towing jayco x17Z feather ultra lite with hond pilot ex 4w/d

[mariememe]

We're now looking at the honda pilot ex 4/wd hopefully 2013 to tow our hybrid jayco17Z. Does anyone have experience with this combo?

[Wavesprite]

I don't want to get into any arguments about what can and cannot be towed with a Honda Pilot, but I will say that we tow our Travelstar 19CK with our Pilot through the Sierras, all through Northern California, Oregon, etc, and have never had any issues. We can't even feel the trailer back there.

[bikendan]

Jonaz, since you are confident in your Pilot's ability, what do you think is the reason of Honda being the only auto manufacturer to not recommend using a WDH for towing a TT?

It definitely doesn't instill confidence.

[dadmomh]

To me, when the manufacturer says "not recommended" that pretty much = don't do it. Our neighbors have a Pilot and it's a great vehicle, but he doesn't even tow his boat. If you trash your vehicle, Honda is likely to thumb their nose at you. If you cause an accident due to a "not recommended" vehicle, you're in a world of hurt. It's up to you. If you choose to tow with something "not recommended" and have an accident, your insurance is not going to be any too eager to pay and we can only hope that no one is hurt.

[jonaz]

Heres the specs on a 2015 Jayco 17Z:

Unloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs) 2,785
Dry Hitch Weight (lbs) 340
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (lbs) 3,500
Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs) 715

Why should this guy trade in his Honda Pilot for a full size truck when the Honda will pull it just fine? I actually live in the mountains, and I have never had a white knuckle experience. The Pilot is actually a very stable vehicle for towing small trailers.

[jonaz]

"Standard towing jargon. If the cuv can't use a wdh then it has no business towing anything but utility trailer, popup, boat."

My Honda Pilots manual never said a WDH could not be used, it simply said not recommended. It then went on to say "an improper setup could lead to braking problems..or something to that effect".

How am I boasting about my trailers unloaded vehicle weight? I think your the crazy one for posting on a vehicle that you know very little about.

Frieken weight police.

[bikendan]

jonaz wrote:
You people are crazy! I owned a 2003 Honda Pilot for 8 years, and it towed our Jayco Kiwi perfectly. Yes, we used a WDH- with no problems. It towed much better than our Ford Exploder, and we never got a check engine light. The Pilots are tough, and they are not just some cute SUV. I beat the******out of ours towing in the mountains, deserts, and up the grade to Bishop CA many times. It never let us down.

I think our Pilot had 200,000 miles on it when we traded it in. It was the most reliable vehicle we ever owned. I know we exceeded 3500lbs towing with firewood and full water tanks, plus 3 adults, 2 kids, and a fat dog. It was the little engine that could...

you didn't address Honda's anti-WDH policy. what if the WDH had damaged the unibody chassis? i seriously doubt that Honda would have warrantied it.

a close friend owned a similar Pilot. he thought he could tow his Starcraft 19 HTT thru the Sierras.
after a white knuckle roundtrip, he swore he'd never do it again.
luckily, he had a Silverado 1/2 ton to do the job.

[PAThwacker]

Crazy is admitting negligence and boasting an UVW in a signature

[jonaz]

You people are crazy! I owned a 2003 Honda Pilot for 8 years, and it towed our Jayco Kiwi perfectly. Yes, we used a WDH- with no problems. It towed much better than our Ford Exploder, and we never got a check engine light. The Pilots are tough, and they are not just some cute SUV. I beat the******out of ours towing in the mountains, deserts, and up the grade to Bishop CA many times. It never let us down.

I think our Pilot had 200,000 miles on it when we traded it in. It was the most reliable vehicle we ever owned. I know we exceeded 3500lbs towing with firewood and full water tanks, plus 3 adults, 2 kids, and a fat dog. It was the little engine that could...

[bikendan]

I wouldn't buy any Honda for a tow vehicle, except for a popup/A-frame, due to their anti-wdh policy.
we were going to buy a Ridgeline for a tow vehicle for our Roo, cause we loved it. Especially the DW.
but once I found out about this policy, I dropped it from consideration.

As far as I know, Honda is the only auto company that has such a policy.
this tells me that they don't trust their products as tow vehicles and no Honda should be towing a HTT/TT without one.

[PAThwacker]

go wild wrote:
"Definitely will need tow package, HD trans cooler, sway bars, etc

Standard towing jargon. If the cuv can't use a wdh then it has no business towing anything but utility trailer, popup, boat.

[go_wild]

Check the Hybrid section of the JaycoOwners forum. There are a number of threads discussing this very topic, with comments from Pilot/17Z owners. Definitely will need tow package, HD trans cooler, sway bars, etc.

[llowllms]

I didn't think a Honda Pilot could tow anything. Might be wise to look at a different tow vehicle. Also, I wouldn't rely on what a salesman might say either. They have been known to stretch the truth a bit.

[rexlion]

I see two problems. One, the dry hitch weight is nearly 400 lb and once you get loaded it will probably be 500 lb or more. Check the hitch weight rating of the Pilot, you may be over. Second, your trailer has a large frontal area (8' wide) and will push a lot of air; you could do ok if you keep your speed down around 55, but beyond that it might struggle and do a lot of shifting (which is hard on a transmission). Weightwise you are within the limit and have plenty of cushion. So the first thing to check is the hitch weight rating, and if it's ok and if you are comfortable with a slower pace, then you could get it.

Personally, for that trailer I'd lean more toward a Lexus GX460 which has a V8, or a V8 or diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee/Dodge Durango.

[PAThwacker]

Not a recommended row vehicle. It is designed as cuv since first introduced. Number 1 attributed: move people, number 2 carry dog in rear
Not designed for off-road use nor towing.