tnrv'er wrote:
Last train, do you have WD hitch ?
Apologies for missing your question, TN. Had another camping trip up around the Tyler, TX area since this thread unfolded, and the stuff of life just got in the way.
The answer is "no," we do not use a WD hitch with our Ridgeline.
This was another considered decision that came out of research on the truck and TT. And this is discussed back and forth among Ridgeline owners who tow travel trailers on the ridgelineownersforum.com. The discussion pivots around: (1) the direct admonition in the Ridgeline owner's manual that advises against the use of a WD hitch - with the statement that an incorrectly adjusted WD hitch can have adverse affects on the truck's handling and braking characteristics, etc. (this is not an exact quote 'cause I'm too lazy to go to the garage and get the manual out of the truck!, but it's close); (2) available engineering analysis from internal Honda sources that certifies that the truck was designed and engineered to function very well without a WD hitch - as long as you stayed within its stated limits. (Lots of reasons for this that I could post in an already too long response, but PM me if you want an actual document that discusses the points.)
So on the one hand you could say that Honda's cautionary statement is full of "CYA." If nothing else, we all know that you can get good professional assistance in correctly setting up a good WD hitch system - even though many may "wing it" and therefore not get the thing set up correctly. Regardless, Honda doesn't want to get sued any more than anyone else.
On the other hand, and this is where we landed, I took the overall evidence from the Ridgeline owners who reported that their trucks and TT rigs behaved very well without a WD hitch installed. And further, I examined every discoverable shred of Ridgeline towing analysis I could find to gain a level of comfort in going on without one. And I trusted what Gary Flint's design team (I misspelled his last name with a "y" in an earlier post) had done in creating the Ridgeline. As I understand it, they wanted to create a sort of "Swiss Army knife" truck that already possessed multiple capabilities engineered and built into the vehicle - without requiring the owner/user to option out a bunch of other gear to equip it for various tasks.
That approach created some penalties, because there are lots of other trucks out there that excel in certain areas more so than the Ridgeline. But they also may not be able to do the number of things the Ridgeline can do quite well - though maybe not exceptionally. The Gen 1 Ridgeline deserves criticism for less than best MPG, only 247 lb/ft of torque in a 250 hp engine and its infamously weird appearance (to many people). But it does so many things very well, including towing without a WD hitch. (The newly released Gen 2, 2017 model Ridgeline successfully addresses all the things mentioned above - and more.)
We do use a friction sway bar, and that has contributed to our solid towing experience. The weight distribution on the truck is 58% - 42% front to rear as it is sitting in our garage at the moment (I'm stating from memory so somebody don't shoot me if I'm off a digit - but I do think I'm correct). So when we hitch up our 192 RBS with the tongue weights I've noted above (480-520 or so) the rear bumper drops at the most 2". But again, the truck is natively designed to function well with these kind of loads. It is designed to act like this. And I'm not feeling light on the front axle for steering/handling, for instance. And we live in Texas where winds are an export crop, and we've towed in winds from all directions of the compass without any issues whatsoever.
But with all of this said, there is no way in the world that I would suddenly feel full of "truck testosterone" and hitch up a 6,000 lb trailer with 700 lb tongue weight (to make up a silly example) to this Ridgeline and set out on a trip. The truck is just not designed to do that. But for what we've got, it's hitch and go. In fact, getting ready soon to head over to Bastrop State Park for a few days. Should be lots of fun and an easy tow . . . but then, there are always those winds to knock our mileage down!
SoundGuy wrote:Jebby14 wrote:
Even the Pilot and the Ridgeline are not really well suited tow vehicles.
Forum member Last Train tows the same trailer I have - a Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS - with his Honda Ridgeline and as I understand it is quite happy with how it tows his trailer. My own 192RBS is an older 2014 model that typically runs ~ 4600 lbs loaded and ready to camp but I'd imagine his newer 192RBS would weigh about the same. Although I have no idea what model year his Ridgeline is it seems to do the job for him. ๐
Well, I guess SoundGuy just called me out!;) And that's totally fine. We both tow the same travel trailer, as he has said. Ours is a 2016 model that we have been quite successfully towing for the last year and one half with our 2011 Honda Ridgeline RTL. Over that time we have logged just over 6,000 miles.
Our CAT Scale weights (we weigh regularly) typically show a trailer weight of 4600-4700 lbs. Our tongue weights come in around 480-520 lbs. Our Generation 1 Ridgeline has a payload capacity of 1,497 and a tow rating of 5,000 lbs. with a GCWR of 10,085 lbs. All of our CAT Scale weights come in well within its stated limits. The 192 RBS is a full profile rig at about 10' high and is a full 8' wide with tandem axles. We decided on this trailer after about one full year of research. As was stated above, try to think about any potential TT in real life, real world situations. We have been very happy with our choice, but it was based on lots of patient research.
As SoundGuy mentioned, we have been quite satisfied with our towing experience with our Ridgeline. In Internet forums you can get lots of information based on hard facts and lots of opinions, also. Opinions are fine, but even they should have a basis in fact. So in the spirit of candor, allow me to share some facts about the Ridgeline as a tow vehicle.
We have owned two of these truck's - a 2009 RTS and our current 2011 RTL. We bought the first upon the recommendation of our independent mechanic who knew we needed an efficient tow vehicle for our 20' boat. We liked that one so much that upon hearing rumors that Honda was going to stop building them, we bought our current one. Only later on did we step in to the world of towing a travel trailer, so we did this sort of backwards according to the common wisdom; i.e. buy your trailer first, then purchase your tow vehicle.
That said, we put lots of research into settling on our Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS. That included LOTS of research on the Ridgeline as a tow vehicle. The bottom line to all of this is that we discovered that, contrary to lots of uninformed opinions, Gary Flynt (Honda's lead design engineer for the Gen 1) over-engineered and under-rated this truck to be a solid and stable towing platform if one stays within its limits. It was designed and manufactured to be stiff and tough and tight, and that supports its success as a towing platform. It is a unibody design, but those rather ugly flying buttresses alongside the bed and the entire side panels are actually one single stamping of steel that are undergirded by a high strength steel ladder frame with seven cross members that unite the entire system into an extremely strong and stiff platform. We have over 130,000 miles on our truck, and there is not a single rattle or squeak in the thing whether towing or not.
Some of the reasons the Ridgeline can tow well are: (1) its all wheel drive system; it is front end biased for economy, but the system dynamically engages the rear wheels as needed for ultimate traction and pulling power (I can certify that from years of yanking a 3800 lb boat and trailer up slick ramps either on one of our bays or an area lake-while other fisherman are waiting their turn-not a time for hesitation or mistakes!); (2) VSA (vehicle stability assist) that immediately senses wheel slippage and compensates to prevent a skid; (3) factory equipped transmission and power steering coolers and a very efficient air induction system; (4) dual radiator cooling fans to augment the other cooling systems; (5) prewired to install your choice of an electronic brake controller (we use a Tekonsha Primus); (6) its unibody frame and cross members were based on the Acura MDX platform then beefed up considerably to handle truck type duties while enjoying an outstandingly comfortable ride. Another huge misconception is that the Ridgeline was designed from the Pilot or even the Odyssey. That's just not true and is information available to anyone who has the desire to actually research the truck.
Though our home is on the Texas Gulf Coast in the greater Houston area (where the terrain is pretty flat), all of our trips have have been in anything but that. We have traveled to the northern Ozark Mountains and navigated hilly terrain in eastern Oklahoma in near 100 degree temperatures. We have made multiple trips to the Texas Hill Country and fought Austin's stop and go traffic in summer heat. We have dealt with over 100 degree temperatures last August headed to the Rio Grande Valley while fighting 20+ mph winds. With the Ridge's characteristics and our use of a friction sway bar - and consistently loading our trailer and truck correctly, our rig is a very solid towing arrangement. Never the hint of trailer sway nor have I ever had the stereotypical "white knuckle" episode - not yet, anyway!! ๐
In the next year or so, we may be looking at our next tow vehicle, and we would be absolutely foolish to ignore any of the excellent 1/2 ton trucks out there. But at the same time, the Gen 2 Ridgeline (just introduced last summer as a 2017 model) is a candidate. Just recently it was awarded the North American Truck of the Year prize. Similarly, it also won top place in the safety crash ratings for ALL pickups by the IIHS. I can easily garage our Ridgeline, and our in-bed truck is used ALL the time. The dual action tailgate makes bed access so easy, so I'd to give all that up . . .
As far as its towing capabilities, you should review what the TFL Truck guys have shared in their Ridgeline review and their "Super Ike Gauntlet" test - http://www.tfltruck.com/?s=Ridgeline+super+ike+gauntle
The new Ridgeline does quite well in their estimation - and that's a lot coming from Roman.
Stay within its design limits and the Ridgeline is a very stable platform for towing a travel trailer.
