Towing with 2016 Honda Pilot

[jreets]

New to the forum and I see I didn't get my title right the first time! I'm in the process of purchasing a Bambi Sport 22 and wondering if my 2016 Honda Pilot will be able to tow ok?

[nvestysly]

Hello, welcome to Air Forums. You'll find lots of useful information on a wide variety of subjects related to Airstreams. Be sure to use the search tool to find information related to questions on your mind.

I suspect you're going to receive many responses to your question regarding towing. Some will say no or perhaps NO! and some may say yes.

One way to learn more about towing capability of "unconventional" tow vehicles is to contact Andrew T via Air Forums private message. He owns and operates Can-Am RV Centre in London, Ontario

Can-Am RV Centre | #1 Airstream Dealer in Customer Satisfaction Worldwide | Your Full-Service RV Dealer

[LBelle]

I see there haven't been many responses...and perhaps the question has been resolved but here is my two cents worth:
We have a 19' International Bambi and have been pulling it with a 2013 Toyota Highlander. Friends have a Honda Pilot so I am familiar with it and it is very similar to the HLer. We have a Blue Ox hitch and it seems to be very good (overkill some might say but we didn't know better when we bought the AS).
We have towed with no real problems and this has included some Cascade mountain trips. But we were slow at altitude and with the idea of going further (Alaska, Montana, the SW...), higher and perhaps in hotter conditions we recently traded the HL for a new Ford F-150. I think it all depends on how much you like to push it down the road, how many mountains you want to cross and how heavy you are to start with (we felt we were nearly maxed out with the 19' re weight of the trailer and the towing vehicle.) With the new rig we are excited to pull out one of these days and I have to admit to worrying before heading out with the Highlander, which we otherwise loved!

[redthies]

I'm a bigger hammer type of guy when it comes to tow vehicles. If your vehicle is "rated" at 5000, and you want to tow 4500, I'd call that unsafe. On paper, the numbers work, but keep in mind that the 5000 lb tow rating does NOT include adding occupants and cargo to the tow vehicle, and water, food, toys, clothes etc in the trailer. It is super easy to exceed your vehicles capabilities when picking mid size SUVs and cross-overs as tow vehicles.

I think for 16-23' AS trailers, the 1500 Ecodiesel from Ram is as good as it gets (29 mpg empty, and 19 mpg towing 5500 lbs is what my friend gets). For 25' and longer, the 2500 Cummins Ram is my choice. I actually tow with a 3500 Cummins as I use the truck for work too. It's overkill I know, but I'm ok with that.

[andreasduess]

Originally Posted by redthies

I'm a bigger hammer type of guy when it comes to tow vehicles. If your vehicle is "rated" at 5000, and you want to tow 4500, I'd call that unsafe. On paper, the numbers work, but keep in mind that the 5000 lb tow rating does NOT include adding occupants and cargo to the tow vehicle, and water, food, toys, clothes etc in the trailer. It is super easy to exceed your vehicles capabilities when picking mid size SUVs and cross-overs as tow vehicles.

I think for 16-23' AS trailers, the 1500 Ecodiesel from Ram is as good as it gets (29 mpg empty, and 19 mpg towing 5500 lbs is what my friend gets). For 25' and longer, the 2500 Cummins Ram is my choice. I actually tow with a 3500 Cummins as I use the truck for work too. It's overkill I know, but I'm ok with that.

A vehicle's tow rating and its payload are two completely different things. I'd love to know the rationale behind calling it unsafe to tow 4500lbs with a vehicle that's well within spec.

[andreasduess]

Originally Posted by jreets

New to the forum and I see I didn't get my title right the first time! I'm in the process of purchasing a Bambi Sport 22 and wondering if my 2016 Honda Pilot will be able to tow ok?

The Honda platform is excellent. Strong, well engineered with a good engine and ample torque. The six speed transmission is smooth and capable.

We towed our 34' 1984 International, weighing 7500lbs ready to camp, for three years with a Honda Odyssey, built on the same platform as the Pilot. We had the hitch reinforced and a transmission cooler added, but that was the extend of our modifications. We were always within all axle and payload ratings for the vehicle.

It was a reliable, safe and capable tow vehicle. It started moving, trailer in tow, the second I took my foot off the brake and saw us through drives that included high winds, snow and heavy rain. Once we lost our trailer brakes due to the cable releasing during a sharp turn (rookie mistake) and the rig came to a stop with zero drama.

The Hondas have a far more sophisticated suspension, a wider suspension stance and far less longitudal twisting than most any truck out there and as a result will stop quicker, change lanes quicker and help the driver to avoid trouble when needed. The Pilot is an eight seater, which means that even in the top configuration it will have a minimum payload of 1200lbs, ample for your purposes.

[remphoto]

We tow our Sport 16 with a 2015 Pilot, which came with a factory tow package and is rated at 4,500 pounds. It tows the 3,500 lb. 16 really well -- perfect match with good towing fuel economy and maneuverability. That said, I would not want to tow anything any longer/heavier -- especially if towing in mountains. I know the 2016 Pilot is an all-new vehicle but many of the specs are similar to the 2015.

[tlcm]

OP, Have you done this already?
I'm looking to do exactly the same setup.

From what I've found, theoretically, 2016 AWD should have plenty of power/torque and rated conservatively to 5000lbs. Just looking for real-life experience since the SUV still new.
Honda tends to be very conservative on its tow ratings... so if this is true, then Pilot "should" have no problem with the 22FB.

[Ahab]

Originally Posted by tlcm

OP, Have you done this already?
I'm looking to do exactly the same setup.

From what I've found, theoretically, 2016 AWD should have plenty of power/torque and rated conservatively to 5000lbs. Just looking for real-life experience since the SUV still new.
Honda tends to be very conservative on its tow ratings... so if this is true, then Pilot "should" have no problem with the 22FB.

I agree