sway or instability.

We just got our RTL-E at the end of the year and look forward to just as successful towing experiences with it as our previous G1.

That said, if you do use a WDH, just mind your payload limits for your truck depending on what all you will have on board, since a WDH will add maybe a 100 lbs or so.

Happy towing and travels!

 

We are seriously to consider getting 2021 RL for towing Rpod 190 after test driving Tacoma and did not like. . Wondering are you still towing Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS with your G2 RL, have you encountered any truck transmission or suspension issue?

Thank you so much

Jeremy

 

Thanks for your insights! I think I’m leaning toward skipping the WDH and going for just an anti sway bar along with the brake controller. I think this will align better with Honda’s stance on the subject. Not to mention it’ll be much cheaper!

 

I just bought a 2017 Forest River Wildwood X-Lite FS 195 BH...fully loaded weight just under 4,000 lbs. The previous owner is selling it along with his Weight Distribution Bars/hitch included for no additional cost. Is the WDH something that I should NOT use? Or is there no harm in using it now that I own the equipment?

Also, do I ALSO need to purchase a sway bar in addition to this WDH? Sorry total towing noob here so I really appreciate the advice.

I've already decided I want the brake controller, really like the OEM look of the Curt knob model, going to take a stab at a DIY install of that.

I've got a young family with a 2 and a 1 yr old so my preference is to take any and all safety precautions even if its a bit overkill (so long as there's a benefit, and not a detrmiment)

 

WDH’s usually have some away control functions as part of the design.

I had a similar trailer, maybe 500lbs heavier, it was an ease pulling it 15 miles to the beach every few weeks. One long trip and I learned that pulling it with even a half ton wasn’t for me. Yes the numbers worked out, the f150 was nearly maxed out once you calculate carrying / payload of the vehicle.

It wasn’t fun at all, every large vehicle passing me was stressful.

 

The Rpod is a lightweight puppy at 3k GVWR. That will put say 350lbs on the tow hitch leaving a significant amount left over for people and "stuff" in the RL.

 

Rockwood is correct. An Rpod will not approach anywhere close to the Ridgeline's engineered towing limits. You will be perfectly fine and have a delightful towing experience. Best practices for towing advise a tongue weight of 10%-15% of your trailer weight, and that is reflected in Rockwood's educated estimate of tongue weight for your proposed Rpod. Our rig is in a much larger class; i.e. when fully loaded our CAT Scales weights typically show over 4,600 lbs. Given that we are that close to the max 5,000 lb tow rating, managing tongue weight is more significant than in your situation (making sure we are at 480 lb - 520 lb per a Sherline Tongue Weight Scale is the goal). Always completely stable with those ratios. You will be delighted with the Ridgeline's performance. Let us know how it works out.

 

Thanks for Rcokwood and Last Train. We will test driving 2021 RL this weekend.

 

Hello Ridgeline Owners, not sure if I'm too late on getting suggestions from this Blog but:

Just purchased my first travel trailer camper for my 2021 Ridgeline RTL. The camper is a 2022 Micro Minnie 2108TB. Dry weight 4080lbs and a GVWR of 5500. Tongue weight is 440ish. I purchased an Andersen WDH prior from another dealer but found out that the person who sold it to me sold me the 4" ball hitch system instead of the 8". I needed actually 6 1/2 inches but of courses it only comes 4 or 8. I pulled this camper home from Shebouygan WI to north Mississippi and I will tell you, IT WAS TERRIBLE!!!!! The dealer I purchased the camper from told me that i was around 2" to low and needed the 6 1/2" rise but should be ok to pull home. Although looking level, would that have had that much difference to my awful pulling experience?? Anyone suggest a better product for my situation??? HELP!

 

I will recommend to use equalizer WDH. I had bad experience with Blue OX sway pro. Since I switched to equalizer WDH. It makes huge difference. equalizer is active sway control and sway pro (I guess it is almost same as Andersen WDH, the all have chain connections) is passive sway control.

towing experience in the windy day

Did first real camping trip on May 7th. All were going very well but don't like the wind. 4 hours trip (275 km, from Edmonton to jasper ) we used >5 hours because the head-cross wind. The wind gust over 40km/h in some sections. I feel like driving a boat, 2021 EX-L all stock, towing 2022...

www.ridgelineownersclub.com

 

I was told by the person who recommended the Andersen Hitch to turn OFF the sway control or Vehicle Stability Control option on my Ridgeline. He said the F150's and Honda do not work well with this feature on. Is that something you or anyone else does when towing a camper of around 4500 lbs? Thanks for any feedback!

 

Last summer, I towed an A-Frame popup with my G2 Sport (along with my wife and 2 kids!) for a 6,000 mile trip. No brake controller, no fancy DWH, and it was a breeze. The popup's weight was 2700lbs.

This year, I'll be towing a 2017 Micro Minnie 1700BH which has a dry weight of 3,010 lbs.

I'm already convinced on getting a brake controller, and I think I'm convinced about getting a WDH with sway control. I'll be hauling this thing over the Colorado Rockies and to the West Coast and back.. likely every summer. Due to the bigger rig, I want to take all the extra safety measures.

Question is, is there a real difference in the WDH I get? There are so many makes and models it's a bit overwhelming. I'm currently considering this CURT model, but I don't know if it's overkill, or if it's truly compatible with the truck (if that's even a thing). I'm very ignorant on the subject. Any insight or recommendation for a particular WDH over this one would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Brake Controller - F#ck Yes. 2700lb is a heavy pop-up and I personally would not tow it without a brake controller. Our old pop-up weighed in around 1800lbs and I added brakes to it. It should be criminal to have a trailer over 1500/2000 without brakes (IMO).

WDH - I am torn on this. With a pop up it is useless. The camper goes where you tell it to and there is not enough surface area to toss around. We currently have a Hitch 17BHS (very similar to what you have) and have a BlueOx TrackPro. We had a similar camper before that we did not have WDH. The WDH does help some on the highways when a big rig blows by you and/or with high winds. The problem is with the additional time to hookup and weight and issues I am debating even using it much longer.

The big issue I have encountered is when you get off the highway and stop for food or gas and there is a steep incline the bracket shifts on the camper. The Hitch is 3500lb; at 3000lb I would really reconsider the value.

Additionally I have noticed that w/o the WDH, the current Hitch tows better in part due to having a Torsen Axle over the Leaf Spring; not sure what the Minnie has.