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Old 10-08-2015, 12:52 PM   #1
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What newer trailers CAN I tow? Honda Pilot

So, i have been wanting to buy a pop-up trailer for a while. I am getting on in age and tent camping no longer really suites me. Then I realized that Airstream makes smaller trailers. My problem seems to be my tow vehicle though. I currently drive a 2014 Honda Pilot touring 4wd. I dont really want to upsize my vehicle in the next ten years. I like this size vehicle but wished Honda would put a V8 in it. So, my question really is, which current models can I actually tow safely? Current to me is five years or newer.
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Old 10-08-2015, 12:54 PM   #2
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What is your rated tow weight?
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Old 10-08-2015, 01:03 PM   #3
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A 17' Casita would be the max I would recommend. They weigh up to 3500# and that would give you some wiggle room before maxing out your Honda.

Check out http://www.casitatraveltrailers.com

and The Casita Club - Home for Casita Travel Trailer Owners and Prospective Owners

also The Fiberglass RV Community

A new 16' AS is beyond your tow rating.
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Old 10-08-2015, 01:09 PM   #4
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What is your rated tow weight?
I think it is 4500 lbs
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Old 10-08-2015, 01:28 PM   #5
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I forgot to add that my max car capacity would be two adults and two kids ages 9 and 12.
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Old 10-08-2015, 01:30 PM   #6
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The wiggle room I mentioned is for your other camp stuff you'll load in your Pilot.

Keeping the trailer loaded weight below the gross 3500# will give you better performance and less wear and tear on the Pilot.

Our past 2 17' Casitas both weighed 3250# loaded while on the road camping.

If your average size you will find the Casita very comfortable.

Matter of fact we liked the Casita wet bathroom so much I installed one in our '69 25' AS.
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Old 10-08-2015, 01:46 PM   #7
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Well there's the rub 4 people.

So perhaps a Casita for the adults and an awning room enclosure or a pop up tent for the kids.

BTW I believe the payload capacity of the Pilot only includes a 150# driver.

Also check out Casita Travel Trailer Forum Gene the web master has an awning room on his Casita and you should be able to find pic's of it.
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Old 10-08-2015, 03:06 PM   #8
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I've owned a Casita, 2 adults and two growing kids is not a recipe for enjoyment unless you do the tent. The three of us, myself, my wife and college aged daughter was able to do it and have a good time. The rear dinette made up into a full time 54" bed for wife and kid and I slept on the 24" x 72" dinette bed. One more child and guess who would be sleeping outside?

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Old 10-08-2015, 03:19 PM   #9
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Maybe look at a Jayco hybrid?
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Old 10-08-2015, 03:46 PM   #10
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I think it is 4500 lbs
Are you sure it is only 4,500lbs. I have seen a number of Pilots in these parts towing Airstreams.
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Old 10-08-2015, 03:56 PM   #11
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We have a 2005 Pilot. Our max tow rating for a trailer is 3500 lbs. (boat is 4500lbs). We tow our Airstream Sport 16 with the Pilot. The trailer max weight is 3500 lbs, I have weighed ours "camp ready" and it comes in just under 3300 lbs. The Pilot pulls it fine, but on steep grades like driving up to Lake Tahoe, the engine works hard at times. Read your owners manual, you have to allow for passengers (150 lbs each is what they calculate), gear and gas which gets subtracted from tow capacity. I did the math and we are at our limit. Ours tows very stable but I would not tow anything heavier.
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Old 10-08-2015, 05:00 PM   #12
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If you want it to be an Airstream you'll be limited to a 16' sport with a max weight of 3500#. Anything larger and you're looking at max trailer weights of 4500# leaving you no margin.
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Old 10-08-2015, 05:16 PM   #13
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Well you might want to keep looking at tent trailers. Use the gross weight rating of the trailer as your max limit of 3500#.

Be careful as some of those have a large frontal area when folded down that would act like a larger trailer.

BTW if you get some other brand and still want an Airstream you could always put a sticker on it

Like I did to my 13' Casita I took to AlumaFandango before I finished or '69 Tradewind
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Old 10-08-2015, 05:20 PM   #14
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What about your original idea of getting a popup. We had one when we were traveling with our kids and just loved it. The amount of room you have when opened up is amazing and the large beds (ours had a king at one end, queen at the other, and the dinette made another bed) allow for easily sleeping four plus some friends of the kids at times. There is something wonderful about sleeping in those "tents" that cover the beds too...and yet you are out of the dirt and the wet. Easy towing and can be stored in most garages. The major drawback for me was not having a real bathroom.....although when younger I didn't mind it.


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Old 10-08-2015, 05:25 PM   #15
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We have a 2011 Honda Pilot Touring with tow package and it is rated at 3500lb tow rating. We have towed our Coleman Niagara Popup and were maxed out with that, I'd go 1-2 hrs but not much more then that and not on hills.

It gets worse MPG then our diesel Excursion with a 30' Airstream.
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Old 10-09-2015, 06:20 AM   #16
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Ntex, my original ORIGINAL idea was to wait ten years to buy an Airstream. At that point i would buy a larger vehicle with a V8, something like the Sequoia. I was thinking about a length between 21-25 feet as i just dont want to be pulling a super large trailer. In the meantime, i was going to look at the Jayco's 12U. But of course Airstream keeps pulling me towards it.

It seems like a few on here do think the 16' Sport can be pulled by my Pilot but nothing bigger and I really have to watch my weight.

Or, buy a bigger tow vehicle. I really dont want to move up to the next size SUV, but might consider it if i could get to a 19' trailer. I have the 2014 with about 30,000 miles. If i wait another year and 15,000 miles i might be in the market by spring 2017.
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Old 10-09-2015, 06:26 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted S. View Post
We have a 2011 Honda Pilot Touring with tow package and it is rated at 3500lb tow rating. We have towed our Coleman Niagara Popup and were maxed out with that, I'd go 1-2 hrs but not much more then that and not on hills.

It gets worse MPG then our diesel Excursion with a 30' Airstream.
When i owned my previous Pilot, the 2008, i got terrible mpg. It really upset me as the sticker said 20 hwy and 15 city. Well, in reality i was getting 11-12 city during fall winter and early spring and maybe 14 in the summer. And max 19 hwy. but the 2014 is giving me improved mpg around 14-15 city and 22 hwy.

Not great but....
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Old 10-09-2015, 06:46 AM   #18
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My camping friends have a newer Honda Pilot and the largest Coleman pop up I have seen. I can't remember the model. It has a king bed on one end and a slide out dinette, though. It is a nice, roomy unit. I don't recall what it weighs, but it has to be at the top when it comes to pop ups. I have traveled with them. The Pilot does an ok job. It is about maxed out from what I can tell, though. The mountains really slow it down.
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Old 10-09-2015, 07:16 AM   #19
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If I were you I would get in touch with Andy at Can Am RV and get his opinion. They are the experts at people who want to tow with something less than a pickup.
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Old 10-09-2015, 07:25 AM   #20
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If I were you I would get in touch with Andy at Can Am RV and get his opinion. They are the experts at people who want to tow with something less than a pickup.
For sure... In a previous post I believe Andy reported that they had set up hundreds of 3.5 V6 Honda Mini Vans, Honda Ridgelines, and Honda Pilots.
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