Acura MDX towing

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by Andrew T

70 PSI isn’t the minimum for a load range “E” for example Mercedes specs 61 PSI for the E range tires on the Sprinter.

The Endurance has no problem running 35-50 PSI depending on the trailer weight. We have not seen the durability issues with it that we saw with Marathons and other ST tires.

The ride with Michelin’s is much smoother. The old LT 235 Michelin and the current Passenger XL Michelin are basically the same tire.

Andy

Hi Andy- I had the newer XL Michelins "Passenger" tires installed on my 2014 25' FC just about 2 years ago and I did notice a difference in the handling of the trailer on the highway. I could feel a sway type sensation when changing lanes that I did not have on earlier2008- 25' AS and my 2006.(Those were LT rated at the time). I attribute the sway sensation to the side wall being thinner on these new XL Passenger rated Michelins, then the it was with the Light Truck rated earlier Michelins, which are not offered in 15" anymore. Which is why I went with these Endurance tires on my 28' FC. I see the ratings on my 28' FC put the pressure at around 45 psi with 1895lbs n each wheel and total loaded (7580lbs including tongue weight). From reading this thread, I need to adjust the pressure down from 80psi the Discount Tire guys put in them on Friday, down to 45 to reduce stress on the AS and save rivets and provide smoother ride? Has me thinking I should have stayed with the 16" LT rated Michelins and upsized to the 16" Sendel wheels?

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

Hi Andy- I had the newer XL Michelins "Passenger" tires installed on my 2014 25' FC just about 2 years ago and I did notice a difference in the handling of the trailer on the highway. I could feel a sway type sensation when changing lanes that I did not have on earlier2008- 25' AS and my 2006.(Those were LT rated at the time). I attribute the sway sensation to the side wall being thinner on these new XL Passenger rated Michelins, then the it was with the Light Truck rated earlier Michelins, which are not offered in 15" anymore. Which is why I went with these Endurance tires on my 28' FC. I see the ratings on my 28' FC put the pressure at around 45 psi with 1895lbs n each wheel and total loaded (7580lbs including tongue weight). From reading this thread, I need to adjust the pressure down from 80psi the Discount Tire guys put in them on Friday, down to 45 to reduce stress on the AS and save rivets and provide smoother ride? Has me thinking I should have stayed with the 16" LT rated Michelins and upsized to the 16" Sendel wheels?

I have the 16” Michelins, P rated and run 50 psi. on my 27’ Serenity. Much smoother than the 16” old range E tires and I don’t have to worry about reading charts. Just inflate to sidewall pressure and go.

[SteveNdebbie]

I think he needs a bigger truck

[0557]

Originally Posted by SteveNdebbie

Attachment 319149

I think he needs a bigger truck

You got a Hensley for that, LOL

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by GMFL

Snip...
Legally if you have an accident someone is going to send you to the cleaners.

Anyone with a $100,000 airstream and $75,000 pickup is going to get taken to the cleaners if they wreck regardless of what you payload sticker and manufacturers specs say.

The guy probably drives this setup more carefully than many on here with the giant pickups (yes I have a giant pickup lol)

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by Countryboy59

Anyone with a $100,000 airstream and $75,000 pickup is going to get taken to the cleaners if they wreck regardless of what you payload sticker and manufacturers specs say.

The guy probably drives this setup more carefully than many on here with the giant pickups (yes I have a giant pickup lol)

Not really....if your within specs, and have good insurance, should not be an issue...it's when you try to "cheat" the specs and "think" your going to be fine without certification, you could have an issue...just saying....

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

Not really....if your within specs, and have good insurance, should not be an issue...it's when you try to "cheat" the specs and "think" your going to be fine without certification, you could have an issue...just saying....

If you’re counting on “good insurance” you’re doing it wrong. If you cause a wreck the last thing they’re going to look at is your payload sticker.

[SteveNdebbie]

Originally Posted by 0557

You got a Hensley for that, LOL

Attachment 319384
Hensley

Attachment 319385
Hensley with initial set up


Reinforcement of hitch

Attachment 319386
Hensley after hitch reinforcement and setup redone

Cost about $550.00.

[SteveNdebbie]

Originally Posted by SteveNdebbie

Attachment 319384
Hensley

Attachment 319385
Hensley with initial set up

Attachment 319387Attachment 319388
Reinforcement of hitch

Attachment 319386
Hensley after hitch reinforcement and setup redone

Cost about $550.00.

Attachment 319389

Some pictures did not load. I will try again

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by SteveNdebbie

Some pictures did not load. I will try againAttachment 319395Attachment 319396Attachment 319397

POI...Run your umbilical thru the D-ring. 👍

FWIW...I no longer use zip-ties, velcro cable ties work better,😏

Your head appears a bit off-center🤪, has the lock pin dropped or are you backing hitched & turning?

Bob
🇺🇸

[SteveNdebbie]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

POI...Run your umbilical thru the D-ring. [emoji106]



FWIW...I no longer use zip-ties, velcro cable ties work better,[emoji57]



Your head appears a bit off-center🤪, has the lock pin dropped or are you backing hitched & turning?



Bob

[emoji631]

Backing up and turning. Good idea about the velcro and the umbilical through the D-ring.
Where do you set your tension bars?

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by SteveNdebbie

Backing up and turning. Good idea about the velcro and the umbilical through the D-ring.Attachment 319405
Where do you set your tension bars?

I also have the tubes 'pinned' on the forth hole.
I have the jacks marked for different loads. The lowest is when we are very heavy, loaded fully for extended off grid Lake time. On our last outing we were halfway between 3 & 4.

I would recommend several trips to the CAT Scales to determine which is best for your set-up. It's VERY important that both the TV & Trailer be level when the WD is set.

Sweet Streams

Bob
🇺🇸

[SteveNdebbie]

When I had my spring bar jack tightened as far as it would go out TT seemed to lurch our TV a little. I loosened each side by seven half turns and our setup felt more relaxed, less rigid. Curious as to why your spring bars have that bend. Was that a special modification?

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by SteveNdebbie

When I had my spring bar jack tightened as far as it would go out TT seemed to lurch our TV a little. I loosened each side by seven half turns and our setup felt more relaxed, less rigid. Curious as to why your spring bars have that bend. Was that a special modification?

They are stock haha bars.

I exchanged the 1400lb bars that came with my haha for 1000lb bars. The 1400's were just too stiff, giving a harsh ride, when I up-graded our receiver the stiffer bars were no longer needed to transfer the necessary weight hence the 1000's. 👍
I believe the angle is to keep the jack vertical at the higher settings, and to give more purchase.

Bob
🇺🇸

[SteveNdebbie]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

They are stock haha bars.



I exchanged the 1400lb bars that came with my haha for 1000lb bars. The 1400's were just too stiff, giving a harsh ride, when I up-graded our receiver the stiffer bars were no longer needed to transfer the necessary weight hence the 1000's. [emoji106]

I believe the angle is to keep the jack vertical at the higher settings, and to give more purchase.



Bob

[emoji631]

[emoji108] makes sense to me. My hitch is lower so my spring bars should be ok. Still not sure what settings will give me the best weight distribution over all 4 TV wheels. I’ll play around with it a little more. One interesting thing I found on my hitch was that the spring bar grease fitting was worn away and not catching the groove.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by SteveNdebbie

[emoji108] makes sense to me. My hitch is lower so my spring bars should be ok. Still not sure what settings will give me the best weight distribution over all 4 TV wheels. I’ll play around with it a little more. One interesting thing I found on my hitch was that the spring bar grease fitting was worn away and not catching the groove.

The 'spring nose' dilemma...not un-common. It took me several tries before getting it right.
My routine...back off the lock nut, stick your finger in the hole, screw the fitting in 'til you feel the nose poke thru, stop turning when the nose is flush when fully depressed, if the bar stays put when swung into position...you got it!👍😂 I grease before every trip.

BTW...good to add a couple to your 'kit'.

Bob
🇺🇸

[SteveNdebbie]

Well Bob, currently on our way home from the Pacific coast. Wish I had a spare pair of spring bar fittings... but seriously, trip has been great and I’ll give a detailed report on MDX towing when we get back. I’m now a huge fan of the Hensley hitch

Steve

[SteveNdebbie]

[SteveNdebbie]

Hello All,

I’m ready to report back on our experience towing our 2006 25’ FB AS Safari including a Hensley arrow hitch with our 2011 Acura MDX V6 with towing package including transmission cooler and reinforcement to our receiving hitch by Can Am in London, Ontario. My wife and I arrived back home a week ago from our 4 week trip to the West coast from Ohio. As we were planning this trip after purchasing the AS last fall, my father had offered me his F150, concerned that we would not be able to make the trip with our rig. This was our first TT and our experience in towing was limited to trips in neighboring states. To this point we felt more comfortable using our MDX which we have owned for 4 years and are familiar with its handling. It performed well when we told the travel trailer through West Virginia to Virginia on US 33, but he stated to me that the west was a whole different level of towing. Well, we went with our MDX and I am happy to report that we are back home and we had no mechanical or driving problems with our rig. We were fortunate to have great weather other than some heavy rains a couple times that we drove through and strong winds in South Dakota and Southern Oregon coast.

Our MDX had 103,000 miles. In the MDXers forum I saw that there was a major service for the vehicle at 105,000 miles which included timing belt, transmission and differential servicing, valve adjustment, plugs, water pump, etc. We also took our AS to Jackson center where they checked brakes, packed bearings, and also we replaced the 4 year old Goodyear marathon tires with Goodyear endurance (thank you for your advice forum members!). Tire pressures were 45 psi for the MDX and 50 for the Safari.

In preparation for the trip we scoped our different routes using the Mountain Directory west, a resource truck drivers use to find out the routes % grades, narrowness, switchbacks, if it was “engineered by a mad scientist” (route 36 California). At one point we thought of sticking to the byways but due to leaving 1 1/2 days later than planned we did more interstate driving to make better time. We shared the driving and averaged about 460 miles a day on the driving days. With stops for fuel about every 180-200 miles, lunch stops, rest stops, etc. this would add 2 hours to google maps time.

The MDX towed very well in the sport mode where the transmission shifted at higher rpm’s when accelerating and held us back on road descents. On steeper grades (7-8%) I used the paddle shifters to select 2nd or 3rd gear depending on the speed I wanted to take the upcoming curve. Similarly when climbing steeper grades the paddle shifters came in handy. 2nd gear worked well for 7% or steeper climbs on roads but speed would drop to 38-40 mph @ 4000-4500 rpm’s. I always had plenty of power around 3800-4200 rpm’s at whatever gear. That would move us along about 70 mph in 4th gear. If the road was level and no headwind occasionally I would use 5th gear, sometimes letting the rpm’s go down to 2600-3000. Passing usually required 3rd or 4th gear depending on the speed. We usually had no problem going with the flow of traffic, although a little slow to speed up on an incline to get back on the highway.

Due to us having the Hensley arrow hitch we had no sway or white knuckle driving. No problems with trucks going past us or with the 30+ mph winds in South Dakota or the 45 mph gusts along the lower Oregon coast. We did see other trailers having sway issues as some tense drivers. 5th wheels looked very stable and heavier trailers like some that people were towing made by Outdoors RV in Oregon. We didn’t observe many other Airstreams being towed for comparison.

As for the routes, highest elevation was probably on I-80 before Cheyanne at around 8600 feet. We didn’t notice any loss or power at those types of elevation. We went up a longer grade on state route 140 at Doherty Slide near the Oregon Utah border that was about 7-8%. My wife asked me to keep my eyes on the road and not look at the valley below which was over the 1000 foot drop-off with no guardrail 🤪. Route 199 from Crescent City to Grants Pass was very scenic but the road is narrow and winding. The MDX towing the Safari took the curves well with good control. The 10 mile washboard dirt road to the Royal Peacock Opal Mine in the dark was not fun at 5-10 mph (popped a couple rivets and a mirror slid out of its brackets). The owners told us the next day that 20-25 mph works much better - and it did! (FYI). The parts of the Rocky Mountains we went through were no problem on the interstates. The coastal mountains and 101 was actually more challenging due to the steeper elevations and sharp curves. With slowing down and being courteous to others this did not pose a problem. Some campgrounds had steep drives and sharp turns on gravel but first gear and the SH-AWD handled that well. I really appreciated our maneuverability with the Hensley and our shorter wheelbase when pulling into and leaving gas stations. Also for maneuvering into tight camp-sights.

Before starting home I did stop at a Valvoline to have oil and fluids checked since we had just towed 3000 miles. They added 1/2 qt. of oil but he said it looked great and didn’t need changed until we got home. We did not have any overheating issues, brake problems, or really any problems with our MDX except gas mileage at 9-11 miles per gallon with premium fuel. We had to pre-plan our gas stops so ad not to run too low, especially on 140 through Oregon and Nevada.

In summary, we had a great trip and plan to do more traveling to off the beaten path places. Boondocking at Nomad’s View Dispersed, Cape Perpetua, and Prairie Creek State Park were some favorites as well as the beach across the road at Thousand Trails Pacific Sun RV resort neat Pacific City, Oregon. We were asked about our rig by a number of people who were also interested in towing with an SUV or Honda Ridgeline. We are aware that modifications to an SUV, truck or car may negate a warranty and let people know that they needed to consider this and work with people who have expertise and success with this like the folks at Can Am. With 105k miles on a 7 year old MDX I wasn’t concerned about that.

The biggest factors in towing IMO as a newbee is that safety and a positive experience are not about to the particular TV but in the patience and courtesy of the driver, having a proper set-up with spending as much money as needed to get the right hitch, knowing your limits of your rig as far as maintaining control and adjusting speed for changes in road conditions, wind, and other drivers behavior on the road. I Preplanning the route and making sure that the TV and TT are serviced before leaving. Adjust plans in stride as the trip evolves along the way (we always seemed to be on plan b or even c due to full state parks or driving conditions). I am sure many of you have even better advise due to knowledge or experience and I have a lot more to learn myself.

Respectfully,

Steve

[bono]

Awesome report, thanks! I totally agree with the below. I was totally newbee when I picked up the trailer in Indiana and towed to California. I have two years / 14k towing miles with my Jayco. It tows so well that when I was considering changing the car to Mercedes GLS I was concerned that the towing experience would suffer. Contacted Andy Thomson to discuss and I am still in X5.

Any Airstream should tow better than SOB, so I can imagine that you need to very comfortable with your combo. I always like to see SUV towing a large trailer on the road

Originally Posted by SteveNdebbie

(...)

The biggest factors in towing IMO as a newbee is that safety and a positive experience are not about to the particular TV but in the patience and courtesy of the driver, having a proper set-up with spending as much money as needed to get the right hitch, knowing your limits of your rig as far as maintaining control and adjusting speed for changes in road conditions, wind, and other drivers behavior on the road. I Preplanning the route and making sure that the TV and TT are serviced before leaving. Adjust plans in stride as the trip evolves along the way (we always seemed to be on plan b or even c due to full state parks or driving conditions). I am sure many of you have even better advise due to knowledge or experience and I have a lot more to learn myself.
(...)