Honda Ridgeline RTL Tow vehicle

mswartz · 04-04-2005, 07:58 PM

I bought a Honda Ridgeline RTL a week ago , primarily for towing my 2001 19-ft Bambi. Yesterday I got the time to set up the Blue Ox weight distributing hitch for the new tow vehicle, along with a new Tekonsha Prodigy.

After 48 miles of test towing, the Ridgeline seems to be a very good match for the Bambi. It's sized well for me and has good pickup, and more importantly, stopping is very graceful and predictable.

A picture below shows the setup as I tested it in the beachsand off the side of the road. The Ridgeline in 4WD pulled the Bambi nicely through and out of the soft edge.

I hadn't bought a pickup truck before, but when I looked into the Ridgeline it seemed to me that Honda has applied their skills for quality and engineering thoroughness to this vehicle. It has been specifically designed for towing up to 5000lb trailers and so far handles my Bambi with ease.

Anyone else towing with a Ridgeline yet? I'd like to hear your experience.

Coastalview · 04-04-2005, 08:06 PM

Marshall, you maybe the first one to have this setup. Looks nice, and nice to see Honda jump into the pickup market. here locally, you can only order a Ridgeline at this time. Jeff

2airishuman · 04-04-2005, 08:22 PM

hi marshall

honda does great engines....always has, then wraps them in something very well designed, be it bike, mower, car and now truck. looked at the ridgeline at the auto show and the bed-trunk and two way gait are cool. others will be doing this soon.

there are often first year issues, even at honda, so i hope you don't suffer too many.

from your photo the rear end looks low. maybe it's just the angle or maybe the load distribution needs to be a little tighter. worse case is the rear suspension is over loaded and you'll need an up grade.

of course it could just be the photo.

keep us informed.
cheers
2air

mswartz · 04-04-2005, 08:26 PM

2air,
You're absolutely right, the rear end is a bit low. While the left side was in sand, the WD hitch wasn't completely lined up in this picture. Trouble was, the sun came out over the Vineyard just when I had the chance to take a picture, so it was too good to pass up the shot! I have since adjusted the hitch head to level it.
Thanks!

Silvertwinkie · 04-04-2005, 08:27 PM

Having been around Honda's for over 10 years, they are great vehicles, clearly.

In your case however, the back end looks like it's hanging too low. So I took a look at the Honda site and it claims that the V-6 truck has a 5k tow capacity. The Bambi weighs approx 4600lbs GVWR. That means the truck would have the ablility for 400 lbs more (2 passengers and some gear) before it reaches the max. Most seasoned towers like to have about 20% reserve tow capacity from the tow vehicles rating. You are either at or near 100% capacity which would make me a bit uneasy.

rluhr · 04-04-2005, 09:10 PM

That's what my Honda Pilot looked like before I adjusted the Reese hitch properly. With proper adjustment it tows 4300 lbs easily and comfortably, with great handling properties. I believe the Pilot has the same engine, tranny, and unibody truck frame as the Ridgeline, although I'm not sure what they did to the Ridgeline to justify a 500 lb increase in tow rating.

mswartz · 04-04-2005, 09:46 PM

Thanks for the comments.

The Ridgeline has a closed-box frame that's unique on the Honda lineup. I can say it feels stiff, but the ride is very smooth. While I haven't towed more than 50 miles, I've put over 2100 miles on it in only 7 days since delivery and can say it's the best vehicle I've ever owned, even including the Odyssey I still have after 170k miles and an Accord with over 200k.

Here's a view of the Ridgeline after levelling the WD hitch.

2airishuman · 04-05-2005, 01:49 AM

hi marshall

yes that looks better and the honda looks great with the bambi....very stylish. i bet you're smiling big with that setup and rightly so.

i was wondering about the silver box behind the lp tanks. now i realize it must be a generator set up. this looks good too.

i'm no engineer or towing expert, so my observations are just that....

with a single axel trailer load distribution within the trailer is really important. if this were my set up, i'd find a scale and get a full set of weight measurements. truck plus trailer (loaded with water and fuel and gear), front and rear truck axel loads individually, tongue weight (especially with the genset and full lp tanks) and trailer axel weight. i'm told tongue loads of 10-13% are ideal and no more than 15%. then i would have some one film the rig while moving, accelerating and while applying the brakes. this would reveal any "dipping" of the hitch area during braking and could help with adjusting the load bars.

my understanding is that while braking weight centers shift forward, moving the load centers forward toward the hitch and rear truck axel. also the truck weight centers move forward too. that's one reason front brakes are bigger than rears. anyway watching a short video would reveal any "bobbing or dipping" that you might not feel from the driver seat. i think you are very close to the max weights, so mileage and brake pads might go sooner, also the truck hubs/bearing should be watched for wear. but if the loaded rig is stable and you're a careful driver...you can manage. there might be a temptation to tow with empty water tank but this would make the tongue load % higher and might be less stable.

being new, the aftermarket folks haven't made much for this truck yet but i'd be looking for a beefier rear antisway bar upgrade and rear suspension upgrades when they're available.

i'm a big fan of extra parts and backup systems...that's one reason i opted for a triple axel over a double. also being new to towing i'm planning to take an 'rv drivers course' early this season.

regards
2air'