This has been asked and discussed numerous times and here is just one thread below
There are many who advise that it is okay to use WD hitches on monocoque (unibody),
but I am not one of them. I know how a monocoque is designed and built.
The decision is yours (OP) to use a WD or not hitch
and to be fair, here is my 'to be fair' post that my Odyssey says it's ok to
use a WD Hitch system (Honda Pilot is derived from the Odyssey...they use the
same platform)
BenK wrote: To be fair, just went and checked my Odyssey's glove box manual that I've captured
on my Internet photo account.
It does say okay to use a WD hitch, but elsewhere it limits the weight of the
max trailer factored by the passenger loading
Here they are:
MTWR factored by passenger loading
GCWR
WD hitch
U-Haul receiver label
Finally, you then need to understand how the various ratings work and that they
are in concert. Most take any one of those ratings out of context (absolute)
and is wrong when one or more of the other components/ratings/etc are at their
limits
This diagram will help you see the whole picture
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...
Tongue weight MUST be 10-15% of the entire trailer's weight in order to ensure a stable sway-free tow.
190lbs on a 3800lb trailer is only 5%. A travel trailer set up like that will be VERY dangerous on the road.
Go out and LOOK at the hitch on your vehicle. There will be a sticker or imprint somewhere on the hitch that indicates its capacity. Please report back with what you find.
2002 Chevy 3500 DRW 8.1L/Allison
2000 Palomino B1500
...and the reason why I need a DRW to haul a Palomino:
2004 United 7x14 tandem axle enclosed toy trailer
2011 PJ 8x20 7-ton deckover equipment trailer
4monkeys wrote: Dry weight trailer 2,300.
We don't have propane or battery. There is a wet bath, fresh water tank holds 20.
Not dry weight.
Dry HITCH weight. That's the amount of weight that will be placed directly on the back axle of your SUV. There is a weight restriction, and since you can't use a WDS, you are likely to approach it quickly.
selectsplat, I don't see any reference to dry hitch weight in Honda Pilot owner's manual or the RV info I currently have...where would I find that info?
mkirsch wrote: Go out and LOOK at the hitch on your vehicle. There will be a sticker or imprint somewhere on the hitch that indicates its capacity. Please report back with what you find.
There would be a disclaimer on the hitch saying to look at the owners manual for actual vehicle capacities. Look at the picture posted above. Hitch capacity does not always equal vehicle capacity.
Don’t exceed the lower of the 2 ratings.
According to the towing guidelines in the Honda owners manual, you can have between 100 pounds and 450 pounds of tongue weight on a 2010 Pilot ( I could not find a 2011 manual online )
See page 438 of the manual:
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