One thing to remember is that towing with a small, light weight imitation truck can be hazardous in emergency braking. If your trailer brakes are not perfect, the tow vehicle does not have the weight or wheel base to control the trailer. The best rule of thumb is to figure out how much the trailer is going to weigh loaded and then stay under 80% of the rated tow weight. Most people have found that if the tow vehicle is strong enough that you don't notice the trailer, you will arrive much more relaxed than having to fight the load all the way.
22' 73 Diamond Class C 03 Crestliner LSi 2485 01 Dakota Quad Cab 63 Newman 17' being restored
I feel I should chime in as well. as an Avalanche driver/lover/proponent.... I see the "sameness" of the Ridegeline's body style and panels. I can't for the life od me see it comparing to my --- modified suburban. That's right... modified suburban. same chassis, same gears, same frame.... I have the 1500. this model has the 5.3 engine, rides like a car, carries 6 people and all their stuff ( AND keeps it loked up under the hard covers). I personally am reseving judgement until I see one (a ridgeline) for myself.
I DO, HOWEVER, THINK IT'S TELLING THAT HONDA IS MARKETING THE RIDGELINE AGAINST THE CHEVY COLORADO AND THE DODGE DAKOTA.... NOT THE AVALANCHE OR TUNDRA OR FERD OR DODGE. THEY'D BE MURDERED BEFORE THEY EVEN GOT STARTED. I think if I was in the market for a small truck I would look at one..... look; anyway. There are just certain things I couldn't like about the ridgelne. I mean IT IS A HONDA.... It should run well and for a loooooong time with proper care... but so will my Avy.
If you're buying a truck with the intent of getting into the RV lifestyle, get the biggest thing that you can afford and that meets your needs, now and forseable future. If I had a dime for everyone on this website alone that bought a light duty truck or mid-sized SUV with the intent of pulling a small trailer then wound up with a bigger TV within a few years, I could buy another trailer.
Our story. Started out w/an extended cab Tundra w/the V6. Bought a 20' hybrid that weighed 4000 lbs. loaded for the weekend, thinking we were good to go. Made 3 slow trips and quickly decided that while we were within the towing range of the Tundra, 50 mph up a gentle hill just wasn't cutting it. 3 months after buying the trailer, DH traded up to the Powerstroke in the sig line. What a difference! We've moved up to a 27' hybrid and can easily go to a decent-sized 5er when the kids no longer want to camp with us.
Honda is great at what they do best - cars, vans and small & mid-sized SUV's. However, if you're looking at towing, get a large SUV or better yet, a heavy duty truck. Ford, Chevy & Dodge all make trucks that are much more suitable for the RV lifestyle.
Just my 2 cents.
Melissa
2004 F250 CC SRW 6.0L PSD "The Beast"
2006 Wildcat 31QBH "The Cat"
1 wonderful husband, 3 great kids and 2 dogs who think they're human.
Quote: Take a look at the differential under a Ford F-150 and then compare it with the Honda.
Then compare that to a 3/4 or 1 ton.
I picked my truck up from the dealer the other day and it was parked next to an identical 1500 4x4. As I got closer and saw the axles side by side it was interesting to me how much smaller the pumpkin was on the 1/2 ton. I guess gears aren't everything, and for that matter 5,000# is plenty different than 10,000#. All things considered, I like the big heavy truck in front. Then again... we got the RV to see the US. If you stay local it may not matter so much.
Dave Lindemulder
Tammy, Mark & Kirsten
04 Dodge 2500 4x4 SLT QC/SB
HO-CTD/48RE - Graphite: Raptor SS nerfs, Prodigy, Reese 16K Kwik-slide, BD X-Monitor, PML Trans pan, PML Diff cover, Firestone Airbags
09 Heartland Cyclone 3210
A friend looked at the Ridgeline but bought another truck--needed a truck to tow his boat. Said the Ridgeline has to use premium gas--is that correct? With premium well over $2.00/gallon (a regular the same in some places) what a bummer!
Linda and husband Dave (retired US Army) W7DDW
Jake, the 86# Black Lab "kid"
2002 Arctic Fox 25R, Honda 2000i
2003 DODGE 3500 SLT Quad Cab, 4x4, SRW, HO CTD, 3.73, 48RE, Jake Brake
I started with the Pilot had Honda do the extra coolers and got a small trailer a 16 foot cub. We enjoy the trailer and don't mind pulling with the Pilot but after a season of feeling the tail wag the dog once to many times upgraded to the Chevy. We are not pulling anything other than our 16 foot whaler with the Honda from now on. I don't have the specs on the ridgeline but can refer you to a site where you will get lots of feed back specific to the ridgeline. pm me if you want the site. The pilot did well with a small trailer but in order not to kill the gas mileage we had to stay at 55mph and use premium gas.
2005 Aerolite 25 RGB-SL
1997 Chevy Silverado K1500
2004 Honda Pilot
2 very spoiled dogs
reading some responses it is heartening to see that most can't be fooled. Look, I am a honda fan, my wife drives a Civic, but I know their limitations. Anything in Honda's line that can tow - minivan, pilot, and ridgeline - all have catches in their tow limits. most of the time these limits include passenger weight and cargo.
I believe both MotorTrend and Auto World did reports on the ridgeline back in the fall, and both stated the same thing: this is not designed to be a heavy-use truck. HOnda has admitted that these are designed for and marketed toward folks who live in the suburbs and who want to drive a truck but who will use it to commute to work each day and who might need to pick up some lumber on the weekends. I was shocked to see it's ad campaign with the ridgeline driving over rocks. This is just not a truck designed for that purpose. I would be leary of towing much of anything with it.
BTW - when looking at trailer weights, I find you're better looking at max gross weights than dry weights, which just aren't realistic. JMHO
04 Isuzu Ascender
2009 Jayco 1207
Eat at Mary's Hot Tamales - Magnolia Ave, Knoxville, TN!
With that size vehicle, do yourself a big favor and stick to something 18-19 ft, 3000-3500 lbs MAX! The towing capabilities of that truck are very similar to my other vehicle, and Infinity QX4 V6. The QX4 is also rated at 5,000 lbs, but after doing extensive research, I learned I would not want to tow more than about 3000 lbs. with it. I know it's "Rated" to tow 5000 lbs, but in the real world, it just doesn't work.
We tow a 24 ft Aljo (5500 max loaded) with our Tundra V8 (rated at 7200 lbs)and the Tundra really has its hands full. JMHO.
The Honda Ridgeline is - by far - the best handling and best riding truck available. In some ways, it is a surprising capable tow vehicle. While I know of no one who has done any long term testing, there was a journalist conducted test that compared the Ridgeline and new F-150 (with 5.4 V8) towing identical 5000lb box trailers. The Ford was quicker off the line while the Honda was faster and more stable throughout the course. That in itself is pretty amazing. However, doubts must remain as to the Honda's long-term powertrain reliability for trailer hauling.
I have no need for a Ridgeline personally but I think it is an excellent vehicle for many people who need small trucks. I don't recommend any tow vehicle towing at it's maximum rated tow weight but the Ridgeline would probably perform better than most trucks while doing so. At least Honda does their tow ratings with realistic passenger and cargo weight. Not the "150 lb driver with an empty tank of gas" rating typical in the industry.
2000 GMC Sierra SLT 2500
1991 Citation Supreme 25.5RK Canadian model 5th wheel
I own a 2005 Honda Odyssey which has the same drivetrain (minus the 4-wheel drive) as the Ridgeline. I have a hard time considering a vehicle with a transverse engine and uni-body construction a truck. I would not want to do alot of towing with a front-wheel drive transmission. On the Ridgeline the power is sent to the rear wheels when extra traction is needed.
2006 Savoy LX 32BHS
2003 Chevrolet 3500 CC/LB/DRW D-Max/Allison
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