Towing pop up with 2004 Honda Odyssey?
We have always been tent campers. We are considering getting a light pop up to do local trips in the CO mountains. Is it crazy to tow with our 2004 Odyssey? We just got a lot of work done on it so it ...
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The short answer is it depends on the Pup. Minivans actually make good tow vehicles as long as you stay within their capabilities, as most modern ones have plenty of power and they have a low center of gravity. The big downfall of minivans is their soft rear suspension (for most) as they are designed as people movers, not tow beasts. You can add airbags to help combat the softer springs in the rear, but remember, the bags don't increase your carrying capacity. You still have to be mindful of the tongue weight.
Would a larger SUV be a better towing platform? Certainly, but as long as you stay well within your weight limits, you should be fine although the mountain towing may be an issue. As was mentioned earlier, these year model vans did have a transmission issue. We had an '04 and Honda replaced the transmission with 80K on it and having never towed. Wife was nervous of it after that, so we sold it not long after the replacement, so I don't know how well it did.
Would a larger SUV be a better towing platform? Certainly, but as long as you stay well within your weight limits, you should be fine although the mountain towing may be an issue. As was mentioned earlier, these year model vans did have a transmission issue. We had an '04 and Honda replaced the transmission with 80K on it and having never towed. Wife was nervous of it after that, so we sold it not long after the replacement, so I don't know how well it did.
